top 5 rules/ideas to keep shop organized.

[slackdaddy1]

So what is everyone's top 5 rules, gadgets or ideas to keep their shop neat and organized?

When I built my small (22x32) shop I set a hard and fast rule: Zero/None/NO storage in the shop,, period. once you let one thing in, next there is 10, 20, 30.
I have a 10x20 lawn/garden garage shed, with a added lean-to for the tractor.
Next to my shop I have a 8x12 shed for"misc".
My basement has my wood tools, gunsmithing, electric bench, misc storage.

BUT no storage in the shop!

Working on rule #2:: keep it off the floor. (it's a work in progress

What has helped you in your shop??

 

[bob15]

Built an addition
Added another floor to my barn
Built more shelves
Added wall cabinets
Recycled a couple cardboard boxes

 

[uscarry45]

Only start one project at a time
Minimize horizontal surfaces
Minimize open shelving
Cleanup at the end of everyday

 

[The Cobbler]

People have organized shops?

 

[Bogie1632]

Keep the kids out. They have some of their own tools but use mine...which means tools aren't always put back.

V/R
Bogie

 

[Pathfinders]

Now you tell me.

 

[techieman33]

People have organized shops?

It's usually a temporary situation for me. Once every year or so I'll get the bug to clean and organize everything. It looks good for a day or two, then stuff slowly piles up until the mood strikes to clean it back up.

 

[slackdaddy1]

Come on guys,,, I'm looking for that "Top of the mountain, Guru Wisdom" That Waylon Jennings secret to life thing

 

[ddawg16]

slackdaddy1......really?

The question "how to understand women" pales in comparison.

With that said......(Your list is pretty good)

1. Everything needs a place.

2. If you do woodworking...............loosing battle.

3. Don't be afraid to purge

4. We are garage guys.....we don't know how to purge.


Solution............build a bigger garage..............

Repeat as necessary

 

[mmb617]

When I built the garage the #1 rule was only vehicles, parts for vehicles and tools for working on vehicles go in the garage. Any other **** gets stored elsewhere. I can't say the rule has been adhered to 100%, but it's mostly worked.

The other thing I've done myself is gotten into the habit that as soon as I'm done using a tool it gets put away. The exception is if I'm disassembling something and will need the same tools to reassemble later. In that case I usually have a utility cart that holds the tools I'm using for that job till it's done.

But of course I still have to periodically take a few hours to clean up the stuff that just seems to grow on the workbench.

 

[KenC]

The first rule for a neat, organized workplace:
Always clean and store tools , stow supplies and sweep up at the end of every day, or each job if less than a day long.

Now, if I could just find the self discipline to follow that rule, I'd have a neat, organized shop.

 

[JasonMcElroy]

1. working areas are separate from storage areas
2. tools have a home near the station where they're most often used
3. keeping a broom/pan/handbrush right near messy areas makes it more likely you'll use them
4. If in the middle of a job, tools & materials organized/left where I'm working to get right back into it next time
5. If job is done, tools & materials go back to their home. Every time.

I trained my brain this way . . . every time I'm beat and about to leave the shop a **** pile, I think of how much it will **** when I come back in to to continue the job or start a new one and how that can steal pleasurable work/creative time or even lead to avoiding a shop session. This motivates me to clean up on exit so I can always walk in to a nice environment and get busy.

Jason

p.s. - thought of another one. If you make a place for random junk & fasteners (like a 5 gallon bucket) then random junk & fasteners won't end up tucked into spots all around the shop.

 

[Strouty]

It isn't really about the rules or ideas, it is about implementation.

Rule number one: Implement all the following rules.......

 

[Pen & Wrench]

1. Start with more room than you think you need.
2. A place for Everything.
3. Everything in its place.
4. Don't bring in too much new stuff.
5. Good luck with this, I'm still trying to keep rules 1-4.

 

[Daniel441]

1) storage tools must be in a separate place than working tools
2) Clean up at the end of each day.
3)try not to break any rule more than twice


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bczygan]

Never use it.....!

Bill

 

[bczygan]

Seriously, I never like to put tools and materials away when I am in the middle of a project. Too much trouble to drag it all out and put it away again.

So I don't.

No feeling better than to go out and find it all laid out, tools and materials, ready for me.

No OCD here.

Bill

 

[PWC Repair]

Mine is a true working shop 5 days a week. It's not organized but I'm making progress.

1..Nothing belongs out in the floor. Exception..Stuff sitting right next to something currently being worked on is ok.
2..Everything needs a home. If there is no room for a home, you shouldn't have brought it home.
3..Take advantage of your wall height. More shelves going up keeps things from spreading out in the working space.
4..Two decent workbenches, one ready to go at all times. If there are projects on both workbenches, DO NOT start another project until one is done.
5..Supplies go in cabinets, parts and "stuff" go in labeled totes.

Like I said, I'm working on it. I need to build more shelves and purge some "stuff" that doesn't have a home.

 

[lolaetype]

Come on guys,,, I'm looking for that "Top of the mountain, Guru Wisdom" That Waylon Jennings secret to life thing

If I'm doing anything remotely complicated in the garage it seems that I quickly have half of my tools out of the tool box and off of the pegboard. During a project I periodically stop from time to time and round up all the tools, wipe them down and put them back where they go. I think it actually saves me time becasue I'm not crawling all over looking for that 9/16" socket I just had a moment ago.

I believe in a place for everything and everything in it's place. I guess that's a consequence of being somewhat OCD.

Keep counter tops, shelves and floors clean.

I think my garage is haunted. I'll put something down and when I look around it's gone. I'll search and then, there it is right where I left it. It's either ghosts messing with me or my garage overlaps another dimension and occasionally tools and parts fall into that other dimension and then fall back into this one.

 

[Boilerhouse]

Pretty much what everyone else says

1. A place for everything
2. Everything in it's place
3. Clean and tidy up at the end of each day. If it is a complicated project or repair, I will do this twice a day.
4. Absolutely no storage, there is a separate outbuilding for this
5. Aggressively maintain floor space. Purge as required. If something new absolutely needs to join the shop family and it will take up floor space, something else has to go.
(Case in point- when the lathe came home, the engine hoist went to storage and beer fridge went bye bye)

And I guess bonus rule 6, is that if you are going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. I pretty much do, my shop is usually ready for any repair or fab job at any time. For maximum enjoyment, I need a useable functional shop. A warehouse is of no value to me.

 

[CJM8515]

I try to keep it clean. So i clean it up and its clean for a bit until I do whatever again and have to rinse and repeat. The tools all have a place, but junk just accumulates. I have 3 benches and my HF chest and they all have stuff stacked on them.

 

[larry_g]

If you can't find the tool to finish the job, start putting tools away till the one is found. You can't find it because to much stuff is scattered about.

For me I find that the first 30 minutes in the shop is cleaning time. In theory the end of the day works but for me by the end of the day my *** is dragging and I really don't do a good job then.

If I have helpers or others using my tools then they are to return then to the bench or top of the tool box. I will clean and put them in the box. That way I know the tool is in the proper place, clean and ready to go.

All that said, if you walk into my shop at the moment it looks like my tool box exploded

lg
no neat sig line

 

[PNWguy]

No shop at the moment, but I'm building a new house & shop. I've designed it to help me stay organized.

1) There's a garage for parking, storage, freezer, water heater, etc.
This should allow me to avoid storage or parking in my woodshop or the other shop.

2) Wood only shop, with 8' x 8' doors I can drive through from the garage or metal/auto space.
I'm adding a dust collector, and an exterior door so I can keep chips & dust to a minimum, and push them outside when cleaning.

3) 32x40 shop for metal working, machining and car projects. 2 post lift, sink, etc.
Hoping to keep all woodworking out of this space, and keep the grinders and sandblasting away from the mil & lathe.

We'll see how it goes.

 

[larry_g]

3) 32x40 shop for metal working, machining and car projects. 2 post lift, sink, etc.
Hoping to keep all woodworking out of this space, and keep the grinders and sandblasting away from the mil & lathe.

We'll see how it goes.

You can see how I did that in my build below. Your welcome to check it out if your flying I-5 south of Salem.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[MushCreek]

I'm still trying to finish the shop, so I can adhere to all of these guidelines. It's hard to clean up and put things away when the shop isn't finished. The hard part for me is NOT starting any new projects until the shop is done. I'm finally getting better at not dragging home every lost puppy I see on CL, FB, ebay, etc.

 

[PhantomEB]

A place for everything to have its own spot, more than enough cupboard and tool box storage. Want it at the point there’s nothing from the front hub to back axle beside the vehicles. Back corners have stuff dedicated to being back there as well wrapping around the front of the vehicles. Keep horizontal spaces clear of clutter with mostly only what you need to tackle the next project, even if that’s just a cold beer.

 

[signcrafter]

First, there is a difference between a working shop and a garage with some tools in it that gets used for a project here and there. The key to a clean garage is to not have many projects going on. I always have 20 things going on so my shop is an organized mess. I put in an hour or two almost every single day to clean and organize the shop. I've only had this one for just over a year so it's still a work in progress. Still re arranging and figuring out what goes where the best and how to set it up to be a working shop. I also have more parts and supplies then the average guy. I also am in the middle of a house remodel so have all those supplies and tools out. Then have a project car torn down. Then have a car or two I'm fixing for someone. So it never ends for me
I feel like I make progress but usually that hour or two a day is mostly putting stuff away i took out and maybe a small part of that time is actually making new progress on cleaning and organizing. But a little bit everyday makes a difference and I think after a while I'll get there. Then I wont have any problems just putting stuff away and I'll be good. Another issue for me is pretty sure I have adhd or something because I cant focus on anything. I get distracted very easy. So will set out to do one thing and then end up doing 5 other things i saw while working on the first thing and never finish the one thing i set out to do. This isnt a horrible thing because i actually get stuff done so it's not a waste of time but it does mean i cant pick one area of the shop and get that area done.

The true key is to have a big enough of a shop, and then have plenty of shelves and bins and whatever else to keep your stuff organized. Then it's just a matter of putting stuff away which is easy when everything has a place.

I just built this the other day to organize power tools. Most of these have been replaced with cordless tools but still keep them around for backups. They used to be in a big pile with cords all tangled in a huge knot. Built this from scrap so it's not pretty but it's very functional. Making all the grooves for the dividers with a router took the most time to layout and do. But now its fully customizable for whatever tools I want to put in there. My drywall taping tools go on top too. Thinking I'll build another one in the near future because I have enough tools to fill another one up.