Bench space

[snoopdog]

It doesn't make any difference how much bench space I have. It will inevitably clutter up with tools and crap.
I don't worry about it much. There are times when a large assortment of tools are laying all over the bench
just waiting to be picked up and used. I'm used to my slovenly ways.

It's pretty easy to tell what kind of shop you walk into. Most of the time when everything is hung up and put away,there isn't much really
getting accomplished. If it looks like a disaster area it probably is highly functional from my experience...

While I agree that you can tell a prima donna shop, and most of the time the owner couldn't change a flat tire. I have seen competent people waste so much time looking for something amongst the rubble.

 

[rabler]

I don't about it much.

That's the key.

Most of the time when everything is hung up and put away,there isn't much really
getting accomplished. If it looks like a disaster area it probably is highly functional from my experience...

For me there's a balance. I'm not fond of cleaning and don't particularly care if my workshop is tidy, but I like stuff organized enough that I don't spend half my day hunting around for various parts, tools, bolts, etc. With a new shop I find it a little frustrating (talk about first world problems!) that I don't yet have a sense of where things are/belong. Some people are better than others at remembering where things are.

I remember as a kid living in Duluth, we needed to pull apart our tractor to replace a transmission seal. I was working under the tractor, removing bolts. I kept having to ask Dad where he put the wrench. His answer was "Just tell me what size and I'll hand it to you". I'm figuratively scratching my head, and answer "The one that was right there", putting my hand on the floor where I set it down. I crawled out from under the tractor to find a large white towel draped over the table saw and all the tools organized, operating room style, on the towel. I'd hate to step into an operating room that was as messy as my shop. But it was what worked for him.

 

[westerner]

Mike Campbell's rule of horizontal surfaces-

"You can build a shop that has one acre of workbench space.
There will STILL come a day when you must sweep some stuff aside to get a place to set your beer down"

 

[JerryCordova]

That's great to hear that your unconventional shop layout is working well for you! It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into designing a space that's both functional and comfortable for your work style.
Your bench construction method using yellow pine boards, cross braces, and plywood sounds solid and durable. It's good to hear that the painted tops have held up well to different types of chemicals and oils. Using 2x6 instead of 2x8 for the front lip under the top would certainly save some space, but it's great to know that the current design is working well for you.
Thanks for sharing your experience and tips for building a functional and comfortable workspace!

 

[pontiac428]

That looks really nice, Randal. Looking at your pics (and so many others here) made me realize what my problem is. It's pretty simple, but it keeps me from doing a lot of stuff- I am allergic to woodwork. Do you know when a piece of wood is going to split when you run a screw through it? I sure don't, but it sure does. Could you imagine if every time you tapped a piece of steel, you had to worry about the work splitting in half? How about after you build something, then the humidity and temperature change. What would happen if that rack I just welded suddenly warped shape like a stick of pine? I just can't bring myself to do anything with wood, it's an awful material!

 

[ChazzC]

That looks really nice, Randal. Looking at your pics (and so many others here) made me realize what my problem is. It's pretty simple, but it keeps me from doing a lot of stuff- I am allergic to woodwork. Do you know when a piece of wood is going to split when you run a screw through it? I sure don't, but it sure does. Could you imagine if every time you tapped a piece of steel, you had to worry about the work splitting in half? How about after you build something, then the humidity and temperature change. What would happen if that rack I just welded suddenly warped shape like a stick of pine? I just can't bring myself to do anything with wood, it's an awful material!

I know what you mean: even with my baby machines I can hold 0.001” - 0.002”, but I’m happy if I can cut two 2x4’s to within 1/8” of each other (and forget about what the plans call for).

 

[matthewsx]

"Normal people make things out of wood"

 

[rabler]

... I just can't bring myself to do anything with wood, it's an awful material!

I started woodworking helping my father at 6, I remember helping him rip boards on a cheap table saw that was always binding.
Got an oxy-acetylene torch at 14. Didn't get machining tools until 4 decades later.

The benches seem more like carpentry work than fine woodworking. Just to be an *ss, here's a bedroom set I made, bed, end tables, lamps, chest and mirror out of cherry (walnut and maple accents). Lots of hours of hand carving. Doubt I'll do much more of that.

 

[pontiac428]

Without slide ways and lead screws, I can't make anything straight.

 

[rwdenney]

"Normal people make things out of wood"

Precision is difficult no matter the material. Building wood stuff with joints that are tight because the parts are square and accurately cut to 1/64" is every bit as difficult as machining metal to 0.001". And any gaps in the joints from lack of precision are often much more visible.

Rick "(apparently) an expert at building stuff with gaps in it" Denney