# Reclaiming a workshop.



## sevennation (Jan 9, 2016)

(Disclaimer: As I'm completely new to this forum and this my first ever post here, please forgive me if the topic is in the wrong subforum or even too far off topic. Also, I'll make sure to do a real introduce to myself in the appropriate section of the forum).

In my search for a small workspace where I could get started with knife making (the place we live at doesn't allow for loudish craftwork), my GF suggested that I have a look at the workshop her dad had set up in the house she grew up in. Her dad died 20 something years ago, but her mom still lives at the place. The house is a reasonable distance from where we live, so while it's nothing to just hop into and do some work in the evening, it is currently my only viable option. We could go and visit the mom, who in turn would be massively happy to see our daughter and I could go and do some workshopping. The workshop  except for the occasional home repair job  has been left virtually untouched for 20 years. With tools and tidbits strewn on the workbench, the floor, drawers and cupboards. 
I now have the green light to do whatever I want with the workspace, the condition being that I clear out the space and rid it from all things unnecessary. So this is where I stand now: A small but practical workspace with a solid workbench that's cluttered with oldish tools, a lot of which I have no idea what they're good for. I'll definitely need a respirator and a couple days time to rummage through the piles of tools, junk and dust. (See image).

The question to you is: Has anyone got an idea how I should go about reclaiming this space? Has anyone ever done something similar? How do I pick the useful from the broken tools? And what can I do with the tools I'll no longer use? The last time workshopping was when I was around seven and building boomerangs in my dads basement workshop. My daywork for years has been computer-centric and while I'm pretty adept at basic house repair and even eletrical stuff, I'm not what one might call "be in the loop" when it comes to handcrafting and running a workshop.

Any pointers would be highly appreciated.

Thanks!

The current state of the workshop:






Big version of image to zoom around:
http://s23.postimg.org/smd9hford/shopstatusquo.jpg


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## Dave Martell (Jan 9, 2016)

Wow, it's like a time capsule for what your GF's Dad was doing when he passed on. For me this would be difficult to disrupt but practically speaking there's no good reason to leave it there as is forever and the family appears to be offering the space with the idea of getting it cleaned out so you might as well use this as a mutually beneficial opportunity and get it done.

The obvious thing to do first would be to clear the bench. Get a roll away tool box (or something to hold) for all those tools. Just sort them and organize the best you can but don't discard anything until you've had a chance to figure out what you may want to keep. You can always Craigslist the unwanted stuff when the time comes. 

The drill press is small but usable for some things. You may wish to relocate it.

The vises (at least the big one) is going to be useful, you may wish to relocate it.

The shelf can be used for holding commonly used tools like screw drivers, files, etc. so maybe leave that hanging.

I'd get rid of those hanging screw sorter bins but go through and save the items into plastic bags and then into a bigger bin or can for later use/sorting. I'd just want to get them out of the way for now but there might be some useful hardware in them that you might regret tossing so consider saving this stuff for those "I need a screw" moments that come up in home repair etc.

The file cabinet can be useful for storage of wood blocks and other such things or even used as a tool box of sorts. If it's not going to be used get it out of the way and into a corner. 

The glass doored shelving is useful for storing storing solvents, buffing products, etc. I'd probably remove the glass myself as I get annoyed with having to slide those things but that;s just me.

The little grinder might be useful to convert into a mini buffer. Remove the wheel guards and wheels and install buffing wheels. Not a necessity but could come in handy.

Well that's what came to my mind at first glance. Have fun with your new project and if you want share some pics when you get it all fixed up.

Dave


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## Juglans_Regia (Jan 9, 2016)

Mmm.... Nice selection of hammers there. I'm coming from a cabinet making background, so requirements are obviously different but some general points:

When you say 'get started with knife making' I assume you mean you're totally new to it. It'll take a while for you to work out what kind of tools you need, when you need them, where you want them in your workspace etc. With that in mind I'd do systematic boxing of tools, rather than just chucking them out. 

Before you get onto that chuck out non-workshop stuff. The clothes hanger is using valuable wall-space, the chairs beneath it can go etc. Go through the boxes under the bench chucking what you can, same with all those bulbs etc.

The little wall boxes are an engineer's shop thing really, very useful if you have loads of m2-m8 bolts, associated nuts, tiny drivers, washers and things, not so useful otherwise. That said a good nut and bolt collection can be invaluable when maintaining your own machinery, making jigs etc. So what Dave said basically. 

After a fair amount of trial and error most of my commonly used tool storage is lin-bin based. Drawers and shelves don't fit items - deep filing cabinet you'll have a bunch of stuff swimming around at the bottom, lost. Shelves always something at the back. Makes (in my case) for a tidier, more efficient workshop. Not cheap though. storage is probably another thing you'll have to think about as you find your working methods.

I'd suggest setting aside a weekend and removing everything not screwed down from the shop (if there's space) - good to see what you're working with and will give you an opportunity to sweep it out, possibly put down new floor paint etc (bear in mind that can take a while to dry, depending on climate). You might want to look at how the wiring runs too, think about whether you need extra lights/sockets. 

Basic principle is that you should tailor a workshop to your needs, not the other way round. 

Also my first post on the forum. Wade straight in.


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## sevennation (Jan 10, 2016)

@Dave:

Thanks for the great rundown. I'll take it to heart when planning out the workspace.

And yeah, I'm very aware of the significance of the space in relation to my GFs dad. Though the mom was immediately happy to give me full permission to do whatever I see fit with the space, because "my husband actually didn't work much there anyways", I'll definitely keep an eye open for anything that might have a sentimental value to someone in the family.

I'll post progress pics cleaning up shop and soon after hopefully my first steps into my first builds.


@Juglans_Regia:

You're absolutely right, I'm a complete newbie when it comes to making knifes. And I'm also aware that a great shop doesn't automatically make great knifes. Man, I've seen videos of guys making a (somewhat) decent knife using nothing more than a hacksaw, a file and some epoxy. So I'll start off small and see which tools already present can help me do the job and build from there and how I should adapt the shop for my workflow. And I'll hold onto the other tools and see how they might come in handy as I make progress and hopefully become more specialised. (I currently have no idea where this embark will take me to).


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## WildBoar (Jan 10, 2016)

Some older hand tools are worth a bit of $ as the quality is typically a level or two higher then what is available these days. So unless a tool that you do not envision needing is definitely damaged beyond use, I would not toss it but instead set it aside. Then when you have time do a little reasearch on the maker, etc.. Some web sites like Garage Journal have a lot of forum members who love picking up older tools. Who knows, you might be able to use some proceeds to fund equipment you still need to get for your knifemaking operation.


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## malexthekid (Jan 10, 2016)

WildBoar said:


> Some older hand tools are worth a bit of $ as the quality is typically a level or two higher then what is available these days. So unless a tool that you do not envision needing is definitely damaged beyond use, I would not toss it but instead set it aside. Then when you have time do a little reasearch on the maker, etc.. Some web sites like Garage Journal have a lot of forum members who love picking up older tools. Who knows, you might be able to use some proceeds to fund equipment you still need to get for your knifemaking operation.



I second this. Especially things like older chisels. There is quite a market for them.


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## mlau (Mar 26, 2016)

From the looks of things, I'd guess that the guy was more of a metalworker than a woodworker.
He has a pax/hobby saw, but most of the hammers and files are better suited to metal imho.


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