With Mr. Montgomery only visiting the shop a couple times a week, it was time to make more of the shop my own. Mostly it is quite difficult to find parts and the right service manual without searching, searching, searching. Also, we are in a building shared with other tenants and the smell from oil and dirt soaked carpet wafts into the corridor. Even though our neighbors never complain, each time I get off the elevator onto our floor I can smell the shop. Time to do some remodeling!
Over the holiday, we took everything out of the front shop then removed the carpet. Remember this building was built in 1946? Well, I’m glad it is a solid concrete structure. It is so much easier with concrete under your feet. Once the carpet was out, we prepped the walls and floor for paint. The floor is getting painted (over the concrete) as we are always dropping small parts. When we took up the carpet it was a treasure trove of parts stuck in the carpet. It will be sooo much easier to find dropped parts from now on.
There was a sink and cabinet in the front shop that we removed to make a little more space at the front door, as recently the landlord provided us with a sink in the back shop area. I’m rearranging the service manual shelving to better accommodate the vast amount of information we store. Some of the original shelving was blocking the door to the adjacent empty suite, and this shifting of the shelves will clear that space. Maybe some typewriter collector would like to rent that space to display and sell some vintage items (hint hint)?
I like how Mr. Montgomery originally set up his work benches so those stay the same with maybe just a smidge more peg board to hang tools and supplies. When all done, the space is brighter, a tad better organized and more space for supplies and parts.