Shop Cleaning

[Randy Powell]

Man, who knew this was going to be so tough? What started out as just cleaning up a bit and finishing a bench started, low these many years ago has turned into a major undertaking. 10 years of build up with only cursory cleaning has taken it's toll. I'm about 2/3 of the way done and my back is telling me all about it. Included has been some re-organizing and a little rethinking. Threw away 3 trash bags full of junk so far and haven't even gotten to the bench yet. Sigh...

I estimate another week.

[David Miller]

I feel for you as I'm thinking  I need to do the same thing but hav'nt (GROAN) started yet.

[Leo Mehl]

After cleaning my shop last week I have been keeping all tools and building fixtures in their own specific place and have cleaned the floor every night when I am done working in the shop. This is what I used to do on my career job before I retired. I have now decided to think of this aiplane building as a job so why not get back into my cleaning habits that I had on the job. I think this will work for me and that is a different way to look at the situation. Like I say I must be NUTS.

[Terry Bolin]

  It's hard for me to keep it looking like it's organized when I'm building something. looks more like a pile, than a tool bench!

[Mark Scarborough]

I clean my bench consistantly, my indicator is when I look for something the third time,, then its time to clean

usually its my caliper for some reason, that or my xacto knife, and since I have 2 of each, sometimes its a while between drawer reorganizings..
sigh,, bad habits run deep

[Leo Mehl]

I am always loosing stuff when my shop is a mess. I still loose stuff but now it is easier to find. Most of this has to do with memory or lack of.

[David Miller]

MARK, Are you still building in the house???

[Mark Scarborough]

well, um,, Dave its like this, ,my garage has no heat and no insulation, so yes,, I am, I get 1/3 of the living room,,

[don Burke]

 "....Threw away 3 trash bags full of junk...."

When I moved a few years ago, I had to clean out my 3+car garage that had been my shop in a little less than 3 weeks.  After struggling a little I rented a dumpster, 8' x 4' x 20'.  Filled it with stuff I just had to have over 30 years and two previous moves!   Man did I have a lot of "stuff"!

Now I'm in an 8'x10' "golf-cart" garage that's full of more stuff I can't do without.  Periodic cleaning exposes the workbench so I can start a new project. 

[Randy Powell]

I finally unloaded 80% of my balsa and plywood scrap bins, dumped a bunch of monokote bits I'd been hanging onto for some reason, a bunch of various pieces of metal that I thought, I'll use this for something someday (I haven't), a bunch of cardboard boxes that had accumulated from a bunch of shipping. A broken stereo, a broken DVD player, a bunch of cracked or damaged wood props that I thought I would use for making 3 blades someday, and all manner of various bits and pieces that I was keeping for, well, for some reason I'm sure. But it escapes me now. I'm sure I'll think, man, if I just would have kept (fill in the blank), but I'm not worrying about it. I even dusted the ceiling and cleaned the tops of the 9 flourescent lamps in the place. A lot of dust there. Took down the window shades and washed them (vinyl shades). More throwing away. I'm still only about 2/3 done. Yikes!

I found a bunch of stuff too. And reorganized a lot of stuff so hopefully it will be easier to find. Sigh... I won't know the place, but should be able to do more productive work when I'm done. Maybe.

[Leo Mehl]

This sounds like the utimat cleaning job with no reservations about what to keep. That is the best way and have not gotten to that point yet.

[Patrick Rowan]

I need to get on Randy's cleaning program!