I'm pretty good at putting things back as I'm done with them (which does noting for longer-term projects). My problem is more of collecting things. I keep getting, or keeping things I know I'm going to need ( some day ). Knowing that if I break down, and throw it away, or sell it. I'll need it the next day, or week. So I guess storage makes my shop messy. Am I alone on this? Bet not.
Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums
Originally Posted by Grigg
If it's the big C-clamp kind keep it. Real handy for pressing bushings in and out of spring hangers on these old trucks, among other similar task.
Agreed. They work well for replacing pressed in u-joints also.
@TUTS59, can I borrow that brother-in-law for a day or two?? I could use him to help clean up my garage, but only if he puts stuff back where it belongs.
Last edited by klhansen; Sat Sep 07 2019 12:56 AM.
Kevin Newest Project - 51 Chevy 3100 work truck. Photos [flickr.com] #2 - '29 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. First car '29 Ford Special Coupe Busting rust since the mid-60's
Just remember, if you are watching the shows on TV, they have a staff that cleans up behind the hosts. Along with someone else likely doing most of the work. It takes a special kind of OCD to keep a shop spotless that is actually doing work on a regular basis. And if you walk into a garage and everything has a place, and is in its place, they likely aren't doing much work. I find myself taking a 5 gallon bucket about once a month and gathering tools and putting them in their place, or attempting to. Most of the time, they just end up sitting in 5 gallon buckets around the shop, or under a project, or on a project, or beside a project. My wife is OCD, organized and all that. My shop gives her anxiety. Good thing is it keeps her out of it! I kinda know where most stuff is, or was. Do I spend extra time looking for a tool, yup! But my shop, my brain, and my life is semi-organized chaos all the time, so it is all still in line with the norm.
Maybe when I am retired and have nothing better to do, I will have a tightly organized ship, but for now, I do what I can do, clean up when I need to, and just tell myself what I tell my real estate clients when they watch too much HGTV, "hey, they still live here too!". I still work here! It will be a mess. Grab a beer, find a empty spot, sit on an empty 5 gallon bucket, and lets do some fun work!
As a wise man said, "An organized clean desk is the sign of a sick mind, or someone who doesn't do much work!"
Moderator - The Electrical Bay and Rocky Mountain Bolters
I will usually put everything "away" when it start tripping over stuff. And It's already time to spend a day cleaning up again! I've got a 24 x 30 separate garage that has tool boxes, shelves, and benches all the way around from floor to ceiling. Plus two cars! I need to dispose of one of my vehicles asap so I can move the 67 'burb into the garage. My neighbor is the HOA president and they don't take kindly to my projects being outside. Besides that, it's too cold to work outside for long.
I recently bought one of the mid-sized rolling boxes from HF. I also bought the short hanging box that goes on the side, plus the tall box with the door for the other side. I put my flat tips in the top drawer of the side box, then the x-tips, then whatever. I use the top drawers on the big box for misc bs. then standard wrenches, metric wrenches with the sockets in the smaller drawer next to them. This keeps the tools handy and fairly easy to find (assuming that they are not piled up next to an ongoing project!!!!
My HOA is 4 ft 9 in, she is the law around here. She thinks 6 tool boxes is enough, there goes my Christmas list.
Craig
Come, Bleed or Blister something has got to give!!! 59' Apache 31, 327 V8 (0.030 over), Muncie M20 4 Speed, GM 10 Bolt Rear... long term project (30 years and counting)
