1. A light switch by the door. Wouldn’t it be great to throw one switch and have a lit shop?
2. My startle reflex needs to re-calibrate now that I have galvanized ducting above my head for dust collection. The first time a wood chip bounced down the metal pipe, I ducked & covered. Don’t really need to be doing that.
3. A really, really good splinter removal kit. The well-used hemostat that my surgeon gave me just isn’t getting it done these days. Yes, it was a gift from my surgeon who thought I might need it, and he’s been proven right again and again. If you don’t know the scary story of my surgery, read The Table Saw.
4. A sign or a mascot is needed to give the place personality. Because, clearly, I don’t have enough as it is.
5. The old pegboard’s got to go, and when I redo the workbench I’ll make a place for my cabinets filled with screws and hardware. I’ve got 7 different little cabinets holding drawers and drawers of totally essential stuff, and only 2 cabinets have good, ready access. I need to fix this before I dump a whole cabinet. Again.
6. I need to make a new lid for my table saw. I used that table surface all of the time … and abused the cover so much it fell apart. That was months ago … I’m sure I’ll have time to build another one. Soon, right?
7. Resurface the workbench & build a new glue box to do the assembly on. I just need to find a piece of melamine for the cover, and I’ll be set. As long as the Lady doesn’t make me use it to make a soap mold, that is.
8. A desk for when customers come by. I’m not sure talking over the table saw is regarded as “quaint” by everyone.
9. I now have 33 parallel face clamps, which is great, because I now can do 11 simultaneous glue-ups. Unfortunately, I only have mounted storage for 17 clamps, so there is a problem in the making here. I’ve also got 4 quick-release clamps with absolutely no place to store them. It’s well known that you never have enough clamps in your shop … and you never have enough storage for the clamps you have. I hate it when I’m a living proof of concept.
10. I need a place to hang my apron (yes, I now wear an apron in the shop). I’m currently hanging it off a cabinet knob when the work is done, but when I do that, I can’t access the lower cabinet to turn off my tunes. I think I need a strategically placed nail … something I so rarely use these days.
11. To complete the shop transformation, I have a few building projects for this year. These will be done. Eventually.
- Router Table Cabinet (replacing a plain metal stand)
- Sanding Disc Storage (new tools = new sizes of discs to store, but it was SO worth it!)
- Drum Sander Storage (improving upon a plain metal stand)
- Main Storage Cabinets/Workbench (the original owner of my
garagewoodshop built this cabinetry … and the shop won’t truly be mine until I build it correctly)
12. A place to hang my warning light (AKA Dust Sentry) for the dust collector. When the barrel is full, the light goes disco. Only problem: there’s no good place to hang it. Every shop needs a good place to go disco.
13. I don’t have a clock in the shop, because I don’t need one. It’s time that I need.
I think your mascot should be a Woodchuck or a Beaver.
Put a hook on the side of the refrigerator for hanging up your apron.
I will ponder on the other things.
I frequently ponder as well.
I am telling you since I rearranged my sewing room it has lifted dread and replaced it with anticipated joy!!! Go for it Henry one item at a time!!!