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(A) Pristine/Aligned-Perfectly vs (B) Used/Organized

route246

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NorCal
Disclaimer: I subscribe to the adage, "A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind." Also, I am a serious hobbyist and not a pro.

I see a lot of pictures of tool storage here. I am slightly disorganized by design because I can always find things where I left them. Every time I attempt to clean up and organize I have difficulty finding certain things. My toolbox drawers look cluttered but they are organized. My screwdrivers do not align perfectly and they are not always sorted large to small. I have to confess that I am slightly envious of people who are able to devote the time and trouble to doing this. I have managed to do a decent job with my wrenches, pliers and cutters thanks to the organizer tips here. I have certain things thrown on top of other things because of a lack of space. I try to organize things but space is scarce.

My tools and equipment get used and often get used very aggressively. I'm not interested in keeping things pristine, clean and polished. I'm more interested in getting the job done and done correctly. I'm not talking about using screwdrivers as pry bars, etc. when I say I use them aggressively. What I mean is I use them the way they were meant to be used. I might use my claw hammer to strip wood while pouring concrete and I don't go out of my way to wipe the residual concrete off the handle or head and things like that. So my claw hammer might have concrete residue in its nooks and crannies. I know some people will devote a great deal of times wiping down their hammer and cleaning every tiny pebble out of the grip.

I'm not trying to start a cultural war here. I'm just curious about others' take on this matter. I looked at my mechanic's box (he's a Matco guy) once. He has everything very well organized but he does not have things in perfect alignment and many of his tools are very heavily used, stained with grease and look like they may be 20+ years old and going strong. His shop is very sanitary with nothing laying out, his bench is clear of clutter but the top is extremely used, dented, grease-stained and his vise looks like it might be 50 years old but still very functional.

My question is, are you (A) or (B)? I am definitely (B).
 
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tjmonsen5

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Oct 14, 2009
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Crystal Lake IL
Im a B.

I laugh when I see toolboxes that are perfectly aligned and shiny and clean. Who has time to do something like that? A tool is meant to be USED, not eye candy to sit there and drool over. When someone loads up pictures of their perfect toolbox, all I can think of is their huge e-*****. Im not impressed. If I see a lot of used dirty tools, I know you are serious about working with your tools.
 

pcpro15

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Mar 22, 2011
Messages
390
I am a cross between A&B. My tools get used, and are certainly not perfectly aligned in my toolbox, but they are organized. That would put be in the B category, but I also do take the time to wipe my tools down because I appreciate them. Any item that I own or I purchased always gets taken care of. Just how I am. :thumbup:
 

05CarbonDRZ

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May 21, 2011
Messages
526
Location
Cottage Grove,WI
I am for sure A.After each job I take the time to wipe all the tools I used and put them back in their respective places.This means my tools will last for ever and I can spot if any tools are missing quickly and locate them before they drive off under the hood of a car.Spending this extra 5 minutes after each job saves me 10x time on the back end searching for tools both to do the job and after the job is complete.
 

jjjrmx5

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Dec 30, 2010
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Cincinnati, OH
I used to be the king of clutter as a teen and after college.

Once I got a bottom and top chest, things got at least "compartmentalized" as far as at least "like things" went together.

Many years ago I did some work doing floor-engineering and prototyping for a local mfgr. Bought yet another tool box for that job but did learn the art and need for tool organization and I do it for two reasons. Ease of finding what you need in a hurry or at least quickly, and then making sure what you own goes back in your box and is not lost, stolen or misplaced to the point of causing harm to others or company or personal machinery.

You want an even worse problem, I have many buddy's that are tool fiends and they come over to help on projects at the house or just o BS, and after a couple of brews they start to reorganize my toolboxes and tools saying they have a better or more efficient way to make or space or make tools easier to find.

I ***** and then spend the next weekend trying to find where the &^% they moved things. If you ever had had a live-in g/f or wife, it's the same unnerving and ongoing process of moving ur %$^& around without your permission.

I'm too old and too indifferent to actually care anymore. LOLOLOLOL.
 

Dan in Pasadena

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Pasadena, CA
Jack's garage is the perfect example that you can be BOTH A and B. They don't have to be mutually exclusive.

I aspire to it, I just don't have the personality makeup to pull it off for extended periods of time.

PS. Jack will chime in any time now saying his is NOT "pristine" nor "perfectly organized" and he may think that is accurate, but I dare say that for 99% of guys his is an example of what they COULD attain and if they did? They'd (I'd) think their garages were pristine and perfect.
 
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wornoutoldman

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Conover WI "God's Country"
I am for sure A.After each job I take the time to wipe all the tools I used and put them back in their respective places.This means my tools will last for ever and I can spot if any tools are missing quickly and locate them before they drive off under the hood of a car.Spending this extra 5 minutes after each job saves me 10x time on the back end searching for tools both to do the job and after the job is complete.

What he said^^^

My 30 plus year old tools although well worn are not/never put away greasy and/or just tossed in a/any drawer. I can tell with a quick glance if any tool is missing/misplaced/awol.

However I've had perfectionist tendencies since childhood. :lol_hitti
 

ijroorda

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Oct 17, 2011
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146
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Pella, Iowa
I am a (B), for sure. I like everything to have a place, and I am pretty diligent about putting tools away after jobs, wiping them down as needed, etc., but I am definitely not OCD about my organization.

Until I can afford to buy a bigger roll cab, my tools get stored wherever there is room, including file cabinets from Goodwill and the drawers of the repurposed desk that acts as my workbench. I don't have room to avoid stacking tools on top of tools. Within my budget right now, buying tools that I need (want?) takes precedence over fancy tool storage, as long as I can find what I need. I don't make a living with my tools, and I'm sure my attitude would be different if I had to, but my system (such as it is) works OK for the moment.
 
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Buckgnarly

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Oct 8, 2010
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VT
No time to put away tools or cleanup, but you have time to post about it/others on the internet?:headscrat:spit:

All kidding aside, I take care of my stuff so I do clean and put away every tool after every job. Of course I do get a kick out of people who are afraid to weld on their nice new shiny floors, the only "finish" on my floor is spilled oil/fluids.....so I guess it's all relative!:beer:
 

twincam00

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Aug 31, 2011
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USA
Im a combination of A and B, nothing is perfectly clean but I try my best to keep things sort of organized, I always give my tools a quick wipe down before putting them away
 

z28snksknr

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Jul 8, 2009
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Location
Turnersville, NJ
I am as neatly organized and aligned as my homemade and budget minded tool storage options allow for. I clean and put away every tool after a job, and sometimes will stop mid job to regroup and get tools back where they should be so I'm not spending time looking for a tool "I swear I put around here somewhere".

On the other hand, I look at the guys that have nice large boxes and whose tools are all from one company or color matched handles etc. and it makes me sad that I can't afford that presently because my (self-undiagnosed) OCD craves order like that.

I'm an A/B hybrid that wishes he could afford to be closer to a pure A
 

Danglerb

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Sep 6, 2007
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SoCal
I am for sure A.After each job I take the time to wipe all the tools I used and put them back in their respective places.This means my tools will last for ever and I can spot if any tools are missing quickly and locate them before they drive off under the hood of a car.Spending this extra 5 minutes after each job saves me 10x time on the back end searching for tools both to do the job and after the job is complete.

^^^^ Yup my view exactly, if the tools don't have a spot, you don't notice when they are missing.
 
Joined
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Americas finest city
I always starts out organized, but in the middle of a project, or when there's a deadline, I leave everything out if it'll be used again the next day. There's guys that say that theres ALWAYS time to clean and put tools away. After working 18 hours straight, I have nothing left to offer. After the project/job is done, everything gets cleaned, polished, and reorganized. Projects take between 4 weeks and 4 months or more, but the disorganization starts about a week or 2 before the finish line. Grinders out, welder leads hanging, hardware bins off the shelf and everywhere, ratchets, screwdrivers, sockets, dirt, dust, grease... this **** isn't going anywhere... it'll have to wait until I'm done. I'd rather take the hour or so a day that I would spend cleaning on going home, playing with my dog or my wife. When the project is done, there's a week or so of calming down, cleaning, and setting up for the next project... the shop usually gets reorganized, and everything is made spotless. This is when I like people to come by the shop - makes you look good.
 
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countryroad82

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Mar 18, 2011
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Kentucky
Kinda A, Kinda B.... I will give my tools a quick wipedown after use but I don't break out the jewlry polish. I put them back where they go after a job, but it's not like a certain screwdriver HAS to sit in a certain spot in the drawer or all is not well in the world. When I buy a new hand tool, I don't inspect the chrome finish with a microscope to make sure there are no flaws. I clean and lightly oil my Channellocks, but I don't freak out when they start to get a little surface rust on them from handling them and humidity. I guess it's more of a B attitude, used and organized.
 

nomad69

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Aug 21, 2009
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70
Definately B. I don't buy tools until I either need then or need to replace them, so all mine are well used some more often than others. I clean them off and put them back in their respective places because I can't stand grease globs in the drawers but my box never has looked like option A.
 

IndyGarage

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Apr 29, 2010
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Indy
I'm pretty much like the OP. Tools are tools and I don't baby them, but I also like everything I own to be in good working condition.

I don't put them away dirty. If I use the tools on a job that is dirty, I spend time wiping down every tool as I put them away. There is a place for every tool, but that place doesn't look like a catalog picture like I've seen some here.

I'm not making fun of those that like that kind of thing, but I personally couldn't care less about it. I don't care about the brand of tool, or how pretty the toolbox is. I'd take a stronger tool over a name brand one every day. To me the things I fix or make with the tools are the things of value - not the tools themselves.

I guess I'm 100% about functionality. But I have my quirks. I simply cannot stand having broken tools. (or broken anything for that matter) I get rid of them or repair them immediately. The funny thing is, I have no problem with stuff that I'm in the process of working on - I have dozens of projects going on at once, but if the handle falls off something or a switch breaks - I have to fix it before moving forward.
 

jeffmoss26

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May 25, 2011
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Cleveland, Ohio
Somewhere in the middle. I use my tools for work but still try to keep them clean and in good working condition. However I am guilty of buying a new tool if I catch a deal, or just want it LOL
 

Jim85IROC

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Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
333
B. I'm constantly tripping over my tools by midway through a project, and wind up confined to a tiny workspace because my tools have taken over. Sometimes it gets bad enough that I stop and clean up midway through, but usually my garage is a total disaster until the project is done. Lately, even after the project is done the garage remains a mess because I finish the project while I'm still midway through 10 other ones.
 
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larry_g

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Apr 28, 2007
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oregon
B- here. I have a drawer for each type of tool and usually know what is in there. One thing I do demand is that when others are borrowing tools (at the old job) or when others are in my shop that any tool they get out of the box or cabinet that they do not return it to the drawer. Leave it on top or on the workbench and I will put it away. Then I know it is cleaned, operable, and stored where I want it to be.

The B- comes from the fact that tools may set out for weeks before I get them settled again. my modis is to clean the shop before a projects start. Cleaning at the begining means that I'm rested and ready, not like the end of the day when I'm dragging and the give-a-**** factor is seriously lacking.

lg
no neat sig line
 

Harvey Melvin Richards

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Mar 17, 2011
Messages
406
Disclaimer: I subscribe to the adage, "A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind."

My question is, are you (A) or (B)? I am definitely (B).

I have a very messy desk, along with a sick mind. I've been a B long enough to know that if A ever does happen, it very fleeting.
 

78Bird

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Apr 23, 2010
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Charlotte, NC
Totally B, but trying to be organized for the reasons most state... You can see whats missing, and you don't grab a filthy tool the next time when you're working on something clean. I'm not obsessing over it, but a rag and a minute or 2 when closing down for the night pays dividends.
 

NJHandyGuy

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Brick Nj baby
i'll let you tell me
 

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Jagmandave

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Nov 6, 2011
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Overland Park, Ks.
I'm another B with A tendencies....

When I'm in the middle of a job all the tools go onto a roll around cart, when I'm done the cart goes to the tool area and they get cleaned and put away - each has it's spot in a drawer or preferably in a tool holder/organizer in a drawer. I do line the screwdrivers up according to size and point, but I also have too many tools that some don't lie on top of each other - but that's OK as long as they're clean and in the right drawer.

If a job drags on I pick things up and put them away, that way I know where they are when I get back to the project.

Nothing is more frustrating to me than not being able to find a tool when I need it, and since my kids are grown and the wife stays out of my area (the garage) like I stay out of hers (the kitchen) I have no one to blame but myself!:mad:
 

HandyManny

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Mar 13, 2009
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Out West
I describe my stuff and my own personal garage/work shop as being well used but cared for and organized. As long as I know where everything is and where to reach for it when I need it, that's all that matters to me. To me oil/grease stains, scuffs, nicks, and patinas are nothing to me. I don't worry a bit about them because I realise that tools are tools and meant to actually be used for a job and as such they gain character with that use. Any place where work is actually performed will eventualy have the evidence (stains and smells) to prove it. It just proves that you have had a long history of being the genuine article, that's all :)

Not meant to start a culture war, but when I walk into another man's own personal garage (or his professional shop) and see it perfectly clean, sterile, and prestine with a bunch of tools, shop equipment, and a workbench that looks brand new and untouched, like it's all just for show or otherwise looks as if his wife had more influence in arranging it than he did.......well I honesty have to wonder what kind of man he really is. :headscrat Either he's very young and starting out or he's just a showman. Young and starting out I understand. But a showman....I just don't trust guys like that. :wtf:
 
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Zebu Fellenz

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Aug 3, 2010
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Phelps, NY
"B"

Everything is organized and has a place, I try to be neat and keep everything orderly but it's not a compulsion.
 

Outlawmws

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Aug 9, 2011
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The Badlands
Anyone looking at my garage/tool boxes at first glance would say B, but anyone watching me get something needed for the job, or telling them exactly where it is so they can get it while I'm under a vehicle would say "A" (Mostly the same deal with my camping gear...)

Unless my kids have been into the tools, and "put them away"... They still have not quite caught on to the "put it back EXACTLY where you got it from" part of my mantra.
 

larry_g

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Apr 28, 2007
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oregon
Anyone looking at my garage/tool boxes at first glance would say B, but anyone watching me get something needed for the job, or telling them exactly where it is so they can get it while I'm under a vehicle would say "A" (Mostly the same deal with my camping gear...)

Unless my kids have been into the tools, and "put them away"... They still have not quite caught on to the "put it back EXACTLY where you got it from" part of my mantra.

I'm perty much the same in knowing what drawer tools are in, however when I move the tool boxes around then I can't find stuff. My mind knows location in the shop and what drawer. All the tool boxes are different so I don't know by box, only location. Odd trait.

The second part is why I don't allow visitors to put stuff away.

lg
no neat sig line
 
OP
R

route246

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Apr 16, 2007
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NorCal
The only place I've seen that looks like this on a regular basis are professional car racing shops. They are usually pristine but I think they have sponsorship deals which require them to remain this way.

Not meant to start a culture war, but when I walk into another man's own personal garage (or his professional shop) and see it perfectly clean, sterile, and prestine with a bunch of tools, shop equipment, and a workbench that looks brand new and untouched, like it's all just for show or otherwise looks as if his wife had more influence in arranging it than he did.......well I honesty have to wonder what kind of man he really is. :headscrat Either he's very young and starting out or he's just a showman. Young and starting out I understand. But a showman....I just don't trust guys like that. :wtf:
 

JSBriggs

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May 10, 2009
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Auburn CA
Where is the Poll?

Definitely B. But tools have to be clean/wiped down before they get put away. I keep my grubby tools on a cookie sheet after a I use them. Sometimes they pile up (like laundry does).

-Jeff
 

jeffmoss26

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May 25, 2011
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This is fairly typical of my workbench:
DSCN6212.jpg
 

GirlnAgarage

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Jan 21, 2011
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4,668
Location
Texas
Disclaimer: I subscribe to the adage, "A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind." Also, I am a serious hobbyist and not a pro.

I see a lot of pictures of tool storage here. I am slightly disorganized by design because I can always find things where I left them. Every time I attempt to clean up and organize I have difficulty finding certain things. My toolbox drawers look cluttered but they are organized. My screwdrivers do not align perfectly and they are not always sorted large to small. I have to confess that I am slightly envious of people who are able to devote the time and trouble to doing this. I have managed to do a decent job with my wrenches, pliers and cutters thanks to the organizer tips here. I have certain things thrown on top of other things because of a lack of space. I try to organize things but space is scarce.

My tools and equipment get used and often get used very aggressively. I'm not interested in keeping things pristine, clean and polished. I'm more interested in getting the job done and done correctly. I'm not talking about using screwdrivers as pry bars, etc. when I say I use them aggressively. What I mean is I use them the way they were meant to be used. I might use my claw hammer to strip wood while pouring concrete and I don't go out of my way to wipe the residual concrete off the handle or head and things like that. So my claw hammer might have concrete residue in its nooks and crannies. I know some people will devote a great deal of times wiping down their hammer and cleaning every tiny pebble out of the grip.

I'm not trying to start a cultural war here. I'm just curious about others' take on this matter. I looked at my mechanic's box (he's a Matco guy) once. He has everything very well organized but he does not have things in perfect alignment and many of his tools are very heavily used, stained with grease and look like they may be 20+ years old and going strong. His shop is very sanitary with nothing laying out, his bench is clear of clutter but the top is extremely used, dented, grease-stained and his vise looks like it might be 50 years old but still very functional.

My question is, are you (A) or (B)? I am definitely (B).



I think many folks spruce things up before they take a pic ;)


I clean up and organize, declutter, wipe down work surfaces after each project. I try to put away everything at the end of each day. My normal shop is not in the garage but I try to treat it the same way. Everything as a place.
 

scbird94

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Oct 24, 2009
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594
Location
Sauk Rapids, MN
3abb7a71.jpg


haha. this was my bay tuesday. It is now scrubbed, polished, and every tool put away. The car is done and gone, and i am moving onto next project.

Its the only picture i have of my bay in action... its hard to tell but every vertical surface is covered in tools and parts. I stop mid-project at "intermission" points to put all tools away, (such as this project, when i was ready for engine to go back in) just to keep my sanity
 

DaWoodster

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Aug 24, 2008
Messages
84
Location
SoCal
A/B... My description of myself when asked similar questions:

"I live in a world of clutter with pockets of **** organization"

Screwdrivers need to be separated and in order, big to small, sockets need to be in order with sizes all facing same direction, DVD's must all be alphabetical and magazines better be in chronological order.

But I could lose a large dog on any given day in either shop, your chance of having a clear path from point a to point b is probably limited to about 5' and I've been told my wood shop is set up perfectly to deter would be thieves; once they broke in they'd be so overwhelmed with all the **** just laying around they'd just climb back out.

Wish I was neater, but if I found that magic lamp, skinnier, smarter and wealthier would come first. :pimpflash
 

richfinn

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Jan 29, 2011
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Location
Leeds, Yorkshire, England
I think there is a C, I find that I constantly reorganise stuff/purge stuff I dont use much/buy new stuff/replace old stuff/change to better quality stuff.

I,m not bothered about alignment or perfect matching sets, but I always want it to be better and always tinker with new organisers etc etc.

It cant just be me, your never happy if you like tools, its like a crazy f*cking curse :)
 
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