garage organization paralysis

[vavet]

I have a 24 x 32 with a 18 foot wide door on the 24 foot wall. The back 24 foot wall has some cabinets on it. I have an above ground platform/scissor lift on one side near the overhead door. The rest of it is a blank slate.

I'm having trouble getting started with where to put things. Nothing has a home. I'm so afraid that I'm going to do it wrong, that I just don't do anything.

How do I get past this?

 

[nutjob]

Move things around in software. Super easy to use:
https://www.grizzly.com/workshopplanner

Also, put as much as you can on casters.

When I moved I had to rearrange alot since I went from 1 large door to 2 small doors.

Kevin

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Yep. I spend a lot of time in a spot just like this spot.
Do something. Anything. It might not work, but even if you are going backwards, at least you aren't standing still.
Honestly, I can't tell if you are punking us with this post.
But I find that the little steps add up to bigger ones. And if something is really a waste of time, well, I won't do it that way again, etc.
Eventually, my thoughts get a little more focused. And seeing the improvements motivates me to go have a beer and read the new posts on Garage Journal.
Did that help?

 

[mustangmike6996]

My suggestion is lay it out in a mindful way. Look into 5S (everything has a place, every footstep is potentially a wasted footstep).

I planned my layout with some trial and error. I hung cabinets where they looked best but were not as easy to get to so I moved them. Then I had a shop press but it was too close to my restored car so I redid my layout with a lot more thought. The worst thing (in my mind) in a garage is going from corner to corner to get tools to do a job. Next is having to work too close to a wall or door because a lift was positioned in the wrong spot.

 

[rayra]

That's called 'option paralysis' and is a psychological disorder.

But that's besides the point. Your answer is something like the diagram above. Figure out your intended uses / workflow for the space, position the necessary workbenches, tool placement, storage placement that works with your intended uses.
And then build your workbenches free standing but attached to the wall for structural strength and hang your cabinets on french cleats. And when you discover you want to change things it will be easy to do. Thereby keeping your options totally open, skip the 'paralysis' part and GET IT DONE.

 

[bdbecker]

I know exactly what you are dealing with because I used to be the same way. My advice is to go with your gut on what you think is the best option. If you have to re-do something, so what? It's just a garage. I've built, disassembled, and moved things around in my garage a number of times trying to find the right solutions.

 

[mike93lx]

You can always reorganize. Just get started with what your instincts say is right.

You will change it over time. Accept that now and it is a lot easier.

 

[Specracer]

Exactly as others said, and to steal from Nike, "just do it", and be prepared to redo / move things. You wont know if its right or wrong until you do something. Its a process, and a garage is NEVER done, it will always evolve.

 

[jimreed2160]

I felt the same way so I started working over a single spot at a time.

 

[Prospecter]

As others have shared, we can't start the do-over until we do it the first time. And most here have done do-overs many times.

 

[Pauljt]

Ahhh. The paralysis of analysis. Spend so much time trying to figure out the big picture that you never get started on the small things that combined make up that "big picture". Pick something...anything. A corner that needs clearing out, some nuts and bolts sorted, tools organized. Doesn't matter what you start with, the idea is to get involved. One job will always lead to another as you move along. For me music helps while I'm working...or trying to.

 

[lowbucktruck]

Start with figuring out a workflow, like others have suggested. Plan placement of workbench(s) and start there. Best advice in the early stages: put everything heavy on wheels or casters. That way, you can move stuff around and re-arrange to fit your needs.

 

[LXCam]

Don’t feel bad V. I moved into a new shop 5 months ago and stared at it until last month. I finally laid it out on paper and went to town installing power per my design. I worked one day and only changed up the welding area.....so far.


I suggest you just go for it and be prepared to make a few adjustments down the road.

 

[ezover]

I start with moving things out of a corner when I am cleaning, when I can’t put more behind me I put what I think I need in that corner and keep moving. I get a clean garage and things are where I want them.

 

[bad_idea]

Work in the space. Group tools and materials for tasks in the area you work the task. Make due with **** until you refine an idea of what will work. Slap something together that works - proof of concept. Use it, refine the concept. Build a nice one. Then move onto the next problem area.

I am going through the same headache now as I recently built a 30x40 shop and am trying to sort it out. I no sooner set up an area and then I find it doesn't work well. So I rework it to make it work better. It never ends. But it's getting better.

 

[napaul]

I try an keep what I can off the floor, so ladders and loose items hung up and pick one designated work space. whats the rest of garage is to be purposed for such as parking, storage? decide what your needs are

 

[DFB]

Beer helps

 

[taumac]

First thing I would do is park cars inside and see how they fit. Where’s the entry door in relation? I decided to make 2 sides of my garage. One I keep my tool boxes and wife parks her car. I always keep this side clean. The wife has pathway from house to car and outside ridge. The outside side I park my truck and is working side of my garage. It’s been best layout I came up with because it keeps the wife happy happy and keep the mess to only one side of the garage.

 

[matt_i]

I usually get out a tape measure and start envisioning "what-if" scenarios in my mind and start initial checks with the tape measure.

Paper and pencil to start jotting down some dimensions, so they can be summed vs. the wall lengths, etc.

Can advance to placing masking tape on the floor and scaled drawings.

As far as how to make "junk" get into "homes" its best to start with toolboxes, cabinets, drawers, etc. Start with an idea and put like items together and it seems to flow pretty well.

 

[MushCreek]

I have several (relatively) immovable objects, so I tried to deal with those first. My milling machine weighs 2000 lbs.; the lathe 1600. The first thing I did wrong was put the mill by the overhead door. 2000 lbs of cold iron, open the door on a warm humid day, and you've got dripping wet cast iron. Grunt, grunt, huff, puff, moved the thing to the other end of the shop. Lesson learned. Most of my other equipment is on wheels, so easy to move. That leaves benches and storage (cabinets, tool boxes, and shelves). So far, I haven't attached anything to the walls permanently. I have yet to insulate and finish the walls, so everything (except the above mentioned immovable objects) will have to be moved. I have so much stuff I'll have to do one wall at a time, then move the stuff back, and go on to the next wall. Yes, that *****. It's going to be even worse trying to do the ceiling.

I'm going to try to kill a number of birds with one stone, including culling and organizing as I move the **** back and forth.

 

[bullnerd]

Make and or work on stuff or do what you plan to do in there, everything will find its place.

I've worked in machine shops for almost 20 yrs. I've been in shops where the workers set everything up and it works great. And I've been in fancy big industry shops where they get some 5s dude out of college that never made a single thing in his life tell the guys making stuff where to put there tools, never worked.

 

[egnorant]

I use a white board with a wish list on it. As I worked I would find a situation that bothered me and write down possible solutions. These got serviced during those down times waiting on parts or when I didn't have time for that big project so I did 4 little ones.

Move the bench 2 feet that way because it makes me struggle with the trash can out the door, move the grinder out of the back corner because the light is bad and cleanup is hard, build a funnel hanger on the tall oil drain pan, add a drop light and central air chuck, cup holder off the bench for pens, markers and various little stuff or any of 1000 ideas!

My workbench has been a constant victim of my ideas. Trim this rail so it is comfortable with the stools, add hangers for the extension cords on the end and pipe wrenches on the other end.

I could go on with the adjustments I have made over time, but it will never be perfect!
Springtime with lawn equipment is different from wiring a trailer or an engine swap.

Bruce

(HINT) Put dry erase markers on a string...one of the first things I wrote on my board.

 

[johninct]

I don't care how hard you work to plan it and get it right. Once you start to use your garage you will see that stuff needs to be moved around again and again. I have rearranged the drawers in my tool boxes many times and will be doing it many times before. My advise, go with your best guess and feel free to change it .

 

[pi_guy]

I worked at a shop where Chinese lunch menu would take 15 to 20 minutes to decide and then order the same thing they had last time.

Heavy medication and just do it. The more mobile and flexible you are the more you will accomplish.
I have a bandsaw, surface grinder, and press on a aluminum pallet and pull it out and rotate the pallet depending on machine needed.
My surface plate has a few towing receivers welded to it I can add an assembly table<which I keep my skate sharpening machine on> or a vice on a hitch I have a hand shear which can be mounted via the receivers and a couple of other heavy tools.

Now what works for me might not work for you. Some of it is trial and error some ideas were stolen from other race shops.

 

[GarageFull]

This is the story of my life haha. I echo all lot of the thoughts here.

 

[vavet]

OP here, just wanted to give a little update.
I got some garage time over the long weekend. I started going through my toolbox drawers. Some things got thrown away (ignition coils of questionable value for a car I haven't owned in almost 4 years, seat switches for a brand of car I used to work on but never owned, lots of salvaged hardware for that same car brand, and low quality unuseable tools). I organized a few more drawers with all this new room.
I took the screwdriver bit sets out of the cases they came in and organized them in a flip-top divided bin. Now all my #1 phillips are in one space, T20 bits in another space, etc. I hated using the organizers they came in because they were so hard to get in and out.
This was a small step forward, but it was a step forward.
Thank you to everyone who offered advice to get me moving.

 

[BrokeEF]

Man, I am the same way. I want to be organized, but I get overwhelmed quickly once I dive into making that happen. The wife actually helps a fair amount with that. Every once in a while I will get a fire under my *** to work on it and make headway. I think the best advice, which has been echoed here already, is to just do something. Anything is better than nothing! Now if I could just follow that advice

Sean

 

[gunguy]

You've already taken a few steps in the right direction - Purge what you no longer need or use or what's broken. Be ruthless; sell it, give it away, or donate it but get rid of it.

Group thing together by material, use, even color if that helps. If you use boxes, totes, small parts bins, etc. label them. I prefer to write on tape then stick it on the container. If I decide I need the container for something else, it's easy enough to rip off the label and stick on another one. If appropriate, use clear containers so you can tell at a glance what's in it.

Put "stationary" tools on wheels so you can easily move them about. It makes it easy to rearrange your shop when your tastes change or make space for that big project.

Get as much stuff off the floor as possible. Floor space is valuable. A stack of shovels and rakes in a corner do nothing but collect dirt and trash and you always need the one in the back. It the space is clear, it's so much easier to clean and you will tend to keep it clean because it's so much easier.

Understand you probably won't get it right the first time. It may take 2, 3, or more times before you're really comfortable with the layout. Many times it's a evolutionary process that just takes time. As you work with it and live with it you'll figure out what you like and don't like.

Good luck,

Jim

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Have you already acquired all the tools you will ever have? Do you own the last vehicles you will ever buy? Are you committed to never adopting a new hobby? If you are like most of us, the answers to the above will all be NO. If that is the case there is no right or wrong way to organize because your storage needs and work needs will constantly evolve. Make a list of the items you currently need to access most frequently and move every thing else to the furthest areas from your work area and store the rest close to where you will use it. Pick storage options - shelves, tool boxes, peg board, etc based on your budget and time required to implement.

 

[taumac]

Have you already acquired all the tools you will ever have? Do you own the last vehicles you will ever buy? Are you committed to never adopting a new hobby? If you are like most of us, the answers to the above will all be NO. If that is the case there is no right or wrong way to organize because your storage needs and work needs will constantly evolve. Make a list of the items you currently need to access most frequently and move every thing else to the furthest areas from your work area and store the rest close to where you will use it. Pick storeage options - shelves, tool boxes, peg board, etc based on your budget and time required to implement.

Great advice there. Garages evolve over years and hobbies change. Remain flexible.

 

[slackjaw]

As others have said, the best thing to do is put everything on casters to give you the most flexibility.

I have two things in my shop that are bolted down: my workbench and my lift. Everything else and does get moved as needed.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Going on 9 years with my current garage, which I've made a ton of progress in, though sometimes it doesn't feel like it. It feels like I'm just treading water, but if I step back and look at the big picture and how much it's changed and improved over 9 years, it removes some of the anxiety of needing to get things "just right."

My biggest piece of advice would be to try things out and change as you go. It's an organic process. You'll buy and sell tools, change work habits, acquire hobbies, learn new techniques and processes, and you'll end up changing your workspace to accommodate all that. Try things out, and if you don't like it, try something different. Just keep working on projects and don't let the organization get in the way of that. Instead, let it help you.

 

[86turbodsl]

It'll never be done. Think of it like a journey. Just get started on something small. I have the same problems and that's the only thing that has worked is to just do something small and get started.

 

[lilscorpion]

I don't care how hard you work to plan it and get it right. Once you start to use your garage you will see that stuff needs to be moved around again and again. I have rearranged the drawers in my tool boxes many times and will be doing it many times before. My advise, go with your best guess and feel free to change it .

This is so true. I’ve been futzing with my space for about 10 years now and just recently have I found a layout that works for me. There’s so many aspects to getting organized that are really more of a personalization than a rule which anyone can follow.

What’s your short-term storage strategy for things (hardware and tools) you use all the time? Do you like drawers or shelves more? This stuff usually gets stored within reach. Under benches, in drawer bases, and on shelves shallow enough you can see all the way in the back. Drawers are as deep (front to back) as you can get them as to not lose stuff behind other stuff. Depth should be as shallow as what you store in them will allow so you don’t lose stuff under other stuff.

What’s your long-term storage strategy? Containers that have lids stored usually above shoulder height help group things together so that you can easily find things when you need them but they’re out of the way until you do. Shelves are obviously king but steer clear of shelves any deeper than necessary to store the containers you choose since stuff that finds its way to the back of a shelf disappears forever. More smaller containers are better then few larger ones because, no matter what your intentions are, large ones tend to get heavy.

What kind of work surfaces do you need? I’ve had large benches but found the most useful is a 5 x 2’ surface that I keep clean so it’s always ready to be used. As they get bigger they tend to cast a bigger shadow within your work space - take up more space when not in use, collect more stuff, and sometimes make it difficult to reach the back. Instead of having one big work surface consider augmenting with a few smaller fold out/up tables that store flat against the wall when not needed.

Build vs Buy - there will be many opinions as to the easiest way to setup your space. Some will send you to discount stores to buy ready made shelving or benches. Others will encourage you to get basic cabinet building tools and DIY. Which you choose depends in your skills, tools, and desire to learn. In my experience, the flexibility you gain by building yourself enables customization and likely the only way to truly optimize of space. That being said, it becomes another time commitment and a project in and of itself.

 

[niget2002]

I put all my big woodworking machines on wheels back when I had a smaller 2-car garage. Now that I'm in the shop, it's allowing me to easily move things around until I find a workflow that I like. Once that happens, I'll pull the wheels out from under all the tools.

I temporarily lined one of the walls with metal slap-together shelves just to get stuff up off the floor. The end goal will be to go back and fill that wall in with floor to ceiling cabinets.

 

[madison069]

I agree with everything so far about get started on the small stuff and put everything that's heavy on wheels. Recently I got my garage cleaned up enough that I can actually work in it. I threw stuff away that I didn't need anymore and basically kept reducing my clutter. What I have noticed is that I need to move my hardware bins closer to the bench. I found out I'm walking a lot to and from the bolt bins while I am working on projects. Also keep your spaces clean. Get the job done and then clean up! If you let it get clutter then it's just going to add to your problems.

Good luck!

 

[u2slow]

I have a 24 x 32 with a 18 foot wide door on the 24 foot wall. The back 24 foot wall has some cabinets on it. I have an above ground platform/scissor lift on one side near the overhead door. The rest of it is a blank slate.

I'm having trouble getting started with where to put things. Nothing has a home. I'm so afraid that I'm going to do it wrong, that I just don't do anything.

How do I get past this?

I can relate. Had to start filling and using my shop before it was finished inside. It is now an enormous sliding puzzle every time I try to do anything. There's no 'clearing out a corner' because there's no where to put it.

The only way forward for me is to go vertical. That means stacking things that stack, tall shelving, pallet racking? Maybe even a mezzanine or loft. I'm looking at building a couple tiers of perimeter 24" shelving starting at 7'-8' or so. Costco shelving already occupies the lower 6' on one wall.

I'm even gutting my 'desk' area to make a home for my lathe and compressor. The PC is going on a rolling podium sort of thing (actually an old table saw lol!) I figure only things that I can't lift need to take up precious floor space. Even if I can lift it waist-high, it can go on a low, sturdy shelf with something shorter and heavier on the floor underneath.

I'm not even beginning to think of things like air/water plumbing or electrical yet. Hoses, cords, and temporary wiring are all that's happening until I'm happy with the layout. Then I'll install what I need on the wall surface after.

HTH

 

[H10FSD]

I decided to get on the organization move too. I decided to hang shelves instead of cabinets. Got rid of floor standing shelves to free up floor space. Then divided the things going on the shelves. On one side I put stuff for working around the house, Insect/weed killer, wood screws, weedeater/lawnmower stuff, tile tools etc. on the other side I put anything used for working on vehicles, atvs, camper.

 

[lilscorpion]

I have several (relatively) immovable objects, so I tried to deal with those first. My milling machine weighs 2000 lbs.; the lathe 1600. The first thing I did wrong was put the mill by the overhead door. 2000 lbs of cold iron, open the door on a warm humid day, and you've got dripping wet cast iron. Grunt, grunt, huff, puff, moved the thing to the other end of the shop. Lesson learned. Most of my other equipment is on wheels, so easy to move. That leaves benches and storage (cabinets, tool boxes, and shelves). So far, I haven't attached anything to the walls permanently. I have yet to insulate and finish the walls, so everything (except the above mentioned immovable objects) will have to be moved. I have so much stuff I'll have to do one wall at a time, then move the stuff back, and go on to the next wall. Yes, that *****. It's going to be even worse trying to do the ceiling.

I'm going to try to kill a number of birds with one stone, including culling and organizing as I move the **** back and forth.

I only had to move my Mill and Lathe once. Not sure if I got their placement right the first time or deep down inside I've accepted their placement and come up with the best organization around them. Maybe both are true to some extent.

Probably the only way to get to a harmonious layout is to pick one using some best guesses and then use it a while and see what pisses you off and fix those things. What ended up the most difficult for me wasn't where to put things but how to maximize storage and accessibility. Along the way I might have shuffled around some of the rolling stuff but, for the most part, my setup is still fairly similar to where I started.

Good luck.

 

[MushCreek]

I'm a career tool maker, and have laid out a number of commercial shops, so I know how to place machine tools for access and work flow. For example, I keep a good size area in front of the mill, because sooner or later you're going to want to machine something that's too heavy to pick up. I have enough room to pick up big stuff with my engine hoist and place it on the mill. I worked in one shop where the CNC mills were facing each other on a narrow aisle. You couldn't get a forklift in there, so every time we had to cut a heavy mold plate, we had to get several guys to muscle the thing in and out. Not a good set-up.