Geez, What a Mess!

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Fluesheet

Member
Jan 22, 2006
339
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Central Ohio
I was just finishing up tonight when I zoomed out (i.e. took my magnifiers off) and realized that my workbench is a MESS! Do we all have this problem?

Note the ongoing projects:
-AMB N&W class CF caboose (waiting on a spraybooth to continue painting - I learned my lesson)
-Athearn Mike is sitting on some paper that has pieces parts from a front coupler installation project (one Trix Mike to go)
-In the forefront is the current project - installing Tsunami sound decoder in a Heritage 0-6-0. Pieces parts of the tender lie hither and yon.
-A pile of tools. Dwell time for a tool is about a week post project... :D
-Titebond glue used for the AMB kit (and sitting on top of the instructions for the same)
-Scale for weighing the results of various weighting projects. I think this came out when I was stuffing lead into a steamchest for one of the Mikes.
-Just in front is a Bowser gon that is used for coupler height checks as well as containing parts of locomotives. This is where "just in time" parts go. Dwell time for it's current load is a month or so...
-Boxcars in back are in the "shop" for greater than RIP issues.
-Kits I'll get to someday in back, alongside my organizer (which needs more space)

And of course, the plate and glass that my wife brought the milk and cookies to me on this evening! :thumb:

I'm not sure I actually have anything that is "complete" :p

Fluesheet
 

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TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
Apr 14, 2006
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Rancho Santa Margarita, Cali.
Dang, if only this thread was here a couple of months ago, all my trucks and rail cars (which there was about 120 trucks and trailers and about 12 rail cars) + tons of detail accessories from the layout, some parts of buildings, ballast and dirt and some more stuff from my old layout were on my "benchtop" (really my computer desk that I also use as a work place for trains). It was a disaster and looked like a bomb hit it. There was so much stuff stacked in layers that it was kinda sad.:cry: :eek:ops: I did not use my computer for about 3 weeks because I simply could not get to it the mess was so bad.sign1 It took about 3 weeks to clear the aftermath of the old layout off the desk and onto the new layout.

I should have taken a picture, DANG!!

I am sure that we are not the only one's that have had or have messy benchtops so lets here or see some of everyone elses benchtops and workplaces!!:D
 
J

Jim Krause

Active Member
Apr 7, 2005
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Polson, MT
My "workbench" is the dining room table and yes, its a mess. Since my wife is bedridden, she can't see the junk very often and I try to make her think that its a current project that I'm working on. Not the same one thats been there for three months.
I have a great shop thats heated and well lighted. The kind we all dream about having, but its so full of stored stuff that I don't use it for MR work.
 
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Thoroughbreed

Member
Aug 4, 2006
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54
South Eastern AL
I have a space in the corner of the living room where my pc is, now its part pc desk, workbench and space behind me is storage. Also the dining room table is now my area as well as there is 2 halves of a door with 22 radius and 27 radius laid out on it.
 
cnw1961

cnw1961

Member
Jan 7, 2006
846
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65
Germany
Fluesheet, you’re wrong. Your workbench is not a mess, it is a sign of creativity :D . Yeah, I know this problem. When I am working on a project, I am so focussed on what I am doing that I don’t have a chance to keep the workbench tidy. It always ends up in a total mess. You see, you are not alone :wave: .
 
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Herc Driver

Active Member
Apr 18, 2005
1,474
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North Carolina
Fluesheet - I respectfully beg to differ...you did complete one project in that picture - you polished off the milk and cookies. I think that ranks as a successful project completion in anyone's modeling world.:thumb:
 
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FiatFan

Member
Jul 16, 2004
191
2
16
Here's more or less what mine looks like. I haven't done much over the summer so there are no projects scattered aobut. I probably won't be doing much in there for another couple of weeks. About the only change is a new drill press to replace the 20 year old drill press stand on the left.

P3130002.JPG


Tom
 
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Play-Doh

Member
May 12, 2006
357
0
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42
Portland OR
for the longest time my workbench was my layout itself. Since it still in the beggining stages. But now that its stored until I move, my work bench has just become my cofee table in my living room. Acually, my entire living room has become a workbench/storage area. This is all going to end once I get married im sure.
 
Z

zedob

Member
Dec 26, 2004
757
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62
Chicopee, MA
I do modeling on a daily basis, as a job making teeth. Since I was in charge of setting up my workbench and someone else was paying for it, I decided to get creative. Instead of trying to jamb everything on shelves, which I knew would eventually turn into a monster, I decided to add some turntables (lazy susans, not loco types) to help with accessing my instruments (if tools are used in the medical field, they are referred to as instruments. Hmmm, yeah right whatever. I was a machinist in my past life, tools are tools as far as i'm concerned, but "when in Rome...)

At work, I built the turntables from turntable bearing kits found at HD or "the place of the wealthy hardware man", ACE, and a piece of 3/4" birch ply cut into a circle. The tables are about 24" dia. and are left plain (no holders). My "instrument" turntable is the store bought multi level "artist" holder. I highly recommend these for pens, pencils, razor knives, scribes, etc.

Without a doubt, this has been probably been one of my better moves because it makes finding and replacing "stuff" a breeze. It can still get out of hand, but with a little extra woodworking or creative 1:1 kitbashing of little holders, wooden or otherwise, that you find at the Dollar stores or resale shops, you can give all of your tools a home that is easy to access with a spin of the wheel.:thumb: I plan on doing this for my office/layout room. In fact, I've already ran my stapler, tape dispenser, ink stamps and regular stamps through the first tests. Real convienent. Now all I ahve to do is build the shelves around it.:D

There is one thing I've found to be true. Without shelves, the workbench will always be a mess.
 
F

Fluesheet

Member
Jan 22, 2006
339
0
16
Central Ohio
Herc Driver said:
Fluesheet - I respectfully beg to differ...you did complete one project in that picture - you polished off the milk and cookies. I think that ranks as a successful project completion in anyone's modeling world.:thumb:
Click to expand...
sign1
zedob said:
My "instrument" turntable is the store bought multi level "artist" holder. I highly recommend these for pens, pencils, razor knives, scribes, etc.
Click to expand...
Sounds interesting - what store did you get this from? I don't believe I've seen anything like that. I really like the Rubbermaid organizer in the background of my picture - but can't find that particular model anymore. Bummer

As for the rest of you, it's good to see that I am not alone!

Fluesheet
 
Z

zedob

Member
Dec 26, 2004
757
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Chicopee, MA
Here ya go. http://www.dickblick.com/zz229/44/

You may want to give the rest of the site a whirl. Plenty of good MRRer raw materials.

You can probably find them at most larger art stores, although I haven't found them at the local Micheals (no Lobby around here).

AS for larger ones for my home office I purchased some used lazy susy's at the local Savers used junk store. I check the place out about once a week for any new old usable stuff.
 
Alan Bickley

Alan Bickley

Member
Dec 22, 2003
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Bicester, Oxford, UK
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Play-Doh said:
for the longest time my workbench was my layout itself. Since it still in the beggining stages. But now that its stored until I move, my work bench has just become my cofee table in my living room. Acually, my entire living room has become a workbench/storage area. This is all going to end once I get married im sure.
Click to expand...
I can definately relate to this post. I have been using part of the layout in my bedroom as a workbench and will be moving out when I get married. At least this won't be until next summer!
What I decided to do - until such time when I can get a proper workbench - was to make a portable worktop from a sheet of MDF and some square section wood strips. It was made around my cutting mat and allows for some storage space for the tools I use at the time. This has allowed me to take my modelling projects and do them wherever there's a table and adequate lighting!
 
C

cidchase

Active Member
May 15, 2002
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somewhere between Clarksville and Zhanjiang
hometown.aol.com
I'd be embarrassed to show mine:eek:ops: . In Mississippi I had a little room to spread out, and
It wasn't so bad, but since we moved into the apartment it's a total disaster:cry: I don't have
shelves above the table, nor pegboards like before. In fact, I'm glad you brought this up
because I'm sick of da mess and I'm going to get working on a solution!!:thumb:
 
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