# My Dads Shop



## Charley Davidson (Jul 24, 2013)

Here's some pictures of my dads little shop in the mountains of North Carolina. He's a classic hoarder (& the apple doesn't fall far from the tree) My dad has piddled in all kinds of wood working but I think his best talent has been carving. Here's some pictures of his little paradise. 

Unfortunately it is a very big problem with him & my mom as he needs to get rid of some stuff so they can move into possibly an assisted living home. I know he needs to keep some of it but he thinks he needs and can keep it all. Big problem.


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## churchjw (Jul 24, 2013)

This is a supper cool shop.  Only years of work can produce this kind of wonderland.  

Jeff

PS why wouldn't there the a beaver stole next to the fire extinguisher?


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## Charley Davidson (Jul 24, 2013)

JScott said:


> Good gracious that boy has a lot of stuff! Why is there a beaver stole next to the fire extinguisher?



That covers the seat on his carving station, kinda like a wool cover on a motorcycle seat.


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## Ulma Doctor (Jul 24, 2013)

if that's hoarding, i have a real problem then...:lmao:

Great shop, the stories it could tell....

I hope the best for all of your family!
mike)


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## itsme_Bernie (Jul 24, 2013)

I LOVE that place!  It kills me that he has to move away from a lot of it.  I am sure that is hard.  
I wish them luck figuring it all out.

I love the beaver pelt, and I love not knowing why it's there!


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## Eracer121852 (Jul 24, 2013)

Thats the problem with doing something that you love. Someone always comes along and puts a stop to it! )


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## Farmer Dodds (Jul 24, 2013)

It's going to take me another 20 years to get my shop looking like that.  Then it will it will be time to move to a smaller one.

Good luck sorting it out.  Start with small stuff first, it won't look so bad.

Stan


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## core-oil (Jul 24, 2013)

Charlie,
Is it not possible for you to "down size" your dads shop a bit, & take some of it to your place &when the old fellow comes to see you at vacation times he still sees a bit of his shop it will be a comfort to him, The loss of his shop completely is a fearful wrench,  I do not know how I will feel when that horrible day arrives


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## Uglydog (Jul 24, 2013)

Solid trees have deep roots, and yield good apples.
Yes, it will be difficult to uproot him. 
However, for all things there is a season.

If there are items you don't know the history on, perhaps he will still remember. 
Perhaps.....


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## stevecmo (Jul 24, 2013)

Charlie,

Wow, that is one cool looking place - both outside and inside!  I would love to have something like that.  Good luck with your folks.  This point in their lives is not easy for them our you.  Enjoy them while you can.

Steve


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## Charley Davidson (Jul 24, 2013)

Wish we could just move the whole thing as is to new location. They are 10 or 12 miles off the main road & 3 or 4 miles off the paved road.


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## woodtickgreg (Jul 24, 2013)

That is a lifetime statement, years of defining who you are and what you are all about. I dread the day when someone thinks I should walk away from my shop and who I am. That place speaks volumes to me both inside and out, you could spend hours looking at those pics and still not see everything. It's a personal place, his happy place, and I bet his favorite place to be. This is not just a pile of hoarded stuff, look closely at all the hand made things from tools to finished projects, to furnishings, and on and on. Every item in it has a story and a purpose. It's a lifetime of creation. If I had just saw this mans shop I would have said, "oh look, a hopeless tinkerer just like me". But then when you talk about him having to move from it and give up a large part of it well that just saddens me. My day will come too, and that is just a scarey reality.


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## itsme_Bernie (Jul 24, 2013)

I don't look forward to that day either.  Greg put it well, and Joseph Campbell (Power of MYTH) said we all need a "bliss station".  

My shop sure is that for me.  I am glad he can bring some with him as well, but boy, that's tough.

My ex's great grandma loved us.  But she was really becoming unsafe to herself. She was using olive oil as dish washing liquid (imagine the smell after a few months when I finally figured out what the hell was happening!!), and putting the kitchen sponge in the toaster oven D8 ...  

A friend and I moved, installed, and surrounded her new space with as much of her artwork she collected and created as we possibly could.  WHAT a job, ugh.  She still treated me like vermin!  

Stay strong Charlie.  Just keep doing your best.


Bernie


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## woodtickgreg (Jul 24, 2013)

My mother passed from complications of Alzheimer's and dementia, It is a cruel disease and was a very hard thing for me to watch. It scares the hell out of me when I can't remember things. I have no one to leave my tools to, my son has no interest and no understanding of the value of the tools either, and we really don't have much of a relationship anyway. You men that grew up with a father to teach you things and share their life with you are very lucky indeed. I grew up without a father, I self tought myself everything that I know, I had hoped to pass that down but I won't get that chance. I am a wood worker, a small engine mechanic and I have done that professionally for a living, work metal some, electrical enough to wire a house, basicly anything that I can do with my hands. Sound like some of your fathers? Remember guys, when the disease takes hold to remember them for who they where and what they tought you, they will say things that they shouldn't, and forget things that you wish they wouldn't. It's a hard thing to go through and you cannot make any sense of it, we just try to make the best decisions that we can for their well fare, they will get mad at you sometimes. I remember my mother slapping me and saying she wanted to go home, but I knew she couldn't, she needed 24 hour supervision. Towards the end my mother forgot everyones name except my sons.
 This whole story brings back so many emotions for me.


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## Old Iron (Jul 24, 2013)

Charley I hate to hear about your Dad and Mother and the loss of his shop. Maybe when they relocate you can fix him a small one in a closet. I hope the stuff that you would like to keep doesn't disappear.

My Dad took me out to his garage one day to look at the shot he had started for his self and then said I waited to long. He passed shortly after that from cancer.

Paul


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## itsme_Bernie (Jul 24, 2013)

woodtickgreg said:


> My mother passed from complications of Alzheimer's and dementia, It is a cruel disease and was a very hard thing for me to watch. It scares the hell out of me when I can't remember things. I have no one to leave my tools to, my son has no interest and no understanding of the value of the tools either, and we really don't have much of a relationship anyway. You men that grew up with a father to teach you things and share their life with you are very lucky indeed. I grew up without a father, I self tought myself everything that I know, I had hoped to pass that down but I won't get that chance. I am a wood worker, a small engine mechanic and I have done that professionally for a living, work metal some, electrical enough to wire a house, basicly anything that I can do with my hands. Sound like some of your fathers? Remember guys, when the disease takes hold to remember them for who they where and what they tought you, they will say things that they shouldn't, and forget things that you wish they wouldn't. It's a hard thing to go through and you cannot make any sense of it, we just try to make the best decisions that we can for their well fare, they will get mad at you sometimes. I remember my mother slapping me and saying she wanted to go home, but I knew she couldn't, she needed 24 hour supervision. Towards the end my mother forgot everyones name except my sons.
> This whole story brings back so many emotions for me.



I'm hearing you Greg, and appreciate your words.  
I'd like to meet you in person, but you sure are mentoring people in here.  Are there any budding handy guys by you?  Nephew's   Nieces? 

I don't have a son, but my daughter "loves metal", and wants to learn.  I have barely started her- she's only 8 years old.


Bernie


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## juliusz (Jul 25, 2013)

This, most beautiful, "workshop patina" can only occur if someone feels the value of tools, tradesmen skills, handmade things. I am not joking. I am also a 'son of my Father', although I am only a light hoarder.

But this place must have a special feeling and good spirits must be lurking about... But to loose such a unique place is simply a tragic thing.

Think hard to preserve if not all at least a part.

I am now over sixty - so I know Fathers like yours - and I also have some of my +Dad's precious treasures.

Regards
Juliusz


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## raross61 (Jul 25, 2013)

I feel for you right now a lot!, my Mom and Dad are both around 80 y/o, and I am going thru the same thing! My Dad is great, my mom has dementia / Alzheimer’s! He does not want to put her under care, unless he also goes there himself! Even though I feel this may suck him down very quick! Torn between my Mom living there alone, and my Dad maybe having another 10 years? My prayers are with you, it's so hard!

Bob in Oregon


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## Bradman (Jul 25, 2013)

What a great space. I hope the memories he takes with him offer him great comfort. I have been cleaning out my grandmothers house the last few months and many of the things I found held fond memories. She was a great story teller and I wote a number of her stories down so they could be passed on to her grandchildren and great grandchildren. I wish I would have written more of them. The photos of his space and projects can give others a treasure. Thanks for sharing the photos. All the best to you and your family.


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## Dave Smith (Jul 25, 2013)

Charley---I am praying that God will remove dementia from your mom and dad--this way your dad can enjoy his shop for many more years, as the shop and projects keep him alive and happy. hobbies are what keeps our minds active and our desire to live productive lives longer---your dads shop is a very delightful place to be. Does he understand that to stay there--he must be cured from his problems? dementia is a bad disease but can be cured like any other disease by prayers and belief.--with all our prayers for your family, we will look for results.   --Dave


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## Walt (Jul 25, 2013)

Best wishes for your Dad's health, Charlie.

I lost my Dad 2 years ago this fall. One of the most difficult things for him in his last years was having to move with my Mom to assisted living because of her dementia, and the resulting loss of his shop.

He was able to adjust to the situation to some extent by keeping some of his model boat making tools with him. You are a good son to keep his needs in mind.

I'm proud of Dad for the way he always treated Mom with respect even when the going got tough. He was a great example of how to live a life that made the people around him richer.

Walt


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## Ray C (Jul 25, 2013)

Charlie,

I feel your pain on this issue.  It's no fun but, always remember something... Grace and elegance are defined not by the outcome of your decisions but, by the manner in which you dealt with them.  Tough decisions and actions ahead but, you'll rise to the occasion and do the right thing.  Getting old is not for sissies and that applies to both parents and their offspring.


Ray


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## eightball (Jul 26, 2013)

That shop reminds me of one i saw in Bat Cave NC  But that was 23 years ago and i think i had just gotten married and spent the weekend in batcave at a B&B.


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## george (Jul 30, 2013)

I am sure your dad spent many a happy day in his shop. It Looks wonderful. I wish him well.


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## LJP (Jul 31, 2013)

And were will the treasures go? I look at shops like this, of old men that collected this stuff for a lifetime. I know where every tool that I have came from, my grandfather, my step-fathers father, my father-in-law, my father. My uncle that stood in his garage with me and said "take whatever you want", he died a month later. I took 4 Kennedy boxes of machinist tools, dozens of pocket knives, 8 firearms and 4 compound bows. My uncle Paul's machinist tools are why I now have a Bridgeport and 2 South Bend lathes, I was determined to learn to use the tools he gave me as he passed away! I cherish every one of those tools, I can tell you where each of the 20 hammers (at least) I have, came from! This is a fine legacy that also needs a place. I wonder what will happen to my collection, we have no children. So, I look at shops like this and hope that the tools go to the right place. I think Paul would be pleased with the way I preserved the legacy he passed on to me. I hope my nephew will learn to appreciate these treasures. 
Larry


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## The Liberal Arts Garage (Jul 15, 2014)

Farmer Dodds said:


> It's going to take me another 20 years to get my shop looking like that.  Then it will it will be time to move to a smaller one.
> 
> Good luck sorting it out.  Start with small stuff first, it won't look so bad.
> 
> Stan



I'm a guy at the other end of the problem. I am stuck in a tiny Section 8 apartment with a loving
LPN cat. With my perfect wife dead ten years and none near to replacing her', am surrounded by
Tools and materials (utterly illegal, but I can sweet talk the maintenance guys. My mind and body
Are failing ,and I can get up Gumption enough for less than an hour a day. The kids are out improving the world and not yet ready for Making Things. You know as well as I that if I get rid of it all, they will fight over th memories. Of course the value is not worth what it meant to me....... 
      After reading all the other painful tails above from the other end of things,????.......BLJHB.
 AND thanks for reading my ***** and grumble.....


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## GK1918 (Jul 15, 2014)

Its no ***** and grumble, I hear ya loud and clear.  I'm still trying to figure how once a day was a day and a year a year.  Now days seem as
minutes and years like a month.  I dreaded the day when the number 2000 came about,  now is 2014,  how in hell - 14 yrs????????

sam

edit curious  whats a LPN cat?  mines a tuxedo boy cat


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## richl (Jul 15, 2014)

It's a beautiful space , just looking at the pics you can feel all the creative energy the space has. The best to you and your dad.

Respectfully
Rich


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## Scruffy (Jul 15, 2014)

heart breaking story. but from what little i know about you , youl do whats best. both of my folks are in their 80's any my father inlaw just turned 94 .  had to stop his driving. that was tough enough , can,t imagine what your going thru.
i'll stop my rambling. thanks ron


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## jam (Jul 16, 2014)

Charley Davidson said:


> Here's some pictures of my dads little shop in the mountains of North Carolina. He's a classic hoarder (& the apple doesn't fall far from the tree) My dad has piddled in all kinds of wood working but I think his best talent has been carving. Here's some pictures of his little paradise.
> 
> Unfortunately it is a very big problem with him & my mom as he needs to get rid of some stuff so they can move into possibly an assisted living home. I know he needs to keep some of it but he thinks he needs and can keep it all. Big problem.



that place looks like a place up in the brown mountains.
  nice shop    sorry your dad is not able to keep his tools  its sad that we all get old. 
the man I work for had to go to a  assisted living home.
he had a lot of  tools like that  he had for years he is 89 years old hard to see him go he was like my dad.
 I am 49 years old I started to work for him at 16    33 years  of a man like your dad helping me not only with tools but with life .
at one point we had to take his car that was hard to do I was at the shop one day and his wife called me and ask me to pick his car up to have 
it detail . 
so I did the next day I gave her a call and seed his car is back  that im going to drop it off .....
she seed no you take it home its yours   ****  I seed I cannot do that  that pop car and she seed no you keep it 
o well what  was I did not take it home it in the parking lot at work using it as a company car. 
that was hard for me to do and all the tools that he had I am using today what I a saying is you need to get 
some of the tools so you can look at em  and think of all the good times your dad had  I use pop tool every day 
in my shop and if I pick up a tool that he gave me and use it that makes me fell good because 
he was a man that was hands on don't go buy new fix it 
and with the way your dad shop looks that man was a fix it man make him smile and keep it alive and pass it on .


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## decklow (Jul 17, 2014)

This is the saddest thread. What a wonderful place. I had to give up my big shop but man my cellar shop looks a lot like that.  I'm 72 now and still making stuff all the time. I'm doing more with metal now. Good luck with everything.  That should be filmed for posterity. It is an Americana Treasure.


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## KBeitz (Jul 8, 2018)

I would much rather be 6 feet under than ever going to a assisted living home .
I can not leave my shop.... Or home...


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