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How do you organize your milling fixtures/hold downs?
- Thread starter Janderso
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sounds like a two part question. getting something on the table (exercise, skyhook or lift table) or perhaps the plastic hold down rack????
don't take this wrong but i have found that people with emaculate workshops/tool boxes usually don't get much actual work done
i have an old metal hold down rack no issues
don't take this wrong but i have found that people with emaculate workshops/tool boxes usually don't get much actual work done
i have an old metal hold down rack no issues
That's perfect, I wish my tools didn't live in a trailer/vibratory polisher. The trailer is moving from Atlanta to Charlotte next week and you never know what surprises the trip will hand you.
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- Feb 27, 2014
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OMG! David, that is awesome
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- Nov 23, 2014
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At least two schools of thought on the "cleanliness" of a shop. Mine isn't pristine by any stretch of the imagination. But stuff is organized (somewhat) so I can find it. Our dog will come into the shop so I regularly sweep/vacuum the floor so "Toby" doesn't hurt himself on chips. And "yes", I don't do it as often as I should.
Toyota uses something they call the "Toyota Manufacturing System" which GM adopted into "GMS - Global Manufacturing System". One of the many facets of GMS is workplace cleanliness. Quick version is if the floor is filthy under a machine, how do you know when/if it's leaking oil? Another reason is trying to establish a culture of pride in workmanship. Our mom's wouldn't allow their homes to look like a pig-sty, why let your shop look like one? I try to budget at least 30 minutes after each project is completed to clean up my mess. Caveat is if I'm done for the day and the project isn't completed, I probably leave the mess and do a good job once when it's completed.
I bought a Bridgeport from a guy with a shop that you could have safely eaten off the floor. Everything was clean, wiped down and put in well labeled drawers. He had been operating a machine shop out of a pole barn next to his house and had a sign over the door with something like "Your mom isn't here to clean up your mess. If I have to do it, consider this door one-way". His employees knew the rules. I was very comfortable buying the BP from him because of the cleanliness/organization of his shop. I figured if he took the time to clean it, he probably maintained the BP also. Especially since the cement floor under the BP made him no money, but the BP certainly did.
On the other hand, it's what you are comfortable with. It's more of a pride thing for me. If you look at my BP, you'll see a couple of clamping kits hanging on the wall to the left side. If you look at the floor to the left, you'll also see a couple of cardboard boxes with R8 collets and clamping hardware. There's also a cardboard box on the BP base with more clamping studs and stuff. One of my "list of good intentions" projects is to organize what's in the boxes. It just looks "cheesy" to me, plus I don't even know what's in them. Yet, I've been living with it that way for 5 years.
Oh, the photo of my BP was probably shot mid-project. Check out the floor, not swept up like it should be as I was machining some Delrin or polyethylene at the time. It got vacuumed up after the project was wrapped. Does it make my projects better or help finding stuff in the drawers? No, a clean floor serves nothing toward the project other than my pride if someone happens to drop over.
I attached some random photos of my "organization". Opportunities for improvement? No question. It's a work in process as the stuff that gets used the most is organized. The rest will be a retirement project.
Bruce
My BP typically has an ER40 collet chuck in place. R8's are in a cardboard box on the floor to the left.
Messy storage rack with large micrometers, BP right angle attachment, dividing heads, rotary table, vise, etc. There's a sheet taped to each shelf identifying what's there. Not the best but gives me something to improve on as a retirement project.
Some of my end mill tooling. Need a 1/4" rougher, easier to find here than shuffling through a coffee can.
Same for more of my taps and dies.
Some of the mill tooling. Drawer fronts are labeled though stuff isn't the tidiest inside.
Toyota uses something they call the "Toyota Manufacturing System" which GM adopted into "GMS - Global Manufacturing System". One of the many facets of GMS is workplace cleanliness. Quick version is if the floor is filthy under a machine, how do you know when/if it's leaking oil? Another reason is trying to establish a culture of pride in workmanship. Our mom's wouldn't allow their homes to look like a pig-sty, why let your shop look like one? I try to budget at least 30 minutes after each project is completed to clean up my mess. Caveat is if I'm done for the day and the project isn't completed, I probably leave the mess and do a good job once when it's completed.
I bought a Bridgeport from a guy with a shop that you could have safely eaten off the floor. Everything was clean, wiped down and put in well labeled drawers. He had been operating a machine shop out of a pole barn next to his house and had a sign over the door with something like "Your mom isn't here to clean up your mess. If I have to do it, consider this door one-way". His employees knew the rules. I was very comfortable buying the BP from him because of the cleanliness/organization of his shop. I figured if he took the time to clean it, he probably maintained the BP also. Especially since the cement floor under the BP made him no money, but the BP certainly did.
On the other hand, it's what you are comfortable with. It's more of a pride thing for me. If you look at my BP, you'll see a couple of clamping kits hanging on the wall to the left side. If you look at the floor to the left, you'll also see a couple of cardboard boxes with R8 collets and clamping hardware. There's also a cardboard box on the BP base with more clamping studs and stuff. One of my "list of good intentions" projects is to organize what's in the boxes. It just looks "cheesy" to me, plus I don't even know what's in them. Yet, I've been living with it that way for 5 years.
Oh, the photo of my BP was probably shot mid-project. Check out the floor, not swept up like it should be as I was machining some Delrin or polyethylene at the time. It got vacuumed up after the project was wrapped. Does it make my projects better or help finding stuff in the drawers? No, a clean floor serves nothing toward the project other than my pride if someone happens to drop over.
I attached some random photos of my "organization". Opportunities for improvement? No question. It's a work in process as the stuff that gets used the most is organized. The rest will be a retirement project.
Bruce
My BP typically has an ER40 collet chuck in place. R8's are in a cardboard box on the floor to the left.
Messy storage rack with large micrometers, BP right angle attachment, dividing heads, rotary table, vise, etc. There's a sheet taped to each shelf identifying what's there. Not the best but gives me something to improve on as a retirement project.
Some of my end mill tooling. Need a 1/4" rougher, easier to find here than shuffling through a coffee can.
Same for more of my taps and dies.
Some of the mill tooling. Drawer fronts are labeled though stuff isn't the tidiest inside.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2015
- Messages
- 2,079
Totally agree Bruce. Thanks for posting on this. Some people can deal with clutter and still be productive, while others can't. Nothing upsets my day more than trying to find something (usually a tool) that I know I own but can't find. And while my shop is often full of shavings and looks a mess, at the end of the day I like leaving the shop clean and tidy - it sets the right frame of mind the following day coming into the shop. The idea that "people with emaculate workshops/tool boxes usually don't get much actual work done" is preposterous IMO.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2014
- Messages
- 2,130
In my shop
1. Everything has a proper storage place
2. Most of the time, things are stored in the proper storage place
3. Periodically, I go through and move things to the proper storage place
4. When things are NOT in the proper storage place, I am confident they are someplace else (usually at or near the place of last use)
1. Everything has a proper storage place
2. Most of the time, things are stored in the proper storage place
3. Periodically, I go through and move things to the proper storage place
4. When things are NOT in the proper storage place, I am confident they are someplace else (usually at or near the place of last use)