Who has the messyest shop/garage????

[johnbaz]

I think i'm in with a chance of lifting the title




The clarke's wood lathe has gone now..






As can be seen there's not much floorspace

The lathe does occasionally get a brush down




So, Any competition???


Cheers, John

[Bogstandard]

This is a bit that I added to my shop a few years ago.




And this is what the main shop looked like





But Uncle Bogs and Bandit soon had it under control.











And the main shop looks a lot better now





And the secret is------

Biting the bullet and getting rid of everything you are never going to use again, even though in the back of your mind you think you will.

I hoarded for years, but at some time, you have to let go.


Bogs

[AdeV]

I think i'm in with a chance of lifting the title

You're certainly in with a chance... there's patches of mine that look like yours, but - as Divided He ad will attest, you can see some bits of floor in my place!

[John Rudd]

Well I posted on my workshop/garage and came under lots of flack for having cables and bits laid on the floor..

So I think I'm the champ..photos are elsewhere on here..

I did have a clean up, but as usual things get out of hand when you have a three femalse in the house and all think it is a dumping ground..

[rleete]

I remember a post a year or two back.  Might have been here, might have been over at HMEM.  Anyway, chap showed a garage packed full.  Claimed there was actually a car burried in the mess, but I couldn't see it.

More space usually just means lots more junk accumulated.  If you're short on space to begin with, you tend to ignore the stuff calling your name to be brought home.

[johnbaz]

Hi

This old Toyota estate was in there for 18 years but there was more room then than now with the li'l midget in!!

Reason is that all the stuff that is all over now was stored inside the old Crown custom estate!!!

The garage is 25' long, another 10' on the end would be great, i thought about erecting a car port on the front of the garage to keep the midget under with a large sheet over would be OK but we live at the top of a high hill in Sheffield and the wind gets really strong, the car port would probably get airborn !!!


Cheers, John

[doubleboost]

Hi
John
I think you are in with a good chance 
Regards
John

[Lew_Merrick_PE]

Organization/Chaos is a metastable condition.  Chaos wins in the end (that's the third law of thermodynamics).  After the last set of four sequential projects (without time between to attempt to fight chaos) I filled three 50 gallon bins with chips -- and another two with other dross.  That's in 880 sq ft.  You know it's bad when it takes you longer to find your tools than to do the work...

[raynerd]

JohnBaz - when I first saw the topic title I thought I might win, but then I saw your photos and no, hands down, you win this one!!

I hoarded for years, but at some time, you have to let go.

It is a nice feeling when you hoard something for years and then the days comes when you use it. BUT, quite rightly as you said, for the very very odd time it happens, I nearly always find I can ebay what I need when it comes to it. I`ve been slowly getting rid of some of my rubish and feeling much better for it. I think therapy would have helped....once you`ve taken the first few steps it is easy, it is just getting there 

[tumutbound]

I'm planning a move from a place I've lived for 22 years. As you can imagine, I've acquired quite a lot of useful 'stuff' in that time.
As I'll be doing the move by myself and it's a long distance move,  meaning a one off trip, I've taken to wandering around the house looking for 'stuff' I don't use or don't need with a view to putting it to one side for disposal.
So far, the disposal pile is very, very small.

Fortunately, nothing in the workshop has fallen into either the 'don't need' or the 'don't use' category. 

[BK]

I wouldn't qualify for this catogary, if I don't put things back where they belong after I've used them, I cannot remember where they are, it's called "Oldtimers" 

[AndyB]

What is it with the female of the species?

Why does 'garage' = 'dump'?
I have got a 16' by 18' garage that is for motorised vehicles, ie. motorcycles.
The fridgefreezer 'has' to live in there and I get crap when starting an engine because 'it will taint the food'!
?????? 
It's a garage!
I now can't get in there because all the stuff for the bonfire/dump is heaped on the floor wherever she can reach conveniently...just inside the door and spreading.
Would she actually light a bonfire? Answers on a postcard please.

I then get an earbashing because the garage is untidy and she can't get any more crap in there.

I have to get rid of garage stuff to make room for her dump stuff!
Then I get another earful because she can't find tools that she needs! She forgot that I set her up with a set of household tools that she would need in a drawer in the house (hammer, screwdriver with different size bits, pliers)...'how was she supposed to know?'


I submit that my garage is the worst but I am not posting pics as she will realise that I won't clear it so that she can have more room to fill it up again!!!!

Fortunately she keeps out of the machine shop!

Sorry, rant over

[Bogstandard]

I was nearly crying when I started to do my clearout, some of that stuff had been with me for over 30 years (and still not used).

But a lot of people benefitted from my 'castoffs', so I didn't feel too bad when I knew it was going to a good cause, one Model boat club raised loadsa squids for club funds by selling off cheaply hundreds of DC motors I had given them. I kept a few back for myself, but have still to use any, and beginning model engineers got a few unexpected treats as well, like, there it all is, take what you want, otherwise it goes in the bin.

So get in there, dig the stuff out, and get rid. Not only will you gain space, you will also find that a heavy weight has been lifted off your shoulders, and you might be able to help someone in the process.


Bogs

[Divided he ad]

Mine would probably rival that at the moment.... But it's so small it'll only take half an hour to get it looking near to ship shape  


Ade certainly could be in the top ten too. The machine workshop kind of floats in the middle of the big workshop, does that make sense? I said last week, IMHO it needs walls!  (the big workshop.... it's huge and filled with a little bit of everything!)

I think there should be some scientific law that transposes to workshops and free/unused space and it's ability to attract all manner of cr@p?    

people benefited from my 'castoffs',

     That'll include me 
I saw much of the transition of Johns workshop and did indeed benefit greatly from it. (not to mention the huge amount of questions answered I still benefit from  )
The press I tried to use to make brass spheres for a start, although that has since been returned to be given to another beneficiary as I couldn't achieve my goal with it. 
There is no point in having many tools just for the sake of it, if you don't/can't use it pass it to someone who can. A lesson I will always carry with me 







Ralph.

[AdeV]

In an effort to try to picture what my workshop looks like, here is approximately 1/10th of it...:



There's probably another 3/10ths which are just as bad as that, just not used as much... the rest is covered with cars or the bus...

[ozzie46]

  My wife is the hoarder in  the house but she knows if she puts ANYTHING in MY garage it goes to the dump.  Got my ear bent a couple of times but she no longer puts things in the garage. 

  Ron

[AndyB]

Thinking about it, my workshop isn't too tidy either...

[Ned Ludd]

OOH Sir, me Sir. Waving hand in the air trying to attract the attention of teacher.

Any candidate for the position who can see any of their floor should be disqualified.

I would post piccies but that would remove any small credibility that I might have.
It's not that I have too much stuff but it's that I have too small a garage, same with the house but that's another story. It used not to matter when the memory was good, I could remember where things where, but now I will have to be tidier. I can't believe I actually wrote that I must be going senile, in which I don't suppose it will matter any more.
Ned

[BillTodd]

This is embarrassing, I couldn't find a picture of my garage looking messy

  so sorry here's one of it in it's usual state

[HS93]

This is embarrassing, I couldn't find a picture of my garage looking messy

  so sorry here's one of it in it's usual state

You should be ashamed having a shop like that discusting     

peter

[Brass_Machine]

You should be ashamed having a shop like that discusting     

peter

No kidding right?

What motorcycle is that?

Eric

[BillTodd]

You should be ashamed having a shop like that discusting   

Sorry Peter, I will throw a bucket of swarf over the floor as soon as I stop typing :LOL:

What motorcycle is that?

Ducati 851 Strada  '89 monoposto

[johnbaz]

WOW!!! Bill, that really is tidy

My trouble is that i'm a hoarder, i also go to the carboot sales and come home with all sorts

The garage is 25'x10' but i have the little car in there and all sorts of other stuff- i started to get rid of some gear, i sold the clarkes wood lathe that's on the bench, i've also gotten rid of two bandsaws leaving me with two though i still have four benchdrills in there, another wood lathe (record), various linishers, in fact to much stuff to mention ..
As i said earlier, i could do with attaching a car port to the front of the garage for the midget to go under which would leave me room to lay the stuff out better...
Here's how the garage was when i cleared it a little when the old estate toyota went...







John

[John Hill]

This is embarrassing, I couldn't find a picture of my garage looking messy

What a sorry sight Bill,  have you taken a look at the tumbled over plastic bottle on the shelf to the left of the picture?

[Jonny]

Really lads you will have to try a damned site harder, not entirely a hoarder the stuff does get used but lack of space.

Its a bit too shocking or should i say embarrassing, though i do like a cleanish floor it annoys me to trample on swarf. It does get flung on to the racks especially when using the Ceratizit cutter, phew have to wear protective clothing.
Rather embarrassing again i took over the dining room temp of course, that was years ago. Shed coming on for that now.
In winter when doing woodwork, i leave the saw dust down, it stops the cold coming through and warms up quicker.
Worst of all after 10 mins work the swarf gets thrown by the door, 50 mins i can fill a wheelie bin! Have to stretch to get over it -bin man only comes every two weeks. Funny one last week gas meter reader wouldnt take no for an answer, said you cant get in, full stretch over high alum swarf your an engineer ive seen some things in my time.

New lathe coming Thursday the only way i can get four in is to shift some stuff outside. Will start gutting it tomorrow its gonna take that long to do just a 1/4.

[tumutbound]

Not sure if this really qualifies as a shed given that it isn't big enough for any real tools.
I want to sell the bike but need to exterminate the spiders before I'm game to touch it.



The real shed is a room indoors and is embarrassingly tidy - compared to some others here.

[BillTodd]

need to exterminate the spiders before I'm game to touch it

I was gonna call you a wimp, but then I realised you're in Australia, where the spiders fight back   

What's the bike? (looks '70s, bigger than 500 and European, rear subframe could be Triumph???  - I like the clip-ons and quarter faring  )

Bill

[tumutbound]

I was a bit concerned about the spiders. Last time I looked there were a lot of Redbacks in residence. These are dangerous, the bites (so I'm told) are very painful but unlikely to be fatal except perhaps to small children. Even then, there's a readily available anti-venom.
A closer look today while getting the mower out shows that daddy longlegs have taken up residence. These are completely harmless to humans but  hunt and kill redbacks. I moved a few boxes around but not a redback to be seen.

The bike is a Rickman CB750 Honda.

[MrFluffy]

Everyones got a junk area yes? Im just fortunate that I have more space than the average bear to fill.
Here's my dirty secret...


Its the room above my old workshop. Shut the access hatch and pretend its not there worked fine ...


Meanwhile, about 10ft below, people always commented how neat and organized it all looked. If only they knew the horror that lurked above...


I say old, we've moved to a new place and thats got even more space to fill but currently the main machine room to be has a dirt floor and there's currently a area of the open hangar that my wife hates which has everything stacked up in it while we get the workshops and storage sheds sorted. But thats fine, she coudlnt get her car under cover anyway as the jcb is mid engine rebuild blocking the entrance (and a 3ciii with a dead engine is a very very immobile object to say the least), and our two vintage tractors are blocking the alternative one. And some of my junk is still in the loft of the other place

[kwackers]

Why is it always motorcycles in peoples junk areas?

Mind you I've got a 750 Yamaha in my attic - getting that engine up there using the tiny ali loft ladder and minute hole in the ceiling was "entertaining". There were certainly a few moments when I pondered if an half inch floorboard would be enough to stop an engine dropped from around 8 foot from becoming part of my dining room.

I'd post pictures of mine, but it's recently been tidied and tbh is more an example of a machinery jigsaw puzzle than anything else.

[MrFluffy]

Theres a rover v8 engine halfway up the rubble that forms the staircase to be that leads to the upstairs storage here in the new place. I realized it couldn't be done on my own no matter how much I tried to pinchbar it up so sheeted it over till I get the jcb running properly again or my neighbor pops round with a telehandler for something else...

Theyre not whole motorcycles, theyre just bits ready for mutating some poor unsuspecting one. The bikes themselves live somewhere else mostly although I somehow did manage to get my xt500 up the same rubble staircase before giving it up as a bad idea and putting them downstairs in one of the old milking parlors although the floor in there is a bit trecherous too having weird troughs and the remnants of the feed and watering troughs cast into it. Ive almost got used to smacking my head on that big oak beam which supports the underneath of the upper floor too.

[Brass_Machine]

Ducati 851 Strada  '89 monoposto

Doh! Should have known that. I had a 888 for awhile...

[PTsideshow]

Well since there seems to be a lack of USA representation. Here are some shots of my shop's 1st floor.

Looking to the left side from center

Looking to the right side from center

Looking to the rear wall from the front



These three are the fall  out from vinyl siding and aluminum trim on a 2 1/2 story house. 10'6" aluminum trim brake buried under stuff.

A shot of that flat surface virus in a shop, No flat surface goes un cluttered for less then 24 hours.

And finally a 17 pound ball of trimmings from cutting the aluminum coil stock to size for bending.

Will get the the second floor tomorrow, along with the material storage outside and the one of the obligatory motorcycle 

[Artie]

The bike is a Rickman CB750 Honda.

$$$? Ive heard of a Rickman, in fact I know a fellow who is looking for a 750 Honda based Rickman.....


RobT

[tumutbound]

$$$? Ive heard of a Rickman, in fact I know a fellow who is looking for a 750 Honda based Rickman.....

RobT

I'm not sure what they're worth these days so have tried to give it a $$$ value. They're pretty rare and this example is complete, if a little neglected. I'll ahve to see how it scrubs up.
I've had this one since I imported it in the mid 70s from RGM Motorcycles in Luton.

[Bernd]

PT,

Doesn't look messy to me at all.

Looks more like a "well equiped shop" capable of doing any job required.  

Bernd

[PTsideshow]

Well I guess 

Obligatory motor cycle photo  Honda cl70 scrambler  1971 0r so less than 700 miles and no paperwork. Was a barn find, it was stored in a barn since 1975 I was going to use parts for another project. But as things happen the project is on hold pending a redesign.

The junk pile load waiting for its last ride to the scrappers.

The two storage leantoos behind the shop for the bits that are saved beacuase the look to be useful.


The two bays as they looked this morning

The area behind the people door and stairs to 2nd floor

Second floor after a clean up, been 4 months and it still is more space than not 
Despite the fact that to turn around most days, I have to go back outside to do it. Only have a couple more days of bending aluminum trim and installing vinyl siding and insulation on the sides of the front peak of the hose I will be able to remove the trim brake and all the stuff that goes with it. Getting a bay back so I can hook up the TIG unit and start practicing this winter.

[Cornish Jack]

 
Hmmm, maybe so but I can't actually get into a position to take a photo of my 'toy shed' - the main one, that is. The 'obligatory' motorcycle is another Honda but just a tiddly little C90 bought new in '74 and done just 4500 miles. Having knackered my kickstart knee it has become unusable but can't bear to get rid of it. Ther appear to be some irritatingly tidy people in this world. Possibly my ONLY saving grace is that I'm not one of them.

[Bogstandard]

If we are into mo'sickle shots, this is mine before almost everything chrome was replaced or added and a new Memphis Shades screen fitted. Also it has real sheepskin colour matched seat cover, to keep your a**e warm. It seems that a sheepskin perfectly matches the shape required for the Goldie without any trimming, so could be used as a rug in the house, or even sold back to a sheep that needs a new blue coat.




It hasn't been ridden for 18 months, and I will never be able to ride it again, so make me a reasonable offer and you could have a bike that is a showstopper once it is cleaned up and the rest of the new chrome and electrics are fitted.


Bogs

BTW, for those not in the know, it is a Honda 1500cc flat six GL Goldwing. The one everyone loves because of the reliability.

[johnbaz]

Hi Bogs

That's an awsome machine

There used to be (and possibly still is) a Goldwing club here in Sheffield that met regularly, i used to see the occasionally in a sort of convoy- a sight to behold


John

[Ned Ludd]

Hi John,
If you saw Wings being ridden, my guess would have been it was sometime between Easter and August bank holiday and only then if the forecast said no rain for at least a month. To be fair to Wing owners, they are marginally better than HD riders, who all buy Sportsters "to be different", and need two months guarantee of drought. 
Ned

[andreas]

Hello from Cyprus!! a few photos of my work shop. The main interest here it`s electronics.That was my main job before 10 years. Sorry about the quality of the photos

[raynerd]

Nice bike John !!

I`m just about to do my full licence and I`m just getting by on a Honda cg125 but that goldwing looks a corker!

Chris

[Bogstandard]

Unfortunately Ned, my panniers contain full wet weather suits. To me a bike should be ridden all the time, not just in good weather.

But it does have the advantage of air conditioning, full stereo and a cigarette lighter, adjustable air suspension for when you come to a bumpy bit, and autocruise when you are feeling a little lazy, plus reverse of course, and autopark and rideaway on and off the main stand, plus .............. the list is endless.

Bogs

[Ned Ludd]

Just teasing you Bogs, I am an all weather rider myself. It must be a real loss not being able to get out and about on such a wonderous beastie. Many years ago, late seventies if memory serves, I was going to buy a Wing, but bought a BMW 90S instead, still got it but it is in rather a sorry state at moment. Another for the tuit list, will it never end?
Ned

[Bogstandard]

I gathered that Ned.

In fact I bought this as a sort of retirement present for myself, then after riding it for about a year, my legs sort of gave way and it hasn't been riddden since.

A shame really because it is now being regarded as a classic. If I can't get rid of it in one big bit, I will get my mate to strip it down and sell it for spares. It's got to go.

There must still be about a grands worth of new chrome and top of the range electrics to still be fitted.


Bogs

[Trion]

Nice bike bogs, though sorry to hear you dont drive it any more.

Bit OT, but if were into bikes, I thought I'd post a picture of the ones I had.

When I was 16, my Sachs XTC 125ccm


When I turned 18, my Kawasaki ZXR-750RR special track edition with fully adjustable rear swing arm, adjustable suspension front and back, flat slide carburretors (a pain to drive) and ofcourse monoseat


But I grew up, and decided it would be nice to live to my twentieth bithday, so I sold the bikes and bought myself a sports car instead. And now as I am getting even older, i have begun to find large machinery to be even safer and quite fun

[Bogstandard]

Hi Trion,

I think you have missed the generation gap.

For me to ride your bikes, the tanks would have to come off. With the onset of older age, the gut tends to get a bit larger. On the wing, the tank is basically under the seat, and so doesn't get in the way.

Wonderful bikes BTW.

Bogs

[Trion]

Bogs, no doubt about the gap, I was just trying to blend in amongst the more experienced bikers on here.
I must say I find larger bikes intimidating. I imagine if you get the weight a bit out of balance, there is no stopping before it hits the ground. At least with the bikes I had, I was able to lay them on the side to get the last slurp of fuel out of the tank and make it to the nearest gas station

[Bogstandard]

With the flat six being slung so low down on the Wing, the C of G is also very low, making it ultra stable, so there is very little effort required in riding such a large bike, and because of the way they are made, if they do fall over, they sit an an angle of about 30 degs, resting on the engine bars and running boards (which have replaceable metal wear away slugs fitted underneath, to tell you when you are banking too far). That stops you being crushed underneath, and you can just climb off. You can get them to fall over completely, but it is rather difficult.

Anyway, I think we have hijacked this thread for long enough.


Bogs

[Jonny]

Does this count, a mornings work last week
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL15/728921/1252422/393696139.jpg

[HS93]

With the flat six being slung so low down on the Wing, the C of G is also very low, making it ultra stable, so there is very little effort required in riding such a large bike, and because of the way they are made, if they do fall over, they sit an an angle of about 30 degs, resting on the engine bars and running boards (which have replaceable metal wear away slugs fitted underneath, to tell you when you are banking too far). That stops you being crushed underneath, and you can just climb off. You can get them to fall over completely, but it is rather difficult.

Anyway, I think we have hijacked this thread for long enough.


Bogs

 

this is what happend last time we rode Bikes, you stick to your side car then Bandit can go with you,

ps. how is the window cleaning round going ?

[DavidA]

..You know it's bad when it takes you longer to find your tools than to do the work...

I find I become enraged at myself because I know I shouldn't let it happen.  When you know you have a tool,  but can't find it ........  

Dave.

[AdeV]

I do that literally all of the time. It's getting to the point where, if I don't return a tool to it's proper home immediately after using it, it simply vanishes! Fortunately, it always turns up when you've lost another tool & don't need it any more... but you have to move fast & put it away there & then, or it'll disappear again.

My biggest problem ATM is about 40% of my tools don't actually have a home, so they just migrate around the workshop by a form of Brownian Motion.

[DavidA]

Jonny,

Looks like the time I cut off my beard. Same colour as well.

AdeV,

There are time when I have given up in frustration due to this and simply not done the job.  But I have seen the light.  My shed is beginning to gain some semblance of order.  Why,  on  clear day I can actually now see the other side.

Dave

[Jonny]

Shouldnt have done that Dave, could have got a job as Father Christmas.

I need a conveyor.

[Divided he ad]

I tried to find out what "Brownian Motion" was, so googled it... Still no idea    What the hell?   


You're simply going to have to dumb it down for the likes of me! 



Still, I've seen your shop Ade and could definitely sympathise with you on the losing things in there!!



Ralph.

[andyf]

I tried to find out what "Brownian Motion" was, so googled it... Still no idea    What the hell?    
Ralph.

Haven't heard of it since school 50 years ago, Ralph, when I remember being taught something along these lines:

Brown observed through his microscope that very fine pollen, when scattered on the surface of water, jiggled around. From this, he deduced that the water molecules were constant motion, knocking the pollen grains about.

Good one for the pub quiz!

Andy

Edit: This was 200 years ago, before the existence of molecules was known. So Brown will have observed the motion, but won't have deduced that molecular motion caused it.

[Divided he ad]

Ahh... Becoming clearer... If you read the wickedpedia version it goes all over the place with particle theory and some fella's theorum and stuff about random walking.

I guess that's all about the pollen then... it does also state that but not in such simple terms. I guess some things I just need broken down into bite sized chunks? Well, many things really 


Thanks for that Andy.... Pub quiz indeed, should have been at one tonight. But it all fell through!



Ralph.

[DMIOM]

......I guess that's all about the pollen then... it does also state that but not in such simple terms. I guess some things I just need broken down into bite sized chunks? Well, many things really 

......

Well, from that last comment, of needing pollen broken down into bite-sized chunks, an extra-terrestrial reader might infer you were either perhaps a bumblebee or a denizen of Brobdingnag? 

Dave

[DavidA]

As it's getting near Christmas let me tell you a true tale that fits in nicely.

Many years ago I used to help out an old mechanic in our town.  His garage was old school and quite messy,  but he was very keen on putting every tool back where it lived after each job.  So we could always find what we needed.
Anyway,  after one particular job the 13 mm deep socket disappeared.  We searched high and low (they denied all knowledge) but it wasn't to be found.  So we had to get out a spare socket.  We looked around off and on for about a week hoping that we would find it in some nook or cranny.  No luck.
Then as I walked in one day I saw the socket.  Right in the middle of a steel topped bench. "I see you found the socket" I said to him.  "Not yet" says he. "looks as if some blighter stole it".  "But it's here, on the bench" Says I.
He came over from the car he was working on and looked at the socket. "It wasn't there half an hour ago,  I was working here".

Very strange.

Dave.

[rleete]

Reminds me of my dad.  Years ago, he lost a 9/16" socket, and constantly asked it we (his sons) had taken it.  We all denied it, but he asked over and over.  One day we all happened to be in Sears, and I suggested we all get him a 9/16" socket.  That Christmas, dad opened 3 presents, all the exact same thing.

Turns out he had found the original about a month before!

[Artie]

The story of the socket reminds me of my new fishing reel... bought a bait caster which cost $330. Took it on the 'boys annual' fishng trip and at pack up time I dismantled all the rods and everyone just grabbed their bits... I dont remember getting my reel..


Got home and thought oh damn Ive left the thing at the river (5 hours away on a dirt road).... so I complained and whined for several months and it was forgotten about.....

Got up one morning and was getting ready for work...sitting right in the middle of the dressing room table is...the reel.....

Of course NO-ONE has any idea how it got there..... It really is great to have mates with a sense of humour.. and house breaking skills (obviously)

[krv3000]

he is sum pics of my work shop