Surplus items stock shop

By TOM J. BECHMAN

Loran Wilson faced a big decision: Could he afford to build a new shop?

Heeding good advice from his wife, Kathy, he decided that over time, it would be a good investment.

The Orleans farmer and cattle producer is still putting the finishing touches on features inside his new farm shop.

What makes Wilson’s shop interesting is how he took items picked up at school surplus sales and other inexpensive sources and converted them into storage and useful tools for his shop.

This thrifty approach not only held down his costs on shop equipment, but also helped give new life to items no longer serving their intended purpose. Otherwise, they were headed for the county dump.

Here’s a look inside Wilson’s shop.

Handy, handy, handy! If Loran Wilson needs to switch sides of the tractor he’s working on, his tools go with him on this simple cart. It was fashioned from one of his salvage purchases.

Take it inside: When it’s time to service this tractor, Loran Wilson can work on it in his dry, warm shop. His wife, Kathy, helped him decide that a shop would pay off over time.

Supplies, not books: Maybe this shelf once held school books. Wilson obtained it for just a few dollars and uses it to store items inside his shop.

Out of the way: Here are more budget cabinets that found a home in the shop, this time in the upstairs loft. The spacious cabinets provide room to store things not used often, but essential all the same.

This article published in the March, 2012 edition of INDIANA PRAIRIE FARMER.

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