Building Out a Small Tackle Workshop -- On a Budget

[foakes]

Many of us are cleaning up, organizing, throwing out old stuff, and seeing how we can put our workspaces in proper order for working on reels.

For me, and maybe some of you -- efficiency is fun, professional, and safer.

The most important followup, for me -- on all of this organization -- is to seriously practice putting everything away each evening, and after each reel job.  Ordering and cleaning the area.  When you are rolled into an operating room at the hospital -- you don't want a bunch of clutter laying around from the last patient's operation.  

As tackle professionals -- each of us should demand no less of ourselves.

This sounds corny -- but if done religiously for 30 to 45 days -- you will find it is now part of your professional routine.

And it costs nothing -- just a conditioning of thought and good habits.

Also, as you are organizing things -- and getting down to the bottom of the piles, and the back of the boxes -- post a pic or two of one item you have found that you forgot you had.  Maybe a special tool, horde of little parts, a reel worth restoring -- or that missing item you thought was lost forever!  All fun...

Best,

Fred

[Reel 224]

Fred: I was told by my Dad a long time ago "Every thing has a place and a place to put it in" He was a mechanic and had lots of tools. As a young lad I would get into his tool box every once in awhile....when he wasn't looking, and he would know right away that I was in there because the tools were placed in the same place that he set them. And I heard that saying a dozen times before it sunk in.

Joe 

[oc1]

I clean up the shop every year, whether it needs it or not.  I can usually find what I'm looking for but the wife and kids have a hard time so the clean-up is really for them.

I never scolded the kids for using tools, or even leaving stuff out in the rain or breaking them.  That was a hard pill to swallow but they are both fairly adept now.
-steve

[Jerseymic]

When I was a boy learning my trade as a carpenter, my father, also a carpenter, said to me, an untidy workshop is a dangerous workshop.

Something I have never forgotten.

Mike.

[fishhead69]

Wow Fred. You sure are organized. Organization is the key to success. You really got it going on. That is a serious set up.

[Alto Mare]

Joe, that's coming along nicely...good job! I like the idea of that folding top, very effective being by the closet .
Thanks for sharing.

Sal

[foakes]

Coming along nicely, Joe --

You are right -- stations are important -- and efficient.

For me, I use 5 stations in the shop --

Disassembly, cleaning, reassembly, line winding, shipping

I use those plastic trays that everyone makes fun of (they are really cheap at the restaurant supply places), last forever, clean up nicely, and can move from station to station without losing any parts.  The dark brown ones were a mistake -- can't see all of the little parts as easily -- the orange and teal work well for me, although there are many colors.

The line always needs to be kept moving -- any reels waiting for parts go in a large plastic bag, tray and all -- and are stored off-bench.  (I may never get back to that reel if parts are not available -- why clog up the system?).

Assembly line system -- the best way I have found to operate efficiently, so far.

Good work!

Best,

Fred

Here is an example of one bench this morning:

Yesterday, found a box with a bunch of parts all mixed up -- in looking further, realized that I might be able to put these reels together (a 910, 350, 209, 9) -- or at least all except the 910, since I do not think I have the extra parts missing for that one.

[thorhammer]

Joe that looks great!! I do same as Fred does with trays; I get cookie sheets 3 for five bucks at wallyworld and put a shop towel on it so things don't bounce when dropped.  As Fred says then you can set aside when waiting parts.

[El Pescador]

...  I use those plastic trays that everyone makes fun of

Fred,

  "...  that eveyone makes fun of!!!"

Seriously, it looks like a Taco Bell blew up in your workshop !!!

Working with Dominick to schedule time for a vist this late spring or early summer, we'll keep in touch!

Wayne

[Tiddlerbasher]

Nice going Joe! Looking good

[Tightlines667]

Looking good Joe.  I wonder if a rod drying box would fit on top of those shelves in back?  Also, instead of those plastic lunch trays, you can use flat/rimmed cardboard soda boxes (free from your local grocery store). 

[foakes]

Thought of one more thing that may help some of you as you build out your shops --

Before I started using my old drafting tables from the college surplus, this is what I used:



This is an old steel desk from the 50's & 60's -- used in government offices and such.  Mine had some paperwork inside indicating it came from a Navy recruiting office.  Cost me $25 at a Veterans Thrift Store 50% off Tuesday sale.

Virtually indestrucible -- with more steel than most new cars -- weighs about 300 pounds -- plus you can easily install casters on it if desired.

If this might work -- just got to do some shopping around.

Makes a great work station.

Now I use it out in one of the workshops as an extra bench.

Plus, sometimes you can get a surplus wood desk from a trade in at an office equipment place -- or a pretty neat desk on sale at Office Depot, Office Max, or Staples -- for around $100 - $150.

Best,

Fred

[LB]

foake your work station is something to admire, l have a lot but not that organizes.  l'm new to this site , just been reading posts. But have fixed and done a lot of modes to spinning reels on both Penn and Dam Quicks in my 65 yrs of fishing, i'm now 74 and still chasing the stripbass, now that l see that you have such an inventory on Dam Quick parts l would like to see if you would have two parts for my quick 441N that l like so much and use a lot for plugin for stripebass, will wait until you you are back from vacation l think it's 6/1/16. Them will give you the part numbers for the Quick 441N.
                          Lionel

[foakes]

When I was re-organizing this little workshop earlier in the year -- I realized that I was running out of room.

The parts I needed to work on my most often repair and service jobs -- along with tools and other things -- were maxing out the room.

Not much room for reels...

So I discovered an area that could be made into a small hidden room -- through a wall, into the attic, accessed from the upstairs shop.

So I cut out some sheathing from 1930, exposed an area, insulated, put a few additional floor joists in, wired some lights, installed a wall switch, covered the inside with 5/8" rough sheeting, put in a 3/4" ply floor, then covered that with some new leftover carpet.

So I figured that I could put DAM Quicks, Mitchells, Penns, ABUs, Cardinals, and a few other reels in organized boxes.

So over the 4th weekend -- I started pulling all these brands of reels out of the outside shop and oversea storage container.

Ended up with 54 large boxes -- with around 20 to 25 reels in each box -- depending on sizes and classifications.  And was able to separate and label everything into some sort of order.

Now if I need a reel -- just go to the box -- and have many to choose from.

Plus, I knew there were quite a few NIB Quicks & Mitchells -- but mixed in with all of the Mitchells, I discovered around 25 rare ones -- half  bails, pillar spools, many left hand reels, and a fair number that appear unused.

Many are just average, or well used -- but many are very nice.

About 400 Mitchells, 300 Quicks, lots of Penns, plus an assortment of everything good from the 60's -- 90's.

Lot of fun -- and now I am better organized -- until I decide to change things again.

Best,

Fred

[steelhead_killer]

you are up for the lifetime achievement award!