Dan.gerous 2,696 #1 Posted June 17, 2021 (edited) Just got home from a very busy trip away - got a ton of work done on the ship, but only managed about four hours sleep a day in two short bursts! After complaining that I had no woodwork shop onboard, but was expected to do a lot of repairs, the company finally let me have one in an otherwise badly used space. Unfortunately they got a shore company to build it, and it was awful! It was 1m high, too narrow, had a vice mounted in a corner that was effectively unusable and featured the worst storage drawers i have ever used. The top also had metal raised edges- not very handy for wood tools. I started the trip with cutting equipment in hand and removed the brand new incorrect top, and at the same time reducing the height so I could put a more user friendly top on. Then cut out some of the awful drawers and moved them to one side in a slightly more useful stack. Lots more to do as I want cupboards to hide the mess of tools rather than an open front. See attached pictures of the project from it's humble origins as a locker space. More to follow as I also built a second workshop this last trip.... Edited June 17, 2021 by Dan.gerous 11 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter lena 8,625 #2 Posted June 17, 2021 @Dan.gerous , good going on that dan , shows interest and get it done attitude, we often would set up a mini shop in various buildings and decks , so we always had a go to point . made any call much easier . retired 24 / millwright at PFIZER , INC . pete 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seuadr 488 #3 Posted June 17, 2021 very nice! as a "shore person" i would never have thought of the toggles to keep the drawers closed - of course when i see them it makes perfect sense... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #4 Posted June 17, 2021 1 hour ago, seuadr said: very nice! as a "shore person" i would never have thought of the toggles to keep the drawers closed - of course when i see them it makes perfect sense... The shadow board has to hold tools as the ship moves from side to side - not as easy as putting a screw in to hold something! The vibration down there is something else again - when we are coming into port each morning some of the equipment falls apart like the little square and the mitre saw. I was bored at 4am the other day so spent the two hours before we tied up finishing a project. The vibration was that bad that I could barely draw a pencil line, and everytime you put a tool down it would vibrate away out of reach! Its ok though as I generally do my work while we are alongside each day. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #5 Posted June 17, 2021 3 hours ago, peter lena said: @Dan.gerous , good going on that dan , shows interest and get it done attitude, we often would set up a mini shop in various buildings and decks , so we always had a go to point . made any call much easier . retired 24 / millwright at PFIZER , INC . pete I cant bellieve the ship has operated for 18 years without a chippy shop - I'm not one for accepting things as they are, always striving to improve my workplace! also its a nice place to do my own stuff - instead of turning my cabin into a woodwork shop like I normally do. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #6 Posted June 17, 2021 1 hour ago, seuadr said: very nice! as a "shore person" i would never have thought of the toggles to keep the drawers closed - of course when i see them it makes perfect sense... The drawers dont stay closed long without something to secure them. Those toggles are awful and will be in the rubbish bin as I carry on with improvements - you need three hands to open a drawer at the moment. I guess it must be unusual as a shore person, we have to think in a third dimension for everything - even putting your coffee cup down is a bad idea, just hold it until you finish drinking unless you want to clean up a mess. Having a shower can be entertaining as the water moves all over the place on a really rough night. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,217 #7 Posted June 17, 2021 I especially like the countertop lip that lets you clamp down tools like the miter saw, drill press, and even the vise. I've been noodling how to convert a nice oak tabletop I salvaged years ago into a nice worktable and that idea will definitely be part of it! As for drawers, some of the stronger nylon child-proofing drawer latches may work for you--not too expensive, no rust, and most work one-handed. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter lena 8,625 #8 Posted June 17, 2021 @Dan.gerous , my last foreman came with my , section change , he was a retired navy chief , best foreman I ever had ! when he showed up his first words were " WHAT DO YOU NEED ? " , then he would see that you got it ! working for him was like, not working , because he was right on with the issue. when I started combining , opportunistic bearing oil changes to related shut down areas. he asked me what was going on ? gave him my view , talked about it , he started planning more thorough , down time to make problems go away , what a concept ! when you have a tight group , the work just easily gets done , loved it , pete 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #9 Posted June 17, 2021 My second workshop project last trip involved rebuilding our pathetic deck workshop. You can see from the picture that is quite small with only about a metre of workbench. Not a great size considering the ship is 125m long. I removed the full height shelves to one side, cut them down to bench height, then rebuilt narrower shelves onto the new bench. The scrap shelves were then welded together and mounted in another compartment - so nothing was wasted. We now have lots of bench space, useful storage, and order in what was a terrible area. Certainly getting plenty of welding practice in, although I am still not very good! 4 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #10 Posted June 18, 2021 (edited) The first project completed in my new Woodwork shop - something all the crew can enjoy 🙂 It's so popular that we (me) are going to build another one. Might even create a gas BBQ if the fire regulations let us..... Interesting that some of the older guys onboard have been quite negative about all these improvements, and very vocal about it. I just ignore them and do what I like though 🙂 I had the same problem on the farm with the old stockman hating every change. Edited June 18, 2021 by Dan.gerous 5 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #11 Posted June 18, 2021 The next two jobs in the woodwork shop were both favours for crew members. The first is a soundproof box for a bit mining machine. Apparently it's so noisy they are worried the neighbors will complain! Anyway, he now has the wooden box and just needs to add insulation and the ventilation fans into the large holes. The other quick project is a bird feeder made from a Bailey's bottle. The guy wanted it as a present for his elderly neighbour. Was so simple to build, a pleasant time filler. My next goal is to teach all these people some basic skills so that can make their own stuff! I don't know why they think I have so much free time, I am flat out 24/7 as it is, unlike most of them who just do the minimum and no more. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #12 Posted June 18, 2021 13 hours ago, peter lena said: @Dan.gerous , my last foreman came with my , section change , he was a retired navy chief , best foreman I ever had ! when he showed up his first words were " WHAT DO YOU NEED ? " , then he would see that you got it ! working for him was like, not working , because he was right on with the issue. when I started combining , opportunistic bearing oil changes to related shut down areas. he asked me what was going on ? gave him my view , talked about it , he started planning more thorough , down time to make problems go away , what a concept ! when you have a tight group , the work just easily gets done , loved it , pete We could do with more of that attitude in the shipping industry - it is full of dinosaurs. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter lena 8,625 #13 Posted June 18, 2021 @Dan.gerous ,can relate to the dinosaur thought mode, mainly driven by management " ENGINEERS " with little to no hands on experience. if you have the opportunity to stack the deck in your favor , with like minded workers , stuff starts to get better. because my shop was nowhere near the prima donna's central shop , we were free to make this area our own , and with a retired navy chief in charge , we got it done . pete 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #14 Posted June 18, 2021 1 hour ago, peter lena said: @Dan.gerous ,can relate to the dinosaur thought mode, mainly driven by management " ENGINEERS " with little to no hands on experience. if you have the opportunity to stack the deck in your favor , with like minded workers , stuff starts to get better. because my shop was nowhere near the prima donna's central shop , we were free to make this area our own , and with a retired navy chief in charge , we got it done . pete We also have a lot of followers, and not many leaders which doesnt help - I come from a background of running my own businesses so don't mind ruffling feathers and questioning authority and accepted practices. You find that the negative ones eventually get onboard, you just need the conviction/strength of character to push ahead when you know your right The lack of hands on experience is getting worse in our industry, they favour academics and as a result my superiors tend to skip the manual work aspect of the job and therefore have no concept of what we actually do. I'm a fan of turning my hand to everything and like to understand a job thoroughly before expecting others to do it. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,486 #15 Posted June 18, 2021 On 6/17/2021 at 11:37 AM, Dan.gerous said: Having a shower can be entertaining as the water moves all over the place on a really rough night I'm telling you all right here and now if I ever get on to any sort of vessel or machine where I have to jump back and forth to take a shower I am immediately leaving that space!!! 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,486 #16 Posted June 18, 2021 Lots of great work there done Dan. Very nice very nice very nice. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,217 #17 Posted June 18, 2021 (edited) 44 minutes ago, ebinmaine said: I'm telling you all right here and now if I ever get on to any sort of vessel or machine where I have to jump back and forth to take a shower I am immediately leaving that space!!! ...as soon as you get dried off and dressed pleeeese? The shower in an Amtrak sleeper bedroom is so tight movement out of the shower stream is impossible!d Edited June 18, 2021 by Handy Don 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #18 Posted July 12, 2021 (edited) Nearing the end of another busy trip, we got hit with COVID and all of my department except myself and the captain had to leave after two days - was chaos, loads of new temporary people had to be called in to keep things running. By the second half of the trip it had settled down so I managed to get back into the workshop and make some things. My favourite stewardess is very noisy, she never stops taking so I made a present for all the crew to try and shut her up 🙂. It was universally liked, although it got me on the naughty step for a few days. It's made out of some picture frames glued together, the leather strap from my UHF radio, a home made monkeys fist and some stainless fittings that were laying about. Edited July 12, 2021 by Dan.gerous 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #19 Posted July 12, 2021 The second project was a half scale replica of the picnic table for our hotel directors grand children in Edinburgh. I have been asked to make two more..... Was good fun and only took about three hours. 7 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 9,981 #20 Posted July 12, 2021 BTW On 6/18/2021 at 7:35 AM, Dan.gerous said: I hope that's fastened down, Dan. You don't want to here the cry, "PICNIC BENCH OVERBOARD". 1 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #21 Posted July 12, 2021 59 minutes ago, Stormin said: BTW I hope that's fastened down, Dan. You don't want to here the cry, "PICNIC BENCH OVERBOARD". Would you believe that we didn't actually bother securing it, makes it more exciting as it's always in a different place each morning. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #22 Posted July 12, 2021 The afternoons output - clean up now and get ready to go home in two days 🙂 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #23 Posted July 13, 2021 A touch of style..... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan.gerous 2,696 #24 Posted July 13, 2021 A present from the girls, I think it is so I stay down there rather than annoying everyone in the messroom with endless stories.... 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,217 #25 Posted July 13, 2021 56 minutes ago, Dan.gerous said: A present from the girls, I think it is so I stay down there rather than annoying everyone in the messroom with endless stories.... Don't bother reading anything into it. Accept it as appreciation and thoughtfulness and smile! 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
