MTFCA Forum

This was mine....

This belonged to my friend Brian...

Can’t seem to find mine anywhere...?!

Only one layer of stuff? You must not have been at this very long.

I want to be like Isky when I grow up.

They say a cluttered work bench is a sign of a cluttered mind. So what is a empty work bench a sign of???
Craig.

The old one got filled, so I built a new one twice as big but let the old one stay cluttered.

Then the new one got cluttered, so...I moved out a T and took that space to build yet a new one again...

So far it is doing real good...but its only like 8 weeks old...lol

Brian's got quality carpet!
Didn't start on my projects until 1 pm today, waited until it reached a balmy zero deg, hmmm carpet!

I spend more time looking for a place to work than I spend working! You never have enough space!

Growing up, I would travel with my father on occasion. Should there be a mechanical problem, and the need to find a shop would arise, he would seek the messiest place to get assistance. If the shop did not look like it was a wreck, he would not stop.

His philosophy was the messier the shop the better the mechanic.

a flat spot,is a catch all. I have to make space to work.
I remember very well standing in my new 30x40 shop back in 2010 thinking "wow,this is great,I will never run out of room.".
yea right!
I had all this equipment in the shop until late april. Couldn't Walk in there!. Now it is in a 10x20 building. I am going to try really hard now to keep both shops to a point I can walk in them.
The 12x24 building I have for my old radio hobby became a catch all after my mother passed away in 2012 to store stuff.it is about to a point I can't do anything in there.I have got to get in there and clean it up.

The ideal shop, I suppose, is the vast, air conditioned, brightly lit, clean, orderly, dealer-affiliated complex with all the latest equipemnt and about 20 uniformed, bright young techs standing at the ready. BUT: Overhead is sky-high, along with prices, and the techs don't know how to work on my vehicle, and the parts guy has nothing in the computer related to what I drive. Besides that, these days, the showroom is probably empty, and the used vehicles, if any, are priced at or near list for a comparable new vehicle. NO CUSTOMERS ALLOWED IN SHOP AREA.

Clutter is sometimes unavoidable.

I'm afraid I lean towards the neatness side. It might be a different story if I had randomizers (kids, pets) in the house.

Lots of rear axles in these shops.
Now what does that tell us?

Alot of folks are having rear end issues that ointment won't help?
Everytime I see a photo of Ron Patterson's shop, the Coil man,I can't help but wonder JUST HOW does he do it?
His work bench is clean enough to do heart surgery on and he works on coils full of tar!

Yeh, some of youze guys shops are just too clean!! I try to keep my basement shop half-arsed organized, tools on left, left center and center, with T parts on the right and on the other side. The bench...well...fuggedaboutit!!
I did temporarily clean up the work area in the barn. It's already half messed up. I give up!

kelly mt wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 16, 2022 10:43 am

Clutter is sometimes unavoidable.

20210327_192850 small.jpg

I don't think I would get much done in your shop. I'd be too distracted by that amazing view outside your window.

Craig Leach has nailed it. Brilliant! I need that sentiment for a sign in my workshop.

Allan from down under.

I got the cleaning gene….my sister got the shopping gene

I have five benches, two on each side wall, one in the middle of the line boring machine, milling machine and lathe. Behind that is a connecting rod lathe and a Sunnen honing machine and a mig welding machine, which can also be used as the base for a removable table top.

Also have another thick wooden bench top with a 2.5" thick cast iron surface plate below it. The base of it is heavy-duty cast iron cylinder block boring table we used to use and it is now set up on wheels. We also use sturdy old countertops that can be set up quickly as work tabes on top of 25 gallon steel barrels in front or behind a project car.

Jeff, I remember how nice and clean and spotless your shop is. Disgusting!!

this was mine sometime ago.
Andre
Belgium

Steve, that picture of Isky is in his fourth office. Supposedly as each office became too full to work in, he would move to another. He's 100 years old and still going to work!

I can verify that Jeff Perkins shop looks like that. I think working for the Post Office taught him to put everything in a neat cubbyhole.

Rebuilding Rear Axle . Toon

Dave H. and Tim W…….note I do actually make a mess once in a while!

That's no doubt true Jeff!! But in all seriousness, your shop is one to aspire to!! Sadly, mine will
never be close!! Loved your PM!!

A messy shop and bench lets you spend more quallity time in the shop. What should take 30 minutes, takes an hour after you clean off a spot to work and then locate the missing tools. Glass 1/2 full type of thing!

Recent workfloor!

Misc. shots of the workbench area.

I don't get a tenth enough time to work on my stuff. I certainly do not have time to clean the work bench!

Bob, I find that seat a boon to this old fart with two metal hips and one knee the same. Never thought I would see their value. Mine does not have the four bolts in each corner of the seat. Is that a sign of repair work because the seat gave out? Mine did. Now the thing is an almost an indispensable piece of equipment.

Allan from down under.

Tidiness rules the day as always here at Rumbleseat Garage.

You can never have too much work bench space. Keeping them nice and tidy helps you find things when you need them. Saw horses and a board makes a workbench close to where you need it. Also, pulling out a drawer or two allows another board and new work bench.

Window lighting is nice and was used much back in the day.

I have an adjustable height workbench.

Craig Leach wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 16, 2022 12:20 am

They say a cluttered work bench is a sign of a cluttered mind. So what is a empty work bench a sign of???
Craig.

My science teacher in high school had a sign over his desk referring to the same thing!

Mine is a repurposed old kitchen counter. The alternate is the top of my table saw.

I know exactly where every item in my shop is. (It's in here somewhere).

The other one looks like the others above. But then there is this one with removable tops (powered miter box fits too) --
--
Pinch (slip) roller

Different areas of shop. Corner is our garage gym.