Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

[lowpolyjoe]

Another one of those mornings where I'm stumbling around my garage shop and can't find anything I need because it's such a mess.

After most builds I clean up the shop but within a couple of days of a new build it's a complete mess again.

I've seen some beautiful shop pics on this forum. Curious how many people keep their setup spotless.

And who's willing to admit they're a slob :p

[Steven72555]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

Another one of those mornings where I'm stumbling around my garage shop and can't find anything I need because it's such a mess.

After most builds I clean up the shop but within a couple of days of a new build it's a complete mess again.

I've seen some beautiful shop pics on this forum. Curious how many people keep their setup spotless.

And who's willing to admit they're a slob :p

Hi.
My name is Steve, and I'm a slob.

[martyh]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

Try as I might, within a couple hours cleanliness and chaos collide and I'm right back where I started.

[knowledgebass]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

I blame it on space. I blame it on lack of dust collection. I blame it on lack of time to really organize my shop efficiently. Really, it's just how I am. I think it was in the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance where the author/character describes two types of mechanics. Paraphrasing from memory:

• Type 1 puts everything back in its 'spot' and uses organization to find stuff - the second somebody moves her/his stuff it's as good as lost.
• Type 2 puts anything everywhere and remembers precisely where she/he placed it - but the second someone puts her/his stuff away (or 6 inches to the right) it's as good as lost.

I'm definitely Type 2. My wife is Type 1. She can't understand how I can find anything when it's just dropped everywhere at seemingly random intervals but I always do! The second she puts something 'away' for me, that's when I can't find it.

Q: "Honey, have you seen the [widget]?"
A: "I put the [widget] back in the new/secret/special spot."

[Dewmiester]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

I'm in the slob category.
But I did tidy up the work bench last weekend, looks kind of nice.
Going to try and do a better job from now on.

Wife stopped by the office one day, says I'm going to clean your office.
There is stuff I never did find after she cleaned.

[Deward Hastings]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

Mine has three states: it's a mess because so much is getting done, it's "clean", nothing is getting done because it's such a mess (summarized clinically as manic, compulsive, depressive).

There is a theoretical "neat, tidy and productive" state which, in my experience, does not exist . . . :o

[Gordy]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

I am in the clean maybe spotless category. I have good dust collection on my table saw (95% - about to be 100%), plunge router (95%), drill press( 98%), router table (near 100%) and surface planer (100%). What I don't have dust collection on is when I hand or belt sand. I have a vac hose on a swing arm that I use in-between sanding sessions to keep it orderly. Before I start a day of building, I clean the shop area - pic up tools, sweep up is needed etc. It is also a good time to organize and clean when you are waiting for glue to dry. My shop teacher in the 8th grade used to drill (no pun intended) into us "a dirty shop is an unsafe shop, if you injure yourself in a clean shop you are just stupid". It very much stuck with me.

I have also posted pics of my shop area and some have commented that there maybe something wrong with me...I think that is accurate at the least fair .

[1100xxben]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

Mine is a disaster right now, but I've been spending the last few evenings cleaning it up and it is getting much better. I usually go through cycles where I get everything cleaned up, then the "cleanliness status" slowly degrades over time until I get fed up with it again.

My shop is also my garage, so I usually have several projects going on at once. Right now I have a 3-wheeler in 50 different pieces trying to fix a frame and engine, I have 2 different bicycles in a couple different states, 2 different wood working projects, a couple welding projects, and 3+ speaker projects going on all at the same time in various states. Plus, I have to make room when needed on other immediate projects, like changing a wheel bearing and an oil change on a car or any other home project.

As a side note, I'm installing some new lights in my shop thanks to some black Friday sales and I can't believe I haven't done it sooner! A while back, someone created a thread to post pictures of your shop, and I was too embarrassed at the time with the disaster state of my shop. Maybe this time around I'll get everything clean enough that I can snap some pictures to show :-)

[mattsk8]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

I would say I'm an organized slob. My shop is just too small and I have too many things going at once so there's crap everywhere. I do sweep a lot though. One thing I've figured out with shelves is they're just another place to stack garbage I'll probably never use, so as shelves go less is more

[Silver1omo]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

I don't have a shop and still manage to keep it messy. Don't know how, but my wife is very tolerant.

[filmslayer]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

I would say I'm an organized slob.

nail on head !!!! as tools go they always get put back in place . as far as everything else , not so much ...

[LIDAR]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

nail on head !!!! as tools go they always get put back in place . as far as everything else , not so much ...

Ditto. My tools are pretty much always where they should be. Everything else, not so much.

I blame it on lack of space (after all, it couldn't be MY fault ;-)

[upsman]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

I had a cabinet shop for many years and I have always loved woodworking............I was taught at an early age (High School) that no matter where your at in a project you allow yourself sufficient time at the end of the day to clean up and put away your tools. When you start working again its like you never skipped a beat. I could walk into my shop with my eyes blindfolded and know where everything was at. It is a reduction in frustration and keeps you motivated to complete your project in a timely fashion. I used to build kitchen cabinets and at certain stages there was more clean up, but never the less it was important to follow the rules.

[Gordy]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

I had a cabinet shop for many years and I have always loved woodworking............I was taught at an early age (High School) that no matter where your at in a project you allow yourself sufficient time at the end of the day to clean up and put away your tools. When you start working again its like you never skipped a beat. I could walk into my shop with my eyes blindfolded and know where everything was at. It is a reduction in frustration and keeps you motivated to complete your project in a timely fashion. I used to build kitchen cabinets and at certain stages there was more clean up, but never the less it was important to follow the rules.

^This times 1000

[Adam_G]

Re: Clean Shop / Dirty Shop

My 'shop' is a nightmare. I rent a house, the 'shop' is in the basement. I do most heavy-duty woodworking in my neighbor's garage, which has at least 3 projects going on at any given time, as well as his laundry! It's a nightmare. A big, messy, nightmare.