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?

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" g

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:

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?

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 06:07:04 GMT, Bay Area Dave wrote:

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

SNIP

Where did you find retractable reel at what cost?

Sears has them for about 15 - 30 bux.


"jev" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 06:07:04 GMT, Bay Area Dave wrote:

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

SNIP

Where did you find retractable reel at what cost?

jev wrote:
On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 06:07:04 GMT, Bay Area Dave wrote:

SNIP

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


SNIP

Where did you find retractable reel at what cost?
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.

Stop letting the kids play jump rope with it!

dave

JAW wrote:

jev wrote:

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 06:07:04 GMT, Bay Area Dave wrote:

SNIP

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


SNIP

Where did you find retractable reel at what cost?

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.

Harbor Freight has one that normally sells for $80 on sale for $40.
Includes 25 feet of 3/8" hose. Seems like a pretty nice setup. Check back
in a couple of months for my review.

Dave



"JAW" wrote in message
...
jev wrote:
On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 06:07:04 GMT, Bay Area Dave wrote:

SNIP

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


SNIP

Where did you find retractable reel at what cost?
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.

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:

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 06:07:04 GMT, Bay Area Dave wrote:

SNIP

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


SNIP

Where did you find retractable reel at what cost?

On 6 Feb 2004 08:19:05 -0600, jev
wrote:

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 06:07:04 GMT, Bay Area Dave wrote:

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

SNIP

Where did you find retractable reel at what cost?

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.

Why the wood floor Dave and is this in preference to concrete ? I am =
about to set up a new shop and wondered what was better.
Puff

"Bay Area Dave" wrote in message =
m...
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=20
there is only about 21' feet of hose which gets caught up on the TS =
and=20
other equipment when I drag it over to the workbench on the wall=20
opposite the reel.
=20
Five wall cabinets to hold and hide lots of stuff! Plus keep most of=20
the dust off those items.
=20
An overhead retractable 110V cord with a 3-outlet molded plug.
=20
Can I give more than three? Here goes:
=20
painted the walls semi-gloss white.
=20
Lot's of light: 11 4 foot fluorescents in a two car "studio" g
=20
Weather striped the door to stop drafts; the shop is much warmer in =
the=20
winter because of that one improvement.
=20
Just added a TV last week to supplement the CD player, cassette=20
player/radio.
=20
=20
What I'd like to have but won't (do to one thing or another)
=20
1. Utility basin
2. A John
3. more R-O-O-M
4. higher ceiling
5. wood floor
=20
=20
=20
dave
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
Rich Stern wrote:
=20
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:
=20
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.
=20
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.
=20
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.
=20
What are your best three easy imrpovements?

Puff Griffis wrote:
Why the wood floor Dave and is this in preference to concrete ? I am
about to set up a new shop and wondered what was better.
Puff


Wood floors are easier on the feet and legs. It does not seem like much,
but there is a big difference. New floors are not always practilal, but
rubber mats whee yo stand the ost are a big help. Two or thee are a "must"
in a good shop. In front of the bench, in front of the sander, the band
saw, the table saw. --
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

Why the wood floor Dave and is this in preference to concrete ? I am about to set up a new shop and wondered what was better.

You are asking this is a wood news group?
Seriously, concrete is hard on the bones & cold. Got mats from CostCo.
Really like them but hard to sweep up; so's I don't. Except
Mama.....never mind.
If you afford it, go with wood floors.

I'd really, really, like to reorganize my shop for better efficency. Its
the basement, divided into 3 areas currently. One corner was a
darkroom/laundry area. No darkroom now, and I plan to make the laundry
area smaller to enclosed the washer/dryer/tub acessible by bifold doors.
There is a dividing wall along the middle of the basement, running
alongside furnace and hot water heater. On my "shop" side (dirty side),
I cram a workbench, a tool cabinet, table saw, band saw, drill press,
and soon, a jointer. The table saw is on wheels. The Band saw and drill
press will soon be. The jointer will be too. On the floor under
shelving, I have my planer, drill doctor case, plate joiner case, a
small electric heater, shop vac, a model plane in progress, and a couple
of small rubbermaid tubs. On the other side of the shop around the
furnace, I have 3 rubber maid "wrap and store" containers for my model
airplane cover, a 6' high wheeled rack for model airplane wood sheets, a
roll around upright rack for model airplane wood sticks, a couple of
boxes of stuff, some rolls a of naughahyde, and lots of wood leaning
against the water heater. Plus a rolling toobox and air compressor.

The other half of the basement (which has the laundry corner), I have a
4x8 table intended for building parts of my full size plane when I get
to it. One wall holds model airplanes. Another wall is taken up by steel
shelving, the 3rd wall has shelving, my reloading bench, a gun safe, and
a plastic desk holding my miscellanous hunting stuff (clothes, cases,
etc). Next to the laundry corner are 2 plastic shelving units, a half
size metal shelf, basement dehumidifier, and miscellanous stuff.

So yeah, things are tight.

And no, I don't have a garage!

I need storage! agh!

John

wood is the preferred floor for several reasons:

1. drop a chisel, tip down, onto a concrete floor. what do you get? a
damaged tool. drop it on wood instead. what do you get? satisfaction!

2. easier on the feet and legs.

3. a bit warmer than a concrete slab.

That's all that comes to mind at the moment. I'm sure others will chime in.

dave

Puff Griffis wrote:

Why the wood floor Dave and is this in preference to concrete ? I am about to set up a new shop and wondered what was better.
Puff

"Bay Area Dave" wrote in message m...

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" g

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:


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?

On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 06:42:08 GMT, Bay Area Dave wrote:

wood is the preferred floor for several reasons:

1. drop a chisel, tip down,

Do they ever land any other way? G

Barry

On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 12:27:57 GMT, B a r r y B u r k e J r . wrote:

On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 06:42:08 GMT, Bay Area Dave wrote:

wood is the preferred floor for several reasons:

1. drop a chisel, tip down,

Do they ever land any other way? G

If you wrap a piece of buttered toast around the handle, butter
pointing outwards, then it will land on the handle

--

Frank

http://www.freebsd.org/

On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 06:42:08 GMT, Bay Area Dave wrote:

wood is the preferred floor for several reasons:

1. drop a chisel, tip down, onto a concrete floor. what do you get? a
damaged tool. drop it on wood instead. what do you get? satisfaction!

2. easier on the feet and legs.

3. a bit warmer than a concrete slab.

Would you still recommend wood in a commercial shop environment? What
about one with radiant heating? Anyone here ever use removeable wood
flooring "panels", a la the Boston Garden?

JP

I have been following this thread with some interest and note that no one
has listed a dust collector or dust collection system among the top 3. I
have been considering adding one to my shop and now I wonder if it is really
a significant improvement.

John

On 06 Feb 2004 04:38:59 GMT, (Rich Stern) wrote:

3) Rolling tool chest. You know, the mechanic's type. Just a low end,
stacking unit from Lowes.

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

Yikes! I just spent $1500 on mine. Then again, it is a Snap-on unit.

B a r r y B u r k e J r . wrote:

On 06 Feb 2004 04:38:59 GMT, (Rich Stern) wrote:



3) Rolling tool chest. You know, the mechanic's type. Just a low end,
stacking unit from Lowes.



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

On 06 Feb 2004 15:08:56 EST, Mark and Kim Smith
wrote:

Yikes! I just spent $1500 on mine. Then again, it is a Snap-on unit.

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

Barry

B a r r y B u r k e J r . wrote:

On 06 Feb 2004 15:08:56 EST, Mark and Kim Smith
wrote:



Yikes! I just spent $1500 on mine. Then again, it is a Snap-on unit.



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

Barry


Hi Barry,

I hope you don't think I was knocking your tool boxes, as I certainly
wasn't! I was just bragging a bit. The important part is that the box
holds what it's supposed to and you are satisfied with it! Besides,
that Snap-on I have is a baby compared to my "train"!
www.bunchobikes.com/mac5.jpg Throw in a couple of cheapie Craftsman
for other uses and I'll have more boxes than I'll know what to do with
when I retire!!

On 06 Feb 2004 21:45:04 EST, Mark and Kim Smith
wrote:

I hope you don't think I was knocking your tool boxes, as I certainly
wasn't!

Not at all! G

Barry

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:
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?

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

"Rich Stern" wrote in message
...

What are your best three easy imrpovements?

"Rich Stern" wrote in message
...

What are your best three easy imrpovements?

1) Better lighting through white painted walls/floor.
I can find dropped hardware and there is no concrete
dust in my lungs any more. Whew!

2) Assembly table with cabinet storage underneath.
I store all my abrasives (few), cleaners (many) and
cauls there. Te room in the middle will soon be an
additional pair of shelves. The 5" casters will roll
over a tuba fore if needed. I'll be redoing the side-
mounted clamp posts into a vertical clamp cart, also
on 5" casters. (Side mounting made the cart unstable.)

3) I'm in the process of building cabinets to store all
my tools to keep them in easy reach.



================================================== =========
Save the Endangered Boullions from being cubed!
http://www.diversify.com/stees.html Hilarious T-shirts online
================================================== =========

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!

Forget where I read it, perhaps Fine Woodworking, but someone gave a
tip that every time you enter your shop, put away 10 items. Takes
only a minute, and your shop becomes less cluttered very quickly. In
fact, sometimes it gets hard to find 10 items which are out of place.

"Rich Stern" wrote in message
...
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?


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???

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.

2. 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!

3. 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.

On 06 Feb 2004 04:38:59 GMT, (Rich Stern) wrote:

What are your best three easy imrpovements?

1) White painted walls.

2) More circuits and outlets.

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

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

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

The pic is on the way to your email box.

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 22:42:30 GMT, "Rob V" wrote:


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

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

My "shop" is my two-car garage, so every square inch is precious.

Best four improvements:

1. Wall-mounted lumber rack
2. Retractable power cord (overhead installation)
3. Putting bench saw, power mitre saw and router table on
moveable bases.
4. Built large shelf unit (half of one wall) using 1" x 12"s.
(Holds lots of stuff)

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. www.bunchobikes.com

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 things I created
years ago. I make my living as a mechanic and one thing I can't stand
is working with a drop light. So there are more flourescents than
anyone should be allowed to have!

Rich Stern wrote:

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?

"Mark and Kim Smith" wrote in message
...

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

OOH OOH OOH. A Schwinn Stingray!
Man, I saved my paper route money for a long time to buy mine! Mine was red,
though. How I wish I would have tucked that away somewhere instead of
selling it when I started riding dirtbikes.

Mark, how much are those things worth these days?

Keith Carlson wrote:

"Mark and Kim Smith" wrote in message
...



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


www.bunchobikes.com

OOH OOH OOH. A Schwinn Stingray!
Man, I saved my paper route money for a long time to buy mine! Mine was red,
though. How I wish I would have tucked that away somewhere instead of
selling it when I started riding dirtbikes.

Mark, how much are those things worth these days?




A Fastback, like I have, in decent condition will hit $300. The earlier
the Stingrays, the more they will bring. An early 63-64 with a first
year only paint job brought $4000 on eBay recently. Krates will
regularly bring $800- $2000. These are averages.

On Sat, 07 Feb 2004 04:04:37 GMT, "Keith Carlson"
wrote:


OOH OOH OOH. A Schwinn Stingray!
Man, I saved my paper route money for a long time to buy mine! Mine was red,
though. How I wish I would have tucked that away somewhere instead of
selling it when I started riding dirtbikes.

A guy that frequents our bike shop has a few crates. We currently
have one of his Orange Crates on display, complete with an original
store poster behind it.

Ah, the memories! G

Barry

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:

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?

Hmmmm, a couple of questions. What pressure are you running your air
system at and does anyone know the pressure rating of "L" copper??

Bay Area Dave wrote:

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:

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?

The pressure of the system is between 100 and 125. the L will take
everything a 175 psi system will give! I used to have an auto shop
where I installed an extensive air system with L copper. It is WAY
overrated for that. Not to worry!

dave

Mark and Kim Smith wrote:

Hmmmm, a couple of questions. What pressure are you running your air
system at and does anyone know the pressure rating of "L" copper??

Bay Area Dave wrote:

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:

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?