Kaizen is the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement. The predominant usage of kaizen is in the world of business and industry. In particular, it is the constant improvement working practices, person efficiency, and teamwork. Introduced in Post WWII Japan, the concepts helped Japanese industry recover from utter chaos to the development of many world wide business exemplars.
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The word Kaizen is derived from Kai = change |
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and Zen = good |
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Although I never, previously, used the term... in truth, I did not really know the term till fairly recently...I have in many ways followed the principles of kaizen. After each shop that I built I changed the design of the next one. There were new tools to work with and to house...I had learned a lot between the first shop and the last shop. The single constant through it all was being able to depend on friends to help me build.
Older, heavier and definitely wiser... After we built the Sun Shop, I immediately started designing and redesigning the interior. Here are some landmarks in the journey from the original build to present incarnation... |
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the first step was putting tools where they would efficient...although the general layout was known before the build...the actual location of many items became quite fluid... |
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After building workbenchs, putting up pegboard and building some shelves, the next big item was an outfeed table for the P66. |
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there has been a constant upgrade of all work stations... shop built drill press table... enlarged table, fence, stops, t-slots, hold downs... |
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many redesigns were built around new tools...the west end of the long workbench was redesigned for the new Powermatic jointer... |
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the change of the bench led to new storage opportunities |
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then cabinets were build around that change... |
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Enhanced dust collection brought about many changes. |
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Then cabinets built around the dust collection... |
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Moving the dust collection units out back on a deck and running hose through wall. |
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Hoses and blast gates were installed to allow dust collection at all needed sites... |
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The arrival of Festool products totally changed much of the shop...the MFT3 work station in the west end along with dust collection transformed the methodology of my work spaces. |
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The workstation grew into a system with a boom arm dust collection...with storage underneath... |
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systainer storage became a boon... |
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and caused more shop built options... |
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changing work flow...cutting up sheet goods right off the truck on the Benchmark table in the garage... |
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the gradual movement towards hand tools caused much reconsideration... there had to be new storage for paring chisels... |
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for hand saws...saw till |
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saw till redux is on the drawing board |
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for planes...a plane till |
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plane till redux is on the drawing board |
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the move towards hand tools changed the work flow process of the shop, most power tools are used the western half of the shop... |
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using hand tools became the focus of the eastern end of the shop built the assembly table |
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major change was the workbench build... |
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new hand tools required new sharpening skills...for edged blades... |
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and for hand saws... |
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workstations for hand saws...the sawbenches |
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appliances for use with hand tools...like saw hook |
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migrated to a 51 shooting board... |
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micro-bevel sharpening bench hook |
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crosscut sled for the Powermatic |
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created storage in the attic |
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added a hoist to simply lifting the quite heavy ladder to the attic... |
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new methods |
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new methods led to new cabinets led to new storage... the machinist chest |
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added lighting...both natural light through new windows... |
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and updating the florescent fixtures... |
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and enhanced workstation lighting with magnification... |
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total disassembly and overhaul of the P66 |
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finding storage opportunities in every corner |
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and I am constantly building new work stations... a shop built router table... |
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modifying old ones... |
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new jigs...like this one for using the Festool Domino |
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A tapering jig for the P66. |
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a Kreg pocket hole station... |
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a Kreg clamping station... |
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a jig for paring a mortise... |
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a pounding station for the LN dowel plate... |
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new storage...rolling cabinets |
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| new ways of organizing... Kaizen foam is a product from FastCap. |
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