I have something of a lull in my shop work so I have been trying to reorganize. I have drawers full of tools, both hand tools and portable power tools. My habit has been to lay whatever tool I just used on the bench and leave it there until next time. I don't have the habit of putting them back in the drawer every time. I am trying to figure out a better approach. I tried a cart sitting in the floor, but it's too much in the way. (Tiny shop). I have become conscience of the repetitive nature of some things. (Open the drawer, get out the chisel, close the drawer, use the chisel, open the drawer, put the chisel away, close the drawer. Rinse and repeat.)
I am considering some sort of wall display. Maybe on the exterior of a door to a cabinet yet to be built. At least that would leave the tools in sight and eliminate all the opening and closing of drawers.
I have moved my portable power tools to a shelf on the side of what passes for a work bench. I put the shop vac under the bench/cart. Thought that was going to be better than sitting them on the floor but now they get showered with saw dust. May have to rethink.
What do you do with the often used tools? Any suggestions?
Barry, I had the same issue you describe re. putting tools away. Several years ago, built a long bench for my radial arm saw. It is immediately behind my workbench and serves a dual purpose of supporting my RAS and as a landing place for miscellaneous stuff, tools, etc. while Il'm working at my bench. As you can imagine, that's not an ideal solution, especially if you need to use the RAS. I solved the problem (partially) by hanging a bunch of my tools on the wall over the RAS bench, including a till for my saws and some open cabinets for hand planes and other miscellaneous things. The most useful thing I did was to build a little stand for my my most used tools - primarily, my everyday chisels, screwdrivers, awls, marking gauges and such. It's easy to find familiar tools with them in plain view and to replace them when I'm done without having to open or close a drawer. Here's a couple of photos:
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2hvQDr9][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2hvQDr9]Version 2[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/158680038@N03/]Hank Knight[/url], on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/22rH3Gu][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/22rH3Gu]IMG_0057[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/158680038@N03/]Hank Knight[/url], on Flickr
I keep all the rest of my small hand and power tools in the drawers under the RAS bench and I don't find it too much trouble to put stuff back when I'm done with it. MY most used the live in the drawers are my layout tools, squares, rules, pencils, marking gauges, writing gear and such. I just haven't found a better place to store it and the drawers keep it handy and dust free.
1. Have fewer tools. This is the perfect time to weed. Under most circumstances if it’s a triple, needs a handle or is dull as a butter knife seriously assess. If it is better (for whatever reason) than what you currently use, fix it and replace the other for service. Put what you replaced into a box for donation. Choose wisely. If you don’t look for it by April , off it goes. If you miss it two years from now kick yourself, but you’ll make do. Reject the thought “ if I had a different saw, grinder, power tool , etc” things will go easier. Much of the time the learning curve negates any advantage-- now or in the future. Antique tools probably have less value now than when you got them, most younger generation couldn’t care less about tools
2. Put outside what will be safe -- and usable by driving it into the shop for one time, or occasional use.
3. Build a clamp stand 150% times the size of what you have and keep them dry wherever you can fit all of them in one location.
4. Dispose of all liquids not essential. Especially paint. You’ll likely purchase new almost always anyway, but it will be gone and not missed. Keep formulas stored on paper or computer (and backed up) and store data where you can find it.
5. Stop buying bulk, no matter how attractive, unless you need it and use within a month.
6. Clear the floor. Give yourself room to think and work. Anything in the way is up for serious use/trouble evaluation.
7. Look up. Can it safely be stored in rafters? As to other solutions I'll leave that to others and I'll watch here.
THAT SAID, I just bought a used/new to me guillotine mitre trimmer so I’m as guilty as you are. But… my excuse is at least it will be used multiple times soon. Storage problems come later.
My saws are on a till behind the bench (that I can reach).
The normally used planes are under the bench, and the dogs and holdfasts are on the top.
My chisels are on a wall close to my basement door (shop is in the garage, but garage is basement level).
Anything less frequently used is stored elsewhere in my dry basement on the inexpensive racks that you'd find at home depot or anywhere else, but importantly for me, nothing is in a closed cabinet in that room (or I would soon lose the ability to remember that it existed).
I do not replace tools mid process and if the process is complicated (like building a guitar), I can get to the point that soon there are forty things on my bench. Cleaning and organizing is agonizing for me, so I try to do it in a rhythm. that sounds idiotic, but it works for me. It is, in fact, the same thing I employ for any other task now where I just can't bear to go through the whole task in order without hurrying. The rhythm is always about 80% of "as fast as I can rush through this" and inevitably, it always works out to be faster and less trouble.
I used to say I was fundamentally organised but superficially disorganized. Now it may be I am just disorganized.
That's impressive. I may steal the tool caddy idea.
I have shelves Wrapped around my RAS and filled with turning blanks.
I saw a youtube video where the guy said not to allow off cuts and scraps to take over your shop. I am guilty. Pack Rat. Can't bring myself to throw out interesting pieces of wood I paid a lot for.
Lathe chisels that are commonly used go on a stand that I built out of plywood using 2" PVC pipe in which I insert the lathe chisels. Little used lathe chisel go in the drawer beneath the lathe.
Bench/hand tools go in two drawer cabinet units that I built which are near my work bench.
Drill bits, drills and drill "tools" go in a drawer unit near my drill press.
Router bits go in a storage cabinet that I made that hangs on my router table.
That's funny....One thing I have managed to discipline myself into doing is to "put ten things away" when I walk into the shop. Doesn't make much of a dent but it helps. The funny part is I can be walking past the shop and think "I need a pencil" and walk in to get one, but I have to put ten things away before I can take a pencil.
That's funny. I actually have a rule of 5 items if I'm walking through the shop not working.
I'm getting closer to doing that as part of the work process, but not yet.
where I get stuck going in a set rhythm (which is really just a matter of not hurrying, and at the same time, not stopping to ponder anything) is when I actually want to use the shop or clean up everything at one time.
People without my habitual flaws wouldn't need to do such a thing. I can't even identify with what it would be like to enjoy cleaning and do it on purpose and boast about neatness. I just need to carve out enough space to work without tripping.
I have already began to consider evaluating most of the stuff. For example I bet I have a dozen Phillips screw drivers many of which are worn to the point of being nearly useless and I drive 90% for the screws with a drill or impact driver. And there are a bunch of odd tools in the drawer such as a gadget to drive glaziers points. I need to throw half of that stuff away. Or donate it.
Many of the things in my shop are where I put them when I got them which means the logic is that spot was available on that day.
The ten things might be pretty trivial, like throw away a scrap of paper, toss a little crooked half rotted termite eaten piece of wood carefully into the trash (so I can retrieve it later if needed), put a pencil back on the shelf, Put some screws back in the box they came out of, lay the hammer back on the window sill that has become it's home for no apparent reason, turn on the DC and clean the top of the TS.....You get the idea. Even the most minute thing counts.
I have an extended window sill above my lathe and cut slots and hole in the edge of it for the tools. But that has become over loaded and there is a big pile of tools behind the main ones...Need to work on that.
I made a shelf that is mounted on the Drill Press and it has the commonly used bits on it, but maybe I need to expand the concept to include some of the many other I have. I have a drawer full of bits and the drawer has gotten too small.
I made a router bit cabinet/shelf but it has gotten too small and many more bits have appeared. Along with about ten more routers. Maybe I need to expand the cabinet and put it closer to the router table.
I particularly liked #3. I'm currently on "150%" clamp rack number three. They're addicting, I tell you! I've got literally hundreds of clamps. They're everywhere!
- I define a particular storage place for every tool. I don't ever put any other tool in that spot.
- If I am finished with a tool (or maybe not) but feel disorganized, I put it down on my bench. This is a reflex action that I can't seem to break, so I just live with it.
- If the bench doesn't have the needed space to do what I need to do next, I stop and put tools away, at least enough to clear the required space.
- Every time I come into the shop, I stop and put at least 10 tools away. (Sometimes, I have trouble counting to 10, but that's OK, because I'll make up for it next time.) 10 is arbitrary, anyhow; you can choose a number compatible with your normal level of distraction.
- If I need a tool or wood or hardware or anything for the next step and it's not right there in front of me, and I already have a tool in my hand, I put the tool down before going to search for the new stuff. The last thing I want to ever do is set the tool down where I finally found whatever it was I needed, because it will probably take me hours to find the tool again.
- If I'm working on something or following the organization rules above, and I notice that I am using a tool more often than I used to, or it is a new tool that I am finding particularly useful, and it is more than a step or two away from "front and center," pick out a tool that is about the same size and is not used very often, and permanently swap places between the two tools. "Permanently" means until I have used the unused tool a couple of times so I set in my mind its new place in the hierarchy.
You definitely need a rack for your most often used tools. You can save a lot of time by minimizing steps when you need them and when you put them away. My racks allow me to drop tools into them from the top. The racks are also moveable, using french cleats. I have the bottom half of the cleats in several places around the shop, when and where I use the tools away from front and center of the main workbench. Of course, one place is on the wall directly behind "front and center." Another is on the edge of a tool tote. A third is a free-standing support that I can set anywhere I need to do some work. A fourth is the back edge of the removable tool tray for my auxiliary bench. I also have a zippered canvas tool bag for carrying stuff to meetings, demonstrations, job sites, etc. One of the tool racks fits in it on the bottom.
Matched tool set handless are a really bad idea, unless you are just a collector. You need a unique handle on every one of your commonly used tools. It makes them easier to find, easier to identify which one might be missing, and easier to put away.
There's a lot of good ideas & thoughts here. I'll add a couple.
In 2013, as a winter project I made four cabinets (very similar to kitchen cabinets) to go into a 9' wide nook on the front wall of my 2 car garage workshop. The top is a double layer of 3/4" cabinet grade plywood, framed with hardwood (myrtle, IIRC). The 4 cabinets have 3 drawers each and about 12" of open space at the bottom. On the 3 walls above these cabinets I have peg board.
I read that peg board is an inefficient use of wall space. Perhaps, but things used frequently are right there, in the right-hand 1/3 of the big peg board. Marking tools, screw drivers, a few chisels, hammers and mallets -- you get the idea. Less frequently used items are further over. Also, the peg board hooks are convenient for storing little items that would otherwise be lost to history -- a few padlocks used occasionally, screw eyes and similar hardware, cord keepers, etc. They'd be buried in a cluttered drawer.
In the cabinets there's a drawer for drills and accessories (bits of many varieties, plug cutters, hole saws, etc). One for sanding (sand paper for the ROS, sanding blocks, the rubber eraser block, etc). A drawer for router bits and router table accessories. A drawer for fasteners. The commonly used items are close by, and less used items are further to the left. There's a label on each drawer front of the major item type found in that drawer.
Lathe accessories are in a drawer to the left, since the lathe is on that side of the shop.
I built a "temporary" stub wall (in this case, stub means it divides the front part of the shop in half, comes out 10'). One side is open studs and cross pieces (where the clamps live) and the other side is covered with 1/4" plywood. There's a couple of shelves up high for seldom used jigs and such. On the side covered with plywood (closer to the entrance to the house) there's portable shelving sets for wood storage and project parts.
I find it helpful to group like items near each other, on the shelves or in the drawers. Your rule of 10 has been my habit as well for 12 years or so.
The combination of shelving, pegboard, and drawers has worked well for me.......
I'm also of the mindset that every tool has it's place.....and belongs there. Before I buy a tool, there has to be a place for it to "live".
In my long ago youth, I discovered that it did not cost me a penny more to drive my car with a full tank of gas as oppose to just above empty all the time. Same with putting tools away after use.....just a little effort is all it takes.
Recall that in math classes "n" is the symbol for an undefined number ......If I am traveling in the shop I may pick up and put away n things, to wit.....
The only thing I have done in decades to lessen chaos is to acquire the discipline to notice things that could be put away and if my current path enables it, pick the item(s) up and deposit it in its storage location. Additional discipline is that everything has a home. The home may well be a pile of apparent clutter, but I know what is there and can find what I need.
Unless work is being impaired, I don't purposely clean and organize. If an activity doesn't aid getting something made, I avoid doing it. However, I am annoyed by walking on shavings. The floor around the bench stays tidy.
I built wide stools into all my shop windows and drill them for awls chisels,etc.. Clamp brackets go across the top of the window. Clamps don't block much light.
I had a friend who used to put $5 worth of gas in her almost empty tank ever day. I told her it would make sense to fill it once and keep up the habit. Then her tank would always be full. She never managed it but the concept makes sense.
I've tried this with shop cleaning and it works for a time but eventually something happens to upset the routine and I end up with a total disaster.
That summarizes how my shop goes. Paths are needed to places, and certain areas need to be open (the left stall in my garage is both an open path most of the time, and the spot where I spray finish. It isn't allowed to close even though there's no vital anything going on in my garage).
I tend to always walk somewhere with something if I'm already making the trip and not necessarily take a walk cleaning something up unless it's a combined trip.
My wife is the opposite. Everything is immediate. Our garbage is next to the garage door, and since I am the one constantly going to the shop, bags appear at the top o the steps. When I pass them, I take them. When I am not headed downstairs for something, I don't. It's never more than an hour or so as my default move is to head to the shop, even if it's to do a nothing activity (like french polish a test board), but the delay irritates my wife a huge amount.
She's appalled by my shop, of course, but the only suitable situation for her would be perfect cleanliness and no shop at all.
I keep a couple of rare earth magnets on the drill press column to hold drill bits in use. A rare earth magnet is also useful to hold that drill chuck key.
They hold small and easy-to-lose items at various stations. Such as allen/hex keys or spanners/wrenches ...
I am also noticing that a lot of you have much more coordinated surrounding than I do. Hank has a walnut wall and you have drawer fronts made of maple or birch. My drawer fronts are Formica sink cutouts left over from the days I worked my way through college building kitchen cabinets, and some plywood soffit material left over from a house i finished for a friend and other found objects. Can't bring myself to use my "good" wood on myself.
That bench was built over 35 years ago when I first got into woodworking. It was an excellent opportunity to learn how to flatten rough stock.....to cut a straight edge.....to get boards into useable shape.
Hard maple was readily available here in Michigan then and was reasonably priced. I was able to buy some stock from a local pattern makers shop that they had rejected.....and I knew that I was probably only going to build one bench in my lifetime so I went for something that was a challenge to make and would look nice and remind me to make things as well as I can.
I'm a hobbyist.....my main shop product is enjoyment.....I enjoy that bench.
Most of my tool holding rare earth magnets (REMs) are on my lathe (both bed and head stock) and on my air filter, directly behind "front and center" (F&C). One of the more interesting effects of the air cleaner is that REMs can be stuck to its bottom surface, and light ferrous tools, like compasses, marking knives, 6" rules, etc., can be hung from them, making these tools as easy to pick up and put back as if they were F&C.
"Front and center" is that place in my shop where I do most of my sketching, thinking, experimenting, and fine work. It happens to also be the place I anchor my bench-on-bench. I'm sure most of us have such a favorite work place, even if it is not the same place in every shop. When I go into "put N things way" mode, that is the space I start with. When I get it mostly under control, I move out to the top of my table saw and RAS.
[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2hvQDr9]Version 2[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/158680038@N03/]Hank Knight[/url], on Flickr
[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/22rH3Gu]IMG_0057[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/158680038@N03/]Hank Knight[/url], on Flickr
