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There's another post up on TLB about one of my current "hobby horses" ...mess.

http://www.theluthierblog.com/articles/ ... -get-done/

It's a funny old topic because some of us are very attached to the mess we make working. In an earlier post Roger Bucknall from Fylde guitars came out with a great one:

"Never trust a skinny cook, never trust a tidy artist!"

That was in a post a few weeks back when I asked a few top makers to take a picture of what was on their bench - Roger refused, his was such a disgrace!

http://www.theluthierblog.com/articles/ ... ats-bench/

So what about you? Do you tidy up only when you have to, or are you more disciplined? I'm getting better for sure, but it's hard work keeping on top of things.

What's your best tip?

Nigel
http://www.theluthierblog.com
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/luthier-book/

Tidy is safe. Tidy keeps the crazy away.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

My shop is always a wreck, but that just seems to be my nature.

But--"wreck" is very relative. I had a friend who was a woodturner. He turned big log-sized bowls and vessels. Typically three or four feet in diameter. He had a huge lathe located in a big barn. These big bowls left big piles of shavings, and when the shavings got so deep around the lathe that my friend had to look down onto the lathe instead of across from it due to standing on the pile, he would take the bucket on his tractor and "excavate" the shop back down to ground level. Turn more bowls, repeat... My shop is tidy in comparison. Tidy definitely is safer (also easier to find that tiny piece of pearl inlay that was just dropped on the floor.....)

Dave

We clean every night and in the morning. I don't often clean as I go, however, and it often looks like a tornado has passed through the shop by about 3:00 in the afternoon

My shop, and benches are tidy. I keep 2 vacuums out. One is a small hepa machine, the other is a big one. They both have remotes on the hoses so you don't have to walk over and turn the vac on every time. Checkem out. Not bad price wise.

http://www.fastcap.com/estore/pc/viewPr ... duct=45290

I will say that they are susceptible to static buildup on the vac hose, meaning you have to hit the switch a couple of times...

M

Clean as you go. More clean less ding.

I try to keep it shoveled out to at least knee deep.

I do not.
Dirty (shavings, sanding dust etc.) is one thing but cluttered and disorganized is quite another.
I think the condition of a work space reflects the mentality of the occupant and as we all know, trying to do too many things at once or lack of focus can easily spell disaster.
Every tool or fixture needs to have it's place and it should go back to it as soon as it's no longer in use.
Get a box for scraps of rosewoods, spruce etc. Make a gift of them to your local non-building repair tech. They will be thrilled and you will be reducing your clutter.

Tools, shavings, dust, are all kept in their place. My clutter problem comes from wood scraps.
We all know that no scrap is too small to be useful someday, so I cannot throw anything away. Nor do I have a good scrap storage system, so THAT is what creates my nightmare.

I have room to build a station for every task. One day I'll do precisely that and then I won't spend the day looking for tools instead of working.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

I keep my shop fairly clean. Put things away as soon as I use them, but usually have a few tools out that I know I will need in the next operation. So, every time I enter my shop I pick up 1 or 2 items and put them away. That pretty much keeps down the clutter. - mdg

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guitarsbygiltzow.com

My concern with clutter is mice and spiders. So, I can't go too long without a cleanout. I also look around before I move, maybe there is something I can put away. No way perfect. But also not a disaster.

It gets deep from time to time ,mostly manageable

Fairly clean.
I work in the garage, so it's easy to fire up the electric leaf blower for a quick clean.
It does make the cars in the driveway a bit dusty looking.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

It has to be neat. I suffer from CDO, which is much like OCD, but with the letters in alphabetical order, as they should be

I keep up with my tools, drill and router bits. Almost always try to put them away after using them. Put it this way, I still have a SK socket set my brother in law gave me 30 years ago. Only had to replace a 1/2" socket that disappeared.

Now sawdust and shavings is another story. On my wish list is a dust deputy and a larger vac. Every now and them I push everything aside and clean up.

I am usually pretty neat. Having had my shop in the basement has made me be pretty neat and clean. I am in the process of working on the layout for my new shop so organization is at the top of my list. My old shop was only 12X14 so I was forced to be organized, my new one is 28 X 22 so I have more room to actually plan out rather than just fit in. I hope I can keep a clean and tidy shop when I finally get moved in. But generally I don't like clutter.

Bob

My mess is very organized. The last time I cleaned, I couldn't find anything. So I don't bother cleaning much. I am with dzsmith, get out the leaf blower once and awhile and dust everything off.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

My shop looks messy but I work in zones so I know where all of the tools and supplies are within a few inches. I have drawers for Planes, small clamps, drill press tooling, and routers/ bits. Small supplies are in small plastic bins. Shop is so small and I work multiple projects so it is more like organized chaos.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Organized chaos..well said Steve.

I like to keep my shop organized and cleaned so I am not wasting time trying to find a tool (or trying to remember where I put it), and to keep my lungs healthy. It's amazing how quickly my shop can explode into a mess. After each day I organize my tools, sweep, and vacuum. And when a particular task is done I always put the tools back up where they belong. That's the key to not wasting time trying to find tools...they all have their particular place they go back to when not in use. I feel healthier and happier when my shop is clean and organized.

I'll say it like this...
There are times when my shop is a disaster. There are other times when it is clean. Depends on what I am doing.
Typical times when it is bad...
Bracing, box construction, routing binding, routing dovetails, carving necks.
Typical times when it is clean...
Inlay (ever drop a piece of inlay on a floor covered in chips? ), fretting, sanding, buffing, final assembly, final setup.

I was in Woodcraft the other day and mentioned that my shop was a wreck and the guy there said that many of their customers keep their shops very tidy and organized but they never build anything. Others build stuff and their shops are messy. I like to be neat be it doesn't usually stay that way...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Oh dear, things do get out of hand while I am working. I always start with the intention of keeping things clean and organized while I work, but... have yet to successfully do so.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

I don't bother cleaning up till I'm done working but I like to enter a clean shop when it's time to get busy again. Unless there is a mess that might damage a top or something like that I just let the chips fall where they lie.

I clean up at the end of a project. I still know where things are they're just not where they're at when not in use.


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