Garage Organization Scheme?

[N0tt0N]

I've got two books on building out your perfect garage:

How to Design, Build, & Eguip Your Automotive Workshop on a Budget (SA207 Performance How-To, Jeffrey Zurschmeide)

Ultimate Garage Handbook (141 Motorbooks Workshop, Richard Newton)

Now both are pretty good and I've found they have good advice regarding some of the big picture aspects. The first book goes into a bit more depth about reasonable tools for an automotive workshop, as you would expect. What I've been wrestling with is the concepts that you should organize your tools and supplies around the tasks you will be doing rather than some other scheme (size of boxes, alphabetical, etc.).

What I'm surprised to not be able to find is a organization scheme or typology for actually doing that. I can't seem to find one on the internet in general, or on GJ specifically, because the search engines are a bit too helpful turning 'tool' into something outside the garage, etc. Having admired many of the garage's here I wonder if I'm missing some pearl of wisdom where someone lays out a scheme that not only organizes but also categorizes tools for consideration. Anyway, having spent a bit of time scouring around here's what I've come up with so far. I know this can get blown out down to the specific tool and I may spend more time scouring tool websites but they tend to organize by how they think of their tools and how you would think to buy them not on how you would use them. I'll start a separate thread and I'm sure someone will clue me in that this has all been done somewhere already! I hope so!

Here's what I've come up with so far (Supposed to be indented in a list). I'm maintaining these tags in Excel and using them to tag my tool inventory.

• Automotive
  
  
  [*] Bearing/Seal
  [*] Body
  [*] Brakes/Tires
  [*] Diagnostic
  [*] Disconnects
  [*] Electrical
  [*] Engine
  [*] Engine, Fuel Injection
  [*] Fasteners
  [*] Fluids
  [*] General
  [*] Lifting
  [*] Pullers/Installers
  [*] Suspension
  [*] Tune-up
  ​
• Bicycle
  
• Cleaning
  
  
  [*] Car Wash
  [*] Parts
  ​
• Construction
  
  
  [*] Electrical
  [*] HVAC
  [*] Plumbing
  [*] Stonemasonry
  [*] Walls/Doors
  ​
• Electronics
  
  
  [*] Connectors
  [*] Multimeter
  [*] Soldering
  [*] Wire
  ​
• Gardening
  
  
  [*] Axes
  [*] Lopper
  [*] Rake
  [*] Shovel
  [*] Trowels
  ​
• General/Multi-use
  
  
  [*] Adhesive/Tape
  [*] Clamps
  [*] Drivers
  [*] Hammers/Mallets
  [*] Knives/Scissors
  [*] Pliers
  [*] Screwdriver
  [*] Sockets 1/4"
  [*] Sockets 3/8"
  [*] Sockets 1/2"
  [*] Storage
  [*] Vice
  ​
• Measuring
  
  
  [*] Bore Gauge
  [*] Calipers
  [*] Contour Gauge
  [*] Dial Indicator
  [*] Level
  [*] Micrometers
  [*] Protractors/Squares
  [*] Rulers
  [*] Tape Measures
  [*] Thermometers
  [*] Torque Wrench
  ​
• Metalworking
  
  
  [*] Chisels
  [*] Files/Rasps
  [*] Punches/Drifts
  [*] Scribers
  [*] Tap & Die
  [*] Snips/Shears
  [*] Welding
  ​
• Pneumatic
  
  
  [*] Compressor
  [*] Impact Wrench
  [*] Needlegun Scaler
  [*] Ratchet
  ​
• Power
  
  
  [*] Dremel
  [*] Drill/Driver
  [*] Polisher, DA
  [*] Sander, Orbital
  [*] Vacuum, Wet/Dry
  ​
• Safety
  
  
  [*] Fire Extinguisher
  [*] Gloves
  [*] Goggles
  [*] Ladders
  [*] Masks
  ​
• Woodworking
  
  
  [*] Chisels
  [*] Files
  [*] Hammers
  [*] Planes
  [*] Saws
  ​

I know that's not complete in any way but I thought it would show what I'm looking for. So, somebody tell be where this kind of list is! And thanks in advance!

 

[albrit]

Really?

 

[crewchief888]

i think you might be overthinking this....


hand and air tools in your toolbox
cased/blowmolded boxes on a shelf or in a cabinet
shelves or cabinets for oil, AF, grease, ect
you may want to keep wookworking and metal working seperated.

i dont keep any woodworking type stuff in the garage, no space, i do most of my wood projects during the winter, in the basement.

 

[truckman5000]

IDK what you are talking about.
But a tool inventory, if you have a ton of tools.
You need storage.
And you can assign each draw for the tools in category. And have a number labeled on each door. So you would have to note what is were. And have it on a spread sheet..

 

[N0tt0N]

I'm sure you guys are right. My thinking here is something I've learned that if you can't see it/get to it in 10 seconds you probably won't pull it out and use it. Hell, I'm sure I've sat banging away on something because the correct tool was packed really nicely in a box somewhere under the Christmas ornaments. So, I'm being a little OCD about making sure I know what I have (and don't have!), where it is, that its near other things I'd need to get the job done, etc. I'm sure it will work out. Just wanted to tap the minds of the masters to not reinvent the wheel (list), as it were. LOL