So I am trying to get, and keep my garage / workshop organized, and have made some progress in that area that I thought I would share with others so that they might be able to take my ideas and improve upon them.
#1. In purchasing power tools, I have decided that if I have a choice of the same quality tool without a case, or tool bag, and one with, I will purchase the one with the tool case / bag. I know this seems like not a big deal, but after untangling untold power cords, and dragging 10 various tools out of a cabinet to get to one only because you couldn't untangle the one, the tool bag / case idea came in REALLY handy...
#2. Power tools that do not have factory cases, can be contained with the use of third party tool bags. My Skil circular saw and accessories, Black and Decker Firestorm Router and its pieces, B&D Angle grinder and pieces, and Skil jigsaw and its stuff are all now in their own little tool bags. This makes it SOOOOO easy to slide in and out of a cabinet it isn't funny.
#3. Benchtop tools that need to be a sepcific height? Build a special bench for them. I did for my router table, and I stow the forementioned tools, along with my router bits, B&D Rotary tool, and rotary tool accessory kit in the cavity below.
#4. Clamps. It seems we always need more clamps right? I currently have a decent collection of mostly HF Pittsburg clamps. I built a clamp hanger out of scrap bits of 2x4 stock cut 6" long and turned sideways. I predrilled a countersunk hole for a #10 wood screw on each side 1" in, and then center mounted a bar made out of left over 2x2 stock. The 2x4s hold the 2x2 far enough away from the wall to allow the clamp jaws to fuly engage behind the bar. With a 32" spacing between screw centers it bites into the studs and holds quite solidly. So far this is working great!
#5. Workbenches. If you have a work bench along a wall, perhaps an 8 foot long one, SERIOUSLY consider extending those back legs up so that you have 4 feet above the benchtop to allow for a 4x8 sheet of pegboard to be mounted. That peg board can be used for storing all sorts of things like safety equipment, saws, hammers, whatever...
A wall mounted shop vac with a long hose gets that floor space hog off the floor. The drawback is the wall mounted models being offered have small tanks, and the 1.25" hose. Maybe Shop vac will get a clue and build the hang up model with a 10 gallon tank, and a 2.5" hose...
I may sound like an ad for these people, but honestly I have nothing to do with them other than I have purchased and used their products... I found a pretty cool cord storage hanger thingy called "Geckos Toes" at the Home & Garden show. It kind of looks like a comb sideways with bubble ends. You slip your cord through the tines, anyway, when you need to pay out cord you simply pull away from it and it pays out. I know not as fancy as some cord reel or something like that, but these things work great, they were cheap, and they don't take up much space. They certainly work a LOT better than the old hose hangers I used to use...
Anyone have anything to add for tips / tricks for shop organization.
#1. In purchasing power tools, I have decided that if I have a choice of the same quality tool without a case, or tool bag, and one with, I will purchase the one with the tool case / bag. I know this seems like not a big deal, but after untangling untold power cords, and dragging 10 various tools out of a cabinet to get to one only because you couldn't untangle the one, the tool bag / case idea came in REALLY handy...
#2. Power tools that do not have factory cases, can be contained with the use of third party tool bags. My Skil circular saw and accessories, Black and Decker Firestorm Router and its pieces, B&D Angle grinder and pieces, and Skil jigsaw and its stuff are all now in their own little tool bags. This makes it SOOOOO easy to slide in and out of a cabinet it isn't funny.
#3. Benchtop tools that need to be a sepcific height? Build a special bench for them. I did for my router table, and I stow the forementioned tools, along with my router bits, B&D Rotary tool, and rotary tool accessory kit in the cavity below.
#4. Clamps. It seems we always need more clamps right? I currently have a decent collection of mostly HF Pittsburg clamps. I built a clamp hanger out of scrap bits of 2x4 stock cut 6" long and turned sideways. I predrilled a countersunk hole for a #10 wood screw on each side 1" in, and then center mounted a bar made out of left over 2x2 stock. The 2x4s hold the 2x2 far enough away from the wall to allow the clamp jaws to fuly engage behind the bar. With a 32" spacing between screw centers it bites into the studs and holds quite solidly. So far this is working great!
#5. Workbenches. If you have a work bench along a wall, perhaps an 8 foot long one, SERIOUSLY consider extending those back legs up so that you have 4 feet above the benchtop to allow for a 4x8 sheet of pegboard to be mounted. That peg board can be used for storing all sorts of things like safety equipment, saws, hammers, whatever...
A wall mounted shop vac with a long hose gets that floor space hog off the floor. The drawback is the wall mounted models being offered have small tanks, and the 1.25" hose. Maybe Shop vac will get a clue and build the hang up model with a 10 gallon tank, and a 2.5" hose...
I may sound like an ad for these people, but honestly I have nothing to do with them other than I have purchased and used their products... I found a pretty cool cord storage hanger thingy called "Geckos Toes" at the Home & Garden show. It kind of looks like a comb sideways with bubble ends. You slip your cord through the tines, anyway, when you need to pay out cord you simply pull away from it and it pays out. I know not as fancy as some cord reel or something like that, but these things work great, they were cheap, and they don't take up much space. They certainly work a LOT better than the old hose hangers I used to use...
Anyone have anything to add for tips / tricks for shop organization.
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