Staying organized

[cestmoi]

I'm a firm believer in the concept of "A place for everything and everything in its place." Unfortunately, I don't practice what I preach. :redface: Since this hobby involves lots of tools, blanks, bushings, kits, etc., I'd love to see pics of how others keep everything organized in their shops. My small work area is at one end of our finished basement (also known as my husband's man cave) and keeping it clean and organized is a must.

 

[Edgar]

My organization method is "a pile for everything and everything in the pile"

 

[ironman123]

If I can't find it then I must have put it up. just sayin

 

[Alex D]

Ha! I just spent over an hour last night looking for a specific tool. Searched all over the cluttered mess that is my workbench before finally giving up. Went back this morning for another try and finally found it. Hanging up in the place it is supposed to be! What was it doing there?!?

Alex

 

[plano_harry]

Hi Leslie, this topic comes up often. Have you tried a search. Should find several pictures already posted

 

[cestmoi]

Thanks, Harry. I haven't done a search, but I will now.

I'm sure there's must be somebody organized out there who has some handy ideas, though it's nice to see that others are not necessarily any better at organizing than I am. In any case, the responses are cracking me up.

 

[tbroye]

If I can't find it, time for a new one. Good luck

 

[BSea]

I'd love to see pics of how others keep everything organized in their shops.

Ummm. . . . . . . . . . . . . I don't think you want to see mine.

 

[Trees2Pens]

Neatness Counts...

I have a sign in the shop that helps me keep it orderly...It says

" Don't put it down, put it away "

Actually, it helps a little

John :glasses-cool:

 

[GaryMGg]

I have a rule: each time I'm closing the shop, put 10 things away.
I often put off doing it, but it's a great rule! :biggrin:

 

[mmyshrall]

Ha! I just spent over an hour last night looking for a specific tool. Searched all over the cluttered mess that is my workbench before finally giving up. Went back this morning for another try and finally found it. Hanging up in the place it is supposed to be! What was it doing there?!?

Alex

I hear you, Alex.

Personally, I just love it when I put a tool down and then cannot find it 5 minutes later, then spend 30 minutes looking for it...

Only to find that I do the same thing and have sporadically put it back where it is supposed to go.

Michael

 

[flyitfast]

If I can't find it, time for a new one. Good luck

Now I know why I have so many duplicates of tools and other things.
Oh well.................
gordon

.

 

[avbill]

some people are messy and some people are nice .... I'm the messy one so I would not have any suggestions

 

[mlconnelly]

Neat Freak

My wife says that I am too much of a neat freak but I hate it when I can't find things. Also my shop is very small so I have to keep things pretty organized and neat to be able to function.

 

[southernclay]

Leslie here are a few things I do that help.





The small container is TBC bushings, the large is regular. Labeled on the outside and bushings stay in a bag labeled in case they go flying. Try to take only one or two sets at a time.

Pegboard is great




Kits...more pegboard










This is something I'm trying. A few small items I use often in one spot taking up a lot less room on a crowded table within reach.




I try to stay organized enough to be functional. I have to force myself to be organized enough to boost effectiveness. I don't like searching for things too much. The less time I'm mad in the shop the happier I am out of it : )

Dust collector should be here tomorrow, hoping less time cleaning up!

 

[cestmoi]

Great ideas! Thank you! I can't believe it never occurred to me to get out my faithful label maker and start sticking labels on everything. I'm definitely going to get one of those cabinets with the little drawers and make labels for all the drawers. I might get some peg board, too.

When I say my shop is small, I mean that I have a 6' counter with my lathe, drill press, band saw, and bench grinder on it. I use the top of my washing machine for pen assembly and the top of a chest freezer for additional work space. Small, very very small, but I couldn't ask for too much space in the man cave. :wink:

 

[cestmoi]

My wife says that I am too much of a neat freak but I hate it when I can't find things. Also my shop is very small so I have to keep things pretty organized and neat to be able to function.

That shop is a thing of beauty! What is that thing that you use to organize your drill bits?

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Great ideas! Thank you! I can't believe it never occurred to me to get out my faithful label maker and start sticking labels on everything. I'm definitely going to get one of those cabinets with the little drawers and make labels for all the drawers. I might get some peg board, too. When I say my shop is small, I mean that I have a 6' counter with my lathe, drill press, band saw, and bench grinder on it. I use the top of my washing machine for pen assembly and the top of a chest freezer for additional work space. Small, very very small, but I couldn't ask for too much space in the man cave. :wink:

Tell your husband to man up and start turning. Then you'll have more space. Haha. JK

Most of my turning stuff is on this deal. Finishes Etc along the top. Kits and bushings in the drawer cabinets. Extras tools, bits etc in the toolbox. When I'm standing at the lathe this is to the left within Arms reach.

Then I have a bunch of turning tools to the right.

 

[Ice31]

Wow....I feel like a schmuck after seeing these pics.....I am in the everything in a pile phase right now. I did take an hour and start at one end of the work bench tonight. I've told myself no turning till you can see the actual counter top from end to end. I may be breaking this rule....

 

[lorbay]

My wife says that I am too much of a neat freak but I hate it when I can't find things. Also my shop is very small so I have to keep things pretty organized and neat to be able to function.

OMG that's an under statement.
Lin.

 

[mick]

I was going to take a picture of mine but I couldn't remember which pile my camera was under.

Sent from my HTC One

 

[Edgar]

I was going to take a picture of mine but I couldn't remember which pile my camera was under.

Sent from my HTC One

That's why you should only have one pile for everything.

 

[ctubbs]

My wife says that I am too much of a neat freak but I hate it when I can't find things. Also my shop is very small so I have to keep things pretty organized and neat to be able to function.

WOW!!! LOOK, A FLOOR!

charles

 

[sbell111]

I think that one of the most important things to staying organized is to make sure that your tools and supplies are stored within reach of where you will be using them. If you have to walk even a few steps to put something away, it likely isn't going to be put away.

 

[mlconnelly]

Drill Bit Organization

Leslie, I made the holder out of 3/4" pine. In this I mounted individual pieces of 3/4" PVC pipe. Each piece is about 6" long and covered with a cap which is labeled. Beside the holder is the box where I store the bushings. Below the box is a legend. On this legend it tells which drawer the bushings are in for an individual pen and what drill bits are required.

 

[Sylvanite]

I always figured that as long as there is a visible path, my shop is neat enough.

 

[cestmoi]

Leslie, I made the holder out of 3/4" pine. In this I mounted individual pieces of 3/4" PVC pipe. Each piece is about 6" long and covered with a cap which is labeled. Beside the holder is the box where I store the bushings. Below the box is a legend. On this legend it tells which drawer the bushings are in for an individual pen and what drill bits are required.

OH. MY. GOODNESS! That is organizing Utopia. From the state of the replies to this post, you might have a second career lined up as a shop organizer.

 

[cestmoi]

Tell your husband to man up and start turning. Then you'll have more space. Haha. JK

Most of my turning stuff is on this deal. Finishes Etc along the top. Kits and bushings in the drawer cabinets. Extras tools, bits etc in the toolbox. When I'm standing at the lathe this is to the left within Arms reach.

Then I have a bunch of turning tools to the right.

Dan, that would cut into his sports watching time. :tongue: Besides, I don't want to share my lathe.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I'm a firm believer in the concept of "A place for everything and everything in its place." Unfortunately, I don't practice what I preach. :redface: Since this hobby involves lots of tools, blanks, bushings, kits, etc., I'd love to see pics of how others keep everything organized in their shops. My small work area is at one end of our finished basement (also known as my husband's man cave) and keeping it clean and organized is a must.

I use the "organized chaos" method of staying organized... but I know if I ever want to see any tool again, I put it back in place immediately after using it... I've lost pencils behind my ear, my tape measure in my pocket, even a few things in my hand and couldn't find it anywhere:redface:

 

[navycop]

Ha! I just spent over an hour last night looking for a specific tool. Searched all over the cluttered mess that is my workbench before finally giving up. Went back this morning for another try and finally found it. Hanging up in the place it is supposed to be! What was it doing there?!?

Alex

Elfes came in during the night and hung it up...

 

[butchf18a]

B-B-B storage

B-B-B storage. Blanks, bushings, bits all neatly stored and labled. Sorry no picture of blank drawers, with several hundred blanks alphabetically arranged I can easily find what I want, when I want it. Bushing in small drawer file. Labeled in sequence so if i need a 19B bushing it is in the drawer. When finished they go back. Bits? All relavent bits in a handy case arranged by size.

 

[BayouPenturner]

Leslie, I made the holder out of 3/4" pine. In this I mounted individual pieces of 3/4" PVC pipe. Each piece is about 6" long and covered with a cap which is labeled. Beside the holder is the box where I store the bushings. Below the box is a legend. On this legend it tells which drawer the bushings are in for an individual pen and what drill bits are required.

Your organization is wonderful. As an auditor I appreciate a shop where things are findable. My shop is not that organized.

Congratulations for being our bench mark to obtain.

 

[its_virgil]

Organization is over-rated...especially for a shop.
Some are...some are not...I are not.
'No comments Seamus!
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[JasonC]

I HAVE to stay organized or I go nuts when I can't find things.

It's much easier and efficient to just stay neat.

My shop (our 2-car garage) isn't bad in this pic, but the mess on the router table and bench are actually getting cleaned up now. I took a break to get on the forums and saw this thread. It made me look around and go "Yeah, I need to pick up. I was lazy yesterday."

I've got a plastic tackle box tray that I sort bushings with. Wife made labels for each and, while it stays where it shouldn't fall, reading Warren's idea of bagging them so if the container should fall seems like a makes a whole lot of sense. I'd go nuts trying to sort them all out.

I'm currently working on some tool holders to go inside the lathe area. I'd like to have the most commonly used lathe items stored within reach while I'm working instead of pulling them out of a toolbox drawer that's a few feet away. Just makes sense to store them closer.

 

[Spencer2112]

I use old medicine bottles with the labels removed to store the different bushings. Label maker tags on side and top to identify kit it is for. I store them in one of those old shadow displays boxes that have a lot of little compartments.

 

[TonyL]

I have a lot of room, but only turn pens. I bought 5 or 6 of 4 -drawer Steri-lite containers from WM and some plastic tubs for my blanks. Hobby Lobby has some inexpensive shelving that I drilled holes in to store tool rests and centers, glue, paint. I also drilled several holes in my lathe stand to store access the tools I use the most. I also keep a black Sharpie around to label and re -label the clear plastic bags. I was using my label maker...but replacement labels are more expense than the Avery version. I am pretty happy with what I did. Now, my home office needs, gasoline, a torch, and a leaf blower to make it look good.


Mike C.'s set-up is unbelievable!. The delivery room that my son was born in wasn't as neat, organized and clean. Well done!