After shipping the latest workbench commission this week, I took stock of the mess in my shop caused by months of neglect. I can tell myself it's because my work days got shortened when we chose remote learning for our seven year old. Or maybe I bought a little too much thick cherry and walnut for leg vise chops and end caps the last time I ordered from Irion.
The real reason is that I'm afraid to decide. I'm afraid that the place I choose to put a tool or a piece of lumber won't be the right place.
So I leave it out.
In a pile next to the ripsaw. On the bandsaw table. On the wing of the table saw that's bigger than I need it to be.
After a while of not deciding, the shop is piled with offcuts and tools and manuals. I move this stuff again to use a tool and I still refuse to decide.
The solution, I'm finding, is to realize that there is no perfect place to put a thing. There are, however, several places to put it that are the wrong place. I just have to DECIDE to put it somewhere that is better than the wrong place.
It may turn out that I've discovered a new wrong place. Then I have to do the hard work of deciding to put it in a new place. Hopefully the right place. A place where I can leave it until I need it. Not a place where I have to move it when I need something else.
Hello Mark, thanks for sharing. I too have found the topic of the perfect place to be quite the conundrum, for lots of things. Thanks for not only bringing this up but also for the actionable approach to finding a solution. I agree that it’s better to try out somewhere better than the wrong place, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading out to my shop to move some things around. Thanks again, Jeff