# Question Of The Week... ( 2019 week 13)



## ripjack13 (Mar 24, 2019)

*Do you do any kind of annual spring cleaning in your workshop? If so, what specifically do you do? *






**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
primates, woodticks, wood spinners, and leprechauns are welcome to post an answer.
And of course the  and the doc too....


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## Sprung (Mar 24, 2019)

I don't have a set "spring cleaning" in my shop. I do tend to take a day or two to get everything cleaned up and put away whenever it's gotten messy and out of hand.

But it does seem that each spring I do spend some extra time cleaning and organizing in the shop. When the temps start warming up and I can start using the garage shop more, I've noticed each year that things have piled up over the winter. Tools I used, but didn't put away because I was doing something quickly and wanted to get back in the house where it was warm. Stuff that has seemed to collect. Scrap wood in various places. So I do believe that my cleaning days in the spring involves a deeper clean simply because there's a bigger mess to deal with.

Whenever I give my shop a good cleaning, it usually goes something like this:

Everything occupying horizontal surfaces gets put away.
Anything on the floor or leaning up against things gets put away.
Scrap pieces get sorted - useful stuff gets put away; the other stuff gets tossed or burned.
Brush dust off all horizontal surfaces. Then sweep and vacuum.

A couple times a year I will, with the garage door and the window both open and a fan creating a cross breeze if there isn't wind that day, use an electric leaf blower and blow dust out of the shop, aiming it all over, especially on higher up surfaces that collect a lot of dust as stuff up there isn't used often. (This does result in needing to do a little dusting/sweeping/vacuuming after the bit of dust that doesn't get blown away settles down.)

I also find that spring cleaning time a good time to give each machine a good once over to make sure everything is in good order, that everything is adjusted properly, and that there isn't some sort of maintenance that needs to be done. I've already got a couple machines that need some maintenance things done and am planning on a few machine restorations as well. I've got a couple machines that are usable, but need some attention so I'll give them a full restore and I've got a couple machines sitting around that are currently unusable until they're restored.

Reactions: Like 2 | Great Post 1


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## MarksCaribbeanWoodworks (Mar 24, 2019)

ripjack13 said:


> *Do you do any kind of annual spring cleaning in your workshop? If so, what specifically do you do? *
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> 
> 
> ...


Perfect timing. I just did this cleaning to mine. I removed all kinds of scraps and set up a new material storage area. But tools on wheels and vacuumed like nuts.

Now I am going to clean every plane I have and sharpen every blade for each and all chisels. Hit all my steel with rust killer and sealer.

Reactions: Like 3


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 24, 2019)

I have never been much for cleaning. A.D.D. kicks in and I just pile stuff everywhere. When I run out of flat surfaces to pile stuff is when I finally clean and put stuff away. I used to keep my shop cleaner but I get very little shop time with my work schedule now. In fact it is in desperate need of a cleaning and organization right now. But where to start? It is so out of hand and overwhelming at the moment. I actually need to take a couple vacation days to get it done.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Lou Currier (Mar 24, 2019)

Dust my wife’s car off

Reactions: Funny 3


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## MarksCaribbeanWoodworks (Mar 24, 2019)

woodtickgreg said:


> I have never been much for cleaning. A.D.D. kicks in and I just pile stuff everywhere. When I run out of flat surfaces to pile stuff is when I fi ally clean and put stuff away. I used to keep my shop cleaner but I get very little shop time with my work schedule now. In fact it is in desperate need of a cleaning and organization right now. But where to start? It is so out of hand and overwhelming at the moment. I actually need to take a couple vacation days to get it done.


Am I know that feeling but I was told by the wife - “clean it or”. I did not even ask what the “or” was

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


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## Brink (Mar 24, 2019)

I clean and put everything away at the end of every work session.

As for spring, I put away my heaters and clean out the dehumidifier

Reactions: Like 3


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## Karl_99 (Mar 24, 2019)

I don't do a spring cleaning, but will do a spontaneous cleaning when it gets too difficult to move around and I am out of flat surfaces.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## CWS (Mar 24, 2019)

When I start cleaning the shop I start at one end and by the time I reach the other end the beginning is messed up again. But sometimes it takes me a month to get from one end to the other.

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 1


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## kweinert (Mar 25, 2019)

My wife and I just had this discussion.

And it's true, I tend to work out there until it's time to come in so whatever I was using gets left around. So far the pain of having to find a particular tool when I need has not outweighed the cost of putting away when done. So, as projects go on things tend to accumulate until it's quite messy. I just can't seem to find that 15 minutes before I go in the house to straighten up.

This weekend I started to really work on getting things straightened up. And so far I have 1 lower cupboard that's bare and one that's almost that way. Out of 3. I really think I'm going to have to put in some slide outs to really make use of the space otherwise things will just stack up in there again.


(Side note: any recommendations for relatively cheap drawer slides that are at least somewhat comfortable in a dusty environment?)

Reactions: Like 1


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## MarksCaribbeanWoodworks (Mar 25, 2019)

Part of my spring cleaning this year - although its technically always summer here - are those old wooden planes on my bench. They aren't mine actually they belong to a friend here on island who had them in his place for decades when I found them going through his wood pile. I offered to taken them home and clean them up which is what the teak oil is for. 

Should be good fun tonight cleaning him up. I will try to post some before and after pics.

Reactions: Like 2


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## DKMD (Mar 25, 2019)

No plans to clean. I stay pretty organized, but I’m not much on cleaning.

Reactions: Like 1


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