Here’s a topic that doesn’t come up much, but it’s something I’m always struggling with. I hate a messy shop but I really get tired of keeping it clean. I see those pix in the magazines where the guy’s shop is always really neat and clean, but of course, I know that they just cleaned it up for the photo shoot and it’s probably a mess most of the time?
Seems like I just get done cleaning up, and immediately I mess it up again. Wondering if I shouldn’t just forget about even trying to keep clean. How do you manage?
Dave of Flordia
Replies
Dave
You asked a good question. Whenever I am done with a tool I put it away. Once a week (Mondays, now that I am back to work) I clean up all the sawdust, scrap wood and trash even if I am in the middle of a project. If you get into a habit of doing this the clutter will disappear and the shop will look a lot neater.
Dave in Pa.
Dave,
FWIW, I am a strong believer in a clean and well organized shop. Safety is certainly one concern; saw dust, shavings, etc, on the floor could cause a slip and fall. The other consideration is efficiency; I never have to look for a tool.
During milling operations, for example, I will occasionally sweep the machine area free of debris. Then when I roll up at the end of the day the pile is disposed of, all tools put away, and the shop vacuumed. On Saturdays, all machinery are vacuumed out as well. I find that staying on top of it takes far less time than dealing with it when things become out of hand....
As I've mentioned here before, I've been helping a neighbor improve his woodworking efforts; one of the most frustrating things in his shop is that it is in a such a state of constant clutter, he seems to spend more time looking for a tool than actually using it once found. He is getting better, though, since I helped him redesign and remodel his shop part of which included more efficient storage space...
Any who, that's my .02 cents worth.
Dano
I agree, I need to do a better job. I'm organized. I put my tools away immediately after (never leave one laying around to fall on the floor and get damaged), but there's too much stuff on the floor that makes sweeping a pain. My old Sears vacumm is fine, but cleaning the filter is a beetch. Do you use a broom or a vac? A vac is fast, but for the filter problem. Accordian paper type clogs up super fast. Two sweep ups and I have to remove it, take it outside and shake it out while I am enshrouded in dust. Unhealthy.
Are any other vac types better?
Dave of FLA
On top of everything else said about a clean shop, which I agree with, is the fact that a clean and organized shop makes it a pleasure to work in.
I installed a dust collection system a few years ago and it really helps keep the dust down. I also installed a fine dust collector that is hung from the ceiling in the shop.
You see, my shop is in the basement of the house and if I didn't do that the dust would travel all over. Before I did this, I was changeing my house furnace filter twice a week PUS my wife was always on my back. AND, to put it mildly, dust is a health hazard.
In the past year or so, WOOD MAGAZINE has published some good articles about dust collecting. I'm sur other publishers have done so too. It may pay you to lok up some of these articles. They are worthwhile reading.
AL
Fine dust is a problem for all basement shoppers, and I am one. My tools are always put away, and I sweep regularly but the fine dust is an issue. What machine do you use?
My shop was in my basement for a number of years. Like most, the warm air furnace picked up dust and moved it into the rest of the house. I finally bit the dust and called Oneida Air Systems. They designred a DC system for me which virtually eliminated fine dust. I have since built an addition to the house which houses my shop and moved the dust collector to the new shop. I had a smooth concrete floor, well sealed with latex sealer and industrial wax installed. A the end of the day, I push any small quantity of shavings over to a dust collector from the Oneida System, and all's well. I am an elderly amateur with about 30 years experience, not a lot of ability, but much enjoyment from my neat shop.
None,
Like Al, my shop is in the basement of the house, but unlike Al i do not have a vac system. Part of my issue is the cost of those systems and the second issue is i need to constantly move stuff around...I'm worried that either tripping over the hoses or having it not reach the tool will be a problem.
At anyrate, I was vacuuming at the end of each day and putting all my tools away....that worked fairly well. Now, I keep a kitchen broom and a small plastic snow shovel in a plastic trash can next to my work bench...this allows me to quickly pick up the big stuff as I work...and saves from having to empy the vac to frequently. It also means I can skip the end of the day chores every once in a while.
I vaccuum my shop and put the tools that Im finished with away at the end of the day. I also stage the tools Im gonna be needing for the next day. Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
It seems to me we are all doing one hell of a good job! Gold stars and attaboys all around is in order.
It's a shame that it takes one aw-shucks from leaving the toilet seat cover up to wipe out 10 attaboys...sigh
Edited 8/7/2002 5:45:50 PM ET by BG
No matter how good the DC system there is always fine dust that settles on everything. Some shops more, some less so.
I have a high power exhaust fan and every so often I'll put on a dust mask, crank up the compressor, turn on the exhaust fan,
open the windows, and just go through the whole shop blasting every surface with the compressed air.
Works pretty well!
Tom
Dave,
I use a push broom first to get the "big" stuff then follow up with my Shop Vac. As to the filter I use compressed air to clean it with...haven't bought a filter in 4 years.
Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
Geez, air hose, I never thought of that, mainly becaue I can't think of where I'd do that considering the cloud of dust it would make. It makes a huge cloud just when I beat it out on the ground in yard. BTW, my vac is 15 years old and I've never replaced the filter. It's so old, they're not even made anymore.
My shop is in garage so I do the air hose bit occasionally, too. Gotta wear a mask when I do, but works good. Now the driveway and street in front are all stained red from Paduak !! Neighbor with the white BMW probably isn't too thrilled, either.
Dave of Fla.
Dave,
Guess that's one of the advantages of "rural living"....I have a small burn pile and it's not so bad when I blow out the filter. My neighbor to the south of me is kind of a dink, so I wait until he's putzing in his garden next to my fence before I blow the filter, heheheh.
Dano"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
I do something simular. I usually wait until my neighbors whom im having some urban warfare with are out in there yard then I clean my dc bag hehehehehe Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
A suggestion re cleaning out those formidable accordion-tye filters which many vacuums have under their covers.
Use your electric blower.
Remove the vac.'s cover with its filter and take it outside and set it on the ground or the grass or an old table, or whatnot.
Note the direction of the prevailing wind at the moment.
Respecting where you want the sawdust to fly, turn on your electric blower and shoot the airstream into the filter from all conceivable directions.
Not a perfect method, but beats brushes, fingers, dropping, tapping and cursing.
FWIW
William
I make something, sometimes twice, each year.
My air hose reaches far out in the yard, I tried it today and it worked great because there was a wind blowing. Be trouble if it was calm !!!!
Dave of Fla.
I clean up my shop maybe once per year. Doing this though causes me to buy multiple tools of all kinds. I have dozens of drill bits all of the same size. Also many electric drills, routers, circular saws, etc.
Though the above is not quite true, I am not to good at keeping a neat shop. When it gets to the point that I can't find anything, then I stop and do the dirty deed. One thing that really helps is to have a DC hookup at ALL work sites. My rolling workbench has it's own piping system with hoses that are run to all tools. The end of the workbench contains my router table. When I need to sand, I take out the router, set a box over the hole, and use that DC connection. That has kept the dust to darn near zero.
I guess I just have a cluttered mind.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy
PlaneWood
I have a 2-stage dust collector in my basement shop. It works well for "a majority" of the mess. The problem I have is that not all my tools are connected, so there's a need to sweep during every project. I guess I could get off my dead-#### and tweak the system - but I have a hard time treating that like any other project, which I should do.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled