I have too much STUFF

[leehljp]

I have too much stuff and not enough storage space.

I Can't seem to find anything when I need it. Is that a result of lack of organization, not enough space, too many scopes of expertise and expectations of others or what?

AS much as I use my BT3100, which is quarterly for about 2 or 3 days, I cannot find the miter fence for the saw. I found the back up but the center hold down is missing since I broke it. I had to order a new one this morning. But I just have too much stuff that I use regularly and not enough storage space.

I had a good amount in Japan. My dad had many tools back here and left them to me when he passed away in '96. After bringing mine back, I had NO place to work since the shop was crammed full of tools big and small. Gradually I gave away enough to son-in-laws and grand sons to get into my shop. I barely have enough room to move around and most of that space is near the two lathes. I need room to get out of the way if things fly.

The real problem is having to go through boxes and storage containers that are fairly organized to find which part I need. I don't have enough wall space or floor space for everything in an organized manner.

Ahh the frustration of too much stuff. And I just 10 minutes ago, got a call to clean out the wood from a shop of a recently departed friend!

[pearson]

you are definitely not the only one... I know that feeling too well — once you start collecting things, it gets harder and harder to stop. Before you know it, every corner of the house is filled. The other day I was reading seventh avenue reviews, and it really hit me how easy it is to just keep ordering things you don’t truly need. Sometimes stepping back and asking, “Do I really want this, or is it just impulse?” makes a huge difference.

[mpc]

Getting serious about organizing makes a big difference. I built roll-around cabinets, with storage drawers, for my "benchtop" tools... they store far more than the typical splayed-legged metal stands sold for benchtop tools even if you add a shelf or two to those stands. Thus all accessories for the tool have a home in the cabinet/drawers, keeping things together. For tools like the Dewalt DW735 thickness planer that don't need/have many accessories (just spare blades basically) the drawers are used for my hand planes, chisels, and rasps. The chisels and rasps are stored in trays that slide back-n-forth in the drawers, 3 layers deep, to maximize storage space. Lathe tools are on sliding trays in the drawers of the lathe support cabinet. I made the lathe cabinet height so it puts the lathe bed just below the level of my BT3 outfeed table, letting me store the lathe against the back of the BT3. Rolling the BT3 forward a foot or two makes the lathe usable... easy. The roll-around tool cabinets basically have themes: the cabinet for my Ridgid sander has pretty much all of my sanding stuff - the drums & belts for the sander in the uppermost drawer along with card scrapers and hand sanding fixtures, fresh sandpaper sorted into hanging file folders in the second (and deep) drawer in the cabinet, 5 and 6 inch sanding discs in their original boxes standing on-edge next to the hanging file folders, and the lowest drawer stores my ROS and finish sanders. Those benchtop tools + storage cabinets on wheels occupy one wall of the shop with wall-mounted storage cabinets above them.

Lumber storage is the big nuisance. Cutoffs are especially problematic for me. Any lumber storage system gobbles up a lot of space. The way my shop is set up, part of one wall is lumber storage... and to make it easy to sort through the lumber and/or get sheet goods out of their storage rack I can't put tools/cabinets in that area.

mpc

[capncarl]

mpc, I agree with your statement that lumber storage is a big nuisance. You aren’t the only one, I don’t think I’ve ever visited anyone’s wood shop tThat wasn’t overwhelmed by lumber and cutoffs. An old work friend has a shop in an old store in a dried up town. His shop, by my estimate is 40’x75’, his wood storage is an adjoining same size closed store. It is packed with wood racks and wood piles. There is so much wood it is spilling into his shop. My wood storage is not nearly this large, but the wall mounted wood shelves are full and spilling over onto my outfeed table and cutoffs filling up 5 gallon buckets. I’ve devoted all 5 drawers in my sliding miter saw cabinet to salvaged cut offs. I did solve the problem of sheet good storage. I did away with sheet good storage by only purchasing what plywood was needed. Any cut offs are stacked with lumber cut offs.

[ongrass]

mpc, I agree with your statement that lumber storage is a big nuisance. You aren’t the only one, I don’t think I’ve ever visited anyone’s wood shop tThat wasn’t overwhelmed by lumber and cutoffs. An old work friend has a shop in an old store in a dried up town. His shop, by my estimate is 40’x75’, his wood storage is an adjoining same size closed store. It is packed with wood racks and wood piles. There is so much wood it is spilling into his shop. My wood storage is not nearly this large, but the wall mounted wood shelves are full and spilling over onto my outfeed table and cutoffs filling up 5 gallon buckets. I’ve devoted all 5 drawers in my sliding miter saw cabinet to salvaged cut offs. I did solve the problem of sheet good storage. I did away with sheet good storage by only purchasing what plywood was needed. Any cut offs are stacked with lumber cut offs.

I totally relate! Lumber storage can feel like a puzzle that never ends. Your friend’s setup sounds massive, but even in smaller shops, those cutoffs seem to multiply overnight. I’ve found that organizing cutoffs by size or type helps, but it’s still a challenge.