Control.... Can you HEAR me??

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MatthewZS

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Jul 22, 2010
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482
Location
Georgetown Texas
So I'm curious what others have setup in their shop to keep you in touch with the rest of the world. My shop stands about 100 feet behind the main house and tho I'm ok carrying my phone with me, I don't always hear it ring or feel it vibrate depending on what I'm doing. Anyone have anything clever setup so people can get your attention without having to walk out and kick you in the shins? Dog shock collars? Fog Horns? Etc....?
 
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I like the peace and tranquility of my man cave where I do my woodworking.

When working in my shop I carry my cell phone but would rather not be bothered when I am working on the greatest pen project in the universe.
Least that is what it is when the idea is in my head ... somehow something gets lost between the mind and the final polish as it usually turns out to be not quite the greatest.
 

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We got a set of cordless phones and I took one out to the shop. I can pick up calls if I'm so inclined, and the handsets have an intercom feature so SWMBO can page me.
 
I am lucky that my shop is in my walk out basement. My wife just stomps on the floor when she needs me. I normally ignore the first 5-6 stomps lol.
 
Intercoms crossed my mind, but if I can't hear my phone in my pocket I probably won't hear an intercom either. I mean, by the time I start a dust collector, a fan, an air conditioner, air FILTER, and a lathe.... I'm lucky if I can hear a grenade go off. I'm actually kinda liking the light idea. Maybe one of those remote light switches........
 
I have a rule - no sneaking up on me, loud shouting noises, etc. while the sound of tools are running. I have a phone down there, but I only hear it if the tools are off.

Courtney waits until the tools turn off, and then stomps her foot. I usually can hear that through the earphones.

That saves me from cutting a finger off if someone yells at me while I'm running tools....
 
Check out one of the LOUD .... and I mean L O U D ringers that Radio Shack has. These things will arouse the dead, near dead, and of course the nosey neighbor(s) - especially at 0400 hrs. when someone makes a 'wrong number' call. I guess Radio Shack is still in business and selling them!
 
You can always attach a flashing light to the phone. If you put the light near the lathe, you can "see" the phone ring regardless of what noisy equipment is running.

That way, your wife will KNOW that you are ignoring her and she will quit calling. :)
 
One of the most effective things I've used in such situation is one of those alarm/police/fire-brigade/road works, etc,. etc. yellow/red flashing rotating lights, installed anywhere high in the ceiling.

Once I had 2, one red one blue, one connected to the phone the other activated by a push button at the main house, (wife call/needs you sort of thing..!:wink:), no noise to annoy neighbours at late hours, and lights on or off still as visible as hell, nothing like bright rotating lights "hitting/showing" in all surfaces around you...!:biggrin: Unless you're blind but then, you wouldn't be working in the shed with electric tools, wouldn't you...???


Cheers
George
 
So it sounds like I'm going about this all wrong. First I need a wife, then I need some method by which to ignore all her attempts to contact me in the shop?

:)
 
My family knows to flash the lights in the garage. As I have lights on a switch that turn off and lights which are not switched that stay on. I see the blink, finish what I am working on and then we are good.
 
Willee said:
When working in my shop I carry my cell phone but would rather not be bothered when I am working on the greatest pen project in the universe.
Click to expand...

Now how could you be working on the greatest pen project in the universe when I am working on it the very same in my own man cave in Southeast Texas? :biggrin:

I have made it abundantly clear that nothing is as important as my personal safety when I am working with a piece of equipment that is spinning, cutting, or making any kind of noise. So the wife waits patiently for me to finish and then shouts "hey!" from the garage door entrance.

I added "makes any kind of noise" because I was cleaning up the other night with the shop vac and she accidentally snuck up on me and scared the excrement out of me... which caused me to jerk the hose back and bang my elbow into the lathe and well, you get the picture.

I've thought of putting a phone out there, but I wouldn't hear it the same way I don't hear my cell phone with a really loud ringtone (ZZ Top's La Grange guitar solo blaring full blast).
 
My wife politely knocks on the door of my workshop. If I have not responded within 30 seconds she will opent said door, and a very large black lab will enter the shop and immediately sniff my butt.

THAT will get your attention.

And the sad thing...it's not even our dog.
 
:eek::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:


Grim Spirit said:
My wife politely knocks on the door of my workshop. If I have not responded within 30 seconds she will opent said door, and a very large black lab will enter the shop and immediately sniff my butt.

THAT will get your attention.

And the sad thing...it's not even our dog.
Click to expand...
 
We've got a wireless intercom, work real well, thank goodness my D/C is in the next building and piped into the shop so hearing is no problem.
 
OKLAHOMAN said:
We've got a wireless intercom, work real well, thank goodness my D/C is in the next building and piped into the shop so hearing is no problem.
Click to expand...


Roy,

I don't believe anyone has asserted that NOT hearing is a problem!!!!

I practice NOT hearing regularly--trust me, it is NO PROBLEM!!!!
 
Ed, I should have said hearing the intercom is no problem, turning it on on the other hand.......
OKLAHOMAN said:
We've got a wireless intercom, work real well, thank goodness my D/C is in the next building and piped into the shop so hearing is no problem.
Click to expand...

ed4copies said:
OKLAHOMAN said:
We've got a wireless intercom, work real well, thank goodness my D/C is in the next building and piped into the shop so hearing is no problem.
Click to expand...


Roy,

I don't believe anyone has asserted that NOT hearing is a problem!!!!

I practice NOT hearing regularly--trust me, it is NO PROBLEM!!!!
Click to expand...
 
I have my cell phone if it's on me, but I also have a hard line phone and my own satellite dish for entertainment. Sometimes I hear the phone, sometimes I do not, and most often I choose not to hear it even if I do!
 
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