# How Organized Is Your Workshop?



## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

Are you one of those people who has a place for everything and everything in its place? Or, does your work area usually look like a hurricane hit it? (I bet you still know where everything is!)

Share pictures if you would like to do so! :biggrin:


----------



## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

My shop is a terrible mess. Kenbo would have a heart attach if he saw it.


----------



## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

I like organization, I like when each tool has its place, I like everything to be tidy but my "workshop" actually looks like if a hurricane hit it...

I should note however that at the current moment my organization system is not that good. I will actually organize things and make a video about it.


----------



## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

As organized as possible, tool placement to facilitate good material/work flow, but not a place for everything so many things are in the way of many other things. I have to do the 'shuffle' often and move work pieces off benches or tools to make room for more work pieces and to use tools. I need a shed!!


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Well... I can walk in my shop now. LOL I hate disorganization but I am far from being organized, but I am working toward that goal. I want a good work bench with nice tool storage on the wall, but I need to sell my Unisaw so I will have the room a work bench.

I also plan to build a work cabinet that has three tools that will be mounted on a triangle that will rotate. One tool on the top when in use and when I need another tool such as the planer, I just flip the tool up on top, lock in place and got to work.


----------



## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

My shop is in my garage, so space is tight and I have to be organized. 
After retiring, I've added electrical outlets, more lighting, insulated my attic and installed AC/heat to the shop. I still make changes to better utilize the space. I have tools varying in age from 12 to 60 years old. All my machines run on 110 voltage. My equipment has been gathered over 40 years. It is a hodgepodge of both new and used equipment. 
Let the wood chips fly!


----------



## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Toolman50 said:


> My shop is in my garage, so space is tight and I have to be organized.
> After retiring, I've added electrical outlets, more lighting, insulated my attic and installed AC/heat to the shop. I still make changes to better utilize the space... My equipment has been gathered over 40 years. It is a hodgepodge of both new and used equipment.
> Let the wood chips fly!


Me and the Toolman50 have a lot in common.

I built some simple cabinets a few years ago to hold my most often used stuff...drills, drivers, nuts bolt and screws. The cabinets have worked out very well for me (one car garage w/AC).
Mike


----------



## woodchux (Jul 6, 2014)

After many years of buying, collecting, saving, and jamming into a small garage area numerous woodworking tools & piece parts, others may see a disorganized mess, but I know where EVERYTHING is in my shop! BE safe.


----------



## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

MT Stringer said:


> I built some simple cabinets a few years ago to hold my most often used stuff...drills, drivers, nuts bolt and screws. The cabinets have worked out very well for me (one car garage w/AC).
> Mike


Mike, 
I notice you have several DeWalt cordless tools. 
The batteries on my DeWalts don't seem to last very long and two new batteries cost almost as much as a new tool. Do have this problem?


----------



## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Toolman50 said:


> Mike,
> I notice you have several DeWalt cordless tools.
> The batteries on my DeWalts don't seem to last very long and two new batteries cost almost as much as a new tool. Do have this problem?


I think I have had these for three years - no problems. They get used a lot.

Wife likes them also. :thumbsup::yes:
Especially the impact driver.


----------



## DeanK (Jun 21, 2013)

I got a new 2.5 car garage built this last summer, and had it built an extra 8' deep so I had some additional space. I moved my planer out there and picked up a jointer and, most recently, a dust collector. I still use my small space in the basement for my table saw, drill press, a good sized workbench, and all my hand tools. The garage space stays pretty tidy, but the basement can get a little narly. That sweet new Milwaukke tool cabinet in the garage that my wonderful wife and daughter got me for Father's day has really helped me to keep my car tools and power hand tools organized. Love it.

Not ideal to have the work space split, but I make it work. A lot of hauling wood back and forth, and cursing myself for forgetting the dang tape measure again. (I just bought a couple extras.)


----------



## Belg (Oct 2, 2011)

When I put everything back after I'm done for the day all my tools have a place. The problem is while i'm working it looks like there was a robbery.


----------



## mark_f (Sep 13, 2015)

I have a small space. During a project everything is out but what's needed is not at hand and everything else is in the way. When the project is completed everything goes back where it belongs and a thorough cleanup transforms it back into a garage (complete with car). Then the whole cycle starts again.


----------



## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

My shop is not to bad----the biggest irritation is this-----many of my tools belong on my truck--so every time I need something odd, I must get it out of the truck! 

This can also lead to problems the next day if I forget to return a tool to the truck.

I just can't justify buying doubles of all tools-----


----------



## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I think a small shop forces you to be more organized and reduces the possible places to loose things. My Grandpa has virtually unlimited shop space and probably has the least organized shop in town and very likely has the lowest percentage of his shop actually being used for working. Yet it still took him weeks to clean out enough space for a four post automotive lift.


----------



## schnitz (Sep 5, 2009)

Simply put, my shop is organized enough for me (currently, anyway...). Somewhere between Sanford & Son and Kenbo.


----------



## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Tidy and neat is a desire, not a full time requirement. Organized is a full time requirement. If a tool is not in its place who do I know where it is? Or where to tell my wife to get it from when I ask for help?

George


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Organized, I probably hauled out a dump truck load of trash out of my shop yesterday and you can't see a difference.


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I am in the process of reorganizing my shop now, talk about a mess, but it is starting to take a little shape after two days. I can't believe all the junk I am hauling out of there.


----------



## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Yeah, i read this thread title and busted out laughing. Organization, in the shop? What the devil kindve malarky is that? Although, maybe thinking like that means that its time for me to clean out my shop just a bit...

Id post a picture, but id hate to be the one responsible for giving Kenbo a heart attack!


----------



## J Thomas (Aug 14, 2012)

I fall between semi organized chaos and a total mess!









Some time ago someone here mentioned a method I'm trying to adopt.
When you enter the shop find 10 things and put them where they belong.
Do this again just before you leave the shop..
It makes a huge difference in finding something when you need it.


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

J Thomas said:


> I fall between semi organized chaos and a total mess!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Man that wouldn't be hard to do putting 10 things in their place, I could do that from one spot right now. LOL


----------



## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

I am not OCD (at least I don't think I am), but I am a creature of habit. When I open a drawer, I expect to find pencils, caliper, etc. Open another, Phillips screwdrivers, and flat screwdrivers in the next. And so on.

Same goes for my cordless tools. I have cubbies in which they reside, not laying around where they were used last.

I know these are simple things, but I get frustrated when I can't find something, which should be within three or four steps from where I work all the time.


----------



## Twistedcowboy (Mar 4, 2015)

My garage is my shop. It looks like a hurricane hit it. After my current project is done, organizing my shop area is my plan. Got a lot of work to do. I even want to build a new workbench.


----------



## chashint (Nov 10, 2015)

The garage serves workshop duty for me and car parking duty for my wife.
My tools get tightly packed to one side when there is no active project. When it's packed like that it looks like any other overstuffed storage garage on my side.
I am getting everything on wheels so it is much easier to transition between storage mode and project mode.
I just started building a wall full of bookcase storage shelves which should help give all the power hand tools a real place to live.


----------



## Tippo (Jan 31, 2014)

*Share pictures*



Cricket said:


> Are you one of those people who has a place for everything and everything in its place? Or, does your work area usually look like a hurricane hit it? (I bet you still know where everything is!)
> 
> Share pictures if you would like to do so! :biggrin:


How do we go about submitting photo's 
and putting our avatar on.
 Cheers
 Tippo.:devil:.


----------



## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

I had a friend that used part of my shop---good grief was he ever a pack rat---he's gone now (RIP) and I cleaned out many loads of stuff----that fellow saved everything---

I'll be heating my house with his collection of wood scraps----I did discover he had 4 or 5 routers --nice surprise---


----------



## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

I'd say i'm sonewhat organized, at least to a 1 to 1.5 feet precision level (items are usually in the same spot or 1 foot radius of that spot). 

I do use shadow boards for tools on the wall and most times end of the night tools go back (90 out of 100 times). I do find truth in the saying "clean shop is a safe shop". I find I am more focused when things are in order.

I also can't stand spending time looking for something.


----------



## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

I was at someones house and he had a basket labeled 'return tools here'

He said his wife and kids are welcome to use his tools--but never put them away properly--this basket kept peace in the family---(He was a well organized fellow--and practical--)


----------



## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

Every time I get a visitor in my shop (scheduled and welcomed unexpected), they all comment on how organized and clean my shop is. I always clean up at end of every day and often in the middle when clutter and wood debris begin to pile up. I've seen many posts about a clean shop is an unused shop. I've seen posts bragging about their messy shops and some about clean shops are too time consuming. All these posts are OK because we woodworkers can all achieve the same end results using different methods and all methods are good so long as the desired end result is achieved. 

So why do I keep my shop clean and organized?

The #1 reason is safety! I took an early retirement over 6 years ago and my wife plans to work for another 3 years... so I'm home alone and I refuse to live attached to a cell phone. That being said - I spend time in my shop walking around with very sharp tools and I don't want to trip on any unused tools or piles of wood chips.

The #2 reason is the result of working with a true professional who believed that clean-up time was wasteful. I watched him walk around his shop looking for specific tools. On average - he spent a half hour every day looking for tools. On average, I spend 10 too 15 min keeping my shop clean and organized because it's an automatic routine.

The #3 reason has already been mentioned... If one of our 4 sons has stopped by looking to borrow a tool, they know the logic behind my shop. If that fails, I'm probably out with my wife and their Mom so a quick phone call to her cell phone precisely locates the tool they need.


----------



## schnitz (Sep 5, 2009)

Mine is in the midst of a pretty major revamp right now, so it's in really rough shape currently. I have multiple projects still going out the door every day (or at least multiple shop improvement projects being done daily), and some of the layout improvements are aiding in making me WANT to be in it. Although I've got seemingly more room now, the actual "workflow" that I've got going now seems like it'll take some getting used to.


----------



## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Actually started a 8' 8/4 walnut shuffleboard table yesterday. It will get better but under that mess is a lot of expensive wood. Just can't get to it. Getting pretty organized at work over the nest few thou. Will get photos.


----------



## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

more for those insisting on doing this silly hobby:thumbsup:


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*how do you find things ?*

..."it's somewhere between the mattress and the car hood" ....


----------



## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

I use to rent storage when i had cabinet jobs going on but the last two years I haven't done any work out there and its over ran me. Yesterday I cleared the work bench and table saw "somewhat" to start the shuffleboard but its still difficult. But going down there to work hopefully will clear it up as time goes on, Hopefully:yes:


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Ahhhhhh, thank you, thank you, that makes me feel right at home. :smile:

I am still working on getting mine in better shape than it is right now, I hope.


----------



## jacko9 (Dec 29, 2012)

My shop is my 2 car garage (that hasn't seen a car in 40 years). One wall is a floor to rafter post and spar lumber rack, the back wall is floor to rafter storage cabinets that doubled as camping, back packing, and kids items storage. With the household storage the storage is 24" deep which was great for large outdoor items but, way too deep for effective tool storage.

I just got rid a a spa that we haven't used in 10 years and now I have the spa building 12' x 24' for shop space. So, I'm in the middle of remodeling both spaces while working on two major projects.

The best addition to my shop was a few years back when I installed a full shop dust system. 

Bottom line is: my shop is a mess right now - BUT - it's going to get better!


----------



## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

I like seeing a cluttered shop---makes mine look organized by comparison--Just kidding.

Someday I would like to build a dream shop----for now, I will live with the cramped space that I have.


----------



## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

My shop is in a constant state of chaos. I know where just about everything is, and I clean up after every time I'm in there. But I just have too much stuff in there. Motorcycles, bar stool racer, 1928 Maytag gas engine, etc. stuff that doesn't necessarily belong in a wood shop, but it's there. 
Mike Hawkins


----------



## gmcooter (Jan 22, 2015)

*organation*

On a scale of 1 to 10 mine would be 0.


----------



## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I'm a carver. I have to keep unused tools covered. The cat jumps up silently onto the bench, usually to bitch about the cold shop. I don't need her to land in a sea of carving-sharp tools.

I carve what I see in the wood. Lots of wood, piles everywhere, indoors and out. Posts 5" x 5" x 64", shake blocks 24" x 12" x 8", planks and beams.

I use a snow shovel to clean up when the shavings & chips are about knee deep.


----------



## NoviceBob (Apr 9, 2011)

*It's a mess!*

It's a mess but I know where everything is unless I just set it down for a second. Then I can't find it! I clean things up when I can no longer find anything. Then I start over. :blink:


----------



## Edward Norton (Apr 6, 2014)

Like a lot of other people it is impossible to keep my shop organized. I have a decent sized shop (32x36) but the problem is that I have to many tools and supplies for everything to have it's own dedicated space. I have a couple of options in my case, 1.. sell all my floor model tools & go benchtop or 2.. build a larger shop. 

I guess there is a 3rd option that would help some and that would be to cut down on the tools that I have more than one of, ie., bandsaws (3) and table saws (2), drill presses (2). 

The bandsaws are used for wood and metal. One bandsaw for normal use, one for re-sawing and one for metal only.

The table saws are 1 for regular blades and the other for dado's.

The drillpress's, one for metal only & the other for wood (no oil transfer to wood).

Building a new shop is by far the most expensive obviously. Also I would have to demolish the current one before constructing the new one. I guess reckon I will keep being scramble brained and bunched up. Ha!


----------



## MattS (Feb 17, 2010)

I'll post a photo or two later, but my shop is a 2 car garage that hasn't seen a car since we bought the place 8 years ago. I tend to work through projects in waves, with multiple stages of work present at any time. The shop starts out tidy and chaos gradually takes over with drills/clamps/scraps/shavings/dust overtaking all surfaces. 

When I feel like I'm at risk of either a fire or tripping over stuff, I vacuum the dust/shavings and call in the troops (5 year old and 7 year old kids) to sort all of the scraps. The put all pine 2x4 pieces into one bin, hardwoods into another, pieces that don't fit into those in the 'long board' pile.

I've been gradually creating wall brackets to hang each of my tools on, or boxes to slide them into. It takes time but it's coming along!


----------



## ratdog305 (Oct 28, 2013)

I don't have the space for a strictly woodworking shop. Like a lot of people, my shop is a woodworking, electrical, repair/toy fixing and classroom for my great grandkids (they love woodworking). During a project, it looks like an earthquake may have come through. But once the project is done, everything gets cleaned and put back in place. My shop is crowded, but I know where all the stuff is. I have had to come with some creative storage solutions.


----------



## WoodWorking Newbie (Nov 16, 2015)

Thanks Cricket for asking this...and everyone else for sharing! I've learned so much through all your experiences. Nowadays, I'm trying to get all my stuff as organized as possible...putting all projects on hold, just to clear up everything..not joking, seriously.

I'm about to go out soon, maybe after Christmas, to get some cheap jewelry boxes (whatever you call that ) with multi-configurable compartments, to store all my screws, drill bits, etc. I know there's a brand by the name Sortimo and they have some excellent range of stuff for sale, but it's not available in my country and they are very pricey. :-( 

Oh ya, gonna fix up some recently bought metal 4-tier shelf, to store/organize my toolboxes.

I love organizing things, coz it makes any task i do so much enjoyable, but I still have so much to learn how to do it the proper and most effective way. It's a long journey but it's worthwhile, imo. Cheers!


----------



## Trujeepr (Jan 4, 2015)

I have a place for everything but not always in its place, ok all the time, disarray is more like iy, but working on it.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


----------



## subroc (Jan 3, 2015)

Well, it is a matter of degree.

It is far better than it was in December. I can actually do work. The tools that need to be on a rolling stand are, rather than sitting on the floor, table saw, the drill press, planer and the miter saw. The big problem is I just don't have a place for everything so everything can be in its place. All the mechanics tools are sorted and organized. The clamps all have a place. Most of the hardware is sorted. The bench is about 1/2 available. Need another wood rack and some cabinet space. The only problem is there isn't any wall space or floor space for either.

Anyway, I am mostly happy with the shops current condition.


----------



## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Hurricane. And yes I know where 99% of everything is.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Leo G said:


> Hurricane. And yes I know where 99% of everything is.


Bummer. If you don't know where the stuff is you have an excuse to buy more tools.


----------



## Jig_saw (May 17, 2015)

I don't have an organized workshop. But I can quickly find anything I need to work. Sorry, no pictures allowed in my workshop


----------



## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

My work shop is best described as ...
"We can't find a body, but there appears to have been a struggle."


----------



## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Might be a record.....22 posts since the last person said messy shops are going to kill you and that your lazy if you don't clean like you have ocd!!!!! 

Here's to those of us that can work fine in a small messy shop!


----------



## unclefester (Aug 23, 2013)

I try and keep a relatively picked up shop. I hate looking for tools. I have a home for everything. Problem is I work mobile and have a second small shop at my other little house. The tool I need is always in one of the other locations.
When I go into my main shop, my wife and daughter pile anything they don't know what to do with on benches, saws and any other flat surface they can find.


----------

