Organized work area?

[Forresterwoods]

#4499

Does anybody have as much trouble as I do in organizing their arrow/bow building area? There always seems to be twice as much clean up after a project than what was produced.

My main shop area is downstairs where the sawdust flys but I like fletching arrows in civilization…namely on the dinner table. (Maybe that’s why I get indigestion my first bite is still on the way down when I’m already going for seconds). That way I can hurry up and relax fletching arrows. So my upstairs works area needs to be portable. My question is does anyone have an organized work area whether stationary or portable that exists and can work for the average joe. Anybody willing to send pics or your work area?

Kevin Forested

[David Coulter]

#31231

I do the same as you pretty much. I could clean my work bench, close my eyes and count to ten, and it would be a mess when I open them again. It’s terminal, I’m sure.

I use a simple tool box to store my fletching stuff. Once the family goes to be, I set up on the dining room table or a portable TV table and put on a movie that requires little concentration. I use an A clamp to fasten the jig to the table. When I’m done all I have to do it repack the box and pick up the fletching tape scraps.

[James Harvey]

#31350

Kev,

I have a piece of plywood, about 2’x1′ with some 2×4 offcuts as feet that I use as a little mobile workstation (I’ll post a pic when I get home, at work right now). I use it for fletching and broadhead sharpening, anywhere from a coffee table, to kitchen table to backyard table. Keeps the mess safely contained and gives me a workable space for little jobs. I just sit my bohning jig on the wood, don’t clamp it or anything.

Like DWC I keep my fletching bits in a little tool box (which is really just contained chaos), although my wife has a cool ‘sewing box’ that looks a lot like a small tackle box that I think would be perfect for neatly housing feathers, nocks, glue etc.

[William Warren]

#31355

Yeah, my work bench requires clean up almost every time I need to use it. I too have used the kitchen table as a fletching area but it is a matter of contention. Trust me you don’t want to get any fletchtite on the table finish. 😥

But since the sprout moved out I now have the office as my man cave. So now there are 2 work areas that have to be cleaned up before using.

[grumpy]

#31427

Yeah, its called a kitchen, and the bathroom when I need the exhaust fan… Actually I prefer the back porch, less cleanup, and I,m not getting all that nasty dust in the house.

I do have a work bench which I made for work which I use constantly. The legs are the fold up legs like church tables. I attached the legs to a 1 x 12 x 4 (fits just right) and cut the legs off just before they curve down (you don’t have to do that). That height is just right for me to saw or drill something, and I don’t have to worry about damaging it, replacing the top cost less than $10. I also put 1 x 2s around the side to prevent warping, and give it enough strength so I can stand on it (neat/safe staging). Its stable, I can clamp to it, and if I want to I can screw a block to it to hold something (like screwing a mitre box to it when I have to do repetive cuts). Almost forgot, I put a hole in the center so I can slip my hand in to carry it. That works, but I find myself putting a C clamp thru it when I need to clamp something to the center of it. OK, here is a pic of it on the back porch…

[Ralph]

#31825

Talked me into it!

At least my surroundings keeps my interest piqued all year. I do know where everything is when I need it. I promise:wink:

[Forresterwoods]

#32574

R2,

VERY impressive. I just got an idea from your picture. I have a big toolbox I can use in the baement…then a lighter tackle box for fletching in the upstairs. Thanks for sharing the results of your hard work and love of archery.

Kevin

[Michael Scott]

#33066

I’m still in the planning stages. My wife and I rent our house right now, and probably will for a while longer. When we do decide to buy something, I have every intention of having everything hunting/fishing/trapping/outdoors-related in “my room”…LOL!! My wife also wants a sewing/painting/scrapbook/craft room….fine with me…we can even have them separated by a half-wall or something….LOL!! Of course, this is all in my “plans” for later in life…whenever that is…LOL!!

[James Harvey]

#33358

Here’s my workbench, I had to make myself to fit the specs I needed (really tall so the little bandits that share my home can’t reach the dangerous things, and really narrow so that I can pull my car right up to it in the garage)…

You can see my ‘mini-table’ on the tall bench but here’s a close up. Also my little boxes of sharpening and sharp bits. That’s the box the KME came in, which is great. The tuffheads are in an old blues harp case, almost a perfect fit 😉

Multi-purpose power cage/dipping/drying station 😆

[Forresterwoods]

#34469

Now THAT is some serious hardwear. Bravo!

Kevin

[bumma]

#34857

I do have a small room as my work area. Not even close to being organized. Though the main focus here is archery I also tie flies (saltwater), work on my coin collection as well as some PC stuff.

I do all my fletching on a small table in the living room while watching TV.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#34956

By necessity, my work area needs to stay pretty contained. This is where all my arrow building, fly tying, knife sharpening, gun cleaning and sundry other little projects happen:

And that’s about as organized as it ever looks. 😀

[William Warren]

#35524

A shot of my work bench in the shed. Way too messy for a full view shot.

And some leather work on the outdoor bench under the watchful eye of the green dinosaur….

A neat work space is a sign of a sick mind. 😀

[Big Lefty]

#41656

I’m quite impressed with the looks of some of your work areas. My current setup consists of a large tackle box that I can get most of the essentials in. When its time to get the fletching jig or the torch out, I normally haul it upstairs and work from the kitchen table. We will be looking to get out of the city in the next 2-4 years, and a dedicated work area is definitely high on the priority list.

[paleoman]

#41713

R2 wrote: Talked me into it!

At least my surroundings keeps my interest piqued all year. I do know where everything is when I need it. I promise:wink:

I’m pretty organized, but never could manage the peg board ideal. Salute!

[grumpy]

#41773

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Tools and paets are in a 2 gal bucket. Started out with a coffee can (it was there when I needed it), went to the 2 gal bucket when the coffee can overflowed (it was there when I needed it) it is now overflowing, and there are lots of 5 gal buckets around.

I’m good about work tools. Tool box for electrics, plumping, masenary, etc. Just gaab the right tool box, and I’m all set (all of them have their own utility knifs, and screwdriver). Fly tying desk is a roll top desk so I can hide the mess, and 2 Kitchen wall cabinets for materals with doors.

Guess I haven’t been doing this long enough to get organized. If you read BUILDING THE BOW you know where me workplace is.

OK. Yesterday there was an incident that got me really upset about this thread. I was about to put nocks on the arrows I am building, and the nocks were not in the bucket. So I atarted looking… Arwen came out on the porch and started a melt down becouse she couldn’t find a doll.

“It is right where YOU put it. You can’t find it becouse your room isn’t picked up.” As I said that I almost tripped over a pipe wrench that never got put away, and was close to saying something that could lead to that daju vu feeling in the principles office.

[jmsmithy]

#45735

A neat work space is a sign of a sick mind. 😀

Couldn’t agree more Duncan 😆 Btw, I too have BOTH of those Shrade knives on your workbench. In fact, that big stag horn was my first purchase w/ my own $$ as a boy… And it’s still my go to carry knife on trips. I love the heft for certain things and love that skinner equally! 😀

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