Tips/Techniques Workshop Organization- things that have made a difference for you

[DPittman]

@Susquatch said "So for me time spent organizing things is time wasted because I don't like doing it.....
But more importantly, I don't enjoy organizing so that has to be weighed against the joy I feel when I'm making something........
I'm a piler, not a filer, or a filer wanna be. I am happy with who I am."

In my books then you're living right and living the good life. Keep enjoying it!

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I went through a (brief) pegboard stage. It has it's place. But like any one sized fits all solution, doesn't really do anything great. It's biggest selling point is that it's easily changeable. Not that it's good. I find it better for hardware, and stuff like that, tape etc, than it is for tools. I no longer have any in the shop. When I get to building out the wood shop this year, I'll put up a sheet though, as I find it's a quick cheap and dirty solution, that'll help me right away, and I can evolve from there as time goes on.

 

[Susquatch]

I was getting excited until I saw peg board ........ I hate peg board. What I found I like is 3/4 ply. Either screws for stuff hanging like wrenches, holes drilled and 3/8"s dowels glued in or little racks for pliers and screw drivers an L brackets for hacksaws and such. Every wall surface either has shelving in front it or ply and its all covered.

My sentiments exactly. I tried pegboard 30 years ago and HATED IT! A piece of 3/4 ply is infinitely superior. You can even write on it with pencil for what goes where. I like long finishing nails or straight shaft nails with flat heads.

When we bought the farm, the shop had steel roofing on the inside walls with insulated walls. I tried mounting plywood but hated it. At 80x40, it's big enough though that wall storage isn't really required. The trouble is that big tractors and farm impliments take up a lot of space. I've put a lot of racking in there to separate and also store things. But some stuff is a pain - rotary indexers, universal dividing heads, mill tail stocks, big fixtures, etc. Right now they sit on a work bench or on the counter or a table in my break room. Too big for a drawer and most big drawers are at the bottom waiting to cause a back injury anyway. My first thought was a tall wall cabinet with shelving. But I never thought about wall shelves. I'll have to take a closer look at that. If it doesn't work out, I think I'll look at where to put another storage rack.

What do you do with big fixture tooling like that?

 

[DPittman]

I went through a (brief) pegboard stage. It has it's place. But like any one sized fits all solution, doesn't really do anything great. It's biggest selling point is that it's easily changeable. Not that it's good. I find it better for hardware, and stuff like that, tape etc, than it is for tools. I no longer have any in the shop. When I get to building out the wood shop this year, I'll put up a sheet though, as I find it's a quick cheap and dirty solution, that'll help me right away, and I can evolve from there as time goes on.

I had pegboard on my last shop and quite liked it. I had all sorts of crap hanging on it and I figured it made use of vertical space as horizontal space was more limited. For my new shop I bought metal pegboard thinking it might be better/nicer but I've read that accessory hangers/hooks fit more loosely in the metal pegboard because it is thinner. I haven't got it up yet so we will see.

 

[JustaDB]

There isn't a piece of pegboard in my shop...

Mine, either.

 

[mmcmdl]

Mine, either.

Mine either . I tore everything down and shipped it off free to one of our H-M members . Little too organized for my taste .

 

[Bandit]

Don't have any either, seems to be only good for lite stuff, and no good if gets moisture in it. Course maybe all rite if only 1 24in. pipe wrench at a time. If it tears out, that area kaput.

 

[Ironman]

What do you do with big fixture tooling like that?

I have a few gov't surplus steel shelf units about 12" x 30" shelves that I am using now. I don't find it satisfactory but it works for now.

 

[StevSmar]

I like things organized, but there has to be a good return on investment. I’m ok with things I rarely use not being stored in a very organized manner.

I am finding I do need to keep more organized than I used to, just because I can’t see things as well as I used to…

 

[StevSmar]

I watched this video recently. OMG, this fellow has taken workshop organization to a level that incredible (or terrifying depending on your perspective):

 

[Susquatch]

OMG, this fellow has taken workshop organization to a level that incredible (or terrifying depending on your perspective):

"Terrifying".

I scrolled around enough to puke. I'm getting hives just peeking at the video. If somebody forced me in there, I'd prolly turn into a wild bull moose and trash the place for a month. It would take at least that long to calm down.

 

[Tom O]

I don’t see the problem

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I do. You have too many fly presses. I'll be a good friend and offer to take one off your hands to free up some room....I'll give it a nice home, and you can visit it anytime you'd like.

 

[Tom O]

Rosalita give me a hand tidying up.


Noooooo Noooooo I go home now.

 

[Susquatch]

@Tom O - What are all those globes on the left side of your photo.

And where do I get one of those shirts! Love the Robin's egg colour.

 

[Ironman]

I watched this video recently. OMG, this fellow has taken workshop organization to a level that incredible (or terrifying depending on your perspective):

That's horrible. I'm sure he does no work in it, unless you count sitting there and sucking his thumb.

 

[Tom O]

@Tom O - What are all those globes on the left side of your photo.

And where do I get one of those shirts! Love the Robin's egg colour.

Looks like a fly presses to me.
By the way I think I found your dog!

 

[Ironman]

@Tom O - What are all those globes on the left side of your photo.

And where do I get one of those shirts! Love the Robin's egg colour.

I think they are stock tank float balls or he hijacked some old American Standard turd collectors
"Give me your balls or I'll shoot a hole in your bowl"

 

[StevSmar]

That's horrible. I'm sure he does no work in it, unless you count sitting there and sucking his thumb.

He must get some work done? It appears he’s running a business? But I agree, the level of ”decoration” does seem to suggest that running a successful business would be difficult. I was wondering if the business was just a way to get a tax write off on his tools?

Of course there is the saying “How do you make a million dollars making classical guitars? First start with two million dollars”
(or similar), so maybe this is really a hobby for him?

 

[dave_lawson@]

Number 9 is key for me. An overly messy shop tends to get in the way of my motivation to start a new project, or return to finish one off. Whenever I arrive in my shop and the main work surfaces are clear and ready for me to go (and tools and such put back into their most recent "ideal" spot) I find I can grab a notepad and get planning with a fresh mind. If I can't find a clean spot to drop my notepad, I tend to wander back out.

I've been working in my shop a lot on "reno catch ups" and want to drive through them so I can focus on proper government work. For each day I'm in there 'catching up' I allocate a minimum of 30 mins reorganizing a few things (sometime hanging up clamps, or installing a wall clock, etc) that take me a step closer to what I aspire the shop to be. My wife doesn't notice the 'puttering' in the grand scheme of things and has commented on how impressed she is that I'm productive yet the shop keeps looking better each week....lol

**IRMV**