Started cleaning and reorganizing...

[Brass_Machine]

My shop is essentially in 2 parts. I get most of the basement and all of the garage. The garage is basically a shack with a concrete floor. No insulation and no power... I really don't use it for anything just yet. So I am crammed in the basement. Low ceilings, spiders, the leak when it rains for too long etc...

After being out of the shop for most of a year (I did get down to do things a bit), I have decided to start cleaning and organizing. I can't really afford to do what I want (Paint the walls/buy better storage). So I am going to have to make due. I figure it is going to take me the better part of a week at a few hours each evening. Started tonight. Wixh I would have taken a before picture... or any picture at all. Got a small dent done. I promise pictures for the next trip down into the dungeon.

Eric

[dsquire]

Eric

Its the first step that is the hardest. After that they get easier and easier. I'll be watching to see what goodies you unearth that you have forgotten about. 

Cheers 

Don

[raynerd]

Eric, nowt wrong with a basement workshop and besides, I like my pet spiders, they keep me company! I`m 6"3 and the low sealings alone are a continuous reminder to take care with my machines and have safety first! Sadly, my basement was covered up when the house was renevated before we bought it so I stubbled on the basement whilest crawling under the house to fix some electrics. The original enterence had been covered for some time and so I now have to crawl through a small 4.5" high corridor, 6" long to gain enterence! It is very much, as you say, a dungeon! ...

I look forward to some pics of the cleaning!

[DMIOM]

...... The original enterence had been covered for some time and so I now have to crawl through a small 4.5" high corridor, 6" long to gain enterence! It is very much, as you say, a dungeon! ...

Chris - is it a dungeon for elves?  or are you 6'3" tall and literally as thin as the proverbial beanpole? and is this why you're building a skeleton clock? 

[raynerd]

Haha - I really am lmao!   I got my " and ' the wrong way.   

I won`t got back and edit it ...despite it making me look like an idot 

[jim]

its starting thats the hardest!!

next hardest is keeping it tidy!!!

i make it a firm rule now to leave the bench clear at the end of the day and sweep the floor at a minimum.

one thing that always shocks me when i have a tidy up, is the amount of "stock" i manage to gather up from everywhere

[Brass_Machine]

Yup. It is hard to stay motivated to go down there and clean. But, with it being a mess... it is just as hard to get motivated to go down and build something. I figure once it is clean (and stays clean) I will have more motivation to get cracking again.

Don... I hope I find some good stuff! Already found some tool inserts I didn't know I had.

Jim... That's a good rule. I did some kickstands the past few weeks and tried to clean as I went. Believe it or not, I think I was faster making the stands this time.

Eric

[Bernd]

Eric,

Great to hear your finally starting to get a shop together. Looking forward to seeing some pictures of your "man cave".

Want to know what's harder? When you have a 2300sq. ft. basememnt and you need to clean it to find your tools or other stuff. Now that's no fun at all.
For you newbies just search under may name and the word "basement" and you'll see what I'm talking about. 

Bernd

[techno ludite]

Eric

Its the first step that is the hardest. After that they get easier and easier. I'll be watching to see what goodies you unearth that you have forgotten about. 

Cheers 

Don

Its not the first step thats hard its the last one,  (as you've gone ar**e over t*t down the stairs ) when you trip over the last lot of rubbish you should've taken out to the bin. We want to see lots of  and no      and when you've finished get yourself a  or 2.

TL

[Brass_Machine]

Its not the first step thats hard its the last one,  (as you've gone ar**e over t*t down the stairs ) when you trip over the last lot of rubbish you should've taken out to the bin. We want to see lots of  and no      and when you've finished get yourself a  or 2.

TL

Good God! I nearly spit my drink out reading that. Found it funny as hell!

Eric

[crabsign69]

 

[Brass_Machine]

Ok Ok! My own smiley used against me! 

Going down in about 30 min to do some more. Will take some pictures then!

Eric

[Brass_Machine]

So here is the mini tour… bear in mind this is a disaster  and in an old basement. On with the pictures!
Lathe and lathe table. Already started cleaning it yesterday. Off to the left you can see my table saw and the bottom of 1 of 2 peg boards. I didn’t take any pictures of them. The lathe is a tiny 7x10.



Right next to that is my mill. Again already started cleaning it.





Directly behind the lathe is the blast cabinet and air compressor. Cleaned it a bit.



Next to that is my rebuild bench. Built many a bike engine on it. Cleaned! (and blurry!)



Now we get into the mess. All the other stuff above looked like this too. So there is some work in the cleaning. This table is on casters and moves around depending on where I am working. Not as messy.



Next to the rebuild table is junk shelving. On it is my mini tumbler, CD player, smoke machine (Halloween prop) and other junk.



I have a bench that has a sander, drill press and chop saw.  Got a metal brake in there somewhere.



Blurry for some reason.

The bandsaw.



Composite table and small oven (for powder coating)



Electronics table.



Bike rebuild table (huge mess!)



There is more stuff down there, but I am not gonna take pictures of them all. After an hour or so I got some stuff clean.







Hopefully more tomorrow!

Eric

[andyf]

I thought my shop was bad, but I feel much better about it now 

Andy

[Stilldrillin]

I thought my shop was bad, but I feel much better about it now  

Andy

My thoughts, exactly..... Good luck Eric!


Had a disappointment yesterday. Cleaned under the 3 duckboards. Found 1off M6 nut, only! (Apart from a shovel full of swarf, filings, dust, spiders etc).  

I then looked at the rest of the shop...... And decided to do some more machining!  

David D

[dsquire]

Had a disappointment yesterday. Cleaned under the 3 duckboards. Found 1off M6 nut, only! (Apart from a shovel full of swarf, filings, dust, spiders etc).  

I then looked at the rest of the shop...... And decided to do some more machining!  

David D

David

I understand most of the British terminology but what are the duckboards? Does it mean under the benches and cupboards etc or is it something else. Inquiring minds wish to know. 

Cheers 

Don

[Bluechip]

Don

Try this .. see the 'use in industry' bit .. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duckboards

Dave BC

[GordTopps]

This is a typical example.
They are normally used for standing on near workbenches.


Regards
Gordy

[dsquire]

Thanks Dave. I have seen them and used them but never knew that is what they were called. 

Gordy
Thanks for the picture. Just a good old wooden mat, makes it easier on the feet and legs.

Cheers 

Don

[Bernd]

I've got rubber matts to stand on by my lathe.

Does that make them "rubber ducky boards"? 

Bernd

[Stilldrillin]

I've got rubber matts to stand on by my lathe.

Does that make them "rubber ducky boards"?

Bernd

That's right, Ma Duck! (Local phraseology).  

David D

[Brass_Machine]

Got in the shop again tonight. Got some more cleaning done...

Remember the bike table? It now looks like this:



It isn't really warped. For some reason it looks like it is in the picture.

And then there was my composite/powder coat bench. I have since change it to just a powder coat station. The cabinet on top is going to become a small powder booth with ventilation/filter system. The rest will be just used as storage. I have turned the shelving just to the left into the composite storage area. Moved the vacuum pump (for vacuum bagging) so it won't get dirty anymore. I will just use my main bench (where I rebuild engines) as my bench to do the composite work. Thinking of using a thin board to keep the work off the dirty bench.



Tomorrow I may tackle the biggest mess of all... my electronics bench! Getting close to the finish line.

Eric

[ilia-45]

Eric hi
I see signs of dampness in the wall or I am wrong, haw you are struggling with rust оr are you lucky and you do not have this problem

[Divided he ad]

Looking good chief 


Makes me feel like I need a little more organisation in my workshop and the mess of a garage I have.... And I still need to get some stuff sold off to get my mill upto scratch!



We expect a good walk through when all is tidied and shipshape....




Glad you've got the bug again     






Ralph.

(I'm not off work.....I don't have time to tidy anything now....  I'm busy. Honest  )

[Brass_Machine]

Eric hi
I see signs of dampness in the wall or I am wrong, haw you are struggling with rust оr are you lucky and you do not have this problem

Nope... No dampness from the walls. That is just old paint and other stuff from the former occupants. I have a dehumidifier down there just in case. No problems with rust. I do have a small leak by the stairs that go outside WHEN there is heavy rain.

Eric