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Judy of the Woods productivity, creativity, sustainability |
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Page created on: 6 August 2008 Critical Mass To develop more projects to share with you and run this website, I need funds. By donating even a small amount, you can get the ball rolling. For more information please visit the ■ Support page |
Getting OrganizedChair Organising Panniers Desk chair with organising panniers The newest addition to my office set-up is this organising pannier, the first of a pair to be attached to the side of my desk chair as well as my garden work chair. Although my desk was reasonably tidy with much of the supplies stored in the desk organiser and nearby drawers, shelves and hooks, I preferred to have these supplies at my fingertips, yet out of sight, and gathered in one container which would be easy to pick up and move outdoors on a fine day. The pannier also takes advantage of dead space on the chair. As I planned two, one for each side of the chair, I decided to roughly divide things by which hand usually holds the object. Pencils, pens, scissors, glue stick and Rapesco clip tool go on the right side, as well as some frequently used paper articles like small sticky notes and flags, small sized blank paper and a few other bits and bobs. The left pannier will hold larger paper, lists, set square, ruler, calculator and some empty pockets for waste paper and any additional item I may use occasionally. The pannier is made of cardboard with box-pockets glued to the front, made to fit specific items. I first made a list of all the items I wanted to include, cut out a rough outline in paper in 1/2 scale and moved these paper models around until I was happy with the layout. For the pannier I chose a size slightly larger than A4 so they could hold any file with project material I am working on as well as blank A4 paper (planned for the left side pannel). I also had a couple of little plastic flag holders which I attached with double-sided tape. These also hold my slips for tasks. ) Pannier close-up front - click to enlarge At the back of the pannier I attached some Velcro (hook side), and sewed Velcro loop tape to each chair. I also stitched some fabric tape to the back at the top to use as carrying handle. ) Back view - click to enlarge The down-side of a chair pannier is that it wants to swing inwards, and has to be supported in some way at the lower edge. With two panniers a spreader bar at the bottom would keep them hanging straight, but as I have only made one pannier so far, I had to attach a shorter bar to the chair post to push the bottom of the pannier out. The bar is a twig with the thin end looped around the post, and the other end has a small nail sticking out which goes through a punched hole in the lower edge. This is a rather primitive set-up, but it works. ) Bar to push bottom outwards - click to enlarge The current version is a prototype. A few minor flaws are showing up in use. The problem of the pannier leaning inward was the first I discovered, and had to rectify. The card could have been a bit thicker and the Velcro strips a bit bigger. The pannier rattles a bit when the chair is moved quickly, but is not too irritating. It would be nicer in fabric, but cardboard is probably better suited to the job, as objects don't snag on the material. An upgrade would probably be thicker card with some nice marbled paper cover. A wider base would allow it to stand on a table or the ground, so it could be used where I don't have a chair with Velcro docking attached. In conclusion I consider it a success, but one which could be tweaked a little. ) Current office set-up - click to enlarge 
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 what are Feeds/RSS? / your privacy There are practical ideas throughout the site, but here are a few ideas for self reliance you might also like to explore:  Foraging for Wild Food Download a free list of 350 plants, with additional information on parts used, and how to consume, as well as safety notes. You never know when it may come in handy. The full guide, which you can also download for a small fee, includes some basic herbal remedies.  Homemade Vegetable Oil Lamp Easy and quick to make, and cheap or even free.  Cold Vacuum Sealing Find out how to cold vacuum-seal jars to preserve food (not just jam!) and keep things dry. Its done cheaply and uses recycled jars, very simple home-made valves and a simple, widely available hand pump.  Hydraulic Ram Pump Rule of thumb instructions for building a low cost, low flow pump without the need for welding, and using off-the shelf material.  The DCMC Binding System (Dirt Cheap Milk Carton Binding System) Learn how to make a versatile binder with waste materials. There are many more useful aids to getting organized in the office craft section . judyofthewoods.net |
