Any tips for my Work Area?

[Ron Don]

I'll have to take a look at these OTT's! Im going to hang some extra lights off my hood for my pouring station too.

 

[toadfrog]

If you rig a shute on your lead pouring table and place a catch buket underneath , you can really speed things up by opening the mold narrow edge down making a v shape .flip out the heads between the open mold sides. then you can just slide the loose heads into the shute using the mold to do so. Cut the sprues later when your done pouring.

 

[Lost Pole]

A small refrigerator.
somewhere, anywhere. Fill it good for the hard times....I'm not that far away!

G'luck with the build and please take pics of the process and progress.
If'n you get in need of a garage door on the workshop area, let me know if you have any questions.

Scott,
I thought that room was going to be my newly adopted home?

Adam

 

[ScottV]

Now I can tie jigs in front of the window while watching for that buck.

 

[jjsjigs]

Ok. I gotta thing you should put in your workshop. Drill a hole in your countertop of your tying bench the same size of the diameter of a shop-vac hose. Mount the shop vac inside your bench and run the hose to the hole you just drilled. (Perhaps modify the shop vac to have the on/off switch as a foot pedal beneath your bench. When your tying and have a mess of fur and feathers... step on the foot pedal and slide the scraps to the hole. It gets all sucked up and no mess!

 

[Ron Don]

Pretty nifty idea. Thanks JJ!

 

[Nightprowler]

I use a desktop calendar pad under by work space to take notes on and keep glues/paints from ruining my tabletop. Late January is a time to catch them clearance out for 50% off. Trucking companies give them to their customers as well.

 

[jjsjigs]

i cover my bench with swiffers... y'know those cleaning pads you sweep the floor with. They catch a lot of the marabou and fur scraps so they dont' blow all around and makes cleaning pretty easy. When they get covered with scraps, i pick them up and cover with new ones.

 

[skeetbum]

I have an alternative to the metal pouring bench cover. Locate the biggest cookie sheet for baking and drill a hole or two and screw it to the wood top. Built in lip. Commercial ones are much bigger than would fit in our ovens.

 

[steve r.]

x2?.... on all the ideas here! lighting and ventilation is a big deall here! i use the 2nd level of my garage to do all my tying and rod building, keeps the kiddies out of reach! lol! how bout some vise accessories? like a garbage collector or a magnifier? i powder coat and airbrush, so a good cleaning station is a good idea! never can have too much lighting! a good jig drying center would be good, you can make one out of an old microwave oven turntable motor or buy one online for like 40 bucks, i like the 6 rpm variety, it seems to "form" the epoxy better.

 

[Mike Andrews]

One down & dirty, quick & easy, thing I've done is to put an empty 3# coffee can (container?) lined with a plastic grocery bag on my tying bench. Sure is handy for cut-offs and scraps and all you have to do is take the bag out & tie it in an overhand knot when it gets full / messy. Keep the snap-on lid handy too to keep all the trash contained between sessions. Costs nothing!

 

[toadfrog]

This is going to sound kinda crazy. But when I'm tying I let the vertical exhaust going through the wall suck out the feather scrapes ect . The birds pick them up and make nest material out of it. Sparrows are particularly fond of white and chartruese.

 

[Ron Don]

Ha Toad I bet those make a pretty little nest!

 

[jjsjigs]

I usually save a lot of my scraps to blend dubbing, etc. Every spring I place a big pile of it in my yard. The robins and blue jays love to pick through it for nest building. I have the best looking bird nests in my neighborhood.

 

[skeetbum]

Park avenue nests. We are unique. good idea though. Reminds me to clean the bird houses.

 

[Ron Don]

Ok so I planned on having the shop completed months ago, but still have a ways to go. I ended up going with 1/2" plywood for the walls now I can hang something anywhere i want. Today it got primed and caulked. It will get the final coat of light gray in the next day or two. Heres a couple pics of the main wall.


Starting at the far left will be the lead pouring area. The rectangular opening is for the exhaust hood. There will be a 12' benchtop just below the wall plugs. The center opening if for the AC. I have three 8 ft sheets of peg board to hang once I get it all layed out.


The short wall is where my tying desk is going. Its wider than it looks. My desk will have 5 inches to spare.

Its getting closer but im so ready to get it done and get my stuff moved in it!

 

[Lost Pole]

that's it?!?

get to work!!














looks good man..

Adam