Little By Little

The shop was in chaos. Nothing is right when the shop is in chaos.


The benches were packed full of project parts and drop offs. The oddities of sorting through my father-in-law's own chaotic tool depository. The pressure of a dozen projects and only decimal points of time to spend on them. We all get there sometimes, things get away from us.

Mrs. Wolf and I took a small vacation a bit from home. I drank some bourbon, carved some spoons, shopped some used book stores, and visited with some friends. It isn't a switch flip, but it was a step. I came home and looked around the shop and started moving back to where I wanted to be. It started with a difficult decision.


Building this workbench was the excuse I used to start this blog. I learned a lot standing in front of it. It took me from an Abrams-centric world view to a zealotly Underhill-esque stance and back to somewhere comfortably in between. In 2014 I took everything I learned and poured into building a new bench. Once that happened this one became the certified shit collector.

Despite what concept many try and sell, I firmly believe in a strong separation of workbench and storage. I made a tough decision and decided to retire the bench.


First I disassembled it. prepared to throw it into the back of the pickup truck and haul it to the dump. Then I had another thought. The bench will have a second, a though harder life as a gardening/potting bench in our backyard. My mother-in-law and middle child have already made great use of it by now. Truthfully I'm interested to see how the bench holds up to the seasons and elements.


I used this as a little inspiration. Not as idyllic, but similar concept.


We went to the area Habitat For Humanity store and I found a pair of cabinets that were more than a little homely, needed a touch of TLC, but would work. I also found a decent, old stock hollow core closet door the perfect depth and length for $5.


I repaired a drawer front and started finishing an organization project for hardware and lesser used tool sets. I always appreciated what Adam Savage created in his shop with Sortimo tool boxes, I created a scaled down version with a couple sheets of plywood, some pocket screws, and the Stanley tools version of those parts boxes.


After some measurements I cut all the parts on the tablesaw


I cut some appropriate sized spacers and attached all the shelves with two pocket screws to a side.


 Slowly building. . .


Finished and turned right side up with some backer boards to keep me from pushing the storage units through. Things came out just slightly unperfectly even. I guess I'm not machine precise enough to be a cabinetmaker. I'm OK with that.


Everything in place and labeled. Space to add four more trays. I've got my extra sharpening supplies in a drawer instead of collecting on the countertop. It holds more and actually takes up less space.

There was more yet to accomplish.

Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf

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