Hobby transition

[1bad914]

My hobby for 40 years was restoring antique Porsches and VWs. About 7 years ago I sold my last two 911’s. I had no hobby for a few years. About 4 years ago I started building guitars. I had no tools for doing it, so slowly I started accumulating and making the required tools. I started with the very sad old Craftsman toolbox.

it did an okay job, but as I progressed it's wonky crooked drawers and small size was started to cramp my style.

I still have all of the tools for automotive restoration, air hammers, sanders, boards, welders…. Since I did all my own work I had a lot of tools. I finally have decided that the nicer and much larger toolbox that was chuckfull of automotive tools needed to transition to guitar building. So over a couple of weeks I packed up all those tools, I think I had close to 100 combination wrenches between metric and SAE.
The toolbox is now down in my basement shop and I can not believe how nice it is to have my tools all organized and everything in one spot. It just makes the work so less stressful, my bench stays clean as I always just seem to put everything away. This is probably boring to most of you, but this hobby transition has made me very happy. Now I need to sell some tools. Lol

 

[tery]

Enjoy

 

[tarheelbob]

Nice!

A purposeful workspace is a wonderful thing.

- Bob

 

[Gimble]

My hobby for 40 years was restoring antique Porsches and VWs. About 7 years ago I sold my last two 911’s. I had no hobby for a few years. About 4 years ago I started building guitars. I had no tools for doing it, so slowly I started accumulating and making the required tools. I started with the very sad old Craftsman toolbox.
View attachment 930037
it did an okay job, but as I progressed it's wonky crooked drawers and small size was started to cramp my style.

I still have all of the tools for automotive restoration, air hammers, sanders, boards, welders…. Since I did all my own work I had a lot of tools. I finally have decided that the nicer and much larger toolbox that was chuckfull of automotive tools needed to transition to guitar building. So over a couple of weeks I packed up all those tools, I think I had close to 100 combination wrenches between metric and SAE.
The toolbox is now down in my basement shop and I can not believe how nice it is to have my tools all organized and everything in one spot. It just makes the work so less stressful, my bench stays clean as I always just seem to put everything away. This is probably boring to most of you, but this hobby transition has made me very happy. Now I need to sell some tools. Lol
View attachment 930039
View attachment 930040

Awesome! Have a ball with you new undertaking

 

[Axis29]

I wish I could fit it all into one toolbox... LOL.

Good job! An organized workspace is a clear path to sanity!


I am in the midst of re-organizing again, myself. I have more tools than storage, so it's time to figure out how to store more of them.... I've got cardboard boxes with different groups of tools spread about everywhere as I sort the stuff that never seems to have a place. Wish me luck!

 

[Jim_in_PA]

That was a good transition and having a nice storage solution is great! Now if you want to be really anal...start creating custom inserts for the drawers for the ten gazzillion tools that need to live there. LOL

 

[RodeoTex]

Cool, I love an organized shop, not that I practice it myself much.

 

[1bad914]

I wish I could fit it all into one toolbox... LOL.

Good job! An organized workspace is a clear path to sanity!


I am in the midst of re-organizing again, myself. I have more tools than storage, so it's time to figure out how to store more of them.... I've got cardboard boxes with different groups of tools spread about everywhere as I sort the stuff that never seems to have a place. Wish me luck!

You should see the cardboard boxes full of the automatics tools. It makes me cringe. I was not kidding about the 100 wrenches. My goal is to go through them and keep one set, the sell or give the rest to one of 3 sons.

Good luck, this took me a couple of months to slowly get it done.

 

[1bad914]

That was a good transition and having a nice storage solution is great! Now if you want to be really anal...start creating custom inserts for the drawers for the ten gazzillion tools that need to live there. LOL

I would love to do that.

 

[1bad914]

You should see the cardboard boxes full of the automatics tools. It makes me cringe. I was not kidding about the 100 wrenches. My goal is to go through them and keep one set, the sell or give the rest to one of 3 sons.

Good luck, this took me a couple of months to slowly get it done.

On another note, this does not contain any of my templates or special tools that I have made. They are on a shelf.

 

[RogerC]

Funny you mention your old hobby was restoring Porsches and then you moved into guitars. My hobby was building guitars, and now I want to restore a mid ‘80s 911.

I’ve been scouring CoPart just to see what prices were like. I can see the finished car in my head and would love to tackle it, but I’d never get the ok from my better half since we don’t have any place remotely large enough for me to do it right now .

 

[1bad914]

Funny you mention your old hobby was restoring Porsches and then you moved into guitars. My hobby was building guitars, and now I want to restore a mid ‘80s 911.
This is one of the last ones I sold. 1984 Euro Spec.

I’ve been scouring CoPart just to see what prices were like. I can see the finished car in my head and would love to tackle it, but I’d never get the ok from my better half since we don’t have any place remotely large enough for me to do it right now .

 

[Axis29]

You should see the cardboard boxes full of the automatics tools. It makes me cringe. I was not kidding about the 100 wrenches. My goal is to go through them and keep one set, the sell or give the rest to one of 3 sons.

Good luck, this took me a couple of months to slowly get it done.

LOL

Wanna know the sad part? Three years ago, I moved from Virginia to California. I 'weeded' out a bunch of stuff... I had a fire sale and dumped thousands of dollars worth of tools, materials and supplies... I literally was selling 5 gallon buckets of screws, nails, nuts and bolts for $20 each.

 

[Freeman Keller]

Bad, I'm kind of doing it for other reasons. I'm approaching that point in life where I don't want to leave a lot of hassles for my heirs to have to deal with. I've pared the vehicles down to just one old car now and I'm actually starting to think about getting rid of a bunch of the lutherie stuff - I've got body molds and side bending stuff and all sorts of jigs and fixtures that my kids will never figure out. But just when I think I'll post a message at the Seattle Luthiers Guild I get a wild hair to build another guitar...

 

[1bad914]

Bad, I'm kind of doing it for other reasons. I'm approaching that point in life where I don't want to leave a lot of hassles for my heirs to have to deal with. I've pared the vehicles down to just one old car now and I'm actually starting to think about getting rid of a bunch of the lutherie stuff - I've got body molds and side bending stuff and all sorts of jigs and fixtures that my kids will never figure out. But just when I think I'll post a message at the Seattle Luthiers Guild I get a wild hair to build another guitar...

That is where I am at with all my automotive stuff, welders, giant compressor, tons of body tools. My wife tells me to keep it, I say why, her response is you can’t replace it for what you get for it. So it sits in my in-laws barn collecting dust.

 

[1bad914]

LOL

Wanna know the sad part? Three years ago, I moved from Virginia to California. I 'weeded' out a bunch of stuff... I had a fire sale and dumped thousands of dollars worth of tools, materials and supplies... I literally was selling 5 gallon buckets of screws, nails, nuts and bolts for $20 each.

I can relate.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

That is where I am at with all my automotive stuff, welders, giant compressor, tons of body tools. My wife tells me to keep it, I say why, her response is you can’t replace it for what you get for it. So it sits in my in-laws barn collecting dust.

I have the same issue with a ton of music gear that I'll likely never use again and actually haven't used in decades. I took all the pictures to try and off-load it, but just can't get the motivation to list it all.