The Sorting Process

The time has come. Over the last few weeks I have been moving into my new shop. This is bringing me face to face with many dusty boxes, random supplies and rusty tools. Now I have plenty of space in my new shop, but I want to get off to a clean start. As I move boxes, crates and those random supplies it has become a self-reflective act.

• Do I keep the random lengths of PVC, knowing that they might be useful some day or do I trash them knowing new PVC is less than one dollar a foot.
  • TRASH IT
• Do I keep a spare sander that never keeps its belt balanced? Do I give it to my kid’s theater group? Do I donate it to charity? Is giving something that kinda works an opportunity to give it a new life or a cruel joke on someone that thinks they got a deal?
  • GIVE TO CHARITY
• Do I give the oxygen tank wheeled dolly that my father-in-law got me from a charity store to charity?
  • Does he see it in the my charity pile… YES

I could go on, but clearly this stuff owns a little piece of me. Each item is a decision, based on utility, and emotion. And while I do understand the mantra of not letting your stuff own you, I hate waste, I am frugal and this is a shop. In a shop inspiration and fabrication often comes from what is laying around.

Below is something that may reflect at least part of my mental process.