# Messy work bench....



## Hukshawn

Mark (markba633csi) and I were having a conversation earlier this afternoon and an excuse to clean a messy workbench came up.
I asked him to repeat himself and speak up as I couldn't hear him over my messy work bench...





So, I call on all... Come on guys, let's see your shame!


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## kvt

That looks pretty clean to me you can still see at least 50 percent of the top.


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## David S

ok I will bite.





David


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## Old junk

*organized chaos*


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## Crank

Chaos theory defined! You guys are amateurs, I have you beat.



On second thought, not the kind of bragging rights you want. I'll get cleaning....

Mark


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## Hukshawn

Good lord!


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## Crank

The irony is that when I clean, I go to the other extreme and everything is meticulous. I'm just a victim of accelerated entropy.

Mark


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## Dave Smith

I think you guys cleaned up before you took the pictures-I am still looking for several lost work benches that are underneath somewhere---The first 5 are from my small shop---then I will get some from my larger shop   ---
	

		
			
		

		
	







	

		
			
		

		
	
Dave


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## Dave Smith

larger shop----I really am ashamed of my workbenches being so messy, but I'm positive someone has got me beat-----I will take pictures after I clean all the clutter off them--it has been my goal!!!!---Dave


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## Crank

Dave,
Blue light bulbs??? Seriously, who the heck keeps blue light bulbs!  (fifth photo)

Mark


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## Hukshawn

Oh man. The house I've been working on for several months was like this when the clients father passed away. Had lots of money and liked auctions. The barns were worse than this. The major dissapointment was that all the piles of stuff, it was all just garbage. Nothing had value, nothing worked, everything was broken or half fixed. The auctions he went to and bought were old factories selling off old broken tools and machines. Shame...


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## Ulma Doctor

here is my shrine to The Sister of the Broken Gear, Goddess of unfinished projects 





i also have a reminder, i put above my bench- it helps me remember to do quality work above all else!!! 






from Chaos comes order


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## Dave Smith

'





Crank said:


> Dave,
> Blue light bulbs??? Seriously, who the heck keeps blue light bulbs!  (fifth photo)
> 
> Mark



Mark---I will definitely throw them away tomorrow, cause I have found no use for them in forty years and I can't scrape the blue off---Dave


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## woodchucker

Thanks you guys, you make me feel better, when I can't see my bench, I clean it. Because I can't find what I'm looking for. I guess I'm a neat freak compared to you guys. Crank, you win man. All the others, you could get to what you needed with a little work. With yours,  your never going to find it.


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## Dave Smith

Hukshawn said:


> Oh man. The house I've been working on for several months was like this when the clients father passed away. The barns were worse than this. The major dissapointment was that all the piles of stuff, it was all just garbage. Nothing had value, nothing worked, everything was broken or half fixed. Shame...



Shawn--I think everything I have works---well---well--there may be a couple items that need fixing--that's why I am a hobby machinist and like old machines---Dave


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## Crank

woodchucker,
My friends start a pool every time I clean my shop to see how long it will last. I'm like a drunk falling off the wagon. My current excuse is I need to get to a gun show to sell off years of brass, ammo, scopes, parts, ad infinitum that are eating up a lot of space. My model boats are filling all of the other hiding places. I'm tempted to rent a storage unit to get stuff that I plan to sell, out and then whittle the pile down from there (using the cost as a motivator). I'm at a point I want to streamline what I own and eliminate all of the clutter.

Mark


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## Uncle Buck

Crank said:


> Dave,
> Blue light bulbs??? Seriously, who the heck keeps blue light bulbs!  (fifth photo)
> 
> Mark



I have a string of colored Christmas bulbs in my shop. They are on anytime the shop lights are on.


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## Uncle Buck

No pics, but Crank and Dave Smith are the closest thing to what I have going on out there. However, there is hope. I have been spending a lot of evenings and weekends working on my mess. Hung more and brighter lights, hung shelves, painting wall cabinets, emptying trash from the shop. Organizing as I go. The other night I finally got my stainless steel bench top slid under my metal lathe. Today I repainted a wall white, installed a new LED light over the lathe and hung a couple of shelves on the wall for tooling behind the lathe. 

I plan on having it cleared out in a few months. I am doing more than simple cleaning, I am painting and improving things as well which adds more time to a shop cleanup. When I started you could barely get from the man door to the bench. Now at least that much is a clear path.


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## 682bear

Uncle Buck said:


> I have a string of colored Christmas bulbs in my shop. They are on anytime the shop lights are on.



Thats funny... I do too...

-Bear


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## 682bear

And... Speaking of colored bulbs... I have a few pink bulbs on my workbench that my wife bought for a lamp in her classroom... she is a 6th grade teacher...

Should I have admitted that? Oh, well...

-Bear


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## Dave Smith

Uncle Buck said:


> Dave I would have blast rooting through your shop! I see tons of places gold is hiding!



I always knew we had a lot in common---both have Atlas mills and shapers also---Dave


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## RandyM

A cluttered workbench is not a workbench, it is a storage shelf. There is nothing more frustrating to me to need to work on a workbench with clutter. Sorry guys, this is not my style, but hey, you need to do what works for ya. 

In fact, this is the style of my late stepfather and as I was growing up vowed to never adapt it.


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## Hukshawn

I don't care for it either. I'm often sitting at the bench working on something with small parts or screws with little legs that run away, or fall down drill holes. Its always projects that are healing or waiting that overflow the bench. 
After working at that farmhouse this past year, I did a major purge of crap in the garage. If I hadn't used it in the past year, no matter if I thought it was useful or valuable, it went, curb or garbage bin. Felt good... 
Built a bunch of cabinets and storage. I even had room to add another machine when I was done... Maybe it was foresight... Lol


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## Crank

Uncle Buck,
You nailed my scenario, I manage everything in the rear 2/3 of a 2 car garage. 6' long 2500lb lathe, Schaublin 102 lathe. 9x42 Bridgeport, 7" shaper, TIG welder, Oxy/Acet tanks, 2 workbenches, 2 safes, 3 Vidmar cabinets, etc...

Mark


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## PHPaul

I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse, but I'm so scatterbrained that I have a bad case of CFS to go with my CRS.  *C*an't  *F*ind *S*tuff.

Sure, the bench gets a little cluttered while actually working, but it gets cleaned up and everything put away when I'm done, or at the very least before I start the next project.

Example:  Bought the Grizzly mini-lathe.  Set it up in the basement which is at least somewhat climate controlled.  Needed to have a selection of tools, calipers, bits, etc handy.  Therefore, needed to buy ANOTHER tool box and put up ANOTHER piece of pegboard to have some place to put them.

That's in addition to the BIG Husky box in the garage with the general mechanic's tools, the box for plumbing stuff, the box for household repair stuff, the box for model-building stuff, the box for electrical work, the multiple boxes for Arduino components, etc. etc. 

There's going to be an EPIC yard sale the afternoon of my funeral...


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## Uncle Buck

Crank said:


> Uncle Buck,
> You nailed my scenario, I manage everything in the rear 2/3 of a 2 car garage. 6' long 2500lb lathe, Schaublin 102 lathe. 9x42 Bridgeport, 7" shaper, TIG welder, Oxy/Acet tanks, 2 workbenches, 2 safes, 3 Vidmar cabinets, etc...
> 
> Mark



Exactly! Forgetting the small stuff I have one 7" and one 8" metal shaper, my 12" Cman lathe, two floor height drill presses, a small horizontal band saw, a per hack saw, a vert Cman wood bandsaw I plan to convert for steel, a 10" Cman table saw (the old type, all cast iron) A Lincoln Idealarc AC/DC welder, Oxy/Acet tanks and several extra bottles as well. An end lift jack for cars, a 40" Cman top box and roller. More top boxes on the bench. A parts wash tank, a storage cabinet like sized to the Vidmar, a 60 gallon air compressor, another roll around 20 gallon air compressor that will be leaving, two disk/belt sanders, a 4" wood jointer, a 6" wood planer, two wood cutting jig saws (the old timers, not the small ones you find today) a large Fastenal bolt bin, floor model. And honestly that is not all of it, there is a machinists roll cab and several 7 drawer Kennedy top boxes. There is a bunch more too.

HA! You have a safe out there too! I brought home a little one that I underestimated the weight of about a year ago. I think it must weigh most of 1000 lbs! Once I got it home I decided no way was I going to try and get it in my house! Now it sets on the floor of the garage against the wall! LOL

I have given up on the wood working machines. I am giving almost all of my dedicated wood working machinery to my nephew since I do not see my situation changing for the better any time soon. So over the next year I am going to do my best to reclaim some of my space without giving up machines or tools used my machining interests, or my auto mechanic interest. While I am doing that I am cleaning, decluttering, painting, improving lighting, adding wall shelves etc. all in an effort to get back to better organization and a shop that I can enjoy using. 

For years when the kids were younger it was tough to find shop time. The kids are getting older and it is becoming easier to find time to go to the shop and enjoy myself, even if it is cleaning and decluttering I get to see the improvement and I know what the mission is. 

Keep in mind the size of my garage!


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## chips&more

Don’t think mine are messy enough. But here you go, LOL. Is there a Doctor in the house? I need help! That little space to the right of the vise is my only open bench top work area.


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## RandyM

As I mentioned in my first post, my late step father was of this practice also. I found that no matter how big or how many buildings we had, none of them ended up being work spaces, they were storage spaces. I think one can rationalize anything to their given situation if one is inclined. If you want use the "my space is too small" defense then who am I to argue with you. I just know that my spaces are for working in and not storage, whether it is the workbench or the building that houses it. Again, if that sort of thing really doesn't bother than you, then hey, who am I to tell you are not happy. I just know that is not my still and would not be even thinking of working in that kind of atmosphere.

And you correct, it does come down to priorities and for me I will never fill my work spaces up as storage. As many would not like to admit, it is a mindset and away of doing things. I agree, even for me it is not easy and requires constant vigil not let it get out of hand and that is when a evaluation and an action needs to take place.

I am not a neat freak either. My messes can get really ugly. It is just that they are project messes and depending on the size and duration can go through several pick-ups and re-organization. I also find that sweeping and cleaning are a lot easier to do also when things are organized. I also found that I needed to limit my interests. As much as I would enjoy restoring or building any number of things, trains, tractors, cabinetry, airplanes, ballooning, machine tools, and etc. I had to limit myself and stay focused on a couple of things, cars and gas pumps.

Again, I am not preaching here. I know some of you are very happy with things being this way. I am just saying it is not my style or way of doing things.


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## Crank

Randy,
No need to worry, I personally don't see it as preaching and your viewpoint is a valid one. I come from a long genetic line of pack rats, the difference is that I saw how much of a negative impact it has and as bad as my workbench looks at the moment, I am one of those people that is willing to let go of stuff. Every so often, I will have the "PURGE" which often leaves others a bit surprised that I would get rid of "cool stuff". I'm currently at that point and have been stalled by a couple of trips OCONUS in the past couple of months and just got word that I'm headed off again at the end of this month. My goal is to have my collection tidied up so that if anything should happen to me, my wife and daughter won't be completely lost with what the heck I have. I'm not in my twilight years by any chance, having reached the tender age of 50, but having to bury a daughter 24 years ago, leaves me with a different viewpoint on how long we are here for. I always joke that I could die in a tragic blimp accident .  

Live like today could be your last, let those around you know they are loved, know that every day is God's blessing and don't sweat the small stuff!

Mark


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## Uncle Buck

RandyM, Unless I am mistaken you showed a massive garage/shop here just about a week back didn't you? I am not mistaken am I? 

When your space is 22' x 22' then we can talk. Heck, If I had a space the size you have for a shop it could and would easily look as yours. My God man you could park several busses in your shop! 

As for priorities I will assume you either have no kids, or those you have are already grown and gone. Kids and family are the #1 priority to a dedicated family man, shop comes way down on that list. 

I will admit, I do bristle at your comments here because they do strike me as judgmental.  It is a little difficult for me to hear a guy living in a place that to me looks like one of great wealth essentially passing judgement on how guys that live in homes that are likely not worth as much, nor as big for that matter as your new garage/shop!

Since you would not answer how large your shop space is, then maybe you will tell me the last time your shop was located in a space no larger than 22' x 22' ?  Unless I miss my bet probably the only time in your adult life you have had to work out of a small space might have been a starter home you and the wife had for a couple of years when you first got married.

As for limiting interests. Ya, I am dumping all of my wood working machines so I am left with metal working machines and mechanic tools. Even then I will be severely cramped for space. 

As for saying that a messy shop is not your style or way of doing things........................, like as not that would change if you worked of a shop with the dimensions of mine..


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## woodchucker

I didn't find them as judgmental, just how he feels about his environment.

I used to have a shop in a 10 x 8 room. I worked on my 10-14 foot gliders in that room.  Drill press, saws, and a bench that held the wings.
 It was packed, but it was neat. it had to be. I couldn't work on things if I didn't keep it organized. I had shelf units to keep stuff organized, and out of the way, and the bench had drawers (old dresser , with layers of inserts into the drawer so I could have more in each drawer they were deep).  I had winches, batteries (marine 12v) ...  

I now have more shop, but am caught between woodworking and metal. I have run out of space, I moved my shelves from the wall. where 2 shelf units were, there are now 3, I could do 4, but I have something in the way.  I may add it on the other side. The point is, that in the same space of 2, I got 3, and could do a 4th. I only have 80" of headroom, due to the plumbing and duct work. But If I had an outdoor shop, it would have shelves from top to bottom arranged the same, with a shelf unit at each end cap.. so I could keep control of all the Stuff.

My weakness is spending hours trying to find that thing I just put down, or looking for that part I got and can't find. It ruins progress. So anything I can do to reel that in is a big plus.  Still guilty of big messes, but I get them cleaned up .. sometimes it takes a while, but I can't work if I can't find what I need. I get too lost in trying to find it... maybe OCD... I can't move on until I find it.


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## RandyM

No Buck, you are correct. I am very blessed with a 50 x 104 shop. So I do have the space, but I think you are missing my point. The real point isn't the size of the space, it is how you use it. And let's be honest, it is more a life style than anything else. You can hoard as much or as little as you want and organize it as much or as little as you want.

I find it interesting that you are calling me judgmental. Please now re-read what you just posted. Apparently, I am not beyond your judgment as you are the one bring size and worthiness into this discussion. It also has nothing to do with kids, marriage, wealth, or any other status. I find it interesting that you are the one bring these issues into the discussion, because from my stand point the only comment I made about it was priorities, which can mean any or all of said. As I said, you can justify your style any way you like.

I have seen shops and sheds twice the size I have and I would no way feel the least bit interested in doing work or projects in them. I have also seen many shops smaller than mine and would very much enjoy working and being in them. If it did matter to this discussion, I have worked out of small shops and garages and as I mentioned it was when my stepfather was alive and I was growing up. I learnt a lot from him in how I did not want to live my life and this is one of them.

Buck, you strike me as one of those fellas that everyone else is better off than you, since we are being judgmental with each other.

Thank you Jeff, you actually read what wrote and meant.  Well said.


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## stioc

Personally I'm a neat freak, I just can't function when my surrounding is messy, including the garage. When I'm in the middle of a project, just about every last of the 2000+ tools ends up on every flat surface, floor covered in swarf, saw-dust, welding/grinding dust but before the project is called complete everything is cleaned up and put away.

Over the years I've learned it's best for me to have fewer flat top surfaces. Currently I only have one permanent workbench, but lots of drawers (tool boxes etc) and it's been a great thing for me. It allows me to do everything with reasonable convenience in my 2 car garage and still be able to park one vehicle inside. I also have several types of folding work benches for specific things (welding, saw horses, workmate etc that stay put away). Of course, if I had a large shop things might be different.

During:






After:


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## Dave Smith

Shawn dared all of us with shameful workbenches to give him and others pictures in his thread request---he did not ask if we enjoyed them in the bad condition they are at the moment or reasons they got that way---we all are hobby machinists (some well schooled and experts and some of us self learned) (some rich some poor) (some with new machines and some with old machines) (some with small shops and some with larger shops) (some young and some of us older) (some healthy and some with many problems) (some with few projects and some of us with many projects) (some who just buy the materials as they need them and some of us  who have already collected all  and more than we will ever need) ---I think you all can know the very different members we are joined with and the fun we have in all getting the most out of everyone's input---I posted my pictures so others can know we all get behind (hopefully later I can show pictures when someone posts a thread of neat work areas)---Looking at the pictures also show neat items that members have in their shops----we all can get along good and we can all be happy that we have shops to work in---Dave


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## chips&more

In all the pictures there is definitely a common denominator! Is there a “pile making” gene in our DNA? Do we all have the same mother? Are we just sooooo busy we put off cleaning until tomorrow? Do we leave it on the bench top so we can find it easier than if it was in a draw? Do we have an excess of funds? A fetish for buying the same thing over and over again? Want to make the piles so high the spouse can’t see over/get into the shop to see what you are doing? To stop a thief dead in his tracks? Is there a magic cure pill out there?


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## woodchucker

I have learned to laugh at myself. My wife and I often entertain each other with our follies...


chips&more said:


> A fetish for buying the same thing over and over again?


Can't tell you how many times I have done that because I forgot I bought it. Or I couldn't find it. Bring it home, and it finds the missing one...


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## jim18655

Sometimes I think it's easier to build a new bench than clean the existing bench.


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## Hukshawn

This got out of hand. In more ways than one. I actually wasn't expecting the benches I've seen here. I can say now "I've seen some things, and some stuff!"

The thing that often strikes me about the piles, again, after going through the barns at the farmhouse, etc. the value of the things and stuff when it all once had value. I've struggled to get where I am now in life. I certainly don't have a 50x104' shop, I have a one car garage. But, it's full of machines and tools, and a basement full of woodworking machines. I'd say I'm fortunate to have what I've wanted and gained in life as far as material items are concerned. But there is always someone with more. What pains me is going through the barns and seeing what had value back when, just sitting there, rotting. All rusted, no good anymore. Destroyed because it had hundreds of pounds piled on it, etc. Things that I would have been elated to have. Not to mention the space the crap actually occupies. Prime shop space. Just left to rot away. The gentleman that now owns all of these things couldn't care less. Hes one of those folks who coasted through life. Always had what he wanted. So now, the value of this realestate and the items it contains are just taken for granted. While I work out of basement and one car garage. Yet, i still feel fortunate. So, after everyone's gone to bed tonight, I think I may go clean my shop. And then when I'm done, I usually stand on the steps, in the doorway looking in, just looking. At nothing in particular, just looking. Then I close the door, go upstairs, check on my son, then crawl into bed a contented man.


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## Crank

Hukshawn,
You nailed it. So many don't appreciate what they have and those that don't often can't imagine what it's like to have more than they currently possess. Be content with what is here and now. I think of when I had three jobs, a house and a new baby. I thought it sucked, but I was blessed to have that much. Losing my daughter made me realize that what we have at any given moment can disappear in the blink of an eye. I apologize for the somber commentary in a thread that I truly got a laugh out of. Keep this sucker going and lets see who goes to a level of depravity that makes the rest of us not take life so seriously! Let the mayhem continue!

Mark


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## Lordbeezer

I'm going to have to clean up some before I post pictures.inside and out..hope to build a addition to my shop this coming summer..I have way too much stuff stacked up..


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## Hukshawn

I think we should all vow to post pictures of our clean spaces when we are done.


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## Hukshawn

Crank said:


> Hukshawn,
> You nailed it. So many don't appreciate what they have and those that don't often can't imagine what it's like to have more than they currently possess. Be content with what is here and now. I think of when I had three jobs, a house and a new baby. I thought it sucked, but I was blessed to have that much. Losing my daughter made me realize that what we have at any given moment can disappear in the blink of an eye. I apologize for the somber commentary in a thread that I truly got a laugh out of. Keep this sucker going and lets see who goes to a level of depravity that makes the rest of us not take life so seriously! Let the mayhem continue!
> 
> Mark


Mark, I don't know the first thing about your situation, all I know is the devastation I could only imagine of losing my son. Whatever happened in your life, I'm terribly sorry. At the end of the day, it's all just stuff. I would give up every last piece of it to keep my son safe... I had a similar opinion on the gun situation in America's schools... But that's an argument for another place.


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## savarin

Honest, I will tidy it up, on day, maybe, but not tomorrow.
I am unashamedly a messy worker. every tool I use sits where I used it last.
Eventually the pile gets so large that I have no option except to clean up.
At the moment the floor is relatively empty as I had to park the car in there but usually its a bit of a maze.


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## Dave Smith

Hukshawn said:


> This got out of hand. In more ways than one. I actually wasn't expecting the benches I've seen here. I can say now "I've seen some things, and some stuff!"
> 
> Not to mention the space the crap actually occupies. Prime shop space. Just left to rot away. The gentleman that now owns all of these things couldn't care less. Hes one of those folks who coasted through life. Always had what he wanted. So now, the value of this realestate and the items it contains are just taken for granted..



Shawn--you thought you were the only one with a messy bench ?--I've worked hard to accumulate all my machines--tools--supplies and property----I grew up in the forties and fifties when machines were valued and were expensive---we didn't have the money even to buy five and ten cent toys---I made my toys out of used wood scraps and an old hand saw, and bent nails I straightened with an old hammer---I was the next to youngest  in family of 6 boys and 5 girls---these early days taught me to value tools and machines that we never had
Dad made a homemade wood plate lathe and my sisters painted flowers on them and he used them for gifts--after we all grew up and made our own ways he later collected wood working tools and made items for each of us kids and sold some  (craft items and looms and clocks)---till he was 92.
I got a lot of his dreams of making things-- so when I found real bargains on items that were not wanted anymore I was glad to start collecting them---and making my own woodworking machines in the early seventies---in 1974 I got a chance to buy an old Parks A87 planer mill special that was built in middle 1920's(very rare and in good condition)-- for $75 because they wanted it out of an old lumber yard shop---I still have  the Parks A87 and that was my start of collecting woodworking machines----in the eighties I wanted to make some wood working machines and sanders so I found out that metal working machines were another world and were more expensive to buy---I bought a new welder for $110 and torch set for $100, and then after the kids were grown I could afford to start buying old used metal lathes--mills drill presses--saws sanders tooling probably 10 tons of metal and on and on----I just don't like to see good repairable machines and items thrown in the trash---even brand new machines--motors--tools-supplies and on and on just get thrown away--I don't have that mentality and never will---sorry this has gotten long so will close for now---later when my benches are clean and neat I will post pictures---Dave


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## coherent

I really enjoyed looking at the photos in this thread. Some of you guys made me feel so much better than I did when I looked at mine. I try to at least put the tools and things I don't want lost (or be able to at least find again) away soon after I'm done with them, but it seems no matter how hard I try to keep things neat, after a couple months or so I finally have to do a routine unscheduled "deep" clean so I actually have room to "work" on the workbenches again. On the positive side, I usually find at least one or two things and get to say "gee I've been looking for that!" What I hate the most is when I can't find something and go buy another/more... then a few weeks later find it. But that works too because then I have a backup until I can't find either of them.


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## coherent

You guys do know that in the time it took you to take those photos of your  workbench, download the photos to your computer and then get on the forum and then uploaded your photos and provided a commentary... you could have cleaned up the workbench? (well some of them at least... for a couple of them I'd set aside at least a 3 day weekend).


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## jwmay

Well there’s definitely some things here that could be removed, but I’ve touched just about everything on the horizontal surfaces in the past week. Idk...I don’t think it’s terrible. Could be better though.


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## Hukshawn

coherent said:


> You guys do know that in the time it took you to take those photos of your  workbench, download the photos to your computer and then get on the forum and then uploaded your photos and provided a commentary... you could have cleaned up the workbench? (well some of them at least... for a couple of them I'd set aside at least a 3 day weekend).


Haha. Mildly true. Because I mainly visit this site on my phone or iPad, I took those photos, opened the site, which is always open in my browser, uploaded while I typed, then posted. Took about 45 seconds. Usually takes me an hour and a half to put everything away... still tho... I haven’t cleaned it yet. Been too busy in the wood shop. Oh well.


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## dlane

1.5 hrs cleaning up , 2 days looking for things u put away somewhere.


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## Hukshawn

Haha. No no. Organized chaos, but organized. Everything has a home and I know where it is when it's not on the bench.


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## kvt

If I put it away where it goes,  I can never find it when I need it, and wind up getting another.    If I leave it where it is at I can find it with a little digging but I can find it.


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## Dave Smith

Hukshawn said:


> Haha. No no. Organized chaos, but organized. Everything has a home and I know where it is when it's not on the bench.


you must not have fifty thousand items--- or you have quite the memory


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## Hukshawn

I have a terrible memory, but apparently a selective one, according to my wife. I can't remember what I had for breakfast, or that she has an appointment this afternoon, or what her work schedule is, but I can remember where all 50 thousand items belong, or where I left off on that project in the mill vise. Lol. 

My truck is the same. I have a contractor cap on the back, the driver side lift up door is a tool box. 6' long, 16" high, two shelves, and another 10 thousand items. 
One of the guys will ask if I have something and I'll list off exactly where it is tucked in the chaos. "Shawn, do you have a scoobli-dongle-ricken-spak wrench?", "Top shelf, on the left, halfway over, beside the box of crapen-gong plugs...."


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## middle.road

Hukshawn said:


> I have a terrible memory, but apparently a selective one, according to my wife. I can't remember what I had for breakfast, or that she has an appointment this afternoon, or what her work schedule is, but I can remember where all 50 thousand items belong, or where I left off on that project in the mill vise. Lol.
> 
> My truck is the same. I have a contractor cap on the back, the driver side lift up door is a tool box. 6' long, 16" high, two shelves, and another 10 thousand items.
> One of the guys will ask if I have something and I'll list off exactly where it is tucked in the chaos. "Shawn, do you have a scoobli-dongle-ricken-spak wrench?", "Top shelf, on the left, halfway over, beside the box of crapen-gong plugs...."


But where did the '_Kumber-Buzzle_' go? My son uses that phrase when attempting to work on anything mechanical. I did my best, really I tried.

I'm almost too embarrassed to post pictures of my (4) messed up benches. Not to mention my 'puter repair bench in the house.
I believe it can be referred to as 'F.S.S.' - *F*lat *S*urface *S*yndrome. T.M.P.T.L.S. - *T*oo *M*any *P*ossessions - *T*oo *L*ittle *S*pace.
Position or make available _any_ flat surface in the shop or in the house and I'll have it crapped up in no time flat.


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## Dave Smith

well I said I would post pictures when my messy benches were cleaned up---hear is my first one--more later---Dave


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## Bob Korves

Dave Smith said:


> well I said I would post pictures when my messy benches were cleaned up---hear is my first one--more later---Dave
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> View attachment 263323


Nice, Dave, but did you pile all the stuff on the other workbenches?


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## Downwindtracker2

There is a law in physics , angle of recline , or something like that, where something reaches a certain height, then slides off. Benches aren't messy until you reach that point,.


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## Dave Smith

Bob Korves said:


> Nice, Dave, but did you pile all the stuff on the other workbenches?


no Bob I put most of it away neatly in my other shop---my benches in my other shops have no more room to pile more on so that wasn't even an option---Dave


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## markba633csi

Points off if you can see the wall- OR the bench


	

		
			
		

		
	
LOL


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## woodchucker

markba633csi said:


> Points off if you can see the wall- OR the bench
> View attachment 263350
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Your just faking it. You took all your boxed wires and just dumped it out.


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## westerner

I am fortunate to have a 24x28 dedicated shop. Cars do come in, but only when broken! I have a 12x36 lathe, Millrite mill, small horizontal bandsaw, full size mig welder, oxy/acet torch, 55 galllon wood stove, gun safe, freezer, fridge, 40 inch tool box,  2 bolt bins, and shelving in some creative configurations. Zero wall space below 8 ft high. My primary bench is 22 inches deep x 9 ft long. Many times, in the middle of a big job, I have to stop and 'clear the deck'. If I can't find ONE of the (3)  3/8 ratchets I store in the toolbox, I know it's time. I am no neat freak, but nothing gets under my skin like knowing 'it' is in here, and can't find it. 
Mike Campbell's rule of horizontal surfaces-
" In a shop with 2 acres of workbench, there will still come a time when you must push things aside to make room to set your beer down"


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## markba633csi

To Woodchucker: I wish


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## Hukshawn

I hope that's not the bench the kB board for fixed on. Lol


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## Dave Smith

two more benches cleaned up--the small blue cart is in my small heated shop and the long bigger bench is in my larger shop--making progress---
	

		
			
		

		
	







	

		
			
		

		
	
-Dave


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## Hukshawn

Dave Smith said:


> two more benches cleaned up--the small blue cart is in my small heated shop and the long bigger bench is in my larger shop--making progress---
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> -Dave


Dave! Remarkable job! I'm impressed! I thought my garage is a transformation when I tidy up, but yours is awesome. What a great feeling when it's clean. 

I still have yet to spend any time out there. I've been home after work, so has the wife. We've had dinner together for a solid week, now. Haven't done that now in two years. And we're going on walks in the evening with the boy again, like we used to. Its nice. No time for garage.


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## mmcmdl

Hmmm..................not sure just where I rank , but here is just one basement . The garage is a different story as well as the other basement with the woodshop. Pretty bad when you can lose a few Bridgeports and lathes behind the tractors and 4 wheelers !  I'm actually pretty organized though as this stuff is ready to go on Ebay . It will take forever but I'm making a dent in it !


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## Hukshawn

mmcmdl said:


> Hmmm..................not sure just where I rank , but here is just one basement . The garage is a different story as well as the other basement with the woodshop. Pretty bad when you can lose a few Bridgeports and lathes behind the tractors and 4 wheelers !  I'm actually pretty organized though as this stuff is ready to go on Ebay . It will take forever but I'm making a dent in it !


Selling those 5c collet chucks? 
What spindle are they for? One looks like one of those D ones? With the cam locks?


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## mmcmdl

3 are D1-8s . Jacobs rubber flex collet , 1 22J and 1 2J . 
1 is L00 flex chuck and 1 is L0 flex chuck . 

Expensive paperweights at this point !


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## Hukshawn

Why paperweights?


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## mmcmdl

Sold my equipment 2 years back and kept the tooling . Trying to relocate up into New York in the Adirondacks in the near future  . All machine related things will not go , only some woodworking stuff . Heading up this weekend to see some real snow !


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## Hukshawn

Ohh. Paperweights to you. 

What woodworking stuff? Just outta curiosity. Not that I have money to spend on that, or close enough to buy...


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## mmcmdl

I have a complete woodshop that I would take up there . ( I have 45 acres of woods ) Wood is the big thing up that way . I'm right up the road from the original Adirondack bat factory in Dolgeville NY as well as the original Remington plant in Ilion NY . My goal would be to work at Remington part time and do some wood crafting at home .


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## mmcmdl

I'm actually meeting a HM member up in Oneonta this Friday . He has a camp up off of I88 so we're going to hook up and do what machinist's do best . ( enjoy a couple beers and shoot the crap )


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## Dave Smith

Hukshawn said:


> I still have yet to spend any time out there. I've been home after work, so has the wife. We've had dinner together for a solid week, now. Haven't done that now in two years. And we're going on walks in the evening with the boy again, like we used to. Its nice. No time for garage.



Family time first is always the best priority--there will always be time for cleaning shop when they are busy with their projects---Dave


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## Hukshawn

I promised myself I'd clean up... But all I was successful at doing was making things worse. Much... much worse. 





Sweet baby Jesus, I need to take the garbage out... This is what happens when you don't go in the garage for a week and your wife likes to just throw things from the door...
Even tho the recycling bins are RIGHT next do the door, Ill be crawling around on the floor under the steps and cabinets picking up coke bottles and news papers on recycling morning... Thanks, dear...


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## mmcmdl

That place looks PERFECT to me !  When it looks like that , everyone stays out .


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## Hukshawn

Ya... But... Then so do I... 
And then I have to clean all the garbage the wife throws. I mean, come on! Just replace the garbage bag in the bin, then you don't have to throw it all over the floor! .... Le sigh.


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## Crank

I took a huge step forward this week. I backed myself into a corner intentionally to motivate myself, I rented a 10X10 storage. If it leaves my garage for the storage space, it ain't coming back! The storage will be the staging area for said items to be re-homed. The wife is going to have a waste of time, , err , I mean yard sale on Saturday. A few items of mine will go out, but if they are there by the end of the day, off to the storage. At the larcenous rate of $135/mo. (welcome to San Diego), I will not be keeping that space any longer than absolutely necessary. However having it there will give peace of mind if I have to meet strangers for Craigslist sales. I moved six storage tubs and some other odds and ends the other day, not as much volume as I thought, but probably 1100lbs of stuff. One of my co-workers loaned me some storage shelves to maximize the vertical space, I just have to put them together and start loading things up. I also gave a bunch of 1930's radio gear and a box of tubes to a local antique radio store, that cleared some space in the Ford van where my battleship resides. With some space cleared and an attitude that would make a Russian pogram look like fun, I'm getting rid of a lot of doo-doo that is wasting space for no legit reason. Cool stuff is cool to have, but if your not using it and likely never will, send it on down the road. I also managed to get primer and paint on the carriage of my Takisawa, so I can get that back together soon and re-hang the apron and install the drive rods. I just have the tailstock left to paint and reassemble, WOO-HOO!

Mark

P.S. I'll take pictures when it looks like you can see progress from what I started with.


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## Hukshawn

Serious business! Nice.


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## Crank

Years of antiques, gunsmithing, reloading exotic calibers and trading in that kind of stuff has me up to my eyeballs in parts, brass and accessories that were purchased for a "rainy day". I'm moving away from most of that stuff to simplify my life. Since 95% of it can be sourced now, with a quick search on the interwebs or I can make it, there's not much justification to keeping "inventory". I'd rather turn it back into cash and use that to expand my tooling. I have about 10 RC boats that need to be overhauled, or built up from kit/hull level that are stalled due to a lack of a decent work area. 

Oh the horrors of first world problems, LOL! don't bother shedding a tear for me, that's for sure.

Mark


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## Bi11Hudson

I have just one photo of my bench. Taken when I was troubleshooting a new idea........... electronics. Other than that all I can say is that the following could easily be re-interpreted from "desk" to "bench."

*A neat desk is the sign of a sick mind.*


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## Hukshawn

That'll do for now... Need to rearrange the electrical there, and eventually the hanging tools will become a bit more reasonable. I took all the fasteners out of the red wall bins and need to get rid of a whole pile of stuff there. Need to buy some Rubbermaid bins and create a sorting system to utilize all the shelves I built on other walls. I sorted all my fasteners into organizers.  Time to go to work.


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## WalterC

I'm kind of a neat freak. It gets messy but I keep it cleaned up afterwords. I can't work in a mess.



https://imgur.com/lIh7w6M




https://imgur.com/NwZlzX3




https://imgur.com/8ivYuq2




https://imgur.com/52oLis9


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## Hukshawn

Nice shop! 
Looks like a lifetime of adjusting to get just right.


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## WalterC

Thanks
 Years ago, while working on a project, I got tired of spending too much time looking for a tool and things getting lost on the bench. I decided to clean it up and organize the shop, and I've kept it that way ever since. I did spend 30 years getting it just right. It took that long because every time I buy a another big tool/machine, the whole shop has to be re-arranged. I pretty well got all I need now.


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## woodchucker

WalterC said:


> Thanks
> Years ago, while working on a project, I got tired of spending too much time looking for a tool and things getting lost on the bench. I decided to clean it up and organize the shop, and I've kept it that way ever since. I did spend 30 years getting it just right. It took that long because every time I buy a another big tool/machine, the whole shop has to be re-arranged. I pretty well got all I need now.


Nice and cozy.


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## Lordbeezer

I took pictures of my very messy shop..it's bad..gonna clean up some then take some more pictures.hopefully it will look better.


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## Crank

Okay, some progress made. Two Lista cabinets turned up that were the right height for my work bench. So it got cleared and then I sanded off the last 10yrs of abuse since the last refinish.
	

		
			
		

		
	




Till later

Mark


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## NEL957

Crank said:


> woodchucker,
> My friends start a pool every time I clean my shop to see how long it will last. I'm like a drunk falling off the wagon. My current excuse is I need to get to a gun show to sell off years of brass, ammo, scopes, parts, ad infinitum that are eating up a lot of space. My model boats are filling all of the other hiding places. I'm tempted to rent a storage unit to get stuff that I plan to sell, out and then whittle the pile down from there (using the cost as a motivator). I'm at a point I want to streamline what I own and eliminate all of the clutter.
> 
> Mark


Mark
The problem with renting a storage is you have more empty space to put more junk.
Nelson

But they say one mans junk is an others treasures


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