Wonderful Workshop Helper

   This as another of those Opa videos that just have to be posted.

   Kieran is an excellent sweeper and this time he wanted to learn the names of some of the shop's machines.  He learned about the table saw and the band saw.  That is how I started in my Grampa's shop 50+ years ago.

   We played a game where Grampa said he couldn't find a certain tool and needed me to help him find it.  That way I learned my way around his shop and the name of the tools, while helping him out.

  We had to sweep because we built another bird house together.

   Kieran smearing glue on the barn board before we put it together with Miller Dowels.  This was his first time hammering with a real hammer, and he was pretty good at it too. (not that I am biased in anyway)

   The finished bird house with a proud pair of woodworkers.

Why Sweep - an expert's reasons

    My wood shop is in the basement of our house, not the best arrangement in the world, but the one with which we live.  When I am in good form I spent 2 or 3 full days each week in the shop and so make a tonne of shavings, chips and saw dust.  With dust collection and some care most of the mess stays down stairs, not all but most.  Dust collection systems though flawed are vital to my shop and I suspect all modern shops.  

   I have a mid sized dust collection system connected to my table saw, planer and jointer.  I bought it four or five years ago and it has collected many many bags of saw dust for me.

   I also have two big shop vaccum cleaners that are used in other situations.  My Fein vac is attached to my orbital sanders, and by monster "shop-vac" is collected to the router table.  The shop vac is noisy and to keep the cost of bags down I bought a Oneida Dust Duputy, but it is still an important tool in the battle for breathable air.

    Another important tool is the lowly, low tech, broom.  I bow to a more expert and eloquent writer, as he discusses:

To Sweep; To Sweep; Perchance to Clean

     I especially agree that sometimes a good sweep is good for the soul, it helps clear the head as well as the shop.