ingenious workshop solutions?

[Bsmith]

Piece of dishwasher rack fixed to the workshop wall is good for hanging ring, combi, adjustable spanners on.

 

[maroon]

this is the way i have wrapped cables for 20 years no need for any ties or velcro

If you coiled cables like this in front of a touring stage rigger they would have a coronary. And get a lecture.

Something to do with snapping the braids inside.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Think I may have posted this before. Make life easier on your hands. Best ergonomics ever, in my opinion.

 

[Blue Chips]

This looks like a useful thread to revive.

What appears to be a shallow wall cabinet above my steel-top work bench is a pair of doors that open to an exhaust fan. I installed the fan to carry off welding fumes and dust from grinding and sanding. The doors can be propped part-way open, as shown, to help direct fumes and dust into the fan, or they can be opened all the way to the wall to create more bench space.

Most of my welding projects are relatively small and can be carried out on the steel bench top that you see here, but I also have a steel table that can be rolled up to the edge of the bench to increase the working area for bigger items. To save space in my small shop, I installed the fan itself outside of the wall.

The fan and motor were new-in-box surplus items, purchased for a bargain price, and are listed for hazardous locations. Since these photos were taken, I've added more wires across the opening to support the filter element, since this is a pretty powerful fan, and it was bending the filter a bit. The filter element stays nice and flat now with the extra wires. The filter element is easily replaceable by removing the lid above the doors (held down with two nuts) and sliding a new filter down into place.

I installed a pair of very bright sealed/weatherproof LED lights above the work area, which are plugged into a switched receptacle. I plan to cover the inside of the doors (that face the welding area) with brushed aluminium sheets that will reach all the way down to the steel bench top to stop sparks from rolling under the doors, and which will also help reflect more light on the parts to be welded. I also plan to install some aluminium sheet on the lower portion of the wall where it meets the bench top.

 

[Blue Chips]

Piece of dishwasher rack fixed to the workshop wall is good for hanging ring, combi, adjustable spanners on.

Interesting idea. Lots of different shapes and angles in a dishwasher rack, and you could just clip or bend wires as desired. I'll bet you could find lots of old dishwasher racks at your local metal recycler. There's a local recycler here where I take my unwanted scrap steel or iron. I just give it to them for nothing, and in return, they let me wander through their yard to pick up any bits that catch my attention. They've never charged me for anything yet, but I always leave with less metal than I come in with, so they're still ahead.

 

[Olderisbetter]

Nothing clever just a 3" × 2" with some self adhesive foam against the doors to create a draft stopper, there is a squirt of builders foam on the floor and it held down with concrete screws.

 

[Blue Chips]

Nothing clever just a 3" × 2" with some self adhesive foam against the doors to create a draft stopper, there is a squirt of builders foam on the floor and it held down with concrete screws.

It looks like it will do the job. I had to replace the rubber weather seal on the bottom of one of our garage/shop doors a few months ago, as the mice apparently found the old one to be highly palatable. They never actually made a large enough hole to get into the garage, since the metal part of the door stops very close to the floor, but the many rodent-induced perforations were letting in quite a draft. The new rubber seal is a different brand, and for whatever reason, it hasn't been gnawed on at all.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Nothing clever just a 3" × 2" with some self adhesive foam against the doors to create a draft stopper, there is a squirt of builders foam on the floor and it held down with concrete screws.
View attachment 382220

Here is a good solution for stopping draft from the gap above a roll-up-door. Measure and cut a wood batten the width of the door, then attach (rubber backed) carpet to the batten, and screw the batten to the garage door header at the opening with the rubber side down. Gravity will keep the carpet in contact with the door throughout its up and down cycles and significantly reduce draft. Here's a rough sketch and a couple of photos which should be self explanatory.

 

[Dcal]

Here is a good solution for stopping draft from the gap above a roll-up-door. Measure and cut a wood batten the width of the door, then attach (rubber backed) carpet to the batten, and screw the batten to the garage door header at the opening with the rubber side down. Gravity will keep the carpet in contact with the door throughout its up and down cycles and significantly reduce draft. Here's a rough sketch and a couple of photos which should be self explanatory.

View attachment 382222 View attachment 382223 View attachment 382224

Any tips for the sides?

 

[Arc Tourist]

Any tips for the sides?

Unfortunately, I haven't come up with a reasonable solution for that; yet.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Think I may have posted this before. Make life easier on your hands. Best ergonomics ever, in my opinion.

View attachment 382211 View attachment 382212 View attachment 382213

I forgot to mention:

Use a face shield, or safety glasses at a minimum, as on a rare occasion I have found a golf ball which had a liquid core that can squirt out when drilled.

Drill a slightly undersize hole for the proposed attachment to the tool about 3/4 of the way through the ball, and then smack it on. There will be enough tension to keep it from coming off easily.

 

[tom2207]

For corded tools, I roll the power cable(s) up and secure them with that 'hook & eye' stuff [can't remember the right name atm and it's out in the shed ], cut off a bit from the roll and it's job jobbed.

Then hang them up on the hooks @Burdekin mentioned.

I never buy Velcro ,,,,

Its a rip off.

 

[bigegg]

I never buy Velcro ,,,,

Its a rip off.

Trouble is, it's easy to get hooked on it.

 

[MattF]

as on a rare occasion I have found a golf ball which had a liquid core that can squirt out when drilled.

I was wondering about that. Only golf ball I ever dismembered had a gooey centre.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

had a gooey centre.

Aye, the core was under high pressure.

 

[Arc Tourist]

I was wondering about that. Only golf ball I ever dismembered had a gooey centre.

Yeah, some of old ones did Matt, but I haven't seen one of the modern versions like this; they are wound with what looks like rubber bands.

 

[Dilkris]

I don't know how to copy photo's from a previous post - so please find the link below.

Ideas for a Workshop

I was going to post this under "stuff I have made today" but then thought (perhaps) it was worthy of a thread on its own - I am always fascinated by peoples workshops, I can spend hours just walking around them, picking up ideas, marveling at the simple (and often obvious) things, and shaking my...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[Arc Tourist]

I don't know how to copy photo's from a previous post - so please find the link below.

Ideas for a Workshop

I was going to post this under "stuff I have made today" but then thought (perhaps) it was worthy of a thread on its own - I am always fascinated by peoples workshops, I can spend hours just walking around them, picking up ideas, marveling at the simple (and often obvious) things, and shaking my...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

Ahhh, that's the old thread I replied to.

 

[tom2207]

I was wondering about that. Only golf ball I ever dismembered had a gooey centre.

That was really old ones ,,, and the stuff stuck to everything and it was nasty smelling stuff too.

 

[clift_d]

Trouble is, it's easy to get hooked on it.

Don't worry, it'll never catch on.