Shop Tips

Sliding workbench dust bin

A litter bin, supported by two shop made sliders, makes a quick solution for dispose of shavings.

By Holly Glaser #314-Tools & Shops 2025 Issue

Most us simply brush sawdust and shavings off the workbench and onto the floor, to be swept up later. To make things easier, I hung a kitty-litter bin on the underside of my bench, on a pair of simple, sliding supports. I sweep sawdust and shavings into it and push it back under the bench. When it’s full, I dump it in the trash.

—HOLLY GLASER, Mercer Island, Wash.

Don't be a messy Marvin

In a shared shop, the rules of cleanup help keep things peaceful. Except when they cause angst.

Make a wooden brush

Just because a bench brush is made to tackle a mundane chore, that doesn't mean it has to be boring.

The Dawn of the Quiet Shop Vacuum

About a decade ago I basically stopped sweeping up my shop. No, I’m not up to my armpits in sawdust and shavings, I simply switched to vacuuming up the detritus rather than sweeping.

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