I would love to build highly detailed, beautifully painted, accurate and stunning models of ships or traction engines.
Why don′t I? Because I am too impatient. I want it finished now! OK perhaps I can manage a few days concentration, maybe a whole month but I read that some model engineers spend 6000 hours or more on a model. Now assuming that you can utilize a full working week, say 40 hours, that works out at 150 weeks, that′s 3 years. That’s full time, what about the engineer who can only manage a few hours a week grabbed after work or at a weekend, we are talking decades to finish a project. My attention span would have long since wilted and been left lying with the swarf on the workshop floor.
I am also really good at starting things but when I get to a difficult bit or a boring bit, putting the project aside until I am in the mood. The trouble is the right mood invariably never returns. This tends to lead to a surfeit of part completed models around the workshop. Now I am determined to fix this problem of my own making but have yet to determine how. Resolve is fine but putting plans into action seems not quite to become a reality.
Step one is to actually get into the workshop, many engineers would be very pleased to have a workshop like mine, so why this reluctance to enter. At the moment there are bits of wood, chipboard and the like stacked here and there, too good to throw away but having no immediate use. I have put up a shelf for my woodturning bits and pieces but in doing so have displaced my selection of saws. This has led to a collection of “stuff” on the bench. Every time I get into the workshop I say “This needs sorting” but haven′t made a start. Perhaps if I solve this problem it will lead to more productive time being spent there.
So a plan emerges, get rid of the wood that I am never likely to use. I just know if I throw it out I will immediately find a use for it but steps must be taken. Clear the bench, this means making a rack or finding some means of storing my hand saws. Trouble there is I have pretty well run out of wall space, having shelves practically everywhere, still I can squeeze something more in I am sure. Perhaps a redevelopment of the storage space under the bench in a similar manner to that under the lathe bench will help?
It’s not much of a plan but a plan nevertheless. Could this be the way forward only time will tell. Watch this space.