What frustrates you most in your "shop"?

[wildrose]

I'm facing the annoying prospect of using a dull knife to cut slits in straps for mystery braid bracelets. I do NOT have a set up to sharpen the stupid thing, and I don't know anyone locally to get it done. So it takes about 3-4 passes each time to get a slit cut all the way through the 4/5 oz leather I'm using. Drives me nuts. Plus, anyone notice that blades are rarely even sold sharp anymore? What's up with that!!!!???

Well, that got me thinking: what is the most annoying thing you have to deal with in your workspace? Lack of lighting? No ventilation? Don't have the tools you want? Not enough space? Let's hear it!

[Tkleather1]

I'm facing the annoying prospect of using a dull knife to cut slits in straps for mystery braid bracelets. I do NOT have a set up to sharpen the stupid thing, and I don't know anyone locally to get it done. So it takes about 3-4 passes each time to get a slit cut all the way through the 4/5 oz leather I'm using. Drives me nuts. Plus, anyone notice that blades are rarely even sold sharp anymore? What's up with that!!!!???

Well, that got me thinking: what is the most annoying thing you have to deal with in your workspace? Lack of lighting? No ventilation? Don't have the tools you want? Not enough space? Let's hear it!

I would like to vote for all of the above except the lighting I do have good lighting.

Tim Worley

TK-Leather

[CitizenKate]

Space. I would LOVE more space. Then again... my studio has already taken up about 70% of a two-car garage and one upstairs room. How much more I'll need is anybody's guess. How about around 2,000 sq. ft.?

Kate

[joet]

I'm facing the annoying prospect of using a dull knife to cut slits in straps for mystery braid bracelets. I do NOT have a set up to sharpen the stupid thing, and I don't know anyone locally to get it done. So it takes about 3-4 passes each time to get a slit cut all the way through the 4/5 oz leather I'm using. Drives me nuts. Plus, anyone notice that blades are rarely even sold sharp anymore? What's up with that!!!!???

Well, that got me thinking: what is the most annoying thing you have to deal with in your workspace? Lack of lighting? No ventilation? Don't have the tools you want? Not enough space? Let's hear it!

I can't find it. It's burried somewhere in the basement. I keep thinking about clearing it off and stop using the kitchen counter, but it's just easier to use the counter. Maybe it will be a New Year's promise.

[Spence]

In order of the highest frustration level:

1. The mess.

2. Too many projects going at the same time.

3. Because of #2, not enough space. I don't think there would ever be enough.

4. Tool storage, or lack thereof.

Then there's the dogs. Sneaking or barging in to play.

All of this and I'm, somehow, happy with my lot in life finally.

[bruce johnson]

After a few different layouts, it is still a work in progress but overall - pretty happy. Just enough space to heat and air condition easily. The lighting is good. Tons of electric outlets. The move around space is good. With this layout and storage it is a lot neater than it used to be. Tools are organized and put back. Good amount of storage for scraps and sides. Stall mats on the floor - easier on me and and dropped tools.

Minor frustration factors-

1. I recently moved the tooling bench out of the cubby hole and into the center. Now to build a bench so the rock is inlaid. Design so it will be stable, no bounce, I can get my legs in under it and not be too high? How big? New rock or square up mine?

2. I need to close in the ceiling.

3. I know my music and poetry CDs better than the folks doing it. I ought to get a CD player with "shuffle".

[dirtclod]

For me the most frustrateing thing is the mess. Knowing i have something and not being able to find it. Not having the rest of my cabinets done for storage. I have plenty of room i built a new shop about 5 years ago just need for things to be organized. Need more outlets even though i put them every 3 foot their's still never enough. Or i guess i could spread things out some but that would be to easy..LOL.

Wildrose why don't you get a stone and try your hand at sharpening your knife. From what you said it would be hard to hurt it. Plus their not hard to sharpen. It might take a few minutes if it's really dull but it's a good thing to know how to do.

[MADMAX22]

My current work shop is my kitchen in my apartment so yeah that kind of sucks. Thats ok hopefully be moving in a couple of months and then get someplace with a garage or something.

[Stevesleather]

Changing over my little work space from tooling to staining/stitching. Then, trying to find the stitching stuff buried somewhere under a piece of pattern. I'd like to be able to say everything has its place and I had enough room to do everything in progression without having to change the work area.

[iwannabeacowboy]

My gripe is not enough room. We live in a 2 bedroom apt, I rented a storage room to empty out the 2nd bedroom. Then built 3 work benches. I can't multi task because I'm constantly shifting stuff around to have room to work. It's amazing how fast I filled up the room between tools/hides/dye/stain/finishes/hardware. When I'm working and start bumping into stuff I step out of the room, take a few deep breaths and go back to work. Right now I'm recovering from shoulder arthroscopy(August 19th) and getting ready to have it redone because I can't use my left arm very much(pain). So I sit in the shop and think about how to make more room by shifting everything around.

Charlie

[wildrose]

I actually have a stone, just not sure what to do with it. The blade is a curved utility knife blade, with the handle, it's from Tandy. Seems like it should be more complicated than just pulling the blade across the stone?

[Double U Leather]

I guess we could turn this into a "Letterman Top 10 List". But I wouldn't probably have 10 considering this shop is far better than the garage, a bedroom, or stall in the barn shops I've had in the past. Nonetheless, here are my shop frustrations.

1) Not as much room as I'd like (Never will have enough...lol)

2)Rather expensive to heat with electric heater

3) Not enough orders (See #1 above)

4) Not enough tools (See #1 above)

I guess that's about everything that really frustrates me and my lil shop. All in all, I like it alot.

Edited October 29, 2009 by leatherrookie

[UKRay]

This exercise was really useful, Holly, as I was planning to make some big changes in my workspace and I have just decided to leave things alone.

Mainly, my problems revolve around having a 'split' workspace. My handtool and sewing machine work area is upstairs on an uneven wooden floor and my heavy machine area is downstairs on a nice flat concrete floor whilst my office and packing area is in the middle. I also have two sewing machines in another room where they are definitely 'in the way'.

Ideally, I'd like to have everything in one place... Sadly, it ain't gonna happen 'cos although I can probably get most of the stuff from the nice warm hand-tool area downstairs, the machine room is completely unheated with a cold concrete floor. I don't dare take the machines upstairs as the floor has been there since the 14th century and is likely to give way if I put any more weight on it; whilst the office is the size of a small cupboard. Not to worry, I know I'm better off than many folk.

What I need is another building.and to get rid of some machinery... but which machines can I bear to part with... Think of the expense...

Yup. I'll leave things alone for now! LOL

[Catchndreams]

I'm facing the annoying prospect of using a dull knife to cut slits in straps for mystery braid bracelets. I do NOT have a set up to sharpen the stupid thing, and I don't know anyone locally to get it done. So it takes about 3-4 passes each time to get a slit cut all the way through the 4/5 oz leather I'm using. Drives me nuts. Plus, anyone notice that blades are rarely even sold sharp anymore? What's up with that!!!!???

Well, that got me thinking: what is the most annoying thing you have to deal with in your workspace? Lack of lighting? No ventilation? Don't have the tools you want? Not enough space? Let's hear it!

Hi wildrose, this is what I have done since the day the earth cooled. [i'm in my Golden years] I use a utility knife and a head knife in my shop. The new blade in the utility knife I strop with red rouge and leather to get it razer sharp. Doesn't take much. I use the same blade for days to weeks. All I do when I feel a drag on a cut is re-strop it. I mite use 20 blades a year. Same for my head knives. Unless you aquire a used blade and need to stone it, stroping is the no. one tool in my shop. Hope this helps. Dennis

[cybertracy]

this was a fun post! I have small variances of some of the gripes, but my biggest is I have a gazebo I've converted set up on a gradual slope and if I drop a tool on the floor it rolls for miles. If I'm in a rush or I get lazy and instead of hopping off the bench and crawling under and around benches & tables, etc. . to find it I grab another one to try to make do (which rarely does) and in short time I end up with tools either scattered on my bench or under them. Like everyone, I've spent so much time trying to adapt my workspace to avoid the huge task of leveling the ground, I probably could've leveled it twice by now. . .

It also gets very cold nights and winters . . looking for an inexpensive way to warm up.

[Somawas]

Lack of a "shop."

[Peter Ellis]

For me it's the constant losing battle to try to keep my "shop" space instead of having it filled with other things. Mail gets set down on the table where I try to do my color work, 'overflow' furniture winds up in the garage where my powertools and metalworking shop is.

I'm constantly looking for something that's under other stuff or otherwise hiding from me.

I would really love to have an area that isn't constantly being encroached upon that can just be my shop space and not have to begin my work time by trying to clear the space needed to do the work

[JohnBarton]

For me the most frustrateing thing is the mess. Knowing i have something and not being able to find it. Not having the rest of my cabinets done for storage. I have plenty of room i built a new shop about 5 years ago just need for things to be organized. Need more outlets even though i put them every 3 foot their's still never enough. Or i guess i could spread things out some but that would be to easy..LOL.

Wildrose why don't you get a stone and try your hand at sharpening your knife. From what you said it would be hard to hurt it. Plus their not hard to sharpen. It might take a few minutes if it's really dull but it's a good thing to know how to do.

This is my biggest frustration. I go out and buy tons of samples, I buy tools and knick knacks that have specialized uses. No matter what I do and what I say much of these things ends up being put in drawers, boxes, behind stacks of other things, etc... It frustrates me to no end when I need something and I KNOW that I have it and no one can find it. We have a big cleaning every couple months and sure enough the things that everyone in my shop SWEARS that we didn't ever have when I was looking for it magically appear.

The only other thing that upsets me is when people work in a space that is unsafe for the project. What I mean is that they do things like leave a razor blade exposed and then lay a case on it or work with easily tipped containers of dye, etc.... I can't stand it when I walk in and see them working on a case and it's laying on a screwdriver or something similar. aaaargrgh!!

[UKRay]

my biggest is I have a gazebo I've converted set up on a gradual slope and if I drop a tool on the floor it rolls for miles.

The rolling tools thing is a regular occurrence here too. It featured in another thread a while back when we talked about the Leatherworker's need for amazing peripheral vision and lightening fast reflexes to catch the tools as they drop off the edge of the bench. The worst thing is slopping a cup of coffee on a sloping bench... it goes all over the place!

Ray

[HarryB]

Time!

[cgleather]

Dust and time.

[thecapgunkid]

Has anybody preached to you yet about a clicking knife with a sharp point, where you hone it by shaving imaginary slices off a piece of fine grit emery cloth stapled to a furring strip, and then polished it on a cloth wheel?

When the Knights Of Columbus moved me out here to Pittsburgh, we picked a house where, for no apparent reason, the previous owner added a wooden barn the size of a bedroom in spite of the multitude of space in the rest of the house and garage.

You know that I know that you know what went through my head as I planned on running some electricity into the place. I went from a ten-footer in the front third of my old garage in Connecticut to this fresh-wood-smell palace and have been re-arranging it ever since. Lasts hanging off the walls in neat rows, a stand up bench in the middle, saddle making stand in the corner, tools neatly put away each time they were used, and so on. Every spring it gets shuffled around and swept out, and I will get some idea that makes me wanna change something. AND....I am greatful enough to know how good I have it to boot!!

Moral of the story...there's something wwwwrrrooonnnngggg with us. Maybe it's the restlessness of being able to create nice crafted stuff, or that kernel of desire to do things different or that eternal quest for the right, neatly cubby-holed workspace where we can spend the rest of our lives in productive peace.....nnnaaaahhhh!!!

Don't shoot yore eye out, kid

The Capgun Kid

[Go2Tex]

Dust and time.

Wasn't that a song?..... Make a good title for a book, too.

Edited October 31, 2009 by Go2Tex

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Well, I have read all the posts till now, and funny thing, I resemble with all of them! Guess that as time goes on, and you get "long in the tooth", you get a chance to experiance all the frustrations/joy of being a leatherworker. Glad to see that I'm not the only one that enjoys this life. This was a fun post.

Bondo Bob