[matts37chev]

I'm so embarrassed after seeing your shop, trees

Here is an updated pic of my "race gas tool drum" it has spilled over onto the floor

and a pic of my workbench, there isn't any "work" getting done on it

I guess admitting you have a problem is the first step in solving it

[lt1silverhawk]

I honestly didn't know I had a serious organization problem until I read this thread...

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

This is one of the hardest things to learn for some guys. Why store and move around tools you don't hardly ever use? And why in the world buy a huge tool box to hold them when you hardly ever use them? And why put them in the top drawer of your box and bend over to go to the bottom drawers to get the ones you REALLY are using everyday?

Put what you are going to use day in and day out on that cart and leave the tubing flare tool somewhere else.

Brian

That is definitely my situation and something I never paid attention to. So glad you brought that up.

Originally Posted by oldred

Peg board! ... After getting everything placed where I wanted it I drew a neat silhouette of each item them glued the hangers (pegs) in place. Those peg assortments come with several long plastic tipped pieces of various lengths that are perfect for setting a small tray on sort of like tiny shelves, I have a bunch of these holding divided trays with different fasteners, pins, clips, fuses, etc and everything is out of the way, easy to find and makes the absolute most of the available shop space!

I've got a peg board that is not even half-used but now I am motivated. Drawing the silhouette is an excellent time saving tip!

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I have mentioned here before about the training I have received in "Lean Manufacturing" where you go as far as to have brooms and dust pans numbered and hanging on the wall at the number. Lot's of people look at this thinking it is wasting time, they just don't get it. It saves a HUGE amount of time!

I can see that being quite effective, especially in a shop where everyone is pressed for time and simply wants to go home at the end of the day.

Originally Posted by matts37chev

one of the best things ive found for putting lots of wrenches into a small drawer is large springs

That's quite clever!

Originally Posted by MRGM

That's usually how my tool cart looks after about an hour of working.

Mines too.

Originally Posted by NEW INTERIORS

I can usually find the tool I'm looking for in my box... It's the one's I set down, I can't find... And I keep my work area pretty clean... As soon as I get another one out the box,, That's when I find the one I was looking for..

I can relate...

Originally Posted by matts37chev

I'm so embarrassed after seeing your shop, trees

Here is an updated pic of my "race gas tool drum" it has spilled over onto the floor

and a pic of my workbench, there isn't any "work" getting done on it

I guess admitting you have a problem is the first step in solving it

Geez, I thought mine looked bad. Suddenly, I feel pretty good about my garage lol!


I have the HF service cart that is similar to the one you and MARTINSR have, except mine has three trays: Three Shelf 16" x 30" Steel Service Cart. Got it on sale for $30 last year, though I guess the one with the drawer would be nice as well. Now Im thinking if I can make a sliding work surface on top of it out of wood. Any thoughts?






When I go visit the local wrecking yard, I have found this to be a handy helper: Folding Wheeled Tool Cart. Its got lots of pockets for the tools and decent space for carrying back smaller parts.






Great tips from all of you. Im definitely using alot of these ideas to organize my garage this weekend. This is clearly the most helpful thread since the one about home-made tools. Glad you brought this back up trees!

[silentpoet]

Well I got my tools sorted, sorta. I still have to finish breaking sockets by standard and metric. But I have to clean a lot of rust off my sockets and some other tools.

Once I clean and break the sockets down I will put the ones I use most in one drawer or tray. The problem I have right now is I don't have a good toolbox with multiple drawers. I almost put a used mac tool box on layaway, but I found a good deal on a welder. I do think I have enough trays, tool boxes, etc that I can improvise something that will work for a while till I can get a good tool box.

And one nice thing about the caddy is that 1/2 inch is the most common nut/bolt size. So it is pretty easy to set up for.

What I did was get all my tools on an empty space in the garage floor and just start making different piles. For example, one for pliers, one for screw drivers, one for ratchets and socket driving tools, etc. Once I get those piles if I need to break it down anymore it is pretty easy to go through the much smaller pile and divide it up again. On the sockets I just divided by 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, and half inch drive sockets. I ended up with a few oddball hex drive sockets. Oh, well at least it is a first step.

[matts37chev]

Originally Posted by silentpoet

What I did was get all my tools on an empty space in the garage floor and just start making different piles. For example, one for pliers, one for screw drivers, one for ratchets and socket driving tools, etc. Once I get those piles if I need to break it down anymore it is pretty easy to go through the much smaller pile and divide it up again. On the sockets I just divided by 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, and half inch drive sockets. I ended up with a few oddball hex drive sockets. Oh, well at least it is a first step.

yah, yah
thats what i'm doing (dumped in a pile on garage floor) I just havent stated sorting yet

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by lt1silverhawk

I have the HF service cart that is similar to the one you and MARTINSR have, except mine has three trays: Three Shelf 16" x 30" Steel Service Cart. Got it on sale for $30 last year, though I guess the one with the drawer would be nice as well. Now Im thinking if I can make a sliding work surface on top of it out of wood. Any thoughts?

I wish I would have gotten that three shelf cart. The work surface may be a good idea, all of us are different. I myself find it VERY hard to keep the bench clear of little parts and stuff that I THINK I am going to be using right away. If the cart had a top on it that couldn't be left full of stuff because you have to go inside to get stuff on a regular basis......it would HAVE TO stay clear and could actually be used as a work surface...hmmmmm sounds like a winner to me.

The only problem would be what do you put inside, only tools that you aren't using a whole lot just so you don't end up needing what is inside to work on what is on top the bench.

I want the MOST USED tools on top, so I would have a hard time with that, but it looks like a good plan if you can pull it off.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

One thing to remember guys when doing this clean up, don't waste valuable space on those tools you seldom use! This is the most important part of the organization of you tools. You don't need those Vernier Calipers on top of your tool cart, UNLESS of course you are using that cart for mainly engine rebuilding. In that case you wouldn't need those channel locks on your cart if you are mostly rebuilding engines!

What you put on your cart or top drawers of your tool box or even on your peg board is more about what do you REALLY use everyday.

You don't need those interior panel popping tools in your tool cart unless you are pulling panels off everyday like in a production body shop. You just don't need to take up that space if you aren't using them every time or nearly every time you go to that cart for a tool. You don't even need the big screw drivers, the number 2 phillips is used 10,000 to one of the other sizes, why put all the others on your tool cart when you COULD put one of the other common tools there?

And don't store the ratchets together away from the sockets, put the 1/4 inch ratchets and sockets next to one an other, put the 3/8 inch ratchets and sockets next to one an other. You are never going to grab a socket and use it by it's self right? Then why put them in different drawers?

On my cart are the most used tools, the clutch head drivers, the flare end tubing wreches, the metric tools, the super large wrenches, the brake tools, the speciality screw drivers (torx), drill bits, files, all these tools are in small tool boxes on my bench. I am not going to use them enough to put them on my cart. I want the tools I will need 90% of the time on that cart, and that is IT. I don't need to roll a cart out side to work on my car that is full of tools I am seldom going to use!

If you have JUST those tools you use 90% of the time you are going to find things easier, it will be harder to loose them, it is just way easier.

What you put on your cart is going to be different for everyone. If you are building a later model car or an import you need your metric tools on the cart and your SAE left on the bench in a tool box, if you are doing brakes all the time you need those brake tools on your cart. That cart should be very specialized for YOU. And what you are USUALLY using.

Brian

[Jon]

This new Knowledge Base category might be helpful to some: Garage Storage and Organization.

Here is one of the listed links: DIY hardware and fastener sorting bin.

[dinger]

The next time those roll around carts go on sale, buy 2. I have one that I use a lot, it's not kept dust free, wheels pick up grime, etc...but I goofed up. My wife collects Coca Cola stuff, she has about 500-600 pieces in the house. The problem is dusting all the little trinket kind of things, she usually just moves the dust around with a duster. 3-4 time a year I like to do a deep clean, and that's where the cart comes in. Pick all those pieces up,set them on the cart, and dust EVERYTHING! She loves that cart and now I have to empty it and clean it up so she can use it in the house. Make some brownie points and get her one.

You guys have some awesome shops. I have a 10X10 shed to keep my stuff in, a 20 foot canopy to work under, I have to stay organized as best I can. Lots of good ideas here.

[el pollo]

I used some of those foam inserts. They take freaking forever to cut out, and you have to plan well ahead on how you want everything to fit. And sometimes if you get more tools, you end up with an organized mess.