Does anyone enjoy cleaning up the shop?

[Mark Singer]

I always end up with a big mess after each project. The workbench and finishing table are full of stuff...sandpaper in every grit imaginable...little scraps of this and that...at least 3 different glues,routers sanders several saws an old piece of pizza I forgot to finish...my sharpening stones...a couple of squares and several thousand clamps and torture devices.
Then as you may have guessed someone has to put it all away....you guessed it ..."ME". Why don't I put things away as I use them? What is the matter with me? Am I just to excited to see the results? or just lazy and have to get in the mood....any help? I need it!

[Lynn Sonier]

I'm the same way. Everytime I start a session in the shop, I try to pick up as much stuff as I can but 10 minutes later, it looks the same. I do enjoy my time in the shop and even enjoy the cleaning up.

[Bruce Page]

I generally put things away as I finish with them, I guess I look at it as that part of the building process being completed.
A friend of mines shop is always so messy that if you threw a hand grenade in it, it would end up in better shape. I would kill myself working in those conditions, it doesn't faze him one bit.

Different strokes for different folks.

[Jim Becker]

I'm generally like Bruce, although I've been "slipping" lately...

[Mike Cutler]

Mark. As much as I try, my shop seems to end up much like yours does during a project. I don't think I've left any uneaten pizza out yet, but you can probably find one or two half full cups of coffee and saw dust. I always try to rationalize it by convincing myself that I'll be saving time next time I return to the project, but I'm not fooling anyone, including myself. I do like to clean up the shop afterward though. It's nice to have everything bright and shiny for the next project, or "hand grenade" toss.

[John Miliunas]

Mark, you've had Tyler coming over here to spy on MY shop, haven't you? Man, you just described my environment to a "T", sans the pizza! I too try and rationalize why I leave it that way and sometimes, it's even justifiable, but on this last go-around with the bathroom cabinets, it got a bit ridiculous. When I finally cleaned up, it was much as you say, including no less than three sanders, two routers, three cordless drills and the usual miscellaneous crapola, which gets left behind! Strangely, though, I don't mind shop cleanup. It's kinda' nice to see it progress into that clean and organized workspace again.

[Frank Pellow]

I really do atempt to clean up as I go but only manage to do so about half the time. When things are not tidy, I waste a great deal of time looking for stuff. I know that it takes my much less time to keep things tidy but, even knowing that, I still fail about half the time.

I am happy to report that I have always managed to clean up the site of my workshop contruction project each evening. Maybe that means that I am getting better about "working tidy and smart".

[John Miliunas]

I am happy to report that I have always managed to clean up the site of my workshop contruction project each evening. Maybe that means that I am getting better about "working tidy and smart".

Yeah, I hope so! Given some of the pics you've shared with us, you might risk losing something under a foot of snow!

[Chris Padilla]

Who has time/energy/effort to clean up after a good day's/night's working in the shop? Besides, making the mess is half the fun but it is no fun when you constantly need to sweep clear spots to work!

I think the key to a clean shop is a well-organized shop! If everything has its place, it is easy to put it back upon use!

[Lars Thomas]

I strive to be like Bruce, but do have 'John-like' tendencies!!

[Brian Hale]

Mine usually has that "worked in" appearance untill i find myself looking for that tape measure, rule, square or there's no place to put my coffee cup. I try to keep the trash can within easy tossing distance and that helps some and rolling my tool cart to where i'm working helps also, but, i'm just not a neat person....


Brian

[Dominic Greco]

I guess it was my 7th Grade shop teacher Mr. Nepp who instilled the "Full Shop Clean-Up" concept into me. He used to schedule one of these events every 3 weeks. Nothing was done in the shop but cleaning. This meant tool and wood stock inventory as well. It kept us in order.

My shop is usually in disarray since I tend to half several projects going on at once. But last week I took several hours on Saturday to clean up the entire shop. I ended up filling up (3) trashcans just with assorted scraps and really freed up some floor space in the process. Not to mention actually being able to use my workbench once again. And I found the block plane I thought I lost.

Good old Mr. Nepp would have been proud!

[Rob Bourgeois]

I have to try to keep it clean, because other wise I wont have any room. My shop is small and the space is not that efficent since I haven't yet changed anything from the previous owner of the house. To set up the router table something has to move either the tablesaw, scroll saw or or belt/disk sander. Only 2 machines can be setup at a time.

So I do projects in phases then I clean up and switch out the machine. Not to quick in the turn over but its all I can do until I gut the shop innards and set it up right for wood working. ( Hopefully soon as I finihs installing the base board/ 1/4 round moldings in the living room wiht the new floor)

[Jim Becker]

Who has time/energy/effort to clean up after a good day's/night's working in the shop? Besides, making the mess is half the fun but it is no fun when you constantly need to sweep clear spots to work!

Of course, this brings up the point that you clean at the end of the day or at the beginning. Which is worse? Straightening up when you are a little tired or straightening up when you are itching to get into a project after a hellacious week at work?

I think the key to a clean shop is a well-organized shop! If everything has its place, it is easy to put it back upon use!

Amen. Therein lies the rub...many of us don't have the best solutions in place to carry this out!

[Dean Bielanowski]

If you haven't made a mess you have wasted too much time cleaning and not enough time woodworking
At least thats my excuse for SWMBO!