monophoto
Member
Fall is just around the corner, followed by winter. I'm fortunate that my shop is in the basement of our home and is usable year-round, and I spend a lot of time there in the winter.
Recently, I've become frustrated with the clutter on my workbench - there was literally so much stuff that there was no place to actually work. So I've spent the last couple of days decluttering - throwing stuff away, finding good permanent storage locations for things that have inadvertently put down roots on the workbench, etc. Eventually, I was able to clear off everything except the things that were bolted down - the bench vise and the drill press. Then, I used a belt sander followed by a random orbital sander to clean as much of the surface as possible (there are some cuts and scratches that are very deep and are clearly there for the duration), and vacuumed the workbench, lathe area, and much of the floor. Then I applied a coat of BLO thinned in turpentine to the top of the workbench. Because this has been a warm day, I was able to open the door to the outside to let some fresh air into the shop, and also allow the fumes from the oil to escape.
My dream is to adopt the discipline of minimizing the stuff that accumulates on the workbench so that I can actually use it as a workbench. And to add to the comfort, I want to be able to use the stool that I have in the shop that has become the auxiliary table holding lathe stuff - basically, sanding supplies. Therefore, I need to find something to serve as that auxiliary table - don't know what that will be yet.
I really don't enjoy housecleaning, but sometimes its just necessary!
Recently, I've become frustrated with the clutter on my workbench - there was literally so much stuff that there was no place to actually work. So I've spent the last couple of days decluttering - throwing stuff away, finding good permanent storage locations for things that have inadvertently put down roots on the workbench, etc. Eventually, I was able to clear off everything except the things that were bolted down - the bench vise and the drill press. Then, I used a belt sander followed by a random orbital sander to clean as much of the surface as possible (there are some cuts and scratches that are very deep and are clearly there for the duration), and vacuumed the workbench, lathe area, and much of the floor. Then I applied a coat of BLO thinned in turpentine to the top of the workbench. Because this has been a warm day, I was able to open the door to the outside to let some fresh air into the shop, and also allow the fumes from the oil to escape.
My dream is to adopt the discipline of minimizing the stuff that accumulates on the workbench so that I can actually use it as a workbench. And to add to the comfort, I want to be able to use the stool that I have in the shop that has become the auxiliary table holding lathe stuff - basically, sanding supplies. Therefore, I need to find something to serve as that auxiliary table - don't know what that will be yet.
I really don't enjoy housecleaning, but sometimes its just necessary!