How a Mythbuster Organizes His Workshop

[Radio Ron w4ron]

Death to Drawers: How a Mythbuster Organizes His Workshop.
Step one is getting rid of tool boxes and drawers.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/a16811/adam-savage-workshop-tour/




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[kluckfab]

Yeah I saw that last week, he doesn't exactly have small shop he just has a lot of **** in it. I prefer draws but to each there own. There is a good YouTube video of his cave with all the different sections,

 

[speed bump]

I hate having stuff out in the open as it collects dust and flat spaces encourages piling stuff on it. It is just easier to lay out my drawers in an orderly manner and go from there. The only place I violate that is when there is an area of the shop that always seems to require something (IE the pegboard by the vice contains both a deadblow and a ball pien hammer because I always seem to need a hammer at that point).

 

[rockinacummins]

Great idea! Need a LOT of room to be effective though!

 

[MichaelBikel]

This is a cool idea but I like my tool chest and drawers. It really depends on what you do with your tools and where they are. Personally I love knowing that everything is locked up and dust free but also don't have more than I need (I'm a hobbyist/minimalist). My shop is in the basement and every now and then we have servicemen down there not to mention my nephews who are nuts.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Since he does a lot of modelmaking work you can see how this is kind of geared to it, but I do like that stuff isn't jammed in a drawer somewhere... my workbench screwdrivers are someewhat like this (they're in an offset stand at the backcorner of my workbench) so its almost an outgrowth of the same kind of idea!

All in all, something to look at... maybe there IS hope for my plier collection after all...

 

[blazemaster83]

I like the idea, but as speed bump said, it collects dust. My shop is kind of a mix of both styles. I like drawers for some things(taps, drills, lathe toolbits, machinist tools). I also like racks/carts and the wall for others.

 

[59'trump]

I completely understand how many can be turned off because of the dust factor but a quick blow off with compressed air usually takes care of it. I thoroughly enjoy seeing what guys like Adam do with their setup because if you've ever seen them work, you can understand his need for this contraption. I think that anyone who is open to new ideas and reorganizing their workplace as their needs change is probably the most efficient at what they do. Having stated that, I like tool drawers cause they look cool! Hahaha[emoji3]


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[rayra]

can tell he doesn't sand anything in there, if that's his storage arrangement. No thanks. I do too much woodworking for such an arrangement.

 

[wttwoa]

can tell he doesn't sand anything in there, if that's his storage arrangement. No thanks. I do too much woodworking for such an arrangement.

yeah most of his builds is mainly building models and building props, he does very few woodworking things but if im not mistaken he has a few people he lets use his shop so they probably do a fair bit of cleaning

 

[Robbie UK]

That mobile tool rack looked very unstable. I wonder how long it takes him to play multiple tool pick-up?

 

[Fretters]

I completely understand how many can be turned off because of the dust factor but a quick blow off with compressed air usually takes care of it.

That merely blows dust elsewhere. There's no easy way to keep a workshop clean. It always boils down to manual graft.

 

[dutchgray]

That merely blows dust elsewhere. There's no easy way to keep a workshop clean. It always boils down to manual graft.

That must be why my garage is in the state it is then, I'm just a bit lazy. The workshop at work we vacuum the wood dust so its doesn't get in the air much.

 

[Fretters]

That must be why my garage is in the state it is then, I'm just a bit lazy.

The workshop at work we vacuum the wood dust so its doesn't get in the air much.

Same here. Vacuum cleaner in general, combined with hand brushes to get into nooks and crannies. Occasionally, I even break out the duster and polish on suitable surfaces.

 

[fech]

Anyone tell me what the knipex cutters were that he had on that? Looked impressive.

 

[Ign]

I completely understand how many can be turned off because of the dust factor but a quick blow off with compressed air usually takes care of it. I thoroughly enjoy seeing what guys like Adam do with their setup because if you've ever seen them work, you can understand his need for this contraption. I think that anyone who is open to new ideas and reorganizing their workplace as their needs change is probably the most efficient at what they do. Having stated that, I like tool drawers cause they look cool! Hahaha[emoji3]


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No, air won't touch what settles on everything in a metal fabrication shop. The only way of removing that is elbow grease. Couple that w wood stove creosote and it's really bad.

 

[Whitworth]

I think Adam does mostly model making, electronics and other similar low-dust generating activities in his shop, so his system may not be ideal for woodworkers, body work etc.

My first impression was - "Yuck", as in the tool stand looks like a beginners project from Woodcraft magazine. But I can appreciate the space savings over drawers and might like to adapt the same approach, but targeted only to tools I use all the time.

Drawers can be messy, but you have to keep them clean, no piling junk in and find a way to limit jumbling contents when slamming drawers shut.

 

[velillen01]

That mobile tool rack looked very unstable. I wonder how long it takes him to play multiple tool pick-up?

It looked pretty unstable but he was still able to spin it around easily. Kind of a trade off for lightweight and maneuverable while still being "durable". Plus he did mention that was version 1 and version 2 would probably be coming.


Its a neat idea though. But nothing id need. I like my service cart which is organized and accomplishes the same thing pretty much

 

[iScream]

"a drawer full of 15 pliers would be a nightmare"

Really?

 

[Ign]

"a drawer full of 15 pliers would be a nightmare"

Really?

Yeah, plus you typically have your top 3 favorite pliers, screwdrivers, fill-in-the-blank at the top/front. Other specialty stuff might only get used 2-3 times per year (for instance I pulled out my engineer's pliers last night to remove a broken drill bit --worked far better than I could have hoped-- but I don't use those daily) so every few months you have to dig for a second. Makes a lot more sense than trying to have every pair of pliers out in the open gathering black air goo combined w "parachuting wiggers" (those are white floaters) from welding galvanized LOL

I guess in an ideal world the weld shop is just completely separate from the "tool storage" room. But there are problems w that approach too beyond the obvious constraints of money and real estate.

Nonetheless, kudos to him for organizing his shop the way he wants.

 

[ambenz]

If you got kids and they have access to the area where tools are, security will be a big issue!
I just like the idea of being able to lock everything down in a heartbeat.
My father actually secured the whole basement workshop with chicken wire and a padlockable door...you could see in but I couldn't grab the saw, or anything....in that case, you could have a rolling rack like that.

 

[Vortaku]

My dream, that video is my dream

 

[bczygan]

I like the idea of a mobile cart like that. It brings the selection of tools you need, right to the job.

Each workstation and machine needs something like that, but designed for the particular task or machine.

You do need a way to easily cover or close it though.

Bill

 

[Kensgarage]

That dude is the reason bullies exist

 

[JR 42]

Man, he's got a lot of scissors (near the bottom of the rack, looks like 8-10 pairs). I'm sure some are shears, but there's one rabbit hole I haven't fallen into yet.

JR

 

[rodsnratfinks]

I could see how it would work for some, but I find the compartmentalization of drawers to offer much more flexible tool storage in less space. The top bin on there was a mess. I'm pretty sure I could access those same items in my box faster than I could pick through that pencil cup organizer.

Also, I notice there's no wrenches or sockets on that cart...

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[FMC1959]

Anyone tell me what the knipex cutters were that he had on that? Looked impressive.

The first he mentions that he said were great for piano wire would be these, not sure if they were 10" or 8"
http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=1&page=art_detail&parentID=1367&groupID=1478&artID=2477

The second pair he had looked similar to these
http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=1&page=art_detail&parentID=1367&groupID=1478&artID=2512

 

[fech]

The first he mentions that he said were great for piano wire would be these, not sure if they were 10" or 8"
http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=1&page=art_detail&parentID=1367&groupID=1478&artID=2477

The second pair he had looked similar to these
http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=1&page=art_detail&parentID=1367&groupID=1478&artID=2512

Thanks bud. Was hoping my request didn't get lost in the shuffle.

 

[Rj555]

Neat idea. However, I prefer my tool chests. They are organized, organized, organized.

 

[guy48065]

That arrangement only makes sense if you have a LOT of workbench space to cluster the tool stands around & on. If you have to get up from the bench & go fetch a tool I don't see what difference it makes whether it's on an open rack or in a drawer.

I remember school shop class had large maple tool cabinets where almost everything behind the doors was displayed on racks, sidewalls, backs of the doors, or on angled shelves. That's my goal. I've brought home a big old TV cabinet to convert into one when I have time. You can usually find at Salvation Army stores for about $50--with the popularity of big flatscreen TVs people bring them in faster than they can get rid of them.

 

[thundermug]

I've done open storage. I don't like it. I prefer drawers. Dust, security, etc. I have a different machinist chest / tool box for each "category". A box for cutting tools, another for tapping, measuring tools, drivers & bits, drills, etc. Very organized. And dust-free.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I don't have the space to be that organized...

Tommy

 

[djjsr]

Hey, it works for him and that's all that matters. I guess I'm a bit OCD and working in a shop like that would send me into therapy.