Do you really use your primary work bench as a work station?

[Zeke]

I did yesterday on a small project, but usually it's a place to set tools, chargers, notes, anything but actual work. No, I don't work on the floor like a kid or some third world person, I just have or set up other places to do the actual cutting, grinding, bolting up, etc.

It doesn't help that 2 of my bench top or upper tool chests are there too. Out of 3 floor model tool chests, 2 have something on top already. I may move one off the bench, but I still don't think much actual work will take place on my primary wall mounted bench.

One thing that makes this easy for me is 2 folding stands that I can throw up and toss a piece of ply on top in about 30 seconds. I find that makes me clean up better, too. My welding area is a mess, but it's not anywhere near the primary work bench.

I'm gonna go clean that up right now.

 

[Chris Adams]

Yeah, that is the reality.
I do more work out of a tiny rolling plastic top tray, followed by my cheap HF red tray cart.

Three benches and there is usually clutter on all three of them.
The nature of flat surfaces is to attract things waiting to be put away or sorted.

Maybe it's a guy thing. We clean the dishes before cooking, rather than after eating...

During big jobs I find all three benches covered, and I make a work bench by putting a big sheet of plywood on top of my lift and raising it to table height.
Yeah, I still fill all that in the middle of things.

 

[srmofo]

i can't even get to my benches

 

[RobSmith]

YEP...I'm afraid I suffer from F.S.S.....Flat Surface Syndrome. Anywhere there is a flat surface ...I put something there. I'm so far...a reasonably mild sufferer as I don't put stuff on my project car. I have a small steel table that I put in the space when I move my daily driver out. Then I put a 4 foot square bit of particle board on top of the steel table and use that to place tools and bits etc while I'm working on the project. The beauty of this is I have to clean it off and put it away to put the car back in the shed. One day I will build a bigger shed and have a bigger area to put stuff on bigger flat surfaces. As you can see FFS is a serious and dangerous affliction...and it's contagious... my dad is worse. He puts stuff on his daily driver and moves it when he has to go out. Is there a cure ??? Help me by sending me some money so I can build a shed so big that I can't possibly put all my stuff on the expansive flat surfaces.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

Depends on what I am working on. Lumber/cutting no, repairing some hand holdable thingy I push aside enough clutter to get on the bench.

I just resurfaced my 14 feet of bench and it's clear and clean for now.

 

[toytech40]

YEP...I'm afraid I suffer from F.S.S.....Flat Surface Syndrome. Anywhere there is a flat surface ...I put something there. I'm so far...a reasonably mild sufferer as I don't put stuff on my project car. I have a small steel table that I put in the space when I move my daily driver out. Then I put a 4 foot square bit of particle board on top of the steel table and use that to place tools and bits etc while I'm working on the project. The beauty of this is I have to clean it off and put it away to put the car back in the shed. One day I will build a bigger shed and have a bigger area to put stuff on bigger flat surfaces. As you can see FFS is a serious and dangerous affliction...and it's contagious... my dad is worse. He puts stuff on his daily driver and moves it when he has to go out. Is there a cure ??? Help me by sending me some money so I can build a shed so big that I can't possibly put all my stuff on the expansive flat surfaces.

I also suffer from FSS, but have an advanced case, PHD FSS. Piled Higher & Deeper Flat Surface Syndrone. Whats worse is when the floor falls victim to FSS and you can't even get to the benches to deal with their FSS issues. To make it worse it is a small garage to begin with. After current job in there is completeed going to do some reworking to help with FSS related problems.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Ringwald's Law of Household Geometry:
Any horizontal surface is soon piled up.


My bench is always cluttered. I usually have to clean or push stuff to the side to use it.

In my life Ive seen very few clean benches. Whenever I see a photo of a shop with a clean bench on this site, I figure they cleaned the bench just for the photo, or they have a trophy garage that no actual work gets done in.

Chris

 

[Larwyn]

My main workbench gets cleaned off and used as a work surface for light duty jobs that might require the magnifying lamp, dremel, soldering iron, etc. But most of the work done in my garage is done on the welding table and pipe stands.

My woodworking shop is different, there the workbench is the main work surface for practically every project that takes place out there.

 

[mayhemman]

i don't like my benches cluttered with random things anymore then i can help it. unfortantly it still piles up a bit. my main bench gets teh worst of it, things that i bring home that need to be sorted or fixed when im up in the garage again.

one of my other benches has a engine waiting for a refresh its ready to be worked for the most part, just gotta take the time to go through it.

the other bench has my drill press and my bolts and washers the drawers help to keep it cleaner. but im not always up in my garage at nights, so i can span weeks before i get back to it and have to really straighten up again when im ready to do something.

 

[koditten]

Same here. Work benches are a waste of usable wall space for me. Have 2, 5 x 5 foot rolling steel work tables. One has the vice, the saws, grinders the other is plain. Both are the same height. I take my benches to the work. Don't miss the wall benches at all. Also hate closed cabinets. Could never find what I needed quickly and was tired of buying supplies to only find out later that I already had what I needed. Easier to clean too,just compressed air blow the dust off and out the doors.

KO

 

[Cars&Classic]

I had a severe case of FSS as well, since I have started my treatments of
"Bin-O-Therapy"
"Box-o-Therapy"
& Organize-o-Therapy"

Perscriptions vary depending on several shop features and functions. Please consult your garage journal specialist & accountant prior to starting treatments as side affects do vary.

Bin-O-therapy
* collect or purchase an adiquate number of bins based on space avalable & constant project capacity.
* Dedicate & customize shelf or storage area for said Bin-o-Therapy satisification treatments to take place.
* 4 wheele dolly (1 or 2 as required)
* long term and short term labeling sytem, (removable and changeable is recomended)
* Daily or sometimes bi-daily doses may be needed take (organize as needed)

my perscription is based on 2-3 muscle car projects under construction, and 4-10 in line but collecting parts.
My habit requires 16' of shelving to hold 58+ Bins.
36 stackable bins (chrystler style) and 22 (Gm style)
small garage location and 4 wheel dolly for continus treatment.


Directions for use:
* Practice using TOP bin as work bench space (FSS)
* organize bins in neat and orderly fashion with all lables facing forward.
* Fill Bins with apropriate parts for "1 PROJECT ONLY" per bin!
* only remove bins during use! do not remove more bins than Dolly will hold!
* Label Bin and return to shelf when not in use!
* IMPORTANT! stack bins for project to work bench Height! on dolly.
* Roll Bin Stack to project to promote use as FSS (this will help you avoid using stationary FSS.)
* helpful tip all bins on cart should be part of one project not multiple.
* 2nd cart aplies for multiple projects if space allows.
* Caution Multiple size bins is ok, but be careful not to have too many size variations as it will turn into clutter instead of organiazational system (ask me How I know)

And it has been my Experiance that a "Trophy Shop" has a whole lot more work done in it than a not because not only can you accomplish more in a "Trophy Shop", it is a lot of work To design and "Maintain" a trophy shop!

 

[krivasgarage]

lolz. My bench stays piled high, then gets cleaned up right after a big project. Folding steel table gets used as bench substitute. Gotta get sequence down - clean bench, then project.

 

[garboui]

C&C, thats a very 5S approach. I approve!! got to get something similar implemented this spring.

 

[toytech40]

When I worked as an auto tech, my 2 benches at work were cleaned off each day before I left. Any parts taken off a vehicle still in the bays were placed on carts parked next to bench. Any major components torn down waiting for parts and reassembly were kept on carts as well. Chemicals and supplies stored in wall cabinet, or on bench lower shelf. Was always nice to have a clean surface to walk up to with a component and be able set it down without anything in the way or to be moved. Service manager always complimented on it and other techs were jealous as their benches were always too cluttered to work off of, but yet they never did anything about it. As stated in my other post my benches at home now are a far cry from what I did at work. Need to get back to that discipline.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Yes.

 

[evintho]

I actually do use my workbench! Mostly for reassembling things. If I've got large, greasy subassemblies I'll usually take 'em apart on the floor. I've got a large green carpet on the floor area that I use. But, most everything gets reassembled on the bench (if it fits).

My garage gets pretty filthy, especially when I'm parting out a car or working on one of my projects. I tend to clean it about once a month. Usually takes about an hour to clean. I absolutely hate it when I have to search for a tool! It saves sooooo much time when the tool is where it's supposed to be!

 

[chief ben]

Yes i do use my work bench as a work bench when Jerry Lea isn't using it for a Bed.

 

[Rothaus]

I also use my workbench. The last biger Auto Job was the 915 tranmission. Replaces some synchro rings. That was before start to get the garage finished.

Cheers

 

[Zeke]

.............................
In my life Ive seen very few clean benches. Whenever I see a photo of a shop with a clean bench on this site, I figure they cleaned the bench just for the photo, or they have a trophy garage that no actual work gets done in.

Chris

That's why I started this thread. I suspected the same.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

It is tough but you have to stay disciplined enough to clean up on a regular basis.

 

[Rothaus]

That's why I started this thread. I suspected the same.

That' funny !

My bench doesn't always look like that either. After I cleaned up, when I was done installing the wall cabinets, I put a clear coat on the workbench, much easier to clean. This was a good point to take a picture, since it will not always look like that.

Here is a picture from before. That bench has seen a lot in it's 20 years of life.

 

[Chris Adams]

It is tough but you have to stay disciplined enough to clean up on a regular basis.

Or healthy enough...
When I had an office it was always so organized my employees said it was creepy.
When I ran a retail store, my florescent light bulbs were dusted on the top...
Nowadays, I work till I have to go sit, or lay down.
So it's 'down tools and bolt for the house'.

Everything stays as it is.
Then, since my shop is 50 feet up hill from my house, I and my wife often carry something up there, and just lay it on one of the benches. Do not have the energy, or the willingness to put up with the pain it takes to put things away right that moment.
So it accumulates.
Till I feel up to spending the thirty minutes it takes to get it all organized. At least till the next time I have to abandon it and lay down.

 

[Jack Olsen]

I suffer from opposite extremes, I think. When I'm knee deep in something, I steadily fill every flat surface in the place. And for a small two-car garage, I have a lot of flat space to fill -- something like 52 linear feet of work benches.

But then when I go through and clean it, I work to get EVERYTHING off of every bench. I guess in those moments I go female on Chris Adams' clean the dishes before cooking, rather than after eating scale.

 

[ajchien]

I actually do use my workbench! Mostly for reassembling things. If I've got large, greasy subassemblies I'll usually take 'em apart on the floor. I've got a large green carpet on the floor area that I use. But, most everything gets reassembled on the bench (if it fits).

My garage gets pretty filthy, especially when I'm parting out a car or working on one of my projects. I tend to clean it about once a month. Usually takes about an hour to clean. I absolutely hate it when I have to search for a tool! It saves sooooo much time when the tool is where it's supposed to be!

How are those hanging ceiling Shelves secured to the ceiling?

 

[mossyboy6]

Looks like they go up through the drywall and hang off of the ceiling joists.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

I used to have a grinder on one end of the bench, and a big vice at the other. The center was where you could rebuild a carb or put an engine block, etc...

Looking to develop a new vice bench, grinder station, and have a bench station for carbs, small toll repair, etc...

I too work off of horses and temporary stands for carpentry, construction type projects. I have had shops set up with wood working tools and big benches, cutting and assembly areas, but I am not likely to be set up like that in the near future.

FWIW, people with clean organized shops often look like they never do any projects, but in reality they are so well set up that they can go out and knock stuff off at will, and don't tend to accumulate projects that take up all their space and never get done.

My garage is actually a car garage, and it also tends to be a staging area for my professional construction projects.

 

[djjsr]

I'm fortunate enough to have a big workshop and have a separate area for metalworking and a separate room for woodworking, but finish and assembly work all usually comes back to my main bench area.

These benchtops are mdf, which is fine for woodworking but I have to use covers (metal or masonite) when working on metal stuff to avoid gouging the mdf.

I usually keep things as clean and organized as possble. It's a bit of a pain sometimes but I hate working in an area that looks like a dump. (I think I have a touch of OCD ).

View media item 14358

 

[NUTTSGT]

I use my workbench as workspace when I'm working on something. When I'm done, it gets cleaned up. The left side bench usually gets used as the work area and the to the right is where the tools generally get put. I try to leave the area where the bench stool free and clear for reading instructions, manuals or taking a break.

I hate looking for things, it's a waste of time to me. I try to stay organized, a place for everything and everything in it's place. Some might say I'm slightly OCD about it but I just try to be organized.

On the other side, I use the worktable as a work area and the bench is more of a gathering place for supplies of what I'm working on.

 

[Jim in Wis]

I think it's a mistake to put the tool boxes on the bench - it ends up taking up too much room and if you try to work in front of it you can't get the drawers open. A big vice is necessary, but having a grinder on it is probably not a good idea. I have the grinder on mine and it makes a big mess. I do use my main bench as a work area, and ususally have to push **** to the side to make enough room to work. For some reason I aways accumulate a bunch of nuts, bolts, bits of wire, etc that I think I'm going to sort through but never will. The best would be to just sweep all that **** off and throw it away without looking at it.

 

[Justanoldguy]

I have 60 metres (near 200ft) of bench space ranging from 2' to 2'8" wide.
There is very little of that which is free workable space.

That is not counting the hundreds of feet of shelving which, for the most part, is full.
YES, I am a hoarder.............

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Or healthy enough...
When I had an office it was always so organized my employees said it was creepy.
When I ran a retail store, my florescent light bulbs were dusted on the top...
Nowadays, I work till I have to go sit, or lay down.
So it's 'down tools and bolt for the house'.

Everything stays as it is.
Then, since my shop is 50 feet up hill from my house, I and my wife often carry something up there, and just lay it on one of the benches. Do not have the energy, or the willingness to put up with the pain it takes to put things away right that moment.
So it accumulates.
Till I feel up to spending the thirty minutes it takes to get it all organized. At least till the next time I have to abandon it and lay down.

I hear that. Depending on the weather and my body I'll go a day or two to get the place back to zero. I've found if I don't keep up, I won't keep up. I always try to maintain my work surface as much as I can. DH is the opposite. He's a freakin' clutter slob. Its a real peeve of mine when he cleans out his car and leaves the sh, stuff he pulls out of it on my benches, where it stays.

 

[Kev442]

I think it's a mistake to put the tool boxes on the bench - it ends up taking up too much room and if you try to work in front of it you can't get the drawers open. A big vice is necessary, but having a grinder on it is probably not a good idea. I have the grinder on mine and it makes a big mess. I do use my main bench as a work area, and ususally have to push **** to the side to make enough room to work. For some reason I aways accumulate a bunch of nuts, bolts, bits of wire, etc that I think I'm going to sort through but never will. The best would be to just sweep all that **** off and throw it away without looking at it.

I had the opposite problem with the far end of my workbench. It would get heaped with those "in progress" projects, along with the whole floor in front of it. When I put the middle and top chest of my old Cman tool chest there, it not only made that space contribute, it forces me to keep the floor in front of it good to access my tools.
As for the rest of the work bench, it is L shaped. I'm pretty good at keeping the L cleaned off, but the other area with my vise is always a huge battle to even keep one square foot of top showing....

 

[countryroad82]

I refuse to have workbenches in my shop, I know how I am. It's like my desk that is in my shop, covered with everything but stationary!!!

 

[Zeke]

I hear that. Depending on the weather and my body I'll go a day or two to get the place back to zero. I've found if I don't keep up, I won't keep up. I always try to maintain my work surface as much as I can. DH is the opposite. He's a freakin' clutter slob. Its a real peeve of mine when he cleans out his car and leaves the sh, stuff he pulls out of it on my benches, where it stays.

Yep, hubby and wife shared spaces are seldom appreciated by both.

 

[Brad54]

For the first time ever, I've gotten my shop set up so that it can be maintained.

I have a military surplus cabinet with the top about bench-high. The top is hinged for storage inside. I covered it with a sheet of masonite, and then riveted an aluminum industrial kitchen sheet pan to the top--the raised lip around the pan makes it ideal for holding small assemblies. That work surface is by the "parking bay" in the shop, and gets used a lot. And because the lid hinges up for access to things under it, I can't keep clutter on it.
It's right next to my parts washer... what I have noticed, unfortunately, is that I've got a few things over that that need to find a home, because they keep getting moved from the cabinet lid to the parts washer lid, depending on which I have to use.

I've got another "bench" that is set up specifically to set things. It's a project staging area, or a place to set things "for now, until I get to it later." I also have a small drill index box that i've converted to be my tap-and-die set, my boxes with drill bits, my number and letter punch sets and center transfer punch sets sitting on this bench.

The main work bench is my 3x5 welding table I built a few months ago. It's right near the "set things" bench. I've been very good about cleaning the main work table after every project, and putting all the tools away at the end of every day. Even if I've got a multi-day project on that welding table, I put all the tools away every night, and grab all the parts for the project and organize them and set them up in one spot on the table, so everything looks neat.

I've also gotten to the point where if I'm working on anything, before I'm done for the night I pick up and sweep the floor. It was a HUGE benefit while putting floor pans in a friend's '66 Barracuda and clutch in Boy Wonder's '01 Dakota.

For the couple times the shop area HAS gotten messy since I've gotten it organized, it only takes a few minutes to bring it back into shape, because everything has a place. Initially FINDING a place for each piece of clutter is the main problem.

-Brad

 

[2manytoyz]

It's all too easy to stack stuff on a flat surface. I've been guilty of this MANY times in the past, but I'm getting better as I get older.

Working on the floor, or makeshift workbench, because the main bench is buried in unfinished projects *****!

One thing that's helped is I only take on one major project at a time. I won't let the wife, friends, or family, talk me into starting something else until the current project is finished. Consequently, things do get put away, and the bench is cleaned off, ready for the next project.

A quote from a shop foreman at a McDonnel Douglas plant I worked at was "a clean shop is a happy shop". At the end of every shift, all tools had to be put away, and the shop swept clean. It made a difference.

Most of my power tools are bench top. Rather than permanently mount them, eating valuable workspace when not in use, I simply clamp them to the workbench as needed. Otherwise, they get stored underneath, or on a shelf.

I have another bench area for smaller projects. Still being setup in this picture:

Just moved into this house two months ago. Still getting everything setup. I will be building shop cabinets to house things soon, which will also reduce shop clutter.

I'm not always tidy, but I'm giving it some effort.

 

[donnie m]

i do the work on this one........

and keep the tools on this one.

 

[Falcon67]

Is my bench my work station? Sure and I set them up with that in mind. However, like the others here my bench(s), desk at work, desk at home office, night stand, closet, etc collect the various debris that my ADD work ethic seems to generate. I could have 4 miles of bench top and I'd have to clear a spot to work on a carb LOL.

 

[evintho]

How are those hanging ceiling Shelves secured to the ceiling?

Finish nails.


Haha, JK!
Mossyboy6 nailed it. Each 2x4 is secured with two 3/8" bolts to the roof rafters.