Have you ever known a shop owner who was fanatical about cleanliness? I am not that man!
Oh, I like to put out clean looking products and refinished pieces, but I just don't devote a lot of time to sweeping the floor and dusting off things. What could be more time wasting than making the floor spotless; then moments later scattering sawdust all over it? Worrying about hand plane shavings falling off the bench is useless, and is also a source of unneeded stress. In my shop I let 'em fall, and I let 'em lay. Stress free planing, sanding, and chiseling is my policy.
And don't you love the familiar crunch of shavings and chips under your feet? Quite a few years ago I had a weak moment and actually swept my shop floor. It was so quiet when I walked around, the silence began to work on my imagination such that I thought someone was lurking in the shadows. That fear has since been remedied.
Another thing to consider about excessive sweeping is the wear and tear on your push broom. Research has shown that there is absolutely nothing worse on a good broom than to rub it back and forth and back and forth over rough concrete. The one I have is at least fifteen years old and is still in great shape. As a craftsman you know how important it is to maintain your tools. Your broom deserves as much respect as anything else in your shop.
There are some real advantages to having a layer of shavings and sawdust on your floor. Think of the insulating properties. I used to have cold feet standing on bare concrete in cool weather, but not now. That's the same reason they put straw bedding in horse stalls. And have you ever dropped a sharp edge tool or a coffee mug on a hard floor. The chisel always lands on the cutting edge, and the cup always breaks—but not in my shop!
You might be thinking, "Don't you ever get bothered by all the wood chips and shavings on your floor?" Yes I do, in all honesty. When they get so deep that I begin hitting my head on the fluorescent fixtures I know it's time to shovel out some of the shavings. However, the last time that happened I just raised the chains on the lights.
It may be that this rigid work ethic is not for everyone, but I have found that the merits of doing things this way are significant. Just the savings in time make it worthwhile. And I need to save all the time I can; after all it takes so much time dealing with specks and flaws in my finishes. If I could only figure where they're coming from.
©2004 John Abild
Oh, I like to put out clean looking products and refinished pieces, but I just don't devote a lot of time to sweeping the floor and dusting off things. What could be more time wasting than making the floor spotless; then moments later scattering sawdust all over it? Worrying about hand plane shavings falling off the bench is useless, and is also a source of unneeded stress. In my shop I let 'em fall, and I let 'em lay. Stress free planing, sanding, and chiseling is my policy.
And don't you love the familiar crunch of shavings and chips under your feet? Quite a few years ago I had a weak moment and actually swept my shop floor. It was so quiet when I walked around, the silence began to work on my imagination such that I thought someone was lurking in the shadows. That fear has since been remedied.
Another thing to consider about excessive sweeping is the wear and tear on your push broom. Research has shown that there is absolutely nothing worse on a good broom than to rub it back and forth and back and forth over rough concrete. The one I have is at least fifteen years old and is still in great shape. As a craftsman you know how important it is to maintain your tools. Your broom deserves as much respect as anything else in your shop.
There are some real advantages to having a layer of shavings and sawdust on your floor. Think of the insulating properties. I used to have cold feet standing on bare concrete in cool weather, but not now. That's the same reason they put straw bedding in horse stalls. And have you ever dropped a sharp edge tool or a coffee mug on a hard floor. The chisel always lands on the cutting edge, and the cup always breaks—but not in my shop!
You might be thinking, "Don't you ever get bothered by all the wood chips and shavings on your floor?" Yes I do, in all honesty. When they get so deep that I begin hitting my head on the fluorescent fixtures I know it's time to shovel out some of the shavings. However, the last time that happened I just raised the chains on the lights.
It may be that this rigid work ethic is not for everyone, but I have found that the merits of doing things this way are significant. Just the savings in time make it worthwhile. And I need to save all the time I can; after all it takes so much time dealing with specks and flaws in my finishes. If I could only figure where they're coming from.
©2004 John Abild
