Rituals

[Turned Around]

What do you guys do before going to the shop to make something?
I don't mean you head out there to make one little Sierra or something, but when you plan to stay in that shop till you have 5 or 6 nice projects finish, what do you do?

Personally, (depending on the weather) I move a few bottles of water from the fridge to the freezer, then i load a bunch of nice relaxing heavy metal onto the MP3 player to hook up to the shop radio, then I rummage through my humidor and fins a nice cigar. Find a post-it on the mess that is my desk and jot down some notes as well as a "small things to do in the shop while the glue/epoxy is drying" list. Take the water out of the freezer and toss it in the cooler outside (mainly so i don't keep going in and out, draggind shavings with me), light the stogie, turn up the music, open the garage door and start working my magic.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

I turn the lights on...

That's about the only consistent ritual that I have! I may play a Garth Brooks cd if I'm going to be in there a while, but that's not a necessity!

 

[seamus7227]

I usually fire up the ol' music player on my phone that plays thru my bluetooth headset(used to be hard rock, now only Christian Contemporary music, its what motivates me the best!). I love to have a huge bag of sunflower seeds while i'm working(its my "crack", so to speak, since i quit smoking 2 1/2 years ago) and I love a gynormous glass of sweet tea to drink, Fans blowing and garage door open, love me some Sun!


...oh i forgot, if it is first thing in the morning, then i must have my coffee!

 

[ALexG]

I try to sneak out of my house so my wife didn't notice, she complains about the amount of hours I spend on my pens, and when I get in first thing is turn on the radio very loud so I can hear it while the dust collector is running

 

[triw51]

Make a large cup of coffee to go then I usually have half filled water bottles in the freezer that I fill up with gatorade or something simular. I like classice old hymns or classical music. I fill the water container on the swamp cooler (on hot days I usually have to do this 4-5 times), Sit down and write a list of what I want to do. Starting with any blacksmithing and harder work early then easier stuff in the late morning and afternoon.

 

[warthog]

I get a big honkin cup of coffee...put a CCR cd on( Garth Brooks is a no-no)(but to each his own) and get with it.

 

[PTownSubbie]

My ritual....

Turn the stereo on to the Local Rock Station. Turn it up loud so it can be heard over the dust collector and make out my list of what I want to do....

Then the rest of the day....do what was not on the list because it caught my attention!! I am bad with this....A sign of too many projects sitting around in the shop and I guess a little Attention Deficit Disorder adding to it.....

What was it that I was saying? LOL!

 

[jd99]

My ritual....

• Pull my car out onto the street, and park it.
• Pull the wifes car out and park it in a parking spot.
• Pull the lathe out and set it up.
• Pull out the DC unit and set it up.
• Pull out the blank Cabinet.
• Pull Out the portable AC, and get it running.
• Turn on the compressor, and open the regulator.
• set up my supplies, and blanks to turn.
• Turn on the radio
• Start turning.

This is just if I'm turning pens, if I'm doing some other work like bandsaw boxes, or other wood working, or metal working, I pull out those machines and supplies.
Everything in my garage at home is on wheels, and has to be pulled out and set up as a shop before I start, this usally takes half an hour to an hour depending on what I'm making or working on. Then at the end of the day it all goes back so the cars can go back into the garage.

Now at the production machine shop it's a lot different, but we are talking the home shop..:wink:

 

[mrcook4570]

1. Walk out to shop, turn on lights, mount material to be turned on the lathe.
2. Look for dust mask.
3. Remember that I washed dust mask last night, so it is on the hanger where I left it to dry.
4. Return to house to retrieve dust mask.
5. Walk out to shop.
6. Put on dust mask.
7. Look for safety glasses.
8. Remember that I forgot to take off safety glasses before quitting last night.
9. Return to house to grab safety glasses from dresser - not there.
10. Feel on top of bill of my hat - safety glasses found.
11. Walk out to shop.
12. Look for stool.
13. Remember that wife borrowed stool.
14. Return to house to retrieve stool.
15. Walk out to shop. Too tired to work, turn out lights, return to house and take a nap :wink:

 

[Xander]

Stuff in "--" = my thoughts.

1)"I think I'll make a pen"
2)"why?"
3)"Why not? Something to do"
4)"Do I have a kit / blank?"
5)"No"
6)"Well I'm not paying top dollar to get one locally"
7)"So, order a few from 'insert vendor' "
8)"How do I pay for them?"
9)"And why make a pen (spend $30) just to have it sit in a drawer?"

10)Watch movie

11)Life sucks

 

[The Penguin]

go out an hour before and turn on the AC.

 

[rossvh]

Before I did any real pen turning, I bought my wife a very nice sewing machine (embroidery and all) and fixed up her sewing room so she could spend as much time in there as she wants. Then..... I fixed up my shop (including a small refrigerator and iphone speaker system). Since then, we are both very happy and my "ritual" always starts with encouraging my wife to do more sewing!!!

RossVH

 

[TellicoTurning]

I turn the lights on...

That's about the only consistent ritual that I have! I may play a Garth Brooks cd if I'm going to be in there a while, but that's not a necessity!

About same as my "ritual"... unlock the door, turn on the lights, raise the window shades, open all the windows (both of them), turn on all the fans... 3 of them and get to work.... no music though it's too distracting.