Workshop Cleaning and Lessons Learned

Keeping a workshop clean and organized can be a big task, especially for a messy person like me. This disaster of a workspace has been keeping me from achieving my goals for too long and it's time to clean it up! Along the way I discover 5 tips that helped me and might help you too!

[@deanolson4609]

You know buddy spent 50 hours just on filming and like 4 hours on actual cleaning. Good on you bud! Thanks for the video.

[@MohKouba-kv1wx]

I think few seconds of your video would change my life forever, thank you

[@newstart49]

Good job. After over 40 years in the shop, I can show you how to clean- keep it clean and have everything close at hand and machines cleaned and oiled and all ready to go. The last thing I do is put away a machine or tool and not have it ready at the flip of a switch- saves time and frustration. Tools can't just be put back- they must be cleaned and/or oiled, then put away. Your tools will last longer and be ready for the next job............................................ Good to have one switch (with a lock) that kills all power (except a light and motion sensor) to the shop when you leave. Helps protect equipment from electrical storms and makes it safe should someone enter your shop and decide to play with your machines, and also helps prevent accidental fires. Fresh air, air cleaners, exhaust air, DC, is a must for some shops. Lighting is very important. Should the motion sensor go off, you need to be alerted in the house and via smart phone. and so on.......................

[@hjeffwallace]

The tips at the end are helpful! Now I need to go build a giant speaker bike! Seriously, your shop is like mine. Not just a car shop, or woodworking. I piddle in everything. And materials, ugh! I have wood stacks I haven’t touched in 8 years.

[@10chainww90]

I realize that this video is 5 years old and you probably abandoned the idea of this channel, but I found this content refreshing so I thought I'd give you some kudos. I mean assuming you even look at this account anymore. My opinion: You have a great delivery and approached your shop tips with common sense for the "normal" woodworker/maker. Your camera presence seems effortless and you come across as "real" and humble. It's too bad you're not putting out more videos. In the super bloated field of woodworking/making channels, it's nice to stumble on people like you that don't work in front of a beautiful pristine wall of intentionally displayed hand tools that cost more individually than my old craftsman 113 table saw!!! Cheers sir!

[@DadeWheless]

Wow! Thank you so much! You’re right, i did decide not to keep making videos, but honestly comments like this make me reconsider it! I’ve actually been thinking of making videos again recently. Thanks again for the thoughtful feedback and maybe I’ll have a some more videos in the near future!

[@jimvoruz2764]

Not only informative but also entertaining. Excellent audio and lighting. Looking forward to more.

[@5x535]

One of the most useful pieces of advice I got as a young man was from an old man that had 20 acres of junk and could find anything. Jake's rule was "like items together". It really helps me get and keep things at a level that I can live with --- bolts here, paint stuff here --sandpaper here, etc. It works.

[@RustyCas999]

I’m very “visual” (most creative types are) so not a toolbox fan, but sometimes you need them. I find magnetic labels helpful so I can rearrange when needs change or I find a better arrangement. I use a Brother labeler and magnetic “tape” the width of the label. Make a label once and just move it around.

[@tnn-obsessedpatriot6196]

Magnetic labels. That may be the best idea I've ever heard..

[@tomhenderson2430]

@@tnn-obsessedpatriot6196 Unless your shelves are wood.

[@petriepretorius4085]

What fun! Orbiting around in that ring! Haha, thank you for the video, this is going to help me a lot! My Workshop needs some long awaiting attention😂🎉

[@itisquintessential]

Dude.... thank you so much! I think very similarly, and no one has spoken my language until now. Drop zones is something I’ve played with, but never had it coined till now. It definitely works for me, and now that I’ve seen it in action for you, I will definitely be doing much more of that.

[@olidil3572]

You deserve so many more subscribers bro

[@freddygill3425]

My shop is a disaster of equal proportions. That's it! You have motivated me. I am going out there and getting started. Things will be cleaner, more organized, and decluttered starting right now! It is late, but I'm working on it for 2 hours straight. Thank you friend! God bless you!

[@budj13]

Hey neighbor (I'm in Vancouver), this was really useful. I liked your alternative concepts very much. A perfectly clean shop is a sign of someone who is not doing much, but never let it get away from you. I tend to clean the shop after every project and before starting a major project.

[@markw480]

Great vid !! Loved the beginning and your expressions walking in.. I have done that exact look ! Lol

[@celestialyidum]

Great video brother. I'm glad I'm not the only one that gets a messy shop from time to time! :)

[@LTDan-pk3mx]

Dade, I cant thank you enough!! I have been a mess maker all of my life.. I hang on to stuff & keep pilling it up that eventually i end up Chucking.. I will do a job.. welding, woodworking, mechanicing.. and leave remnants/tools in a pile..and Then.... You know the picture... Anyway thanks alot for posting this.. I am taking your advice and org skills to the SHOP!!

[@jackel440]

Great tips and changing my mind on how to make things more efficient in my shop as well.

[@harenthiran]

Start somewhere really worked for me! I always have unestablished plans in my mind, start somewhere really changed my habits

[@HomesteadEngineering]

Wow! What a difference you made. I love the "stop time?" videography, that must have taken forever to film. I am a very "old school" organized person. I find French cleats to really help as they keep the right tools very close to the work and its very visual as apposed to being hidden in a box. Thanks!

[@tinatipps5042]

Wow!!! Looks great!! My favorite kind of videos

[@Coronet_1969_]

This video was incredible....not sure how you did the wipe and a few other tricks.....music was good too....thanks for the tips! My basement is chaos

[@wiktor1983]

I always watch this, when I'm trying to get cleaning mood.

[@Allen22dirt]

Valuable information, cool loop thing at the end! Rad

[@Dancing_Alone_wRentals]

Great ideas and editing! Super fun to watch.

[@daroldean7501]

Thanks for this; it helps me get a start on my cleaning.

[@DOCDARKNESSREAL]

Yep I gotta shop that needs this treatment too. Thinking of a cart I can move about as its a single garage. Cheers:)

[@stevesfascinations1516]

Good video and good tips. My garage shop looked a lot like yours before you started. I am half way through my hoard and I am starting to see the end of the cleanup. Like a lot of people I have too many interests (fascinations) to allow an easy organization. I have managed to organize the lathe area, the mill area, the welding area. I downsized the huge craftsman cast iron belt drive table saw and settled for a Rigid saw on a collapsible wheeled cart. That helped a lot. I have most of my steel tucked away in the shed and the wood on wall racks. I liked your drop zone idea! Thumbs up and subscribed.

[@diydaveman]

Some great ideas, thank you!

[@blipblop0398]

Bahaha "the sun is finally shining here in Portland" yeah, hello from the valley march 2022. The sun is finally shining so I looked up a video to get me motivated 😂

[@brikeibur123]

I'm totally in the same situation right now, thanks for the video.

[@thebackwoodsboysgarage9144]

When I get my workshop cleaned up it gets messy again in a few weeks I can’t keep it clean

[@JamesKelly89]

Dude you and I must be the same person. I've got a 3d printer, electronics work bench, office, woodshop and ongoing project cars. I need to organize all this crap hence why I am here.

[@donaldsmith5684]

I’m in. You’re a Guru.

[@skipdowning2328]

The first 40 seconds looks like my shop, only mine is deeper in stuff. Thanks for the tips

[@danjim7056]

The first tip is the reason the military makes their beds in the morning. It's the first task of the day done, getting started is the hardest part

[@budlloyd3127]

great video! I love the editing, and especially the points you made. I look forward to future videos, subscribed and bell rung!

[@Mainbusfail]

Ain't that the truth. Just get on it and next thing you know, you have a nice clean organized workshop Its a beautiful thing.

[@kwtruckdriver]

couldnt help but laugh man my shop is due for an extreme makeover as well thanx for the vid

[@RapperEddieGTheHitMaker]

This is motivation, thanks man. How many days did it take you to clean this place up?

[@ashfaqjuna]

Very good. This will help my shed situation 😃

[@Dancing_Alone_wRentals]

I liked the forth tip, so I'm subscriber #444 now.

[@UriValdez]

I have a messier shop, ive been cleaning and decluttering/organizing and its been quite a task

[@richardwassink2464]

Great video, thanks for sharing 👍

[@reforzar]

So much room for activities!

[@mrclean146]

I've watched the video twice. I didn't see the table saw the last time. I think it's going to take days to do mine but the tips were clearer this time around.

[@mrclean146]

So now I watched it three times. Get seem to get to step two . Everything is a drop zone.

[@kevinobrien3530]

Im drinkinking coffee dreading starting to clean my shop instead of going out there and doing it! It's not as bad as yours at the beginning but I have a pile of stuff that I don't know what to do with...I did make a wall of french cleats a couple years ago which has helped immensely but I guess the organization is just an ongoing procedure.

[@checkedoutchris]

Good tips! They resonated well with me. :) Your 'before' image on your shop looks a lot like mine from time to time... mine sometimes even worse. :( Yay for fellow Portlander (assuming Portland, OR). Best of luck to you.

[@jerishull1860]

Big ah-hah moment. I keep moving things around. I thought there was something wrong with me.... NO, just haven't found the right spot... yet. Also, nice to know I'm not the only one who let my space get so bad. The tips at the end were great. Thanks for the video. New Sub

[@jerishull1860]

Wish you had more videos. I checked and only two out there. You did a good job. Would love to see more.

[@210bydesign9]

I just dug my self out of a messy work space just like that. P.S i love your editing!

[@tuckerjohn]

Nice work Dade!. Tip #6, animations take 10x longer than just cleaning the shop. :)

[@sarahvoruz968]

Don't hate on a man's art! :P

[@tuckerjohn]

No hating here!

[@Marcusstratus]

Thanks for the tips, from the SW side

[@ckoutdoors23]

This is therapeutic

[@northparkanita3152]

Question is can u find anything after your done? I can t and make the mess all over again finding what I put away. ITS A VICIOUS NEVER ENDING CIRCLE LOL

[@pvd354]

Very good video

[@mmmyke1784]

Lot of work, lot of video edit, nice result!

[@pnotuner1]

Good job.

[@josephKEOarthur]

Bro, yer Yoda in the making.

[@wadegardner3218]

I have that same shirt!!

[@zebby264]

I like the Australian flag on the wall :)

[@dopatrick1]

Holly cow batman. hold up/ lets see more on that bike...

[@davidrn2473]

Shame we all lack common sense so often when it comes to our shops. Looking good with "your" new organized workshop.

[@danjim7056]

This is a vicious cycle. I get my garage clean enough to work in so I start a bunch of projects creating a huge mess again and no longer want to be out there.

[@238andy]

dig the Cyr Wheel

[@christophersosa4292]

Swear every time I work into my workshop I say the exact same thing you said in the first line of this video scoff* “ what am I gunna do with this place”

[@darodes]

Any other dads recognize the music is the same as Hey Bear Baby Sensory? 😂 great content though!

[@DadeWheless]

That's pretty funny. All the music is pulled from youtube's royalty free music download section. I don't know that show but i guess they also pulled their music from there.

[@darodes]

@@DadeWheless haha oh without a doubt! 😂😂 my boys love the Hey Bear videos

[@dumpsterfire6351]

HEY...same welder here 😎👍 =subscribed

[@nikomonaco6672]

A big fire only starts with a tiny spark.

[@zoemeow7677]

Yeeee I'm having kanudrum myself geese how to even start gahhh hehe thanks 💖✨✨✨

[@belowfray5251]

Looks like mine but add in a car lift !

[@kazoosc]

I am an inveterate pack rat. cleaning is hard. the best advice I can give is be ruthless -- without compassion pick something up and decide whether to .. keep .. donate .. trash/recycle. three piles

[@samuelspade889]

Now that I cleaned out the garage, I now realize I have 7 channel locks... some reason that tool is very adept at hiding in a mess.

[@kathrynnewton8721]

Wow, how long did that take you - speed up is great but it must have taken a while. Well done. I’ve seen far worse!

[@tnn-obsessedpatriot6196]

With editing like that, this channel would have 200K subscribers by now if you would have kept putting out videos.

[@tnn-obsessedpatriot6196]

I wish I could edit like that. lol

[@MohKouba-kv1wx]

Thanks

[@timeflysintheshop]

What happened? Why have you not uploaded anything since this? You made one amazing video for this channel and then??? Were you in an accident or something to prevent you working on projects in your great shop? Have you done amazing things but are suffering from video editor's block? 🤔 Did you start having kids?

[@zvengallie]

Looks messy like my shop😄

[@benjaminnichols6558]

Really enjoyed the video. The only constructive criticism I have, I'm my personal opinion, is that that into music was way to long. If every video had/has that I would have to skip it every time.

[@ashfaqjuna]

08:25 Just make a video teaching us how to do that :)

[@cdrom1070]

i think your problem is lack of tool boxes. that is alot of thinking to avoid using toolbox space lol

[@DadeWheless]

If toolboxes work for you, that's great! For me toolboxes don't even come close to an effective solution for my tools, let alone the hundreds of other items in my shop that need to be organized like building materials, fasteners, consumables, etc. Obviously I can't put my lathe in a toolbox ;-) It seems like you may have missed the point I was trying to make.

[@JakeEllison94]

What happened? No more videos?

[@VisionElectricAus]

Cool flag mate

[@mrroofman]

You call that messy?Your start point is my goal..

[@ashfaqjuna]

Send me the deamon you used @ 04:45 :)

[@sharifnasser7635]

I swear when i finished watching I was disappointed because I seen you still only have 360 subs and 2 videos. Thought u had at least 500k

[@MK_-vr1hr]

Omg

[@rogercoffey3794]

First thing to go to the burn pile would be that cat tree house appartment.

[@dopatrick1]

TIP# 7...... EVERYONE stay out . Do Not Enter my shop, even if being chased by a crazed killer! then you will always know where your stuff is....Right where you set it last time.....lol

[@hafzamacie8858]

I bought plans from Woodglut and did it very quickly.

[@rosskilpatrick934]

looks like my mess.

[@surronzak8154]

How can such a title apeal to me so much 😢

[@davidstansbury3204]

Just over dub your videos and kill the computer generated music. That’s just me I watch u tube videos for info not music. Unless I’m listening to a music video lol. Other wise Thank you for your time and knowledge

[@dumpsterfire6351]

Come on dude ...make some videos already

[@iangardener3464]

Why the Aussie flag?

[@DadeWheless]

Ian Gardener I was born there when my dad was stationed there in the air force and they got me the flag while on vacation a few years ago. Good eye!

[@br3xx-ttv-au198]

Lol u think that is messy I have a garage like 10 times bigger and way worse