Must Have Shop Items

[Oaktree]

TOTAL ABSENCE of tiresome radio commercial onslaught, trendy music, and other needless, socially accepted, redundant BS. (see signature)
It a workshop, not a clubhouse. I haven't listened to music radio since Country went Pop in the early '90s.

Sufficient traps to keep mice and red squirrels from nesting and peeing everywhere that's out of sight.

I can mentally tune out the commercials, don't mind "trendy music", and having always been more of a rock/top 40 kind of guy I prefer modern country music over the old school stuff.
Not sure what you mean by a clubhouse...occasionally a neighbor will stop by for a visit, but usually I'm alone in my shop.
That having been said, I enjoy quiet time a lot more the older I get. Had the radio going all the time when I was younger, now not as much.

Got a couple cats that do a pretty good job keeping the rodents away.

 

[the old grind]

Not sure what you mean by a clubhouse...occasionally a neighbor will stop by for a visit, but usually I'm alone in my shop. ..

Visitors may drop in, but all work stops as they yak away and interrupt my focus. Many promise to return past favors, tho' ~1/2 are asking for another, even for "my buddy at work". :laughing: Yeah right. Anyway a planned visit never happens and only my Son or my friend Adam have lifted a finger, worked a range selector and loader stick, or helped me carry something down the stairs in 6 or 8 yrs. (bad knees)

I have > a dozen batteries to rotate maintainers to, > four dozen tires to check weekly or monthly, and some less challenging stuff. Kids won't do work like above for $15/hr that my 70 YO arz can. So old man do all but takes time while everyone seems to be holding their phone.

Friends/peers (trades or not) promise to return whichever favors by helping ME out for once, but won't let me pay them for anything and I guess won't work for me for 'free' after all. My two best pals have said, "I'm off next week. Let's get the siding job started. I know you can finish most of it from there." Hasn't happened yet, but one of them did help me unload the whole job into the barn ... in Oct, 2016.

 

[Doofy]

Visitors may drop in, but all work stops as they yak away and interrupt my focus. Many promise to return past favors, tho' ~1/2 are asking for another, even for "my buddy at work". :laughing: Yeah right. Anyway a planned visit never happens and only my Son or my friend Adam have lifted a finger, worked a range selector and loader stick, or helped me carry something down the stairs in 6 or 8 yrs. (bad knees)

I have > a dozen batteries to rotate maintainers to, > four dozen tires to check weekly or monthly, and some less challenging stuff. Kids won't do work like above for $15/hr that my 70 YO arz can. So old man do all but takes time while everyone seems to be holding their phone.

Friends/peers (trades or not) promise to return whichever favors by helping ME out for once, but won't let me pay them for anything and I guess won't work for me for 'free' after all. My two best pals have said, "I'm off next week. Let's get the siding job started. I know you can finish most of it from there." Hasn't happened yet, but one of them did help me unload the whole job into the barn ... in Oct, 2016.

People just hate to rush in to any thing especially work. Almost 70 also and don't need or want anyone else's help (except Wifes). She is tough and always ready to help.

 

[ovrszd]

Visitors may drop in, but all work stops as they yak away and interrupt my focus. Many promise to return past favors, tho' ~1/2 are asking for another, even for "my buddy at work". :laughing: Yeah right. Anyway a planned visit never happens and only my Son or my friend Adam have lifted a finger, worked a range selector and loader stick, or helped me carry something down the stairs in 6 or 8 yrs. (bad knees)

I have > a dozen batteries to rotate maintainers to, > four dozen tires to check weekly or monthly, and some less challenging stuff. Kids won't do work like above for $15/hr that my 70 YO arz can. So old man do all but takes time while everyone seems to be holding their phone.

Friends/peers (trades or not) promise to return whichever favors by helping ME out for once, but won't let me pay them for anything and I guess won't work for me for 'free' after all. My two best pals have said, "I'm off next week. Let's get the siding job started. I know you can finish most of it from there." Hasn't happened yet, but one of them did help me unload the whole job into the barn ... in Oct, 2016.

Awww,, I'm sorry.

 

[two_bit_score]

I have Alexa.

She is great for metric conversions, elephant jokes, as well as story telling. She can also notify me of price reductions of tools on my Amazon wish list although I haven稚 enabled that function....

Yep, just tell Alexa to 'play WOAI radio'.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have Alexa.

She is great for metric conversions, elephant jokes, as well as story telling. She can also notify me of price reductions of tools on my Amazon wish list although I haven稚 enabled that function....

Is she next to your calendar pin up poster? Nothing better than a beautiful and intelligent woman!

 

[grsthegreat]

I have Alexa.

She is great for metric conversions, elephant jokes, as well as story telling. She can also notify me of price reductions of tools on my Amazon wish list although I haven稚 enabled that function....

those dots, alexas, ring...will NEVER be found anywheres on my property......never

 

[two_bit_score]

those dots, alexas, ring...will NEVER be found anywheres on my property......never

Well, it IS YOUR property after all! :thumbsup:

 

[mapper]

If doing woodworking, these work very well at keeping your vacuum filters clean and the dust down (protecting your lungs). Very cheap and simple to use. Dust Deputy Cyclone Separator Retrofit Kits | Oneida Air Systems

Second that, I built my own cyclone separator for my dust collection system, uses a 2hp Grizzly blower with 1 micron bags. One of the most essential things in a woodworking shop IMOHO, used to get nosebleeds and other stuff from dust. Haven't for years now.

 

[Tomtint]

I just built out our new shop. A couple of the things that were on the top of the list were as follows

Tons of lighting
More outlets than I thought I would ever need
Shelving and closet space
Bathroom and mess sink
Refrigerator
Coffee pot
Tool box and a good assortment of hand tools
Security cameras
Shop Vac and brooms
Workbench with vice
A place to hang ladders and my staging on the wall so it's out of the way
Small parts bin organizer for keeping misc parts related to my business.

 

[zoedog2012]

microwave!

 

[dragoneggs]

Sharpening stones

 

[the old grind]

those dots, alexas, ring...will NEVER be found anywheres on my property......never

Agreed. :thumbsup: I see little point in recording/analyzing/archiving/analyzing/ ... my clumsy actions and blue verbiage.

Awww,, I'm sorry.

Me too. :melodramatic: Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry - YouTube

- A better anvil than HFT 50lb when I find one.

- 6" of code 70 or code 100 rail if I ever find any.

 

[Jaylegger]

It's ever evolving. You covered the basics well. Whatever it takes to finish the project buy it. There maybe a point where you're selling off as much as your buying. That said, small parts/nuts/bolts bins are a must, decent low profile jack, pneumatic rolling seat, any type of welder, more receptacles and lighting than your think you can get by with...and most importantly a comfortable chair to sit back and enjoy a few beer. If you're older having many sets of reading glasses strewn around the shop will prove to be invaluable.

I'd like to add a wall or ceiling mounted retractable extension cord to this list.

 

[Big Barn]

Agreed. :thumbsup: I see little point in recording/analyzing/archiving/analyzing/ ... my clumsy actions and blue verbiage.



Me too. :melodramatic: Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry - YouTube

- A better anvil than HFT 50lb when I find one.

- 6" of code 70 or code 100 rail if I ever find any.

When where why are the different code rails used?

 

[HarryVanderpool]

Visitors may drop in, but all work stops as they yak away and interrupt my focus.

We have a Sun Power, vertical lift security gate at the end of our 1/4 mile drive that is always closed and locked.
NOBODY drops in without calling first.
Had it for 30 years and wouldn't be without it.
We have had exactly one person knock on our front door unexpected in 30 years.
Not sure that the gate is a "shop supply" but defiantly one of our favorite "tools"

 

[the old grind]

When where why are the different code rails used?

Terry, the "codes" actually represent weight per 3 feet of length, a way to compare otherwise proportional sizes. They are the two most common ones I know of. I'm sure there are others on narrow gauge, mining, lumbering, short and company lines, yards, etc. There's a lot of code 100 rail out West Where MU diesels might be three and four pulling a consist of > 120 cars. There are a few 2% grades going over the Rockies, but 1% is the broad standard for most of the US and Canada.

Anyway, with a very solid chunk of steel per wt and base width the top is very hard, and the curved shape can be sweet for some small work. For portability a rail anvil is tough to beat too. I'd swap a half dozen tie plates for that many inches of either common size. btw, That pad on the back of some vises. To me that's just for tapping a hammer handle down on to re-seat the head or for flattening a washer. Much more than that might be misuse.

 

[ovrszd]

those dots, alexas, ring...will NEVER be found anywheres on my property......never

Yeah, after all we know they are Russian spies!!!

 

[ovrszd]

A leantoo off the side of the shop or a separate storage building for all the crap that clutters the shop.

 

[the old grind]

Yeah, after all we know they are Russian spies!!!

Google is much better at spying, almost like a Mother in law.