Spareparts
Well-known member
Someone else to cut the firewood
Things to Make Workshop More Enjoyable
- Thread starter ItsNemo
- Start date
I think it depends on what you're doing...if you're just futzing with stuff that can't hurt you, sure, a drink or two can be ok. But with any power tools, that's a big nope outta me.
Meh, to each their own I guess.
I guess some of us are just rebels. I take the guard off my grinders, I don't always wear safety glasses, and I own three vehicle without neutral safety switches. I like to live on the edge!
cpttuna
Well-known member
My clip board. It has my to do list and any special notes(like where a certain tool might be that I did not put away the night before) or what I may need from the hardware store.
engineer2
Well-known member
I used to do that as well and loved it. Now I'm older and the opposite happens. My motivation fades after a few beers and I start eyeing the couch.
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Metal-Marc
Well-known member
I weld and grind in my bathing suit.
LoL that sounds brave...
Man...not in my bathing suit, but shorts and flip-flops is hardly unusual!
I have tough feet. I walk bare foot a lot in the summer, heck in the winter too.
My neighbor came over and I was drilling a buch of holes in steel standing on the steel swarf from the holes. He stood there with a funny look on his face and I said, "What!" He pointed to my feet and asked where are your shoes!
My neighbor came over and I was drilling a buch of holes in steel standing on the steel swarf from the holes. He stood there with a funny look on his face and I said, "What!" He pointed to my feet and asked where are your shoes!
ElusiveKandyDC
Well-known member
- Tools in place
- Clear workbench
- Beer in the Kegerator
- Clear workbench
- Beer in the Kegerator
I don't have it because I move stuff around too often but padded place to stand is getting up there on my list as I get older.
Heat so things can cure/dry during the winter. Fans to move a bit of air in the summer - usually not too hot to work here so AC isn't needed in the shop.
Good light from lots of angles.
Air drops everywhere so you aren't dragging hoses everywhere and hose reel for your go-to air that will reach almost anywhere. (Air ***** but you can't get completely away from it.)
Adjustable height workbench.
Heat so things can cure/dry during the winter. Fans to move a bit of air in the summer - usually not too hot to work here so AC isn't needed in the shop.
Good light from lots of angles.
Air drops everywhere so you aren't dragging hoses everywhere and hose reel for your go-to air that will reach almost anywhere. (Air ***** but you can't get completely away from it.)
Adjustable height workbench.
I disagree....I have my work benches, 2 out of 3 anyway, covered with the same knotty pine siding I have on the walls...a lot warmer
feel than metal!! The main view in the pic is the square floor tiles and pool table over the 3.5 FT. WIDE X 6 FT. DEEP X 22 FT. LONG PIT
BUT YOU CAN SEE THE WOOD LADEN WORK BENCHES IN THE DISTANT LEFT SIDE AND STRAIGHT BEHIND THE POOL TABLE.
(Fridge is on the end of the room BEHIND the camera! Surround stereo with GOOD sub-woofer back in far right corner, and 45k
btu ceiling mount furnace at far left of pic (you can see it better if you magnify the pic!) , and 10k btu a/c unit behind camera, along with overhead door that goes into the OTHER part of the barn that's not insulated, that has 2 overhead doors and a walk-thru door. All fields and forests when you look out of the 3 large windows looking to the south toward Indiana....I'm in Michigan, but only 4 tenths of a mile INSIDE of the Mi. border
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Growing up my dad instilled in me that shoes always had to be worn in the garage. Now my wife is like you and almost always barefoot when it's nice out and I try to enforce that same rule on her but she doesn't listen. I tell her she can't complain when she gets a piece of metal or something in her foot from it though.
I can't imagine walking around in the garage, even my super clean garage, without something on my feet....with the amount of grinding dust embedded in the concrete, my feet would be black within a couple steps and then stain the carpets in the house, no thanks.
I'm a weirdo, sensitive to noise. Constant noise (ex: radio) or instantaneous noise that I generate myself (ex: impact) are not a big deal. But sudden unexpected noise (compressor kicking on) causes me to spill coffee or jerk and bang my head on something. If this happens more than a couple times in an hour it starts to sour my mood. So I put my compressor on a VFD with a gentle ramp. Now instead of screaming to life from 0 to 100% in 0.194 S, it gently accelerates with a bit of zen "whoooooooos-whoooooos-whoooos-whooos-whoos." The max speed it goes up to is proportional to the difference between current pressure and max pressure, so if it's just recovering from a slow leak it never even reaches max, it just plays its slow dance whoos whoos song for a bit and turns back off. This is the second most significant change I made apart from adding a 36k mini split for heating and cooling, as far as making the place more enjoyable.
Also I added a "pisstube" to the back corner so I can take a leak behind the shop without walking behind the shop.
Also I added a "pisstube" to the back corner so I can take a leak behind the shop without walking behind the shop.
Protecting the floors in the house are a great excuse for a garage bathroom, especially with inclement weather.
jeep63
Well-known member
For me it is heat, organization, clean workspace, music and TV. i use the latter for youtube U as someone else stated. I do have a small fridge too. This new place has covered access between house and garage so I don’t mind going into the house for the bathroom. Also there is a powder room right off the mud room so I’m in and out never venturing far into the house. Wife would never know if it were not for yhe d@mn ring doorbell telling on me!
niget2002
Well-known member
I stopped working barefoot in the shop when I got the mill. Dang metal shavings are worse than legos and I never seem to vacuum them all up.
No beer in the shop unless I'm doing sitting work (soldering, gluing, painting, etc). If any of the big machines are going to be used, the beer can wait. Only caveat to that is I will partake of a cold snack if the CNC router is running. At that point, all I'm doing is watching to see if I need to hit the E-Stop.
I got a kick out of another thread about having a TV in the shop. Some guys said no way, too distracting. Probably the same guys that say no TV are the ones that have a beer fridge!
I may have a beer in the shop, and I might even be working on something, but it is one beer, I don't need to drink all of them!
I mean a mill or a lathe is kind of different I get being cautious there, or even a table saw/jigsaw. But I'm not running a chainsaw with one of those headgear/helmets that holds 2 drinks and has the sraw innthe chinstrap. I'm using impacts or a dremel/grinder occasionally.
And if you are distracted enough to take your eyes off what your cutting...... the tv isn't the problem
And if you are distracted enough to take your eyes off what your cutting...... the tv isn't the problem
dcg9381
Well-known member
HVAC, heat, insulation.
Other than that:
Other than that:
- Coated concrete floors (polyurea)
- A gun safe
- A full kitchen
- a rock band
- Classic motorcycles
- 14' drive through (anything) doors.
- RV connections
- Separate "wing" for the family wood worker (not me)
Metal-Marc
Well-known member
What year is the Norton? ^^
No TV or Beer. I'm out there to do something, I'm not out there to be entertained. I've never seen the appeal of couches and TVs in the garage and hanging out there versus being inside or on the deck or a non-workspace.
Hard to build a motor, or swap a transmission on the patio. For a lot of us, working on things is a form of entertainment...therefore, we choose to make it entertaining. I don't have a couch, but beer and music is a must. The TV can play music, and it can be vital in watching YouTube videos to walk me through different tasks.
DuluthMachineWorks
Well-known member
In line with the music- bluetooth hearing protection. I use a pair of bluetooth earplugs. 30 NRR, and the music never stops. I don't have to crank it up to hear it over the tools, and I'm a lot more likely to wear earplugs if they're also my headphones. You can also get muffs too, but the plugs are so unobtrusive that I almost forget that I'm wearing them.
Link?
Brent T
Well-known member
Exactly. I have sound and a drop down ceiling mounted TV in the garage. I usually stream music from my Emby server. I don't "watch TV" in the garage, but it's great to be able to access YouTube for a how to video while doing something new. Good lighting and organization is a must for me also.
ColinHorgan
Well-known member
Thats so true I must get one for my work bench. I'm looking for a heated matt too for winter time
ColinHorgan
Well-known member
A very comfortable chair to sit and think on. I used to have the rear seat out of an old 4x4 mounted against the wall to sit on.
Good lighting. Having worked in a garage with 1 light source it is the single most overlooked item to consider. It doesn't have to be times square but good lighting helps so so much.
Well set up air line circuit for power tools at the ramp and at the bench.
A dedicated area for clean work and the same for oil/dirty tear downs and maintenance
A head for when nature calls
Hot&Cold water.
Good heating for winter
Good lighting. Having worked in a garage with 1 light source it is the single most overlooked item to consider. It doesn't have to be times square but good lighting helps so so much.
Well set up air line circuit for power tools at the ramp and at the bench.
A dedicated area for clean work and the same for oil/dirty tear downs and maintenance
A head for when nature calls
Hot&Cold water.
Good heating for winter
gatewaysysop
Well-known member
I am a big fan of anti-fatigue mats anywhere that you have to stand for a long time. One of those things you may have to experience to really understand what you were missing.
I also think staying organized and leaving a clean shop when you're done go hand in hand. It's never fun searching for or replacing things, least of all when you absolutely need them. Funny enough, this is one thing I hugely differ on from my old man. He could operate just fine in a chaotic shop, but for me it's a huge distraction and it takes away from the enjoyment of working on a project.
in another thread, someone had talked about first impressions setting the tone for the day, and I think that applies here as well. If you walk into the shop/garage and it's a total **** show or a hoarder's paradise, you're likely to lower your expectations before you even get started. If you have to spend half an hour rearranging your **** before you can begin a project, that eats into your energy and motivation, not just your time.
Beyond that, I think having good tools that actually work properly is important. I fondly remember a few incidents of "hulk rage" in my old man's shop when I was growing up. I watched more than one finicky power tool meet a very violent demise when it was flung against the block wall and then eulogized with creative profanity. Good entertainment, of course, but fair to say that my dad was not enjoying his time in the shop at that particular moment.
I also think staying organized and leaving a clean shop when you're done go hand in hand. It's never fun searching for or replacing things, least of all when you absolutely need them. Funny enough, this is one thing I hugely differ on from my old man. He could operate just fine in a chaotic shop, but for me it's a huge distraction and it takes away from the enjoyment of working on a project.
in another thread, someone had talked about first impressions setting the tone for the day, and I think that applies here as well. If you walk into the shop/garage and it's a total **** show or a hoarder's paradise, you're likely to lower your expectations before you even get started. If you have to spend half an hour rearranging your **** before you can begin a project, that eats into your energy and motivation, not just your time.
Beyond that, I think having good tools that actually work properly is important. I fondly remember a few incidents of "hulk rage" in my old man's shop when I was growing up. I watched more than one finicky power tool meet a very violent demise when it was flung against the block wall and then eulogized with creative profanity. Good entertainment, of course, but fair to say that my dad was not enjoying his time in the shop at that particular moment.
No.
Magnum440d100
Well-known member
I’ve owned my home for 2 years but only have been here for a few months. I have been spending the last couple months setting up my “shop” in my garage. Mainly because unlike my pole barn, it has power and concrete lol.
This is what I’ve been doing to make it more comfortable/usable/enjoyable.
Lighting:
Lots of it. I bought LED lights from harbor freight a couple years back when I was in CA. Hung them up a month or so back. And what a difference! I have one that stays lit up. It’s in the middle/front of the garage above my tool box. This way, if I need something real quick from the toolbox in the evening, I don’t have to light up the entire shop.
Organization:
Stuff having a “spot”. And when I’m done with something, it goes back into its “spot”. Or at least the general area. Makes things IMMENSELY easier and quicker to find, when time is crucial (late night repair before having to go to work the next morning at 5am).
Having a clean/clear/organized workspace to tackle tasks on.
Tools within a easy reach from the workspace. Either your main toolbox or have tools setup on your workbench (peg board for example).
Creature comforts:
Electricity. Can’t have lights, air compressor, drill press, mill, etc without it.
Insulation. Seal up the shop the best you can.
Depending on your climate, heat and/or AC. I have 2 heat sources. 1 electric space heater and one kerosene torpedo heater. The torpedo heater works to get it warm and the space heater keeps it warm. This will be changing soon lol.
Fridge. If you work on greasy grimy stuff, having drinks in a fridge outside will be a godsend. You won’t have to stop what you’re doing, scrub up, head inside for a drink, and break your rhythm. Grab a paper towel or rag, open garage fridge, grab drink. Would you rather get a $50 C-List fridge dirty, or your $1500 inside fridge. Which one would your significant other be angry over??! Lol. I’m working on clearing a corner for a smallish fridge. I live alone. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like to keep my **** clean lol.
A comfortable chair or stool to sit on that matches you to your workbench height. If you’re hunched over all the time, you’re back will hate you.
If you have a spot where standing a lot is a must, then anti fatigue mats are nice. These are a personal choice, as there are many different sizes/designs/brands.
If your shop is a ways away from the house, then possibly a restroom. I’m on 5 acres, with many trees. I don’t go into the house to piss lol.
In my garage, I have no running water. There’s just no space along any walls to have such. Possibly in the pole barn when I get to that point, but it would be nice to be able to wash my hands before starting another part of the project, or when wanting to go into the house. I do wear gloves for working on greasy grimy stuff, but quick projects are a waste of gloves.
Noise:
Anything that can be muffled, should get muffled. When I get a compressor, it will be going into a “closet” to eliminate some noise. my garage is small. A lot of noise seems amplified because of the concrete floors, drywall, and open ceiling.
Music/entertainment: If it’s your wish, a decent radio. I live alone. It is absolutely mind numbingly boring. But I LOVE it lol. Radio/music/YouTube is my “escape”. I don’t have a TV in the garage, as there’s just not a good spot for it. Once I figure that out, I may hang one up. It’s nice to be able to stream a YouTube video to follow along with while trying to figure out a problem/solution. Some people have computers as well. I’m split on having a computer in there. My desktop is very old, not good for much. My laptop is newer, but I don’t want to expose it to the harsh environment in there.
Tools:
The “right” tools. My friend Ben hates on me because I like having the tools designed for the task at hand. Most of the time, it makes whatever repair or procedure I’m doing easier. Making it more enjoyable. And yes I’ve made plenty of tools to complete a task. No one said they had to be “bought”
As everything else, enjoyable is subjective. What’s comfortable to me may not be comfortable to you. And it changes with age. I didn’t mid working in the dirt/gravel/weeds and getting FILTHY doing it. Now I’m older. I “wash” my concrete before I lay down something soft to lay on lol.
Just start setting up your shop and see what works. If it doesn’t work for you, change it until it does. You may change your shop around 10 times before it’s comfortable for you, as you discover new products and such.
Good luck on your journey!
This is what I’ve been doing to make it more comfortable/usable/enjoyable.
Lighting:
Lots of it. I bought LED lights from harbor freight a couple years back when I was in CA. Hung them up a month or so back. And what a difference! I have one that stays lit up. It’s in the middle/front of the garage above my tool box. This way, if I need something real quick from the toolbox in the evening, I don’t have to light up the entire shop.
Organization:
Stuff having a “spot”. And when I’m done with something, it goes back into its “spot”. Or at least the general area. Makes things IMMENSELY easier and quicker to find, when time is crucial (late night repair before having to go to work the next morning at 5am).
Having a clean/clear/organized workspace to tackle tasks on.
Tools within a easy reach from the workspace. Either your main toolbox or have tools setup on your workbench (peg board for example).
Creature comforts:
Electricity. Can’t have lights, air compressor, drill press, mill, etc without it.
Insulation. Seal up the shop the best you can.
Depending on your climate, heat and/or AC. I have 2 heat sources. 1 electric space heater and one kerosene torpedo heater. The torpedo heater works to get it warm and the space heater keeps it warm. This will be changing soon lol.
Fridge. If you work on greasy grimy stuff, having drinks in a fridge outside will be a godsend. You won’t have to stop what you’re doing, scrub up, head inside for a drink, and break your rhythm. Grab a paper towel or rag, open garage fridge, grab drink. Would you rather get a $50 C-List fridge dirty, or your $1500 inside fridge. Which one would your significant other be angry over??! Lol. I’m working on clearing a corner for a smallish fridge. I live alone. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like to keep my **** clean lol.
A comfortable chair or stool to sit on that matches you to your workbench height. If you’re hunched over all the time, you’re back will hate you.
If you have a spot where standing a lot is a must, then anti fatigue mats are nice. These are a personal choice, as there are many different sizes/designs/brands.
If your shop is a ways away from the house, then possibly a restroom. I’m on 5 acres, with many trees. I don’t go into the house to piss lol.
In my garage, I have no running water. There’s just no space along any walls to have such. Possibly in the pole barn when I get to that point, but it would be nice to be able to wash my hands before starting another part of the project, or when wanting to go into the house. I do wear gloves for working on greasy grimy stuff, but quick projects are a waste of gloves.
Noise:
Anything that can be muffled, should get muffled. When I get a compressor, it will be going into a “closet” to eliminate some noise. my garage is small. A lot of noise seems amplified because of the concrete floors, drywall, and open ceiling.
Music/entertainment: If it’s your wish, a decent radio. I live alone. It is absolutely mind numbingly boring. But I LOVE it lol. Radio/music/YouTube is my “escape”. I don’t have a TV in the garage, as there’s just not a good spot for it. Once I figure that out, I may hang one up. It’s nice to be able to stream a YouTube video to follow along with while trying to figure out a problem/solution. Some people have computers as well. I’m split on having a computer in there. My desktop is very old, not good for much. My laptop is newer, but I don’t want to expose it to the harsh environment in there.
Tools:
The “right” tools. My friend Ben hates on me because I like having the tools designed for the task at hand. Most of the time, it makes whatever repair or procedure I’m doing easier. Making it more enjoyable. And yes I’ve made plenty of tools to complete a task. No one said they had to be “bought”
As everything else, enjoyable is subjective. What’s comfortable to me may not be comfortable to you. And it changes with age. I didn’t mid working in the dirt/gravel/weeds and getting FILTHY doing it. Now I’m older. I “wash” my concrete before I lay down something soft to lay on lol.
Just start setting up your shop and see what works. If it doesn’t work for you, change it until it does. You may change your shop around 10 times before it’s comfortable for you, as you discover new products and such.
Good luck on your journey!
danfromsyr
Well-known member
I have a few motion sensing LED lights in my barn/shop/garage
lights up from 25+ft away just by me coming up to the door.
there are 2 types, one is PID and the other is a radar.. the Radar ones will see you as you approach the door through it and light up.
it's really handy to just pass through the shop with a select few spots along the way..
they're about $7-9bux on fleabay and just screw into a regular bulb holder.
lights up from 25+ft away just by me coming up to the door.
there are 2 types, one is PID and the other is a radar.. the Radar ones will see you as you approach the door through it and light up.
it's really handy to just pass through the shop with a select few spots along the way..
they're about $7-9bux on fleabay and just screw into a regular bulb holder.
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
Heat, surgical theatre lighting, ventilation, powered overhead doors, lots of storage, lots of bins for parts n stuff, lots of bench space, bathroom with shower, plenty of drinking water, maybe a radio, lift, finished walls n ceiling, AC, plenty of receptacles, central shopvac.