Overcoming disorganization

[Ed62]

I went into the shop this morning, just to see what I had that could be put into drawers instead of taking up space that could otherwise be used. There was more than I thought! Looks like a new cabinet with drawers is in the not to distant future. Maybe a mobile base or two also. This is a five star thread.

Ed

[Mr__Bill]

To oraganize your shop you need only one thing

MONEY

yup! just money, some will say time and money but since time is money I'll just simplify it to money.

One needs to spend the money to build that "place for everything" and that place has to be readily accessible. If you have to take down six boxes to get to the tool you want you will never put that tool away.

Understand that organized storage and organized workspace are two different things and should be two different places. Neat and tidy and organized are also two different things. Remember when you were a kid and your mother tidied up your room? Some things were lost forever. Don't do this to yourself.

Your shop has two things to organize, tools and supplies. They should be stored differently. Just as tools you use everyday/time and those you use only for special projects will be stored differently. Everyday tools need to be only a hand reach away, stored close to where you use them. On a peg over the bench or in a drawer under the bench. The others should be boxed on a shelf or in their own drawer. The box or drawer should contain everything used with that tool and ..... ok, you get the point.

Supplies can all go into one cabinet, except for the stuff that needs that explosion proof locker. But, it makes more sense to store supplies grouped together and with the tools that use them. This may/will require different storage methods depending on just how much you buy at a time. for example, I buy sheet sandpaper in large packages and store it all together but once I have riped it to size for a tool then the sized paper is kept with that tool.

Keep things you use together - together. Buy more than one of a tool you use frequently in more than one place.

You do need a place to put things that are not put away. This is the place for things that do not yet have a place. It should be only large enough to hold a few things. This is not the same place you put things you are using. The tools that I am using will often go into a tool tote. It keeps them together but handy. If you need the workbench space you only need to move the tote and not a bunch of loose tools and fasteners. Then when your done with the project or day, they are easy to put away.

Whatever plan you use to organize you must have room to expand. If the peg board is full, where is the next new tool going to be put? If you fill all the drawers or shelves you need to make more room now.

What you need to organize is just another tool, most of us will buy the tool we need to do a job so buy what you need to organize.

The last thing to remember, don't screw up you organization to convenience someone else. You only need to throw away a few boxes of Christmas ornaments to get the point across that the workbench is not the place that they are stored.

I know what you really wanted was a diagram of how to organize the space and drawings of what to build. If I were actually and organized person I could do this for you, I am not, I am still working on it. I have figured out my sock drawer, the space over my desk and what not to do with the spice cabinet. I hope I am progressing on the shop.

Whatever you do, we all will be expecting progress photos!

Bill, very disorganized, but enjoying todays sunshine.

[jgrobler]

I'm still very far from being organized. Marc Spagnuolo from thewoodwhisperer.com had a good tip, each time you go into the shop, put away 5 things. Even a nail lying around could count as one of the 5.

No, I haven't really done that, and last weekend I spent more time looking for tools when I had to hang a new door, than actually hanging the door. That was very frustrating. I decided that I too have to start putting things away where they need to be. Starting today! Now please excuse me, I have a garage to go organize.

[atgcpaul]

Some good ideas here plus it's good to hear I'm far from the only one with this issue. I would take a picture of the current condition of the biggest flat surface in my shop but I'm afraid it would be too embarrassing...
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.
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atgcpaul, I've done the myers briggs too and was at the extreme end of all the categories (INTP).

That's funny. I'd love to take a pic of my shop but way too messy and
embarrassing, too. Our shops might look identical because I'm an INTP, too.
My wife is a J but I'm slowly converting her.

[LCHIEN]

I'm actually pretty good about putting tools away and in a place where I can find it. I'll sometimes stack a few things that need putting away but that's not my problem.

The two problems i have are incompleted projects which cover a lot of space and take up room, and stuff I keep because I'm a packrat and find it hard to throw stuff out. Some days I find myself shuffling stuff from tooltop to tooltop as I mave from one machine to another,

[jonmulzer]

The last thing to remember, don't screw up you organization to convenience someone else. You only need to throw away a few boxes of Christmas ornaments to get the point across that the workbench is not the place that they are stored.

How true. The last little argument I had with my girlfriend was over some fluffy christmas decorations that ended up covered with MDF dust thrown out by my router.

"I can't believe you covered those decorations with sawdust!"
"Is that where they do?"
"No, but you could have moved them!"
"If they had been where they were supposed to be, would they be covered in dust?"
"No, but that is beside the point!"
"That is exactly the point, put them in the Sterilite containers on the shelves I built you and they stay clean. Sit them in the middle of my work area and buy new decorations every year"

The following weekend, she put everything away, finally went through stuff and took it to Goodwill and put a bunch of stuff on craigslist. Now everything gets put away and does not clutter up my work area.

I too am all for putting away 5 things everytime I go into the basement. I usually do not have that much stuff out though, but everytime I walk in there I grab a handful of stuff and put it up. Then I usually forget what I came in for, go back upstairs, remember what it was and the cycle repeats. I should not have given my father such a hard time for being forgetful when I was younger........

[RodKirby]

Hmmm......

[leehljp]

That's funny. I'd love to take a pic of my shop but way too messy and
embarrassing, too. Our shops might look identical because I'm an INTP, too.
My wife is a J but I'm slowly converting her.

Just how many INTPs do we have here? Me too!

[leehljp]

Hmmm......

We know Rod, this is all boring to you! But you ARE who we aspire to!

[Ed62]

Hmmm......

I'm a little surprised we even got that much out of him.

Ed

[rnelson0]

Spend money. I am cheap. However, buying a $10 tool belt was the best tool I ever bought. It allowed me to be organized even while moving up and down four stories or when taking stuff on the road. Same with toolbags. Extend this to the rest of your shop. Cabinets, pegboard, shelves, anything that helps you get organized. If you can't make it or hang it up, buy it or pay someone to install it. Time is money, and you'll save a lot of both if you spend just a bit of each to get things set up right. The example of the guy who needed a single clamp and spent 15 minutes looking for it? Multiply that by every time it happened and you could probably account for weeks of your life.

Keep these things in mind when looking at your shop and, of course, the rest of your life. I pay someone to clean my house. Not because I can't or I'm too haughty for it, but $100/month to be able to do anything other than cleaning? Heck yeah, I'm all about that. Now instead of ignoring cleaning in the house proper, I can ignore it in the shop

I've gotten to the point where my wife gets pissed at me when she's cooking because I put the milk back in the fridge before she's done or I start cleaning the knives off, etc. It's a good problem to have, right?

[radhak]

Just how many INTPs do we have here? Me too!

One more :

INTP
Introverted....Intuitive....Thinking....Perceiving
Strength of the preferences %
....44...............38............25..........33

mebbe all woodworkers are just INTP?

[Mr__Bill]

One more :

INTP
Introverted....Intuitive....Thinking....Perceiving
Strength of the preferences %
....44...............38............25..........33

mebbe all woodworkers are just INTP?

Ooo I have a new label for myself, sure is a lot better than the ones my Ex used!

[gsmittle]

Just how many INTPs do we have here? Me too!

ENTJ here.

g.

[Daibach]

Disorganized

I'm not disorganized. When I have to spend 15 minutes to find the tool I need it's because my son borrowed it and put it back in the wrong place or never even brought it back. And the fact that he moved out on his own seven years ago is completely irrelevant!