Where to put Tool Boxes

[mike052082]

I just finished moving into my new house and want to plan out the garage and get it set up before it becomes a dumping place like at my other house.

I have a 24x20 (Yes! I can park my Ram in this garage unlike my last) single door garage. I have brick steps on the right side leading up into the house about the middle of the wall.

Normally I would put the toolbox and work space on the back wall but got to looking today and don't want my wife to back into it as there will be only about a foot or two of leadway. Not enough for my sanity with her. She's already hit the center divider at our other house, garage track with mirror, and even backed into the house.

I am thinking of putting the tool box in the first half of the right wall which will put it close to the door. The second half contains the water heater so that's not and ideal place for anything other than a small workbench or cabinet.

Does anyone else have the tool box that close to the door? How is it working from it? Is it too much back and forth or am I just overthinking this as i do everything?

 

[rsanter]

Toolbox right next to the door is ideal
Little chance things will be put in front of it and the walking space in front of the box is also the space used to open the drawers to get something you need quick

Bob

 

[dumper]

I would put it where it can't be seen from people walking by while you are working with the garage door up. Have you wife park her car in the driveway.

 

[Zeke]

Put a curb where the wife parks!

 

[Thumper68]

My boxes are just to the right of the overhead door, I find it very nice since I tend to back vehicles into the shop to work on them, like stated above keeps **** from blocking them and easy to get to when working outside the shop.

 

[Hesketh]

your garage sounds almost the same as my one with the steps in the middle of one side.

I have placed my work bench and tool box in the corner above the compressor you can see in this photo. To my thinking this is handy and still out of the way when moving cars about, and a good use of space.

PS: I like the idea of a kerb to "aid" parking

 

[mike052082]

Thanks guys.

My house is situated in a semi country setting with little to no trafic as I am on a culdesac. I may get one car every two or three days doing turn around. Also my house is situated at an angle that the tool box wouldn't be visible on the right side where I am thinking of.

At first I took the curb comment as a joke but as I got to thinking about it I might do that. I've tried some fake trees that I use at the back of the garage. I just drive in until I hit the tree trunk which is about 6 inches away from the way. My truck has to be ALL the way in for it to fit and even then I have to take the hitch off the back. I've tried to place a rock and the yellow block that you drive onto like at a car wash for my wife to no avail. She misses it or it gradually gets pushed up. Most of it is just moving into and out of the garage. I've tried the tennis ball. The only thing that worked at my other house was to keep the garage full of stuff so she couldn't park in there anyway. My truck wouldn't fit length way or even width wise so it didn't bother me. I am getting a project car or maybe even a finished muscle car in the next few months so I'm trying to iron all this out now as winter is coming and I know she will want to park in the garage.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm gonna see if I can source one of those lose asphalt speed bumps as a curb or make a form and pour some concrete.

 

[Woody610nb]

Put it in her parking space, sounds like she'll miss it every time.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

Put a curb where the wife parks!

I've got tennis balls hanging from the ceiling to let us know when to stop.. (Of course my wife come in and attacks her tennis ball like Venus Williams.)

 

[vartz04]

put 2 drop in anchors in your floor (they sit flush with the concrete) then get a 4x4 block the width of your wifes car plus 1 foot on each end. Drill holes in it to match up with the drop in spacing. run bolts into the drop ins and tada she won't move that if she hits it hard and she won't drive past it.

Using the dropins is nice because if you ever need it off the floor you can quickly zip out the bolts with an impact and you have a flat floor again.

Don't get too set on your garage layout anyway. I have lived in my house 26 months. I am getting ready to redo the garage for the 3rd time. What you end up doing often in the garage changes and you get new stuff and have to rearrange everythinig to make the space work again.

 

[top drive]

best thing i ever did was move my toolbox by the door.

i often work on the pad out the front or on the bench at the back - the door makes it convienant for both.

i have often used at the bench tools(duplicates) on peg board behind it to minimise how much i wander to the box for tools.

but it saves loads of time when working outside on the pad infront of the door.

 

[Zeke]

I've got tennis balls hanging from the ceiling to let us know when to stop.. (Of course my wife come in and attacks her tennis ball like Venus Williams.)

I've got both! Lets her know when she's gonna hit the curb.

 

[sberry]

I have seen some pitiful arrangements by people with engineering degrees. I like it on the way, usually somewhere near the walk door.
I have a shop so the demands are different and I find location and availability way above quality these days.
Tools have got so good and so cheap it is foolish not to get some and put them where needed. Its a prime feature of my shop,,, the plentiful hand tools are super convenient. I can work my way around fancy sophisticated and expensive for the occasional task,,, run to my neighbors on occasion vs buying lathe etc but I use a channelock hourly as do I an adjustable or common combo. Screwdrivers the same.
Don't even really use a drill press but use a battery drill several times a day.
This isn't a hobby and its at a different pace than a home brew deal. Did ball joint and wheel brg job both sides yesterday wth 2 men and its 5 mins after they were done you couldn't tell. I got an almost unlimited amount of I can work on, to maintain a couple cars and household doesn't requite all that much stuff.
I could carry all I really needed to get by in life in a pickup truck, the rest just makes it easier and faster. I could buy more but it wouldn't return. In older age I try to think economical and times have changed. Now its so easy to buy I wouldn't try to prepare for everything by becoming a collector. Even at great prices and sales I try not to get something just because its a deal, I need a use or its just stacked clutter in the way of what you really want to do.

 

[FJ 432]

I've got tennis balls hanging from the ceiling to let us know when to stop.. (Of course my wife come in and attacks her tennis ball like Venus Williams.)

That's some funny ****.

I tell my wife once the ball hits the windshield it's time to stop. Can't count how many times the string is at a 30-45 degrees!

 

[sberry]

Yes, I have a box that serves a workbench next to the door with apron for use outside. You pretty much walk by it,,, only a little but to it. You can kind of see how it relates to the benches and door. It allows for welding work outdoor or pull in right next to the equipment.
Its kind of dark but the garbage can is normally behind the box

 

[turbowoodworker]

Make the wife park outside and take back your man space!

 

[Garage Junky]

I wouldn't keep anything in the garage you're not ok with your wife denting, crushing, scratching, etc. Sounds like some drivers I know...

 

[TAMPAGT07]

Can't count how many times the string is at a 30-45 degrees!

For me it's a lot easier to count the times the ball is actually at 90 degrees.. I think it happend once in 2012.....

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I wouldn't keep anything in the garage you're not ok with your wife denting, crushing, scratching, etc. Sounds like some drivers I know...

Yupp, that's why the workbench is infront of the wifes car.. The toolboxes, cabinet, and precision table are infront of my two cars...

 

[boiler7904]

Out of sight from the street. Out of the wife's line of fire driving in. That puts my toolbox in the back corner along the sidewall behind my car next to the walk door.

If your wife has such trouble backing into the garage, why does she do it? Is it needed to be able to get into the car? If the truck will fit, you might want to change how you park in the space you have to avoid backing in for the wife.

I back my car in so the passenger side is tight to the cabinets (within 6-8"). My wife drives in leaving a 3ft aisle between them and a little space to get into the passenger side of her car.

 

[Tronyadorable]

I've yet to see a four wheeled vehicle made after 1970 that was worthy of being parked in a garage.Garages are for tools and motorcycles.

 

[bearskinner]

Thanks guys.

My house is situated in a semi country setting with little to no trafic as I am on a culdesac. I may get one car every two or three days doing turn around. Also my house is situated at an angle that the tool box wouldn't be visible on the right side where I am thinking of.

At first I took the curb comment as a joke but as I got to thinking about it I might do that. I've tried some fake trees that I use at the back of the garage. I just drive in until I hit the tree trunk which is about 6 inches away from the way. My truck has to be ALL the way in for it to fit and even then I have to take the hitch off the back. I've tried to place a rock and the yellow block that you drive onto like at a car wash for my wife to no avail. She misses it or it gradually gets pushed up. Most of it is just moving into and out of the garage. I've tried the tennis ball. The only thing that worked at my other house was to keep the garage full of stuff so she couldn't park in there anyway. My truck wouldn't fit length way or even width wise so it didn't bother me. I am getting a project car or maybe even a finished muscle car in the next few months so I'm trying to iron all this out now as winter is coming and I know she will want to park in the garage.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm gonna see if I can source one of those lose asphalt speed bumps as a curb or make a form and pour some concrete.

you don't need to pour concrete, or make anything permanent. Park her car where YOU want her to park. Build a 2x4 structure on the garage floor like a pony wall, but laying down. if she's like my wife, I built a backstop and a side "curb feeler" she just backs up along the side until she lightly bumps the rear stop. If you screw together lumber, you can change it easily as cars change, or needs arise. If she backs like a maniac, use 2x6's so she can't jump them..........I know this from experience.

 

[crewchief888]

we've been in this house & 19x22 garage for approx 7 years now.

previous owners had installed a stop block on one side for parking, fits the wifes car just fine.

i've rearanged stuff in the garage several times, usually about once a year or so.

during nicer weather the wifes car stays outside in the driveway, leaving me a little room to work. my s-10 blazer trail truck has to stay inside, (zoning ordances prohibit parking in the grass, and unregistered vehicles outside)

garage sits quite a ways back from the street, and uphill. theres not much light in the garage, and walls and framing are dark colored. most of my boxes are along the RH side wall, and are blocked from street view by the blazer.

if her car is gone, and i'm in the garage, i move the blazer into the middle of the driveway to block the view.

the dog has never let anyone within 25 ft of the garage, and if they get much closer i have a little "friend" that greets them.


i have a large low bench on the other side of the garage along the back wall. most of it is a storage area for all my parts bins i keep bulky cases, chainsaw, sawsall, new spare parts, and spare propane bottle underneath.

 

[brass89]

What's she doing, coming in hot backing in? I totally understand not wanting your boxes back there, even the best of us have bad days and a few inches too much is all it takes.