I just walked out into my Garage/workshop and realized I must have the Messyest Workbench in the World....
My wife says that a picture from the other side would be even worse. I was totally ashamed of myself until I realized that the time I haven't spent cleaning and organizing was spent shooting, reloading, working on rifles, playing with my kids or other more fun pursuits. Can anyone top this -pictures please- so at least I won't feel totally alone in my clutteredness.. ......DJ
Posts: 3976 | Location: Oklahoma,USA | Registered: 27 February 2004
I can't even get to my bench for all the shit on the floor, 15 sets of dies open on the bench, last year's shells still waiting to load, but I know where the guns & cleaning gear are? I reckon you should post an essay on how the rest of us could better organise ourselves!
Posts: 1785 | Location: Kingaroy, Australia | Registered: 29 April 2002
Although you may be on the right track to someday achieve true "messy bench" status, you have a long way to go. In order to help you along I'll point out some of the shortcomings. I see no car or motorcycle parts. These are an important part of the total picture. If you have none available you may substitute lawn mower and outboard motor parts. Keep in mind these are just part of the basic requirements and form the foundation upon which you can build. A real master ( and I'm no slouch) will have, in addition to the aformentioned parts, plumbing and heating supplies and tools, household electrical fixtures (bonus points if they are non-functional), fencing tools, vet supplies, and more. An example of a proper piece of clutter would be the the rear sprocket for a 1986 KX250 which I removed because it was worn out. I sold the bike in 1991 but good clutter has no expiry date. Fishing equipment of all sorts is appropriate and it's always fun to sort the old Mitchell 300 parts out from the 94 winchester parts on a slow day. Reaching into a box of bullets and finding that missing Len Thompson spoon can be an awakening experience. As I said, I'm no slouch when it comes to preserving clutter but there are others who put me to shame. One friend confessed the burnt set of ignition points I found on his bench had come out of his truck in about 1975. He was still reluctant to see them go. Looking for things on his bench was like working an archeological dig. Indeed, things could be dated according to their height above the surface of the bench. A true masterpiece. So stay at it and work along these lines and you may, someday, be able to join the ranks of the real masters of clutter. Regards, Bill.
I would actually love to show you the flipside, a working area so organized that the owner could find anything in the dark half drunk. alas, my uncle got divorced a couple years back and now the entire contents of his shop is divided between a 45' box trailer, my shop, and a couple of his friends house. Almost brings a tear to my eye.
My personal 10'x10' shop does not look as messy as yours, but this is because I HAVE TO re-organize and put things away before I can work on things. I have to start with a mostly clear work bench. I am not against clutter mind you, but in my small space I can't let it get out of hand, then it takes FOREVER to find anything in the mess.
One thing I have learned gives a shop a good "messy" feeling, and should be a must, is multiple unfinished projects in different stages. For instance 3 or 4 rifles getting worked on at the same time makes it seem like a huge mess, because all dissassembled only a gunny could tell right away how many guns are laying there in pieces. :-)
Red
Posts: 4740 | Location: Fresno, CA | Registered: 21 March 2003
My reloading room pulls double duty since it is my storage room for all my military gear. You should see the place when I am getting ready for going to the field or deploying. It turns into a four foot deep pile that covers the entire floor and every inch of the bench. My mother-in-law came for a visit once while I was out at the NTC and thought she would attempt to clean it up. After 2 minuted she was in full retreat and has never gone back in since.
Posts: 3155 | Location: Rigby, ID | Registered: 20 March 2004
Best I`ll give you is a c+. MAYBE a B-. You haven`t even come close to the "Masters" yet. Keep trying. Moved from Hawaii in `92 with all the stuff from 2 shops [24x36] and stuffed it into a 23x40. Three lathes, mill and all. Came with 137 rifles/shotguns and "promised" the wife I`d whittle them down. I did!! But!! They had babies and now there are 184. Had to build a whole room just for the kids.
Aloha, Mark[in Or]
Posts: 978 | Location: S Oregon | Registered: 06 March 2004
djpaintles, There are no bread crusts or any other foodstuffs that I can see to sustain the user in his quest for the bench top! You are a rank amateur at best. Jim
Posts: 730 | Location: Prescott, AZ | Registered: 07 February 2001
My wife has not yet come to realize that guns breed. You put a Win M70 Classic in 300 WM back in the dark corner of the closet with a little Win 85 Highwall in 22 Hornet and the next thing you there is a cute little Kimber 260 Rem. They are worse than teenagers the way they fool around in the dark closets. I am glad someone besides me recognizes their mating habits. My wife refuses to believe when I tell her my new 22-250 is the offspring of my Citori and Anschutz 1700.
Posts: 3155 | Location: Rigby, ID | Registered: 20 March 2004
How can you claim that you even have a real workbench if you don't have a bunch of coffee cans sitting around full of unidentifiable parts or rusty nails, nuts and bolts?
Shame on all ya, my bench is clean enough to perform brain surgery on, in fact I have sawed off a few skull caps on it.. nothing is out of place, it's just where I want it....
Posts: 42159 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
this post prompted me to spend a couple hours in my shop... reloading room tomorrow...
put in a new hd shelving unit from sams, got the welders 9tig and flux core) in a good central area.. and chained down... threw away a ton of junk, emptied a score of boxes and put on the shelves... it almost looks like work could be done there
Quote: Ok, you messier workbench guys talk is cheap, we need Pictures!.. ..DJ
All right DJ, You asked for it . I have to admit that I recently reduced the level of "messy" of my bench, but even with the "new improved version" you still don't stand a chance at the "messy" title.
First, here are two shots from my old supremely messy bench days.
Now, here is a photo of my "new improved messy reloading bench" .
Yes grasshopper, you are just beginning to delve into the world of messy benches . I won't even bother to show you the rest of my reloading room until you improve your "messy" level .
Jim
Posts: 1206 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 21 July 2000
Where did you get that rifle rack? I took and put some foam rifle rest against my bench on one end, room for about 5 rifles, but it only holds the barrels.
Red
Posts: 4740 | Location: Fresno, CA | Registered: 21 March 2003
My uncle made that rack a number of years ago. When I rearranged my reloading room I moved it in to have a place to put the rifles that I was working with or cleaning at the time. Certainly not secure, but much more convient than going into the safe trying to find what I am looking for.
jeffe,
No, there is no 1917 on the rack, even though I do have an old Flaig's custom 1917 in 6mm/06. I think that the rifle you might be referring to (if it is the second from the left), is the Lee Enfield sporter (an Army&Navy built in 1920).
Jim
Posts: 1206 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 21 July 2000
I thought it was cluttered but not all that messy, Which reminds me I have to find my bench and reload for tommorows action match, sorry no digi-cam but my bench/area probably should be up there in the money.. Fishing rods -- Y M/Bike bits -- Y Golf Clubs -- Y Sailing gear -- Y etc, but then its my half of the Garage and my work truck wont fit through the door..
Sorry, I was thinking that you were referring to the lower picture (hey, it was late when I responded to your post and we old foggies get even cloudier when we are up past dark ). The rifle in the second shot is a Remington 721 in 300 H&H mag that some idiot had rechambered to 300 Wby Mag (and no, even though I am have been called an idiot it was not me ).
By the way, that is an old CH press. Still works fine.
Doc1972,
You haven't seen the other side of the room .
Jim
Posts: 1206 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 21 July 2000
In truth, and all kidding aside, my shop and reloading area is pretty neat and tidy most of the time, it helps me keep a perspective on good work..from time to time I have to clean it up, but I am actually very good at keeping a clean neat and organized shop....The best stock maker I ever knew, schooled me in keeping things in their place, he always said a sloppy shop was a indicater of sloppy workmanship...?????????
Posts: 42159 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
That is all fine and good, but what happens when you run out of space? You can't put 10 pounds of buffalo chips in a five pound bag . Eventually things start to pile up when you run out of room to be neat, and I decided that I would rather spend my available cash on guns and hunting while I am still physically able to hunt. When I can no longer go to Africa I will expand my trophy room and reloading room (if I can still afford it that is ).
Jim
Posts: 1206 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 21 July 2000
Jim, Okay you beat me but I would call that organized clutter. I did notice that on the bottom center of your first picture, there is a guy under all that stuff trying to fix a tire on his car. Now that is stacking it.
I was going to take a photo but my camera is in my shop and on my bench. I looked for it last night and found an old customer of mine who had been missing for over a month. Somehow he got lost in the mess. I had no idea he was here. A bath and a large amount of food and I sent him on his way. Often wondered what that other car was doing in my driveway.
Posts: 4917 | Location: Wenatchee, WA, USA | Registered: 17 December 2001
This probably just barely qualifies for messy, but this is only 25% of all the "stuff" I have.
This is before------
and after. Shoehorning a bench and press into that space works fine.
Here's the third side of the spare bedroom, this 4 hole lee turret is replaced by the dillon. There's a 20 guage mec 600 there noe as well as my casting outfit.
Another storage area in the main bedroom, mostly to keep more than one powder type off the main bench.
Posts: 596 | Location: Oshkosh, Wi USA | Registered: 28 July 2001
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..DJ
Jim
