These days, time is in short supply for most of us. Even though we enjoy sensory rewards of woodworking, we also want to accomplish something in our limited time in the shop. This time, I asked our visitors, “What are some of the approaches, habits, and practices that help you to work efficiently and avoid detours in the shop?”
“There are some practical ground rules to efficiency. In woodworking, there is always another way. If you can visualize how a project is going to come together, in detail, that’s half the battle.”
“I try to apply the rule of thirds: one-third of my time for planning and obtaining materials, one third for the actual project, and one third for cleaning up and putting on finishing touches.”
“When I start, I put several sharp pencils in my apron pocket. I have a bad habit of leaving my pencil where I finished using it. Now, if only this was practical for tape measures, rulers, and squares.”
“Knowing when to use a hand tool and when to power up is one of the most important keys toefficiency. Another is knowing when time spent making a jig is the most efficient approach.”
*Drawing up a work plan is most important. By the time the plan is complete, I’ve built the entireproject in my head. For an unfamiliar technique, I take my time and think things through.”
“I start with a three-ring binder with dividers. It carries the origi nal idea, drawings, the contract,any change orders, invoices and receipts, daily lists of things to do, and a calendar covering construction time to delivery. I also keep color and finish samples for reference.”
“All around, I find it important to keep the shop clean. Not because I want to, but because itjust makes everything work better.”
“The use of story sticks helps eliminate careless calculations, and the triangle method of marking parts makes it easy to put every. thing in order, no matter how scrambled parts get during various machining operations.”
“One of the most important things that I have had to consider is to make sure all lumber,hardware, bits, and pieces are on hand or locally available.”
“A smail thing, but important: efficient sweeping. Judge for your self if you’ve swept too fast, bychecking out the swirling clouds of lung-choking, eye-watering, nose-caking, hair-matting, tool-cloaking particles drifting all over the shop.”
“Always, but always, have a spare whatever. When I have tried to be frugal, it seems I alwaysscrew up the last board, last fitting, or lose the last biscuit, hinge, etc.”
“Time spent putting tools up or even making a cabinet for storage, pays off in a short time.”
“One idea for efficiency is making a cutting list and preparing all similar parts at the same time. The idea is to avoid having to replicate machine setups. Another is careful planning. If making a dining table, build the base first, then reorganize your shop to start work on the top. If you work the top first, it may get dinged up while constructing the base.”
“Shop arrangement is important. Leave the center clear so you can easily move around, and have enough outlets so you don’t need extension cords. Have more than one of what you use, and leave one at each work station. Don’t put anything on top of any thing else. Experience using hand tools is a time-saver.”
“It’s important to complete, as much as possible, a dry run and ensure that all infrastructure and material is where it needs to be.”
“Efficiency is no longer something I have to care about. Ahh, the joy of being retired. I may spend all day doing a one-hour job, or put it off ’til the next day. I hope retirement lasts a long time.”
“In my business, jig design is a challenge. Making one carefully measured adjustment is more efficient than making twenty trial and error adjustments. Working with multiples means more jigs, more wood storage, more assembly tables, more work trays, and critically important, more documentation.”
“The rest of my life is an exercise in getting as much done as possible, so my shop time is an exercise in patience.”
“One of my most useful efficiencies is in how I solve problems. Many of the ideas or solutions that I end up using come to me during a daily bike ride. So part of working efficiently for me is to sometimes get out of the shop.”
“Using a technique that is new to me on some kind of smaller project, or practice pieces, savesme a lot of time and material, not to mention aggravation.”
“Three important aspects are work flow, tool and supply organization, and proper attitude. Work flow is determined by the type of work you do. Tool and supply organization is related to having dedicated work stations. Attitude is best summed up by the phrase, Just do it. We all make mistakes, and it’s faster to get them out of the way rather than agonizing over attaining perfection.”
“When I feel something is not going the way I want, I back off for a time, think the project out, and then finish it.”
“Like every other job, plan carefully. Do it. Make notes as you go, to see where actuality varies from the plan. Put all your darn tools away last thing at night. Don’t forget to pass a brush over the floor and chuck the rubbish. Then lock up, and go home for a beer.”
“I’ve found that you can’t have too many jigs. If a jig is worth making, it’s worth making accurately and to last. For efficiency, strive for accuracy in each step; don’t plan to rip off 1/8 in. later if you’re setting the saw in the first place. A first step in accurate work is proper stock preparation.”
What are your thoughts on this? Add your comments below!