It's Coming And I'm Not Looking Forward To It...

[Jim Frye]

I'm in the final stages of finishing my current piece and when it's done and moved upstairs, I will have to do the "cleansing" of the shop. I didn't do it when I completed the two previous living room tables and the shop is adrift in dust. I've swept the floor to keep foot traffic from tracking stuff upstairs despite the three rugs between the shop door and the top of the basement stairs. Literally everything else in the shop is covered. Looking at hours of very non-enjoyable time in the shop. Will likely have to put a new filter in the ambient air filter when the task is done.

[twistsol]

It is a pain, but there is nothing better than that first five minutes of your next project after cleaning up the shop when you have open workspaces and know where all your tools are.

[LCHIEN]

And then after 5 minutes everything is covered in dust.

Again.

[dbhost]

What is this myserious clean shop thing you mention?

[Dedpedal]

Shops don’t clean themselves ,they also don’t make themselves messy.

[leehljp]

I'm not reading this thread. I don't like feeling a tad bit guilty!

[atgcpaul]

I thought this thread would be about something else. I'm about that age...

My shop was never cleaner than the day I moved into that house and then out.

I've told myself my future shop (larger than before 2 car garage) will not be like my old one. I'll only keep the lumber that I need on hand and not hoard. It's also in my best interest because when we lived in the new house for just a short time, we had little baby snakes (earthworm size) in the garage, but I know these can get to over 4'. Me no likey snakes! I don't want any surprises!

[capncarl]

Even the harmless snakes will make you hurt yourself! In my last house I had metal nut and bolt bins/ slide in out drawers. I pulled a face height drawer out one day and a house wren had made a nest in that drawer and saw sitting on eggs, she flew up in my face and scared me within a fraction of death. I couldn’t deal with snakes in my shop…… well, I could but be hard to fix some of the holes in the walls and cabinets. My hunting buddy keeps a ratter, ( a yard cat) that he feeds just enough to keep it from leaving. It takes care of all of the snakes, lizards and birds in his barn.

[LCHIEN]

What, time for your colonoscopy? That reminds me, I'm almost due for one later this year. I think they say after 75 you don't really need them anymore.

[Jim Frye]

Yesterday, I spent an hour and a half clearing the workbench. As the biggest horizontal space in the shop (other than the floor), it collects everything during a project. Today, another hour and a half to sweep off the large tools and the floor. One item worth mentioning is the door mat in the shop. Many years ago we bought three door mats from Stanley Steamer. They are a non-woven mat made of rubber/vinyl. It is pretty amazing how well they work. They appear to generate some static electricity when walked on and dust clings to them and then falls through to the surface underneath. I have one inside the shop door and one outside. There is another mat at the base of the stairs going upstairs. The pics show the area just inside the shop door.

[Jim Frye]

Today, I vacuumed the shop floor and fired up the air compressor. I had the shop exhaust fan on, the ambient air filter on high, and the shop vac on. The ambient air filter had a new filter element installed and the shop vac was emptied with a fresh CleanStream filter mounted. After blowing off everything, including the joist spaces, the floor was covered in dust and chips. I swept the floor again with the shop vac and left the exhaust fan and ambient air filter running. I went outside and the vent from the exhaust fan had covered the damp mulch under it with a thin layer of dust. Going to repeat the process again just to make sure I get any stirred up residue from today. Pictures when done.

[LCHIEN]

I like it when, woodworkers like Jim, clean their shops once a year, whether it needs it or not!

[Jim Frye]

Actually, it's been six years for this goround and it shows. I've not really cleaned this shop since I built it right after the house was built.

[Jim Frye]

The high colonic of the shop is complete and wow was there a ton of stuff in unseen places. The worst was the 13" planer. Every time I aimed the blow nozzle in it, I was showered with chips even though it's always connected to the shop vac when in use. The ambient air filter was covered in dust. The shop vac had a couple of inches of chips and dust in the tub and the Cleanstream filter was packed. The floor is also clean now. Now on to the next piece and turning the shop into a cluttered mess again.

[dbhost]

I am thinking it is time myself to tape down everything, open the overhead doors and take the leaf blower to the shop....

[capncarl]

Why would you kid about the leaf blower? In these applications it is the best tool for the job! Actually 2 would be better, 1 in each hand!

[LCHIEN]

dbhost I have three shop vacs in my shop. One by the bandsaw and DP, I swap the hose to collect dust from them. And one by the miter saw and the jointer. Swap hoses when I need one or the other. And a third near the router table and table saw for general clean up and the router fence.
Not counting the DC for the table saw.

[TomTak]

I took your leaf blower comment seriously... i have a garage shop and after a project I open the doors, lock down all the loose tools and parephenalia and let loose to blow everything not nailed down out the driveway into the environment (aka: neighbor's yard). It all settles down quickly and morphs into yard fill and mulch

[dbhost]

Order for the new vac is in... They have a Memorial Day sale for $60.00 off... Should have gotten a fresh HEPA filter...