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“You would never think a shop like this would be in a building like this.” This is understandable, as our offices are in a semi-suburban office building, and our shop occupies one corner on the ground floor. The next comment is usually related to the visitor recognizing something they have seen in the magazine, such as a workbench or a toolbox. “So that’s the Roubo.” The size of the shop (rather small) is almost always mentioned. And there is one topic that I’m sure every visitor notices, but so far only one has mentioned out loud. I’ll get to that in a minute.
Our shop wouldn’t seem so small if it were just a working shop, but given the nature of the business we’re in, it is also our photo studio, testing laboratory, occasional conference room and lounge. The only loading dock in the building is out our back door, so now and then some other department will need to send or receive a truckload of stuff. So we deal with some issues other shops don’t have. I won’t call them problems because that would be complaining, and we have nothing to complain about.
Other magazines list a position of “shop manager” or something similar on their mastheads. We don’t have one, and can’t imagine what we would do with one. We take care of our own equipment, build our own projects and try to keep things orderly. But we have to rearrange on a regular basis to accommodate incoming equipment, new projects and things such as cover shoots. Maybe a shop manager could find a better method than we have developed. We tend to clean the corner we intend to photograph and push everything else out of the way. To the keen disappointment of our art director, we are not the tidiest people in the world.
This is the issue that only one brave soul has mentioned when visiting our shop, and the way he put it was, “Man, you guys are a bunch of slobs.” In our defense, he had dropped in unannounced on a bad day, but truth be told, he is right. It’s time for us to clean the shop.
One of the things that works against orderliness is the fact that people keep sending us stuff. Manufacturers want us to test the latest and greatest tools, and we never know what to do with them when we’re done. Again, this is not a complaint, but when it’s time to clean, these things have to go somewhere. And for every new table saw or whiz-bang router joinery jig that shows up in our mail room, we receive three or four cordless drills. It’s understandable; cordless drills are an incredibly popular tool, and tool companies are constantly competing to come out with a newer, better model. Over a year’s time, drills add up.
So here’s where the contest starts. Some time between now and April 1, we will be having a grand and glorious cleanup of our shop. To make it entertaining, we’re going to count how many cordless drills we have in our possession. We honestly don’t have a clue, but we know they are everywhere. And we thought it might be fun to let our readers guess how many there are.
Submit your best guess via e-mail by midnight on March 31, 2009. Also, include your name and a way to contact you. On April 1, 2009 we’ll announce the winner, who will receive (and this should come as no surprise) a new cordless drill kit. Only one entry per reader please, and if there is more than one correct entry, we’ll make a random selection from them.
In between now and then I’ll post more photos like this to help:
How many cordless drills do you see in the pictures above? How many more do you think we have lurking about the shop?
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I’m gonna guess 25-I was at a woodworking school, and the instructor was bragging about all the routers he had, what with all the companies sending them to him for evaluation and testing, etc. He had 35, and was anticipating more. I don’t think there are as many cordless drills around, so I’m going to be conservative. Also, my guess is here, cause every link I have clicked for an email doesn’t go anywhere, in the two versions of this contest blog.
I really wish my shops were in as good a condition. I have three areas; two inside and in the basement and one outside which is attached to the garage. I am too busy to clean just now but am thinking about it. Best of luck in your effort.
14 drills
im guessing there are 7
I’ll go really high and say… 14!
I’m guessing maybe 9 total since some we can’t see are lurking around the shop somewhere.
According to my eyesight there are 5 drills. My eyesight is twisted but 5 is a good guess.
Are Canadians allowed to email an entry?
This is hilarious – you guys are just like my husband! He never puts any of my tools, equipment, hardware, etc. away. As a long time cabinet maker/registered nurse, I can tell you that having a clean & neat workspace is first & foremost to clear thinking & great results. Whether it’s a sterile operating room or my friendly workshop/garage, everything is cleaned up & put away at the end of the day. As I grab my morning coffee & head into the wood aroma filled shop, it renews my energy to see the all pieces & tools ready for me to start anew. I used to write nursing editorials for a healthy living magazine – maybe you experts need my anal retentive help:). About the drills – since most projects require two dedicated drills with bit & driver – I’m going to guess that you have at least 8 in there. But with four of you working, who knows – maybe 12 are hidden away. Great idea! Love your stuff – keep it coming! Aloha
my number is 12 in total
Pictures will be a help, but you’ll need some intuition as well. We will put them in one big pile at the very end, and that will be the only photo showing them all. We really don’t know what we have, or what we might uncover during "Le Grande Cleanup"
Bob Lang
So this picture today counts? Then we watch for further pics to come and total all the drills in all the pics as one guess?
Boy wish my workshop looked like yours! If I had half the stuff you do I would be a very happy man lol!
Just to clarify things a bit. You have to e-mail your guess for it to count. One guess only per e-mail address. We are looking for the total number of cordless drills we have in our possession, (eggbeaters, although cordless, don’t count)not the number in any one picture. Pictures are to give you an idea of where drills may be hiding, and more will be posted in the next couple weeks.
Bob Lang
I think I found 8 all total.
Good Grief!
Did you slip in while I wasn’t looking and take pictures in my shop?
I saw 5, but I think it’s probably seven.
It looks like there are three of them. Two by the cardboard box and one on top of the wooden box.
If the shop is not a mess, you are not doing anything. Insert a small chunk of time between projects to put the "Tools" back in their place.
I normally use the time when I am to tired to do real work to put the tools back in the correct location, if a certain tool or set of tools are always out of place – the "place" for them is not correct.
Love the look of your shop.