That’s better!

[Sam StonesParticipant @samstones42903]

Although only a few of my original tools exist, I decided that one way to combat an untidy bench was to always put back two tools for every one I got out.

That didn’t work either!

Regards to all,

 

Sam

[NJHParticipant @njh]

OK Steve

I was teasing you a bit. The colour coding was just because I happened to have different coloured labeling tape anyway. You will notice too that I only show the storage. A picture of the benches would be a different story! That said I do try to keep the place reasonably tidy otherwise I waste too much time looking for stuff and get very frustrated. Like others, when part of a project is finished, I have a mammoth clear-up. Another good storage solution, if you can find them, are Bisley cabinets. These are metal cabinets with metal A4 drawers. They are hugely expensive to buy new ( check ebay) but I recently picked up a 15 drawer version for £10 at the local tip. You can have a separate drawer for hammers, screwdrivers, files, silver steel etc. etc. then you can always put your hand on them. The trick is to have somewhere to put stuff when you clear up otherwise it’s just moved around the worktops.

Cheers

 

Norman

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

My big problem is, because i am short sighted and wear specs for getting around, i have to take them of for reading and close up work. Result is put specs down to read or do fiddley bits then have to go and shout wife to help find them, and that is in a tidy workshop. They would be lost for ever if it were not.

[StovepipeParticipant @stovepipe]

A couple of those empty yellow butter containers on the bench are useful for dumping small components in. You might have to rummage around in them to find the component, but at least you know where they are. These yellow containers are also useful for sighting the clearance on a slitting saw to make sure it isn’t fouling the table.

I’d endorse NJH’s set of Bisley drawers for storage (unfortunately I had to pay a higher price for mine).

 

Dennis

[jomacParticipant @jomac]

Ramon and others, It’s not bench blindness, it’s little green men, you know the ones you nearly see out of the corner of your eye, but can never catch them, Once I was working on the small lathe and was sitting on a stool to work, I put a small spanner down , whent to reach for it, yep its gone, found it two weeks later on the other side of the workshop. Its got got to be little green men.

I cannot put too much stuff away cause all the tool box’s and cupboards are full of my tools for when I used to work on site. the rest is where I know where it it ?????????

I have a triangular welders magnetic sitting on top of the drill press, just throw the chuck key at it, and it sticks, (Some Times). saves getting string or chains caught in the chuck, when thing go wrong.

John Holloway.

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Posted by NJH on 22/05/2011 09:19:24:

That said I do try to keep the place reasonably tidy otherwise I waste too much time looking for stuff and get very frustrated.

 

Well that’s the thing – I lose stuff when I clear up, not when I don’t!

 

Another good storage solution, if you can find them, are Bisley cabinets. These are metal cabinets with metal A4 drawers. They are hugely expensive to buy new ( check ebay) but I recently picked up a 15 drawer version for £10 at the local tip.

 

Ah, at last I get a better score! I have two of those, and I didn’t pay a penny for either of them! Can certainly endorse their use for tools, though. The newer one has nine single drawers, and three double-height ones at the bottom, but the older one (which is currently languishing in the garage) is different, and I can’t remember what that has at all.

 

Posted by Stovepipe on 22/05/2011 12:08:58:

A couple of those empty yellow butter containers on the bench are useful for dumping small components in.

Because I spend half of my life taking things apart for repair or modification purposes, I have a wide variety of approaches to where you keep disassembled bits – it all depends on what the object is. For smaller objects, anything that’s relatively flat and compartmentalised is generally good for a start. The one problem I found with the butter containers was that you don’t have to keep stuff in them too long before they crack, and that can sometimes be a bit of a pain. Fine for short-term things though. The plastic they used to make ice cream tubs out of seemed to last better, but even that cracks up after a while. What seems to speed the cracking process up is exposure to sunlight (the UV decomposes the plastic), so if you can avoid that, they will last longer.

Edited By Steve Garnett on 22/05/2011 12:43:52

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Many Years ago I was able to obtain 2 off 6ft high storage cabinets used for trays of computer punched cards. Each cabinet has fourteen shelves ans each shelft holds four “2000 card” trays each about 18″ deep. So 56 trays per cabinet. Some trays are steel others cardboard. They hold all sorts of things from steel offcuts to milling cutters and drills. Some shelves just have larger tools on them without trays.

 

Another vote for the Bisley cabinets they are great.

 

More recently I have been sorting out drills and taps of my grandfathers from 30 plus years ago and have bought several of the RAACO steel cabinets with small plastic drawers to hold them, also sorted them into size and thread sequences. takes a lot of time but worth it in the end. Especially when bought new taps/dies because did not know I had that paricular tap/die already. Done the same with all my spare (new) “rough work” drills.

 

I try to keep all swarf etc swept up, a) because of cat, b) mother-in-laws dog, c) diving drysuits dont like swarf.

 

PS Thoroughly enjoy reading some of these threads.

 

Regards to all.

 

Colin

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Posted by Colin Heseltine on 22/05/2011 17:06:57:

Many Years ago I was able to obtain 2 off 6ft high storage cabinets used for trays of computer punched cards. Each cabinet has fourteen shelves ans each shelft holds four “2000 card” trays each about 18″ deep. So 56 trays per cabinet. Some trays are steel others cardboard. They hold all sorts of things from steel offcuts to milling cutters and drills. Some shelves just have larger tools on them without trays.

These are what are under the benches in the other workshop. I didn’t get hold of the 6ft high cabinets when they went (back in the dark ages, we ran an ICL 1301 and actually used these drawers for what they were intended for!), but collected up various other bits of framework and bashed them about a lot. They are truly excellent for bigger items, and will last for ever, probably. I’ve only got about 70 in all, though. I think we’ve got one of the taller drawer units you are describing in the industrial unit – it has most of the hand tools in it.

Edited By Steve Garnett on 22/05/2011 20:03:34

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

That “A tidy desk (bench) is a sure sign of a sick mind” is true. Certainly my bench is more often a complete mess than tidy, then I tidy it and for about half a day things are good and then you can’t see the bench for stuff.

 

But whatever you do, don’t allow SWIMBO anywhere near. She’ll tidy up and then you’ll never find anything. Ever again. Works like that all the time in the house, so she’s not allowed to touch anything in the workshop.

 

My biggest problem are the little people. They must be related to Jomac’s little green men, but I’ve never seen them. But they are everywhere. Always borrowing something. Must be making something but I don’t know what. Put something down on the bench, turn round and it’s gone. Hunt the workshop and it’s nowhere. Next morning, there it is, on the bench, just where you left it. So annoying.

 

Had a bad case of them down on the boat. Had an anchor windlass in bits in a bag. Overhauled it in the workshop, worked a treat, took it down to the boat, didn’t fit it as weather was rubbish. Came back down to the boat next visit, and no bag of windlass bits. We (SWIMBO in her capacity as First Mate and me as Captain and Chief Engineer) searched every locker, every shelf, every cabin. No windlass bits. Went down last time, searched again. Nothing. On the final day, went into a cabin and there on the floor, the bag of bits. Fitted it straight away before the little people borrowed it again and guess what? They had broken it – it didn’t work. Unusual for them, but perhaps that’s the way with the seagoing little people.

 

There is a lot that goes on that I don’t understand, but it seems other people have the same problems so I don’t feel so bad anymore.

Edited By ChrisH on 22/05/2011 20:59:30

[Alan Worland 1Participant @alanworland1]

Well, I started something here! Must be a lot of us with tidy(er) work benches now!

I spent some of today looking for my eccentric and turning fixture I was working on prior to my clear up – I ended up working on other parts! – then I found it!

I must say that I put away all the tools I used and therefore still have a reasonably clear bench. (except for 3 tins of paint which I am mixing for the patio table and chairs and a jar of thinners to wash the brushes out)

Oh dear, looks like it is already slipping into decline! – great while it lasted though!

 

Alan

[John CParticipant @johnc47954]

Colin H – you must be using a lot of coolant if you have to work in a drysuit………

 

John

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

Posted by Colin Heseltine on 22/05/2011 17:06:57:

 

“diving drysuits dont like swarf.”

 

Well now, would that be on the inside or out Colin as it’s a strange thing to wear in a workshop

 

Regards – Ramon

(Ex ‘Rat Hat’ Diver)

 

 

 

 

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Posted by Alan Worland on 22/05/2011 21:46:51:

Well, I started something here! Must be a lot of us with tidy(er) work benches now!

The bench is still a mess, but there’s more room on the floor. And I’m only doing this because I need to get a load more machinery in there! But the state of the bench with the Hobbymat on does bring up an interesting subsidiary question – what do people do with swarf? I have a solution, because I can dump it in with other industrial waste without anybody noticing, but what do people do if they don’t have that option?

[Anonymous]

Swarf – I just take mine to the nearest council tip and recycle it with all the other metal. Nobody has ever complained, in fact the helpful council man pointed out that they had a separate skip for aluminium scrap.

 

Regards,

 

Andrew

[Sam StonesParticipant @samstones42903]

John Holloway (jomac) wrote –

I have a triangular welder’s magnet sitting on top of the drill press, just throw the chuck key at it, and it sticks.

 

That’s why it’s called a `chuck’ key, John!

 

Sam

[Sam StonesParticipant @samstones42903]

Here are a couple more ideas.

Women are far better at finding things than us blokes. They have more connections between brain hemisphere, and have eyes in the back of their heads. Just ask the kids.

It has been suggested that children develop tunnel vision around the age of seven. For us mere males, our tunnel vision tends to continue throughout life. In times past, I have also experienced having a female family member tidying my bench. It brought on a panic attack, because I couldn’t keep pace with how my projects were travelling along the bench.

For the serious minded, there’s an interesting book called `Why Men Don’t Listen, and Women Can’t Read Maps’ by Australian author Alan Pease.

Regards to all,

Sam

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

To be serious for a moment, although I am not at all tidy according to my wife, ( It’s my filing system I tell her) .Keep the floor area clear, repeat , keep the floor clear. Only anything like serious accidents I’ve had have been by tripping on bits on floor.

[jomacParticipant @jomac]

I am serious,!!!!!, my work shop has 2 metal lathes, one 6 ft long woodlathe one small and one large band saw, three grinders drill press, T&C sharpener, and in the middle of that lot is a small snooker table, which doubles up as a drawing bench, add to that, a 60kg brown dog, who will not move, there are tool boxes and cupboards all around, there is so much rubbish on the floor, that I need a rake to clean it up, (the wet and dry vacuum cleaner only picks up small stuff) The only accidents Iv’e is picking up hot metal, and tripping over the rake, its now relegated to the pergola, trouble with that, is SWMBO tends to hand it back to me, which means 2 days in the garden, Lifes a bitch??? Any way its all my own mess in the workshop, unless the kids and grandkids leave things like irrigation pumps, saddles, more welding gear, etc etc, All that deters everbody from coming inside, BLISS !!!!!!!!!!!.

John Holloway

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Okay, a little more heresy: It’s okay to keep potential trip hazards on the floor, as long as there’s so much stuff in there that something solid is always within reach before you fall very far. Obviously there are a few notable exceptions in terms of what to grab – like working brazing hearths, etc…

 

I find that it’s trailing leads that are the really dodgy things – and you can reduce the problem with these if you leave them relatively loose – tight ones are far more likely to trip you up. Yes I know there shouldn’t be any, and I’m working on that – honest.

 

And I fully understand that the Editor will have absolutely no sympathy with any of this at all!

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Last year I tripped in the rough workshop, banged my head on anvil, luckily the anvil was not damaged.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Steve and Jomac

 

I agree with much of what you have said in the past but now I must strongly disagree. Tidyness so that you can find things is a matter of “taste” – leaving hazards about is plain stupid. The workshop is a ( potentially) dangerous place and you may not get a second chance. No Health & Safety inspector will jump on you – you just have to make up your own mind – it is YOUR health after all but leaving hazards around is not something you should be proud of

 

Stay Safe Guys!.

 

Norman

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Posted by NJH on 23/05/2011 13:32:44:

Steve and Jomac

 

I agree with much of what you have said in the past but now I must strongly disagree.

 

Can’t we tease you just a little bit, Norman?

 

I don’t think that either of us would deliberately put things in hazardous places. On the other hand, I’m not quite so sure about Jomac’s dog…

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I do have sympathy.

I don’t do grinding in the workshop so the grinder is mounted on a chopping board and I carry it out to do my grinding. When not in use it lives in the middle of the floor and I carry it outside when I go in to do some work.

I went into the workshop to get a hammer, turned round to walk out and fell over the grinder.

I broke my hip so let that be a warning to you.

Keep the workshop floor tidy even if you can’t be bothered to keep the bench tidy.

regards David

 

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi Steve et al

 

| Can’t we tease you just a little bit, Norman?

 

Yes of course you can – I’m the worlds worst teaser , ask anyone who knows me.

However there are limits and I take all aspects of safety pretty seriously. I guess David’s accident above proves the point. I’m sorry he had to go through that experience. Maybe it should make us all look again at potential hazards in our own workshops and seek to eliminate them. I doubt that folk DO deliberately place stuff in hazardous positions but next time you go out into the workshop perhaps look aroung and ask – is there a risk here?

It may not be to you of course – maybe your wife has come out with a cup of tea   ( and a bun too if you are very lucky!)

Now tea spilt on the floor is certainly hazardous!

 

Regards

 

Norman

Edited By NJH on 23/05/2011 15:55:01

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Posted by NJH on 23/05/2011 15:53:54:

I guess David’s accident above proves the point. I’m sorry he had to go through that experience. Maybe it should make us all look again at potential hazards in our own workshops and seek to eliminate them. I doubt that folk DO deliberately place stuff in hazardous positions but next time you go out into the workshop perhaps look aroung and ask – is there a risk here?

It may not be to you of course – maybe your wife has come out with a cup of tea ( and a bun too if you are very lucky!)

 

I knew about David’s accident – which is why I didn’t think he’d be particularly in favour of my original attitude to trip hazards…

 

And to anybody not acutely aware of what’s in a workshop full of machinery, just about everything could be a hazard – I’m not quite sure how one would sensibly differentiate. And I’m sure that this is why they are generally places you get to spend a lot of time on your own – most significant others recognise the potential, and don’t turn up in there unless specifically invited.

 

Wife come out with tea??? I have to take my mobile phone out there, and if I’m lucky I might get a phone call. And I’m absolutely not joking about that!

[Author]

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