Best three easy improvements to my shop. How about yours?

[Rich Stern]

I just finished a project and was cleaning up the shop, moving stuff around to get at all the sawdust, putting tools back, etc. I was musing about changes I've made to my workshop over the years, thinking about the successes and the failures. Here's what I came up with for my best three:

1) Compressed air from an overhead, retractable reel. How the heck did I get through the early years without this? I leave my portable compressor hooked up via quick disconnect to a feed line for the overhead reel. I can disconnect and roll out quickly if I need the compressor in the yard, garage, or at a neighbor's. The reel also has a quick disconnect, stuffed with a blowgun when not using any other air tools. This setup is great for woodworking, but the air gets used for all kinds of other tasks, too.

2) Stopped overcrowding the shop with machines. For years, my semi-portable power tools were set up and ready to work. Visions of moving from station to station with effortless efficiency. I thought it made projects go faster. The opposite is true. As I run low on space, the shop gets messy and projects begin to crawl. Now I take out the miter saw, belt/disk sander, scroll saw, etc. only when needed. The rest of the time, I enjoy the free space around the bigger machines. The shop stays much cleaner.

3) Rolling tool chest. You know, the mechanic's type. Just a low end, stacking unit from Lowes. Measuring tools, wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, drill bits, etc, stay organized and dust free, and I can wheel the thing around if needed. My pegboarding of all this stuff never stayed organized. Somehow, I manage to keep it neat in the rolling cabinet.

What are your best three easy imrpovements?

[Bay Area Dave]

I installed a retractable reel about a week ago but will be relocating it from near the compressor to nearly the center of the shop, because there is only about 21' feet of hose which gets caught up on the TS and other equipment when I drag it over to the workbench on the wall opposite the reel.

Five wall cabinets to hold and hide lots of stuff! Plus keep most of the dust off those items.

An overhead retractable 110V cord with a 3-outlet molded plug.

Can I give more than three? Here goes:

painted the walls semi-gloss white.

Lot's of light: 11 4 foot fluorescents in a two car "studio"

Weather striped the door to stop drafts; the shop is much warmer in the winter because of that one improvement.

Just added a TV last week to supplement the CD player, cassette player/radio.

What I'd like to have but won't (do to one thing or another)

1. Utility basin
2. A John
3. more R-O-O-M
4. higher ceiling
5. wood floor

dave

Rich Stern wrote:

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

I'm with ya' brother!

Every once and a while, I pick up bottom sections with wheels from Sears. Add a rubber or wood mat on top, and you have a great shop assistant. The chests can roll righ to the tools and provide easy access to router bits, saw jigs, measuring and marking tools, etc...

The most I've ever paid was $175, on sale, for an 8 drawer unit. I'm up to 4 of them, with one top unit.

Barry

[jev]

Where did you find retractable reel at what cost?

[BRuce]

flip up disk/belt sander and osilating sander, when down it is just the miter station extension

heat and AC

lots of cabinets, a specific place for everything... well eventually, I need 2 more cabinets.

my next 3; utility sink, real workbench, overhead air reel in the shop and another in the garage.

BRuce

Rich Stern wrote:

[Rob V]

Sears has them for about 15 - 30 bux.

[JAW]

I can concur with the retractabel reel. Just do not let the cord whiplash back into the reel. The Sears version will eventually break. Mine did after about 1 year of use. Had to buy another one.

[Mike in Idaho]

1) Rearranging my shop so the tablesaw was at the end and not in the middle (gave me way more room).

2) Hung power cords across the ceiling and dropped down to tool areas (keeps cables off the floor) -- I know, I know against code, but I have to build a shed to put my outdoor crap in and then I can make my shop permanent -- I'll run conduit at that point

3) Snagged a heavy duty table/cabinet with shelves underneath for free and use it as my assembly table.

3a) Keep my shop clean. Now when I have 30-60 min to spare instead of looking at a pile of tools everywhere and thinking "That'll take 30-40min just to clean up and give me space to work" I just start working. Ahh...I love it -- thanks for the advice Tom Plamman!

Mike

[Eric Ryder]

semi-portable

screwdrivers,

1) Put the less used machinery on wheels - made room for more machines! 2) Cleaned it right to the corners! (4 yrs late) 3) Moved clamps/finishing/sanding supplies and equipment directly adjacent to the assembly area, rather than the "efficient use of space" place that they previously occupied. 4:) Moved most of my remodeling equipment/tools to a shed... who needs two portable tablesaws (in addition to the 3 hp cabinet saw) in their shop anyway???

[Bay Area Dave]

sears, for $29.95 on sale. same exact model that a favorite mail order company of the Wreckers sells for $54.50.

Hint: it's a Canadian company

Hint number 2: The item is on page 222 of the 2003-2004 catalog.

dave

dave

jev wrote:

[Bay Area Dave]

Stop letting the kids play jump rope with it!

dave

JAW wrote:

[Phisherman]

1. A space-saving tool cabinet that opens up. This organizes my hand tools where I need them. Maybe not easy, but it was fun to build.

1. Installed 7 electical circuits (one circuit is 220v) with lots of outlets. I put an outlet every 4 feet, plus a few about waist high and overhead. Like clamps, you can't have too many outlets. No more sanding and pulling the plug out!

2. Finishing the walls (drywall). I finished my walls just like it was a living space, except I installed beefier baseboards to take the abuse. Painted the trim and walls white. Makes cleanup easy and adds needed light.

[Lazarus Long]

1) White painted walls.

2) More circuits and outlets.

3) Lumber rack with integrated chopsaw (miter saw) station.

[Mark and Kim Smith]

[Mark and Kim Smith]

The kids are at an age to where they need less of my attention and I can get back to woodworking, so:

1) Move the bike hobby off to one corner of the shop.

2) Buy two tool boxes. ( Actually, one was a gift. ) A Snap-on for the "mechanical" type of tools and a Craftsman for wood working tools exclusively.

3) Addition of some new items. Mostly a Delta 6" jointer. Also a sliding mill table to modify and improve the "drill press attachment" Delta mortiser.

Lights, outlets, benches and storage were the first th>I just finished a project and was cleaning up the shop, moving stuff around to

[LP]

I got mine at Auto Zone and I think it was about $29. If you dont have Auto Zone in your area, check whatever passes for auto parts store.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Mine honestly aren't anywhere near Snap-On quality, but I think they're plenty adequate.

Barry

[Bay Area Dave]

just got done moving the air hose reel from the wall opposite my work bench, to overhead, near the bench. Why didn't I install one years ago??? Used 1/2" "L" copper pipe. Was a breeze to install except for getting to one of the mounting screws behind the reel. Attacked it with a quarter inch ratchet and ultra short phillips bit.

dave

Rich Stern wrote:

[Rodger Pevehouse]

Humm, I have to go with 38 wheels and 125 drawers!

[Rob V]

^^^^^ Would love to see a pic of this.