In that vein, I wonder, what can I do to keep myself in the shop? What are you doing? For me, comfort is important. Maybe all this goes without saying. Pleasant lighting (no flourescents!), good music, a hot cup of tea, a comfortable drafting stool, keeping the place clean and organized, all contribute to my comfort level. And the more comfortable I am, the more time I'll spend there, and the sooner I'll have this silly bird in the air.
I spent some time last weekend tidying up. I fastened my power strip to the table frame, to get it up off the floor. I spliced in a two-foot chunk of power cord to a light, to get the extension cord up off the floor and put away.
I had a swing-out wall lamp, installed many years ago for another purpose, whose shade was cocked by a shelf above my workbench. The cocked shade offended my aesthetic sensibililties, and raising the lamp would have been difficult, so I lowered the shelf an inch.
I added another shelf for commonly used tools, to keep them organized and out of my way yet easily accesible. I put my non-airplane but occasionally needed anyway tools (hammer, screwdrivers, etc.) away in a drawer so they'd be off the bench.
A few weeks ago I built a slanted shelf for my plans and blueprints, in the narrow end of the room by the door. I had decided that having the prints flat on the table took up too much room, and hanging them vertically on the wall made them too awkward to study. I really like them the way I have them now, and because they're slanted, there's no chance I'll set things on top of them.
Anyway, while driving the other day, I found a pile of giveaway stuff, in which was a beautiful hanging lamp. I didn't really need more light over the prints, but thought it would make the room cheerier. I love my new light! It gives the whole shop more character.
Today, I hung one of my favorite calendar girls up on the wall, and she adds some character, too.
So make your shop more pleasant! Finish that drywall! Clean up! Pipe in a pair of speakers, or at least put in a decent quality boombox. Make it a place you'd want to hang out even if you weren't building!
CJ
CJ
CJ
CJ