Must Have Shop Items

[ovrszd]

Btw I choose NOT to be baited by ovrszd.

Quitter...…

 

[flyerdan]

Another thing that's good to have is wire terminals, a soldering iron, heat shrink tube, and a bunch of wire. I've got several wiring harnesses from parted out vehicles that I've kept, can often find the right gauge and color of wire for what I'm working on, if I need to match it. Also, helicoils are nice for fixing stripped things, I got a nice metric kit on ebay for under $30. Like to find an SAE set for that good of a deal.

 

[dragoneggs]

Losing track of what all has been mentioned. Takes more than a lifetime to get it all but a good solid dedicated workbench that is free of clutter and 220v power. Clamps... never have enough. A big compressor. Storage area for all your wood and metal cutoffs. I am trying to build new space just for that.

 

[lennyzx11]

Don't forget eye protection and make it a habit using it. Full face shields for any grinding chores.

I’ll go with this one. Take the time and buy a box of safety glasses. If you wear reading glasses, get the kind with the magnifying lenses built in. Then... take 3 or 4 or 5 pair of them and scatter them around the shop in strategic locations. Table saw, compound miter saw, router table, work bench, etc. Then they are handy.
I’m rinsing cedar dust still out of my eyes tonight after trimming a stud and was too lazy to go over to my other shop and get glasses.
While you’re at it scatter pencils, markers, and tape measures all over the **** place!

 

[Gem99ultra]

Aside from all the usual stuff, I stumbled onto one very useful shop item- a wheeled, hydraulic lift table that is infinitely adjustable, height wise, with its foot pump. Things that I've used it for so far:

Back your pickup up to the garage, slide your load onto the table, set at tailgate height, and roll the load over to wherever you want to work on it.

Use the table as an extended work support, setting its height to match the main table you are working on. For example, supporting a long piece steel at the height of your chop saw. If the main table is higher than the max height of the hydraulic table, use some 4x4 as shims.

Set the height of the table so that your workpiece on it is at a comfortable working height.

As above, but set a heavy vise on the table to clamp the workpiece. I've done this for holding a piece to be welded at a comfortable height. The vise can be set on the table without bolting it down if it's heavy and there's not much side force involved.

Plus, it's a handy surface on rollers, even if you don't need the lift.

This looks similar to the one I bought from a roving semi truck tool show. Mine leaks down eventually but the frame can be blocked at a certain height with the proper length of wood:

5 lbs. Capacity Hydraulic Table Cart

I agree with adding the hydraulic lift table jmc mentioned. Normally I'm not a HF supporter - BUT their lift table is one of the handiest things in my shop. I would recommend going to the 1000 pound table. HF's price is a fraction of what everybody else is trying to charge, but the quality is very good, sans the casters.

 

[Oaktree]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is a radio. Gotta have some tunes while I'm working!!

I'm jealous of you guys that have a decent-sized dedicated shop. Mine's basically one side of a 2 car garage (both sides in the summer, but my wife insists on parking her car inside during the winter...the nerve of her!!). I keep my tractor on my side in the winter, so that limits space even more.

Then again, all I have for heat is a 45 year old Fisher woodstove that takes forever to warm the (non insulated) garage up, so I really need to plan ahead to do any winter projects.
Still better than what I had at my previous house, which was an 8x12 shed, barely big enough to keep my tools out of the weather. Any time I needed to do anything it had to be outside.

 

[ovrszd]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is a radio. Gotta have some tunes while I'm working!!

XM Radio unit plugged into a docking station. On all the time in the shop. Additional docking stations in the vehicles I want tunes in.

 

[HarryVanderpool]

Tight fitting, 9 mil mechanic's gloves.
If you need to remove them in the middle of a job in order to eat, just send a blast of air from your air gun and they slip right off.
I use the same pair for days on some projects:

9 mil Nitrile Powder-Free Gloves Medium, 5 Pc.

 

[ovrszd]

Tight fitting, 9 mil mechanic's gloves.
If you need to remove them in the middle of a job in order to eat, just send a blast of air from your air gun and they slip right off.
I use the same pair for days on some projects:

9 mil Nitrile Powder-Free Gloves Medium, 5 Pc.

I've never owned a pair.

 

[the old grind]

TOTAL ABSENCE of tiresome radio commercial onslaught, trendy music, and other needless, socially accepted, redundant BS. (see signature)
No need for pushy customers who'll trade quality or fit for big hairy rush. Too often their distraction fosters crap I can't be proud of. For them I can only say:



It a workshop, not a clubhouse. I haven't listened to music radio since Country went Pop in the early '90s.

Sufficient traps to keep mice and red squirrels from nesting and peeing everywhere that's out of sight.