Bench Dicipline

[BDSchindler]

On 5/20/2023 at 9:17 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

Personally, the only reason that I EVER clean my bench is when I can no longer find my tools or parts. 
The whole idea of taking valuable building time to spend cleaning my bench is completely foreign to me and  holds little importance to the enjoyment of my beloved hobby.

Cleaning my bench is “cleaning”.

I love building, but I despise cleaning!!

 

 

Steve

Amen, my Brother!  I clean to an extent between builds but dang...I need to get some more discipline in my life.  I've gotten lazy in my retirement years.

[TonyW]

A friend of mine once told me " To make something beautiful, you have to take away all the ugly" That one works really well for workspaces. All the empty sprues, W+D paper, dirty thinners, half filled paint jars, tins and so on are the ugly on the way to what will hopefully be the beautiful. It's part of the proccess.

 

I try to work tidy and store stuff in an orderly fashion but once construction starts things go south really quickly. By the end of a decent modelling session the bench is covered in paint tins, brushes, tools, glues, upended boxes, reference books and magazines and a whole lot of general untidy. Sat in the middle of it all is maybe a wired engine or a body ready for primer. I've given up trying to stay tidy while working, it is what it is.

 

Here's my bench/shed on a good day. This is a long way from how it usually looks!

This was after a full on revamp. It's had a bit of fine tuning since but it's never going to be finished. There's a constant search for the ideal workspace. I doubt I'll ever find it.

 

 

 

About normal...

 

 

Once the ugly is gone, if I'm lucky I end up with something like this...

 

 

Tony.

 

 

[tbill]

After my bench turns in to a working area of 6 inches by 6 inches, I’ll give it a good cleaning, haha.

 

[Oldmopars]

I wish I had a better area for working at. My current hobby area is my office/guest room. I no longer work from home, so the computer is gone. However my bench is an Oak desk. While comfortable, it is too deep and in front of a window. This means I can't have a nice tall tool rack at the back. I can't reach it and it would block the window. The window also causes issues as the light is coming in at the wrong angle making it hard to see some times. The window faces west, so even with the AC on, the desert sun relly beats in and warms things up if I don't keep the drapes pulled. 

The second issue is that this desk is also where 2 of my 3D printers sit. One on the left, one on the right. Compound the problem with me traveling every week out of town, and I really fight to get anything done. 

Open to suggestions. 

Currently on the bench is an 1/8 scale 3D printed Toyota Land Cruiser RC truck. 3D printed body, aluminum axles and drive train. A model kit of sorts. 

[Bugatti Fan]

What is that old saying?

A place for everything, and everything in its place!

Ergonomics does not apply to me unfortunately whilst working, but I do religiously  clear my bench at session end. Sort of halfway house of you like!

[bobss396]

I build on my dining room table, I'm single, just me and the cat these days. I may move up to my son's old bedroom and make that a dedicated modeling space. But I like being on the main floor, I can dash out the back door and shoot some paint quickly. I was on a building bender earlier in the year, I had over 60 cans of paint on the kitchen counters at one point, now I'm up around 45 or so.

The table, I build on a 8.5" x 11" green mat, taped to the table top. I have another one I keep tools on. All my builds are in storage boxes, so they stay clean and dust-free-ish.

I am getting better at organization. I have many plastic shoe boxes for new parts and use small plastic bags to keep in-process parts handy and clean.

[slusher]

Everything gets put back in its spot when I’m finished with it.  I my put it back 5 times sessions but I know where it is. I love organization but that’s me. Everyone is different.

[Scott Colmer]

And sometimes you just thrash. Probably should get organized again.

[Keef]

Mine stays a mess until I finish a project, then it gets a good cleaning and organizing.

[Bills72sj]

5 hours ago, Keef said:

Mine stays a mess until I finish a project, then it gets a good cleaning and organizing.

We have the same preference in cars. Though you seem to be more organized than me.

[Keef]

3 hours ago, Bills72sj said:

We have the same preference in cars. Though you seem to be more organized than me.

My organization skills need some organization at the moment. ??

[Brizio]

On my work bench at home I try to put away everythig a the end of any session. Except when I'm getting close to be done, I let the model out until completed.

At work, is little bit different. My work bench is little bit messy. I try to organize, but sometime is difficult.  
 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Brizio

[bobss396]

I had to stop yesterday, my table was out of hand in a big way. I have 5 projects going at once...

My main area is about 3 foot by 18", behind that I have supplies, projects boxed up. I cleaned everything off and went out to buy a bigger mat, 11" x 17" at Hobby Lobby. I have a smaller one I keep files and sanding sticks on.

BUT... it is a vast improvement for me. I tend to build in total chaos. Just like my 2.5 car garage crammed with cars, parts, tools and machine shop equipment. I'm going to get a better (non leaking...) shed so I can move some stuff out to it. At work, my office was known for being a disaster zone. I always had a lot going on.

[Street Rod]

I’ve made it a point to set my desk up to be able to keep neat and organized from the start. If I’m using tools regularly during any portion of a build, I’ll leave it on the table, but if I just need to make one cut, I’ll get the knife or whatever out of the drawer, cut, then put it away. Also put away everything when I quit for the day, this way, things don’t get lost or damaged.

With all that said, I’ve always tried to work like this when woodworking,etc., but always wound up in the middle of a cluttered mess until I would have to stop and clean up before I could continue working,lol. Hopefully I can keep up the clean work space on the modeling desk.

 The small cabinet under the desk is for different styrene strip stock and and detailing supplies. The last picture shows the drawer for plastic and metal sheet stock and tape, etc., it’s still a WIP, but will help keep things organized when I get it finished.

 

 

[NOBLNG]

2 hours ago, Street Rod said:

I’ve made it a point to set my desk up to be able to keep neat and organized from the start.

 

 

 

 

Tsk,Tsk…it looks like you just tossed that tape in there any old way.? Seriously, you are way more organized than I’ll ever be. What are those six multi colored things next to the Milwaukee rotary tool?

Greg.

[Gary Chastain]

I just recently reorganized my work area and now after looking at the work areas you guys have, now I have more ideas to organize. It’s a never ending quest. 
Curious, does anyone have a work space in a dedicated shed? I have been giving thought to this idea.

[Street Rod]

42 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

Tsk,Tsk…it looks like you just tossed that tape in there any old way.? Seriously, you are way more organized than I’ll ever be. What are those six multi colored things next to the Milwaukee rotary tool?

Greg.

Lol, I’ll get that mess of tape straightened out soon. I have some organiziers in mind I’ll get this weekend for that. The different colored things are glass nail files in different grits. Saw those recommended on a YouTube video and thought I would give them a try, if they don’t work out I’ll replace them with something else.

[Repstock]

Dump all your paint, tools and parts in a pile. My workbench!

[bobss396]

I had given some thought to getting a dedicated model building shed. Even an 8' x 8' would do it. Run a few electric lines from my pool outlets and I would be in business. 

[Brian_R]

Doyle,

Those glass nail files -

I can't find a set with the different grits.  The closest so far is a choice between two different grits.

Do you mind saying where you got those?

Brian

[Street Rod]

10 hours ago, Brian_R said:

Doyle,

Those glass nail files -

I can't find a set with the different grits.  The closest so far is a choice between two different grits.

Do you mind saying where you got those?

Brian

I got them on eBay, I don’t know how to post a link but here’s a screenshot of the listing I bought from:

 

Since I haven’t tried these out yet, I went down to the bench and tried one of the finer grits on the parting line on some scrap sprue. It seems to do a good job smoothing the lines down, but as you can see in the second picture, it clogs up the file pretty quickly and doesn’t wipe clean on my pants leg like a regular sanding stick or sand paper would. 
 

These may not work out very well, I’ll have to do some more testing with them over the weekend. At least it’s not an expensive loss if they don’t work out.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Street Rod
Added pictures

[Bills72sj]

3 hours ago, Street Rod said:

I got them on eBay, I don’t know how to post a link but here’s a screenshot of the listing I bought from:

 

Since I haven’t tried these out yet, I went down to the bench and tried one of the finer grits on the parting line on some scrap sprue. It seems to do a good job smoothing the lines down, but as you can see in the second picture, it clogs up the file pretty quickly and doesn’t wipe clean on my pants leg like a regular sanding stick or sand paper would. 
 

These may not work out very well, I’ll have to do some more testing with them over the weekend. At least it’s not an expensive loss if they don’t work out.

I have metal files that are my go to. Often the pants wipe does not do it. An old tooth brush works most of the time. On worst case scenarios I use a little plastic bristle wire wheel in my dremel. THAT works every time.

[bobss396]

I have this habit of sitting too far from the table. I like to sit back and sand parts so the mat keeps cleaner. Sooo... how many times do you find yourself dropping parts on the floor? For me, too many times a day. The area is carpeted and I keep a flash light close by. About once a week I get down and look for supplies I have dropped, then I vacuum up the dust and anything else.

[ewetwo]

I' sit close but still manage to drop a little part due to numb fingers. And my floor is cement. Amazing how far those little pieces can go. Pretty far. LOL And I too have a flashlight at my building spot. 

[bobss396]

On 10/6/2023 at 10:14 AM, ewetwo said:

I' sit close but still manage to drop a little part due to numb fingers. And my floor is cement. Amazing how far those little pieces can go. Pretty far. LOL And I too have a flashlight at my building spot. 

I was thinking of attaching one of those Harbor Fright fake light switches under the table and still might do that. When I built in the basement, that was a tile kitchen floor and parts flew off into another dimension.

In my dining room it has an area rug. I lost a completed header for a NASCAR build. I wasn't sure if was on the kitchen counter or floor, so I tore both areas apart. Looked under all appliances, no luck. It was a month later, the part magically appeared in the middle of the kitchen floor, the cat must have come across it.