Shop Setup and Design

[grandpabear]

   i keep a shop made 11" x 7" x 3" x 1/2" plywood box on my table. right now it contains 3 pocket knives, 3 6" stainless rulers, 1 4 1/2" channel lock, 1 piece of chalk, 1 art gum eraser, 4 sharp wooden pencils. 1 thin lead mechanical pencil, 1 pencil sharpener, 1 1/4" double ended single flute countersink, 1 5 1/2" incra square, 1 acid brush, a roll of scotch tape and a roll of blue painters tape.

   small items always get put in the box and it's the only place i have to look. no  measuring tape, do not use 1 for wood working.

[rxeagle]

Allen is right about aprons . I started with a short Grizzley , then an around the neck Lee Valley and now have a shoulder style that my DIL bought for Christmas. I love it . Besides the advantage of straps not on the neck it has 2 large front pockets with vertical slits on the sides so no sawdust.

    I like the aspect that my jeans don't have glue spots all over and seem to last longer now.

[woodchip7]

I've posted this gadget before.  I know they make a retractable pencil holders but they are expensive so I bought a package of (5) at Staples for what it would have cost for one plus the shipping.  The remote for the DC usually hangs next to the pencil.

[oljpj]

 I don't think there is a solution for me. After looking for my pencil (for who knows how long), it appears behind my ear. No matter where I lost it!.

                                                                    Urbano

[snert1]

I can't believe this thread is still alive.  Thanks for all the comments.  A good laugh is a good thing.  Some good ideas, also.   The retractable string is dangerous, though.  For me, it would be like my extension cords and air hose.  I can get tangled up in an extension cord that's rolled up and hanging on the wall.  That string would be arond my neck, arms and who knows where.  Those things are alive and out to get me.

[nicola91028]

Funny, I think there are gremlins in my shop,I sharpen at least 25 pencils and scatter them all across my work

bench, also have 6 tape measures and 4 lufkins scattered about  and can never have a pencil or tape when I 

need one within reach. Then at the end of the week they all seem to migrate to one corner of the work bench

completely out of reach, I just wish there was a magic spell to get rid of those gremlins. Nick R.

[westphaljoe]

It's back to school time and wal mart, the dollar stores and even the local drug store has deals on boxes of pencils.

I usually keep a couple dozen extra in the tool box. then wwhen i clean the shop i find all the ones that got set down and forgotten/lost.

[Ron P.]

I've got small blocks of wood, the top cut at an angle and holes drilled for 4 to 6 pencils setting everywhere I need a pencil.  When it gets down to one or two pencils I fill it up again.  Pencils walk off but the block doesn't.  I too have an endless supply of lead pencils it seems. 

[john880]

Ok, I too had this problem with pencils but also tape's. In wearing my apron the pencils in their upper pouch points break. So, on the pencil side I bought a length of 3" PVC and, oh let see,,,,3 end caps, and 2, 24 pack of #2 pencils. On the main bench do all kind of things, 6', that has a white peg board from its top to the above floor joist.  I had built the peg board battery power drill support from Shopnotes some time back. (A neat idea !) On to the supports side's is two of these horizontal 4" long pvc's. One for the ink sharpie pens, the other for pencils.

 Over at the TS is a small catch all table set 90 degree adjacent, on my right. Meant to keep all of anything I have a penance to lay on the saw's top from my hand's, while its in motion. Here is another vertical PVC. Screwed to its top's 2" tall containment sides.

 On the plainer there is a small wood catch all box in the back. On the router, 16/32 sander, the flip top stand sander/planer, the RAS, the drill press, the small "make up table", all of these have small upper drawers, with several pencils.

Now on the tapes I bought 6, 30' bright yellow all the same brand tapes one I try to keep in the apron's pocket, when that fails,,,,,, 

Oh, checked on the pull out length measurements on all of these tapes to make sure they measured the same.

[smallpatch1]

  

I forgot to show you what I did with a lot of my pencil lost problem. And I would have put up more holders but my drill finger got tired!!