Projects Shop organization-Tool storage

A good source for small and large tables is a used restaurant supply house. They usually have small rolling prep tables that are handy to put tools on and roll to whatever you’re working on. Large stainless tables make good easy to clean workbenches. If I had the room I’d invest in some of them.

 

First it was all the fantastic work most of you guys do, making hot rod porn! Now I'm getting an inferiority complex because of the way you've set up your shops with super organized storage! That's it, I'm done! Big garage sale of everything, even the stuff screwed to the walls, and I'm taking up stamp collecting.

Seriously, lots of nice ideas and execution of storage. An aside: put real mothballs under the bottom drawer of each toolbox. An old machinist taught me that trick. It keeps the tools from rusting. Starrette used to sell it in block form, but I just buy it at the local hardware store. Besides it's easier to get the balls under the drawers.

 

AAAAAAhhhh you suck. I was going to say I need one of those buildings in the background of your first shot.....hopefully after retirement the building will come.

I have about 5 office cabinets at home, 8 at my moms that were free (PacBell cast offs....pre At&t) and 4 or 5 OLD parts bins that came from Hilborn that were getting trashed.....free!!

Old pic, waaay more crap in there now. Can't see the cabinets because the racks are in the way....the racks are on wheels at least.

 

You gotta be able to find the hardware quickly.

 

You guys have convinced me that I need a big dumpster before I can think about organizing.
Thanks.

 

Anyone have a good idea on storing those big 36" and 48" floor fans? I keep thinking it needs to be hoisted up out of the way, but I can't figure and easy/cheap way to do that.

 

Well, I can store them here in upstate New York for you. And I promise to send them back when you ask. No really you'd just have to ask, in writing, 15 months in advance, in triplicate, notarized, by registered mail, through my lawyers, and include return shipping fees, in cash...

Okay so I don't think you're going to take me up on that... I tried!

 

Do you have access to get up high enough to hang a block and tackle? If done near a wall, you could put ina hook/etc to tie off too.

 

You can buy 1500lbs 12 volt winches for around $75…..should do the trick and look cool doing it!






Bones

 

Sometimes when I look up in my shop at all the 'stuff' in the ceiling joists I shudder to think what could happen in an earthquake.... LOLOL

 

Budget 36 is on the right track. I have my bulky race seat and my parachute in a milk crate dangling from the beams of my ceiling. In addition, I have it counterweighted by an iron 396 intake manifold. I used a cable and 2 pulleys. The manifold weighs the same as the seat. if I need the seat, I unhook it and attach the hook to a convenient height hook on the wall. Freed up a lot of floor space.

 

You can see my 48 x 72 in waterproof panel boards are stored between my electrical cabinet and my shelving unit. Along with cardboard and a 6-foot folding table. table.

 

Where in the world did you find the bin drawers? That's what I am wanting for all my hardware.

 

I have pondered it…

 

One winch several pulleys in the right place….both fans could rise up to the ceiling like magic….to the amazement of your friends!





Bones

 

Several homemade version s on the net

 

Wow! That brings back memories nothing like the smell of ammonia to wake you up in the morning. I worked for an aircraft engine manufacturer and we had a very large room with rows of the cabinets you speak of. The original drawings some probably 70 years old and most drawn on vellum we’re not allowed out of the room. If it were anything other then a quick dimension check you needed to make a copy (hence blueprint) to work with. Kind of interesting if you worked with the drawings enough you could identify who drew it by the unique lettering of the individual. Eventually those drawings were redrawn using CAD which presented its own problems seeing some were dimensioned in fractions which didn’t match the precision of computers. I’m sure those cabinets and drawing tables were just scrapped for metal value.

 

Each and every drawer is labeled and has only one specific item in each drawer. That`s why I have so many cabinets. Like my drawer for 18-gauge wire. Stuff is not sitting on the bench or hanging on the wall. Everything is out of sight and has a specific place to be stored. For the most part.

 

We talked about the swing arm versions.

 

Two tips from the middle of my latest stalled shop organizational effort. #1. Less crap is easier to organize & keep clean. #2. There is a product named Plantskydd that repeals rodents. It works better than anything I have ever used. I put it in small cloth bags and set them in cars, drawers and places rodents might hide. Don't get it wet it stinks! It is mostly blood meal. The dogs love it.
https://www.plantskydd.com/repellent.html

 

And I thought I had a lot of c-clamps! I have one drawer full in my file cabinet and about ten on my welding trailer! I still buy every time I see one at a good price…….but I have a ways to go before I catch you!






Bones

 

Pallet rack work bench.

Buy 1 upright and 3 cross beams, cut the upright in half at bench height. With an osb top. You have a large workbench for not much money that can be easily disassembled and stored if you want to rearrange the shop.

3 beams ? If you use 2 on top and 1 across the back the front is open to slide things under.

 

Here is what I meant about welding things to drawers instead of labeling when things are hard to describe. Also miscelaneous items that are not similar work well this way. Quick glance and you know where its at or rediscover something you forgot you had.


Or readily available reference or project info

 

I would like to see a good way to store jack stands.

 

You guys with all the hardware amaze me. I keep a few 1/4”, 5/16”, and 3/8” bolts, nuts, and washers in a couple or three lengths, but that’s about it. I can’t see tying up a bunch of money in hardware unless you’re a commercial shop doing work for the public. I just buy what I need when I need it and keep my play money in my pocket. You know, the pocket with the hole burned in it the last time a few dollars got stuck in it!

 

I put them in a file cabinet drawer. I have 8 of them in one drawer.

 

I use a lot of Grade 2 for mock-up and painting. I find if I only keep a small variety of common bolts, whether 2's, 5's or 8's, I'm always out of the length I need just when I need them. It's a 28-mile roundtrip to Tractor Supply so, I keep a pretty good stockpile available. For fine thread and exact length bolts and screws, specialty washers and nuts, I go to a good local fastener supply, (not Fastenal), at the same time I'm loading up on bulk bolts at TSC.

 

I totally understand and I have way more "hardware" than I'll ever use, most of it the wrong size. But....... it is a minimum 22 mile round trip to the nearest hardware store and I have to get past my favorite bar once each way.

 

These work good. The only issue is that you can't mount 2, 6 ton jacks. I had to put one 6 ton jack and 3 ton on each hanger.

https://www.amazon.com/Kei-Project-Organizer-Brackets-Stands/dp/B09J227JPL