Anyone ever feel the need to clean up and start over?

[oldcarfan]

I recently hit the point of "UUUGGGHHH!". We live in a small 2 bedroom apartment with the idea of saving for a house and paying off student loans. Austin is big on "Tiny Houses" and making use of available materials. My workspace is what I call a "tiny desk", a modelers version of a tiny house. I took over some of the shelves from an IKEA storage unit that we bought for extra storage room. It is 32w x 24d x 24t and is tucked into the utility room beside the washer and dryer. It's small, and is stand-up with no room for a chair, but it beats using the kitchen table and having to move everything to eat. The space is fine, but it has gotten more and more jammed with unfinished projects and well, junk. Tools and model parts would get buried, stuff would fall off the side or back and get lost, and you know... Anyway yesterday at work, (it was quiet) I redesigned the area in my head. When I got home I spent 2 hours boxing up unfinished projects and cleaning up and dusting. I ran a power strip for electricity, bought a phone holder and charger so I can have tunes or watch a movie while working and put in two very bright LED light strips for these tired eyes! They may be a little too bright. Then I started rebuilding with the idea of making my tiny space work for me. I used a bunch of leftover 1/2" foam core, balsa and basswood from one of the kid's last science fairs and enclosed the back and sides with it to keep everything contained and made racks for paint, a place to hang tools all from scrap foam and wood. I  basically made a place for everything with the idea of getting it up off the desk having a clear work area. I also turned the shelves below and above into kit storage and also I have room above the stacked washer/dryer for most of, well some of the kits I've bought and not built, the rest are still in storage at the MIL's.  It was also inexpensive in that the only thing I really had to buy was a power strip, two $15 LED strip lights and a new cutting mat and that was 40% off! Now I have to make sure I keep the area clean and uncluttered. We'll see how long I stick to that!

 This is pretty much the area I'll have to work in for the next couple years unless I hit it lucky with the Lottery or something. If anyone has ideas, suggestions feel free to toss them in!

 

 

 

[afx]

My work space is small as well.  Rather than trying to give suggestions I'll show you my space and you might get some ideas.

My most recent additions are some magnetic knife racks from Ikea to hold my tools.

Edited March 13, 2017 by afx

[Phirewriter]

Nice, I really like the way you organized your tools and aftermarket parts. My parts currently occupy boxes and can be a pain to go through.

[oldcarfan]

Really good use of space! I looked at those magnetic tool strips at IKEA and also at Harbor Freight. I also really envy you the parts you have hanging there as well!

[afx]

I've changed my focus from buying kits to buying parts.  I find it gives me more latitude to build the car(s) I really want instead of limiting me to what the kit gives me.

Edited March 13, 2017 by afx

[signguy2108]

My model room is about 12x12 in my shop out back. Its time for a redo before it gets hot, but here lately I've had to resist the urge to throw everything out and just quit!

[DrKerry]

My work area, model room is about 4 1/2 feet wide by about 7 feet deep and my workbench shelves and so on I have about a foot to shimmy myself down through it and that's moving stuff that I have stacked in the way so I can get to the back. I know what ya mean by waiting til ya get a house. I'm in the same boat and like you about the only way I'll get a house is if I win the Lotto, then again I have to start playing to have a chance!!!!!

the only way I can go is up in my area.....

 

 

Edited March 13, 2017 by DrKerry

[mk11]

Need more of those build'n'bull get-togethers, so you can have some elbow room

 

mike

[Rob Hall]

In the process of packing up for a 2000 mile move from Phoenix to the Cleveland area now...will have a real room for building models--a spare bedroom that is 14x14 and a rec room in the basement I plan to make my 'man cave' for storing and displaying models and die cast.  Really looking forward to having more space...

[DumpyDan]

In the past I have had a space 31/2 feet by 5 feet and I have had a full basement and many others.  Right now I have a room 8x10  angled ceiling 6.6 at the high point over looking the kitchen.  My point is in my case anyway I move a lot and I deal with the space I have to use.  The stuff that we build on this forum is pretty good regardless of our building area.  By the way Gary great use of space.

[Mark]

Regardless of how large a workbench you set up, eventually you will be working in about one square foot of it.  Then you do a cleanup: boxing up the projects that aren't going anywhere, and sorting the tools, glues, putties, paints, and supplies.  Then the cycle begins anew...

[gtx6970]

On 3/12/2017 at 11:33 PM, Rob Hall said:

In the process of packing up for a 2000 mile move from Phoenix to the Cleveland area now...will have a real room for building models--a spare bedroom that is 14x14 and a rec room in the basement I plan to make my 'man cave' for storing and displaying models and die cast.  Really looking forward to having more space...

Mind if I ask why move from Phoenix to Cleveland ?

we are planning a move in the opposite direction. I'm in northern Ky ( just across the river from Cincinnati Ohio ) 

Moving to the Tucson / Sahuarita / Green Valley Az. area in the next 16-18 months. Im 57 and have grown dang tired of the cold weather.

 

This is my current bench area,, is behind the double sliding pocket doors in the lower level family room. The doors opened up give me almost a full 4' width opening. Bench itself   Its about 2.5 feet deep and maybe 6 feet  wide overall.  Ive got two 4' long overhead lights . plus a 3 movable spot  lamps for lighting. Not to mention my lighted magnifier is movable. ( anymore I need lots of lighting )  The Main work area of the bench  is about 2' x2' . The rest is where extra parts manages to wonder off to. Unbuilts / Storage area is to the far left . Its  4' wide,  3' deep  and maybe a little more than 7' high.. Its the unbuilt area - stuffed  2 kits deep in most of it and from just about floor to ceiling full. Builders and old annuals are stored on shelves over the bench on the back wall .  Ive got some unbuilts stored in the laundry room / unfinished area of the basement . But that's mostly stuff I very rarely have a need to get into  or planing to sell off to thin the stash .

 

I added boards between the studs on the backside of the finished wall to give me an area to store paint , quick simple and easy . From idea to actually was maybe a little more than an hour . I spent more time dragging out the saw than I did anything else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2017 by gtx6970

[DrKerry]

Mind if I ask why move from Phoenix to Cleveland ?

we are planning a move in the opposite direction. I'm in northern Ky ( just across the river from Cincinnati Ohio ) 

Moving to the Tucson / Sahuarita / Green Valley Az. area in the next 16-18 months. Im 57 and have grown dang tired of the cold weather.

 

This is my current bench area,, is behind the double sliding pocket doors in the lower level family room. The doors opened up give me almost a full 4' width opening. Bench itself   Its about 2.5 feet deep and maybe 6 feet  wide overall.  Ive got two 4' long overhead lights . plus a 3 movable spot  lamps for lighting. Not to mention my lighted magnifier is movable. ( anymore I need lots of lighting )  The Main work area of the bench  is about 2' x2' . The rest is where extra parts manages to wonder off to. Unbuilts / Storage area is to the far left . Its  4' wide,  3' deep  and maybe a little more than 7' high.. Its the unbuilt area - stuffed  2 kits deep in most of it and from just about floor to ceiling full. Builders and old annuals are stored on shelves over the bench on the back wall .  Ive got some unbuilts stored in the laundry room / unfinished area of the basement . But that's mostly stuff I very rarely have a need to get into  or planing to sell off to thin the stash .

 

I added boards between the studs on the backside of the finished wall to give me an area to store paint , quick simple and easy . From idea to actually was maybe a little more than an hour . I spent more time dragging out the saw than I did anything else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

that works pretty good GTX. Just goes to show how versitle we can be with little areas to work in......

[Lunajammer]

For you apartment dwellers, you might look into the nuts and bolts of buying a home. Most people I know who rent can afford to be applying those payments to some equity of their own without being a slave to their payments. I live in a small home, (950 sq.ft.) and love that my money is going into something that's going up in value instead of just disappearing into someone else's pocket. I can run noisy tools, use stinky paints and nobody cares. Pride of ownership my friends.

[62rebel]

my mortgage is actually 1/3 to 1/2 what rent of the same size house would be... and banks are constantly trying to get me to refi for a lower rate. 21 years in, with all the nuisances of ownership it's STILL one of the best decisions I ever made. Actually wish I had stayed in my old house in Lynchburg VA, but, water under the bridge etc

[Mark]

For you apartment dwellers, you might look into the nuts and bolts of buying a home. Most people I know who rent can afford to be applying those payments to some equity of their own without being a slave to their payments. I live in a small home, (950 sq.ft.) and love that my money is going into something that's going up in value instead of just disappearing into someone else's pocket. I can run noisy tools, use stinky paints and nobody cares. Pride of ownership my friends.

Either way, you are buying property.  When you are renting, you are buying it for the landlord.  But most of the people I have ever known who worked in real estate rented, they didn't own a home.  I never could figure that out.

[Rob Hall]

Mind if I ask why move from Phoenix to Cleveland ?

we are planning a move in the opposite direction. I'm in northern Ky ( just across the river from Cincinnati Ohio ) 

Moving to the Tucson / Sahuarita / Green Valley Az. area in the next 16-18 months. Im 57 and have grown dang tired of the cold weather.

 

I'm originally from NE Ohio, kind of going back to my roots after 20 years in the West (Colorado then Arizona). I miss having 4 distinct seasons and the greenery.  I also have some property in Ohio and some vintage cars I inherited there that I want to enjoy.   And the house I bought there is over twice as large as my Phoenix house, so more room for hobbies.  Looking at buying a vacation condo in S Florida eventually after selling the Phoenix house. 

[oldcarfan]

For you apartment dwellers, you might look into the nuts and bolts of buying a home. Most people I know who rent can afford to be applying those payments to some equity of their own without being a slave to their payments. I live in a small home, (950 sq.ft.) and love that my money is going into something that's going up in value instead of just disappearing into someone else's pocket. I can run noisy tools, use stinky paints and nobody cares. Pride of ownership my friends.

Before we moved here, we owned our house. It was in a rundown west Texas town and they're dirt cheap there. My wife got her dream job teaching at the University here and the school system is sooo much better for the kids so we had to move, but didn't anticipate the crazy market and more importantly, her student loans are basically about the size of a house. We have a friend who is a realtor and she is keeping an eye out for a foreclosure or such, but Austin real estate is still at the point where for every house that pops up there are 3 bidders. We are also currently biding our time until the kids graduate because they love the school they're in.

[disabled modeler]

My model room is about 12x12 in my shop out back. Its time for a redo before it gets hot, but here lately I've had to resist the urge to throw everything out and just quit!

Larry....  I have been there too but dont toss them out and quit anything you love to do.  My work are is only 5 x 10 foot...and there is a cellar door in the floor I have to keep open for use if needed.  I have stuff boxed up and stored in closets,etc. throughout the house we have its only a 1 bedroom/kitchen/living room/bath...my room is the enclosed back porch.  I wouldn't know what to do if I couldn't build. 

[PARTSMARTY]

I agree with Mark-I wouldn't know what to do if I couldn't build-it is my ultimate passion.I'm working on setting up my model room in the 3rd floor of our house-it's in progress-lol.I have stuff in the basement-also the 3rd floor-and a bunch of stuff in the bedroom where I do some work temporarily.Sorry Patti-lol.

Edited March 14, 2017 by PARTSMARTY

[Lunajammer]

I have stuff in the basement-also the 3rd floor-and a bunch of stuff in the bedroom where I do some work temporarily.Sorry Patti-lol.

So you gotta ask yourself, do I keep stuff in the basement where a brutal downpour could back up drains and flood everything in minutes or in the attic where a tornado could take the top level in a heartbeat? That's the kind of choice I struggle with.

[DrKerry]

So you gotta ask yourself, do I keep stuff in the basement where a brutal downpour could back up drains and flood everything in minutes or in the attic where a tornado could take the top level in a heartbeat? That's the kind of choice I struggle with.

true there, I keep my stuff along one wall in my one stahl garage as I don't have enough room in the basement to store it all....

[Ace-Garageguy]

I do a bench reboot whenever I find myself spending more time looking for things than actually working. Not knowing how long I was going to be in my present digs (even though it's now been 3+ years) I've never really set up anything like a well organized workspace, so it can get fairly disorganized after a few days of building.

Edited March 14, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[disabled modeler]

So you gotta ask yourself, do I keep stuff in the basement where a brutal downpour could back up drains and flood everything in minutes or in the attic where a tornado could take the top level in a heartbeat? That's the kind of choice I struggle with.

The bad thing is one does not have to store their stuff in an attic for a tornado to get to them...I know this first hand in 2011 our neighborhood got hit and my build room lost a few windows..wasn't good. 

[charlie8575]

I understand "tight."

I had to move back in with my parents in 2010, when the whole world went to Hades in a hand-basket. Our house was already a bit..."full," due to deaths and the resulting "well, where do we put it all?" questions with stuff we either couldn't get rid of, or in a few cases, didn't want to.

As things are slowly (and finally) starting to improve a little for me, I'm hoping I'll be able to get out of here this year. The problem is that in eastern Massachusetts, both rents and home prices alike are at record highs simultaneously, and even central Massachusetts is getting expensive. Basically, too many drones commuting to Boston, and if it's even sort of commutable, they're going there.

I've found a couple of places that I'm going to see if I can swing, and they all have a reasonable amount of space for things like a modeling room/den. That is one of my absolute requirements.

Charlie Larkin