Steve Sanford
Well-known member
All~
Although my shop is relatively new - and designed for my needs - it seems that the time spent working in a shop will always lead to "adjustments" - aka refinements and improvements.
While working on my Sneakbox - and always decoys - over the past couple of months - I decided that I would take time away from projects to correct longstanding tasks that I have been meaning to get around to....
So, shortly after I re-organized the southernmost bay of my East Bench - a set of low shelved cabinets that my Dad had salvaged from a Fire Island hotel in the early 1950s - I decided to tackle the other 4 doors. Everything was pulled out onto the floor for weeks - until I could put it back the right way.
Most of the stuff goes in rugged boxes - usually boxes that once held either shotgun shells or marine hardware - that fit the space and need. Other stuff required purpose-built boxes.
For example, I had been meaning to make a compartmented box to hold my ever-changing sandpaper inventory - and another for my sanding discs.
Similarly, I needed strong boxes to hold my marine fasteners. I lift these out onto another bench when I need to find the right screw or bolt - or realize I need to head to the hardware store.
I made wooden boxes for the abrasives mentioned, and also for: Brass & Bronze Fasteners, Stainless Steel Fasteners, and all of my Staplers and their supplies of staples.
Another benefit of experience in a shop is the recognition of which items you need most frequently. So, all of the stuff I use all the time now enjoys "top shelf" status.
Finally - having decided last summer that I need AC in my shop for at least 3 or 4 weeks each summer - this 12,000 BTU unit came my way from a nephew who just bought his first house - and no longer needed this room unit. I did not want to put it in an existing window - so instead built a fitted port that goes through my north wall and protrudes into the shed that holds my kindling - and some big pieces of carving wood.
Of course, I had to secure the cord to the wall. And, I had to flip the outlet so the plug hung downward.
All this improved organization has made every project more enjoyable - and I am almost looking forward to the mid-summer heat....
All the best,
SJS
Although my shop is relatively new - and designed for my needs - it seems that the time spent working in a shop will always lead to "adjustments" - aka refinements and improvements.
While working on my Sneakbox - and always decoys - over the past couple of months - I decided that I would take time away from projects to correct longstanding tasks that I have been meaning to get around to....
So, shortly after I re-organized the southernmost bay of my East Bench - a set of low shelved cabinets that my Dad had salvaged from a Fire Island hotel in the early 1950s - I decided to tackle the other 4 doors. Everything was pulled out onto the floor for weeks - until I could put it back the right way.
Most of the stuff goes in rugged boxes - usually boxes that once held either shotgun shells or marine hardware - that fit the space and need. Other stuff required purpose-built boxes.
For example, I had been meaning to make a compartmented box to hold my ever-changing sandpaper inventory - and another for my sanding discs.
Similarly, I needed strong boxes to hold my marine fasteners. I lift these out onto another bench when I need to find the right screw or bolt - or realize I need to head to the hardware store.
I made wooden boxes for the abrasives mentioned, and also for: Brass & Bronze Fasteners, Stainless Steel Fasteners, and all of my Staplers and their supplies of staples.
Another benefit of experience in a shop is the recognition of which items you need most frequently. So, all of the stuff I use all the time now enjoys "top shelf" status.
Finally - having decided last summer that I need AC in my shop for at least 3 or 4 weeks each summer - this 12,000 BTU unit came my way from a nephew who just bought his first house - and no longer needed this room unit. I did not want to put it in an existing window - so instead built a fitted port that goes through my north wall and protrudes into the shed that holds my kindling - and some big pieces of carving wood.
Of course, I had to secure the cord to the wall. And, I had to flip the outlet so the plug hung downward.
All this improved organization has made every project more enjoyable - and I am almost looking forward to the mid-summer heat....
All the best,
SJS
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