John Stevenson is a loser, I am a winner!

[snowman]

I found part of the floor in my shop.

I have a lot of tools. You dont realize it when they are scattered all over the damn place. Trying to get things cleaned up so I can work a little more efficiently (hopefully it works that way). I have just been dropping hand tools and such into some cardboard boxes, I've got two 12x12x18" boxes full now....just hand tools. I sooooo need to buy a tool cabinet...if only they weren't so dang expensive! (and if I had the floor/wall space to put one)

I'm to the point where I've cleaned almost five feet from the walls....it's that last five feet that's gonna be killer though. The pile tends to taper towards the center. I started out in the valley, now I'm working in the mountains.

-Jacob

[J Tiers]

For me it isn't tools....

its stock, that has no home, like 300lb of cutoffs of steel rounds, flats and angles laying around.

or pieces of projects, like the gargantuan 100lb 1HP 3phase motor that I have overhauled for the old DP, but that I have no way of hoisting 6 foot up to its mounting plate yet.

Or the pile of wood dunnage that was propping up something but is no longer needed out.

Or, most ironically, the three boxes of small, medium , and large protective plastic storage tubes with caps. Intended for safe storage of cutting tools, the left-over 200 or so of them (a big boxful was $5 at a sale) are in the way. A "storage solution" becomes a clutter problem.......

Or the piece of pegboard, with hooks, that I took off the shop wall during a re-organization, but have not located a place to put back up...... another "rogue storage solution".

or the disassembled Sipco toolbox that needs to be re-assembled with the hide glue I don't yet have, and then sanded and finished... yet a third 'rogue storage solution".

No problem, you say..... but the shop is 7 x 8 feet, with a 6 x 4 foot "annex"....... good thing there is more basement to expand into.... there are more machines OUTside the shop than INside.


Oh, yeah, for me the valley is the middle, and all is well until I find myself standing on a pile of stock, or leaning way over a different pile..... Then it has to go...somewhere.... and I'm too dang thrifty to toss anything potentially useful. Been caught that way too often before... tossed it, needed it 3 days after it was irrevocably gone.

[This message has been edited by J Tiers (edited 12-17-2005).]

[C - ROSS]

I do feel sorry for you guys, except when it comes to heating the shop. Six years ago I built a new shop, 50x75, now when I need some floor space I just park another tractor out side. Love the space but hate the heat bill.

Ross

[snowman]

well, the shop is 30 x 30, but it also has a car parked in there.

and it's not that i need space, i've always got enough space to work, just not enough space to work WELL

-Jacob

[wierdscience]

See what happens when you clean up

[IOWOLF]

Snowman, The real question is..Did you find any thing you forgot you had in that mess,Besides a floor?

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The tame Wolf !

[J Tiers]

Dunno if he did....

But the last time I cleaned up, I discovered I had a Cushman 1/2" drill chuck on an MT3 taper, just what I needed for the "new" DP. Had no idea I had it...

I had been grousing as I looked in the catalogs an saw pricing....

[PTSideshow]

To C-Ross if you would like to cut down on the area you are heating. To do machine and tool type things not beating on equipment. Check out tek supply's web site. They have this curtain material and all the trimming's to hang them and make them move along with other intersting stuff.

http://www.teksupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&division=TekSupply

They are used for green houses and animal production.
Cheaper version is to use some poly traps and cut down on the area you are heating. if you have hanging type heaters, you can direct the flow of heat with the poly type traps. ALL THE USUAL WARNINGS ABOUT FIRE SAFETY APPLY!

Don't know If you are a practicing farmer or not. but if you are do you now if a silage/feed auger could be used to lift loose dirt no rocks. I am planing todig out the dirt floor of the Michigan basement. Part of the house and Add to the basement work area. Was wondering if converting it from PTO to electric drive could bring the dirt out the basement window and into the truck.

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Glen
Been there, probally broke it doing that

[Evan]

I think that would trash the auger. Feed augers are pretty lightweight material. Do you have a bale loader/conveyor? Make some rollers to tip up the sides of the belt and that would work.

[wato]

We use grain augers to load fertilzer so I don't see a big problem with using it to move dirt. I would keep the loading down but it should be ok.
Cheers.

[PTSideshow]

Don't have either one at the moment, That was my second choice. If I can find one sized to fit thru a standard casement window for the basement, with out to much modifing and cash to change it.
Was wondering about the auger. It would be perfect,easy fit in window and out to the back of the truck.
If you are old enough to remember coal trucks coming to the houses, almost al of them carried a small hand cranked converyor. a smaller version of the for runner of the front loader they filled dump trucks with LOL. Damn I suddenly feel old.

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Glen
Been there, probally broke it doing that

[Duct Taper]

You can move a lot of dirt with a shop vac but you do have to empty it a lot too. If you cut the bottom out of a barrel and put the vacuum in and out ports on the side you can simply lift the barrel when it starts to get full and the dirt will fall out of the bottom. I once dug a well in the basement through sand and it worked slick.

As for keeping the shop clean, I don't have a clue how my shop gets so cluttered so quick. I think somebody comes in at night and works on stuff. Whoever it is never, ever puts their tools away and also saves every stinkin piece of scrap left over! And leaves the argon tank on so everything leaks out! Whatta stupid jerk! Some day I will catch him.....

[C - ROSS]

PTsideshow
I have looked at several types of curtains to save on heat, may try it in the future.

I don't see why an auger wouldn't move your dirt. Just keep the loading down, don't try to move clods. AG augers are quite light so you will probably experience more rapid ware than you would with a less abrasive grain. All said and done a cheap used one would save a lot of back breaking effort.

Ross