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Shop Tools to keep out in the open?

Shop
StevSmar

StevSmar

(Steven)
Premium Member
Every time I do something that throws chips all around the workshop it takes me ever to clean up my basement workshop.

So maybe my wife is partially right- I should have my tools in drawers or cupboards.

But there are some tools I’d never want to put in a cupboard or drawer because they’re being used all the time:
- Rulers.
- Regular Clamps (that is not the specialist ones like welding F clamps or 48” woodworking clamps).
- Of course pen, pencil, permanent markers, eraser, notepad, utility knife.

What do others have as “essential” tools that you’d always want to have within reach.
 
I keep tools in ‘zones’
Leather apron zone:
- pencil
- sharpie
- scribe
- small try square
- 10’ tape measure
- linesman scissors

Mill has all the mill tooling underneath in drawers and rolling tool chest.
Lathe has all lathe tooling and metrology instruments in drawers in the lathe stand.
Welding table and welding cart have welding related tools.
I have one large Husky tool chest that contains all my hand tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, sockets, wrenches etc.
all woodworking tools such as clamps are hung on the wall.
 
This will probably make some of you start to twitch. Photos of the open end of my main work bench. Metric & imperial wrenches, hex keys, calipers, lots of pliers, and a tackle box with screwdrivers, knives, and small tools.Always at hand.

IMG_0251.jpeg

IMG_0253.jpeg

IMG_0252.jpeg
 
As someone that struggles with object permanence, I like to keep everything out in the open where I can see it where it's ready to use. Might not be the best strategy for all, or for cleanliness, but sure helps with productivity. Precise tools, or measurement tools though I keep in drawers.

That clicked for me a few years back when I watched Adam Savages built of a shop tool cart, and he talked about first order retrievability. I'm still not where I'd like to be with regards to it in my shop, but working towards getting there, one project at a time.
 
Always at hand

Mill - All frequently used tools including allen wrenches, vise wrench, flashlight, T-slot Cleaner, plastic mallet for spindle collets, drawbar wrench, etc

Mill Tool Chest (Beside Mill) - on top of this chest, I keep my Rotary Table and various tools needed for whatever project I'm making with my mill, as well as frequently used R8 Collets, center drills, etc

Note - I'm, planning to put my shaper on top of the mill tool cabinet and get a smaller tool chest for mill tooling. The rotary table and optical indexer will also be moved to the top of that chest.

Lathe - All frequently used tools, BXA tool holders, chuck keys, all Allen keys that fit lathe and tool holders, tool post wrenches, lathe files, frequently used 5C collets, M12 driver for 5C chuck changes, etc.

Lathe tool chest (opposite lathe) - on top of this chest, I keep all my chucks, as well as parts and various tools for current projects on lathe.

All my M12 tools are on the top shelf of my big 3 layer tool chest.

Tap & Die sets and drill sets are on top of another rolling tool cabinet.

Lots and lots of tools are with various projects in process on work benches or tables or the floor.

I usually do put tools away when they are not being used. But generally, I like to keep tools where they are handy for what they are used for.

I love the term organized chaos. It's perfect for me and my shop.
 
StevSmar said:
Every time I do something that throws chips all around the workshop it takes me ever to clean up my basement workshop.

So maybe my wife is partially right- I should have my tools in drawers or cupboards.

But there are some tools I’d never want to put in a cupboard or drawer because they’re being used all the time:
- Rulers.
- Regular Clamps (that is not the specialist ones like welding F clamps or 48” woodworking clamps).
- Of course pen, pencil, permanent markers, eraser, notepad, utility knife.

What do others have as “essential” tools that you’d always want to have within reach.
Click to expand...
My shop is still in disaray awaiting the time I can pick stuff up and get started on my project list, but here are a couple of quick shots of what I have around the Mini-Lathe:

Shelf Above Lathe rfs.jpeg

Shelf above the lathe: markers, rules, etc. in the caddy; cutting fluids & lubes; spanners & wrenches for ER and other chucks.


Mini-Lathe Wrenches rfs.jpeg

Hanging on the face of the headstock: 10mm for chuck mounting nuts; 7mm for cross slide lock; 5mm for carriage lock.
 
@StevSmar - do you have some kind of separation between your chip makers and the rest of the basement? My garage is my metal shop, wood shop and general purpose area that is used by me and the OH.
The chip throwers have been been curtained off to try and keep the chips confined. You can see the top of the mill, the lathe is under the Mosquito/P-38 and all the tooling is gathered around each machine. The bandsaw and grinder are out of sight to the right but not where she walks/works, I still cleanup after using them so cuttings/grindings don't pile up. The mill and the lathe have covers for when not in use to keep the dust, grindings and sawdust away. Do the curtains work 100%, no but it doesn't take long to do a quick vacuum outside the curtain along the walkway.

1745164786887.jpeg
 
YotaBota said:
@StevSmar - do you have some kind of separation between your chip makers and the rest of the basement? My garage is my metal shop, wood shop and general purpose area that is used by me and the OH.
The chip throwers have been been curtained off to try and keep the chips confined. You can see the top of the mill, the lathe is under the Mosquito/P-38 and all the tooling is gathered around each machine. The bandsaw and grinder are out of sight to the right but not where she walks/works, I still cleanup after using them so cuttings/grindings don't pile up. The mill and the lathe have covers for when not in use to keep the dust, grindings and sawdust away. Do the curtains work 100%, no but it doesn't take long to do a quick vacuum outside the curtain along the walkway.

View attachment 63517
Click to expand...
I really have to get out there for a shop tour.
 
Trustee From the Toolroom (Nevil Shute) has a great example of separation of “clean” and “dirty” shops; however, the clean shoo is where metalworking was done and the dirty shop was where woodworking happened (and drafting since the drawings wouldn’t get oil on them).
 
My entire shop is dirty from one end to the other. I separate wood work from metal work except for those times when I do metal work in the wood shop or vice versa. I clean up when I need to.
 
My entire shop is dirty from one end to the other. I
Click to expand...

Welcome to the same boat. :D

It's an ongoing process but like others here, one thing I do is try to keep tools related to/used by a machine handy to it. This means that I have several of the same size wrench, allen key, whatever, one for each machine or tool that uses it. This makes me a frequent buyer of $1 wrenches at The Habitat for Humanity Restore and at yard sales.

I do have separate halves of a divided two car garage that are migrating towards wood working and metal working, but I'm still in the "settling in and organizing" phase. While there are no woodworking tools on the metalworking side, the woodworking side is still where some non-woodworking things are since that was the only available area when I moved in.
 
I'm not the shinning example of organized, but somethings that have worked for me more recently:
I made a board for hanging my open ended wrenches. I find it has its advantages over a drawer. 1. Don't need to open drawer to get or put away the tool, 2. Can tell at a glance if I've put the wrench back. I am going to do the same for hex keys (board is separated into top - imperial and bottom metric and used to have the hex keys until I reorganized to fit the Tormach in.)
Other items that stay out in the open - digital calipers - they have a slot on the tool hanger on the mill.
Apron pocket stuff - scriber, deburring tool, pocket knife, sharpie, small ruler (scale).
After that its keeping machine specific items at the machines.
 
I split up my mechanics tools and my metal fab tools into different tool boxes. There's some overlap but for the most part it works

My... brass developing... bench is chaos, a third set of tools randomly there when I want them. Mostly screwdrivers, picks, a knife, flashlight, calipers, etc

I grabbed some sort of discounted gardening cart at Canadian tire years ago that I use as a tool cart, a lot easier to bring the tools to the job than bring the job to the tools
 
YotaBota said:
@StevSmar - do you have some kind of separation between your chip makers and the rest of the basement? My garage is my metal shop, wood shop and general purpose area that is used by me and the OH.
The chip throwers have been been curtained off to try and keep the chips confined. You can see the top of the mill, the lathe is under the Mosquito/P-38 and all the tooling is gathered around each machine. The bandsaw and grinder are out of sight to the right but not where she walks/works, I still cleanup after using them so cuttings/grindings don't pile up. The mill and the lathe have covers for when not in use to keep the dust, grindings and sawdust away. Do the curtains work 100%, no but it doesn't take long to do a quick vacuum outside the curtain along the walkway.

View attachment 63517
Click to expand...
Nice if your on a big enough property but I live on the park boundary so having the garage door open worries me about the Ner do wells looking in while being a spectator or while playing even though I have a monitored alarm with motion sensors.
 
Chicken lights said:
I split up my mechanics tools and my metal fab tools into different tool boxes.
Click to expand...
This. I also have a third tool box for woodworking stuff. Too, I have a tool cart I picked up from PA for the same reason as you: easier to bring the tools to the job.

Like @mickeyf, I have dedicated tools for both the mill & the lathe & I'm in the process of organizing them near the machines with my most used tooling. Trying to map out a close access point is a fun, never-ending, OCD challenge.
 
I’ll throw in another aspect: about 95% of the machining I do is aluminum or stainless steel, so I have a lot of small tools stuck to magnets all around my shop. Drill press allen keys and morse drift key hanging off a big magnet bolted to the drill press column. Lathe tail stock chuck keys stuck to a magnet on top off the tail stock. Multiple scribers with magnetic ends clipped onto machines, etc.
 
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