[AT] Cleaning the shop (or not)

[Ralph Goff]

On 3/11/2014 9:24 AM, Carl Gogol wrote:
> Funny how that tossing stuff works -- At work they told us to clean up
> everything that we haven't used in 6 months.  Specialty instruments, home
> made irreplaceable fixtures were tossed like garbage by the "want to look
> good to their boss" management types.  What goes around comes around - an
> old product that was discontinued was resurrected abut 3 months later (by
> the same bright people) - you know what was missing - all the spare parts,
> fixtures and specialty instruments for developing and testing.
> I am a saver, maybe a borderline hoarder, but I often have something to make
> it work and share with friends and neighbors.  It would be nice if we could
> have a shop that was just a shop for working on things, but we all have so
> many projects and so little time that the space we have gets cluttered or
> filled with new projects and toys.  Fortunately, I do not think it is fatal.
I can certainly identify with that . It just shocks and amazes me when I 
see the things some people throw out in the name of neatness and 
organization. My only problem is that with so much stuff saved up it can 
be difficult to find what I want when I need it. I have kind of a 
"filing system" in my head and it is not always reliable. For example, I 
am looking at putting the original cast front wheels and heavy duty axle 
back on the Cockshutt 50 that my dad bought in 1960. I "knew" I had the 
parts stored in an old chicken barn. On searching I have only been able 
to find one of the cast wheels with a rotted tire on it. The other wheel 
and complete front axle continue to elude me. Did I throw it out in a 
misguided attempt to clean up the place years ago thinking I would never 
need or want to return the tractor to original condition? I don't think 
the parts could have settled into the earth and disappeared but they 
might as well have.

Ralph in Sask.
>