Shop Organization

ERover82

ERover82

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2011
3,920
458
Darien Gap
Trying to tame the chaos in my shop. Don't need it to compete with Lista beauty shots but I'd like to at least feel good about the space. What products and strategies do you guys use in your shops to organize all your different tools, hardware, and supplies.

For a start I'm considering replacing my existing work bench with one of these with pegboard back and lighting:
http://benchdepot.com/en/roosevelt-...w-galvanneal-top-industrial-work-benches.html
 
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discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,733
1,024
Northern Illinois
How big is the space? I like the bench but I like the Sure brand benches with wheels on them more. Kinda nice to have a movable work space. Put your air hose on a gardon hose holder or a reel. I hate tripping over hoses and cords. So I get the reel style work lights also. Hang it from the ceiling near the front of the shop.
 
ERover82

ERover82

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2011
3,920
458
Darien Gap
About your average three car garage in size.

Those Bench Pro benches are affordable, made in the USA, and offer solid galvanized tops. I'm not prepping food or doing this for an income, so I don't need the expense of stainless. The Shure benches look good. Haven't seen them before.

Air hose reel is a must have. It's tiresome to recoil 50ft of heavy air line every time I need to run an air tool.

How do you organize small tools and hardware? I find myself gravitating toward my grandfather's dozen pickle jars of random bits.
 
squirt

squirt

Well-known member
Nov 13, 2008
824
13
Los Angeles
ERover82 said:
How do you organize small tools and hardware? I find myself gravitating toward my grandfather's dozen pickle jars of random bits.
Click to expand...

Every time I part a car, I buy one of these(or something very similar):
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-...ional-Small-Parts-Organizer-014725R/203707065

The bins can be removed to accommodate larger bolts. I have separate cases for metric & imperial hardware, and one for extra-special fasteners. If my kids want something to do to help me, I have them organize by approximate size and fine/coarse thread. I've got about 6-7 of these in a cabinet, and I have at least one of every fastener I could possibly want to use on a car, and I can actually find it within a few minutes.

As an example, last weekend I realized that I had lost a rear brake caliper bolt at some point, so the caliper was sitting crooked. I went to the fastener bins and had 5 different options that would work, narrowed the head size and thread length, and had it fixed in under 10 mins. I think the bolt I used came from an old Audi V8q "UFO" brake setup.
 
SGaynor

SGaynor

Well-known member
Dec 6, 2006
7,148
162
52
Bristol, TN
I took two of these rack sets that I had and bridged them together with one rack level from each (instead of two 4-level racks, I have three: 3-level, 2-level, 3-level. See pic for how it looked.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-77...l-Garage-Shelving-Unit-ERZ782478W-4/202251082

For the middle racks, instead of the wire grating, I bought 3/4" MDF and cut to size (24" x ~76"). On the top piece of MDF, I bought a piece of 3/16" steel plate (~18" x 24") and mounted it for a surface i could beat on (drilled and counter sunk holes for mounting screws, beveled the edges)

For tools, I've got a big 'ol rolling tool box. For the small odds and ends one of those organizer drawers, like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Akro-Mils-24-Large-Drawer-Small-Parts-Storage-Cabinet-10124/203538887
 
chris snell

chris snell

Administrator
Staff member
Aug 15, 2005
3,020
152
So, who makes the very best parts bin solution? I'm tired of the garbage they sell at HD and the like.
 
chris snell

chris snell

Administrator
Staff member
Aug 15, 2005
3,020
152
emmodg said:
What size parts are you taking about?
Click to expand...

Typical Rover parts, like seals, gaskets, stuff you can hold in your hand.

Also, fasteners, computer parts and cables. Stuff that's currently stuffed into unorganized Rubbermaid tubs.
 
emmodg

emmodg

Well-known member
Apr 17, 2006
4,273
1
Uline does have some nice stuff then... The government auction sites have some great stuff as well. I've found stuff searching on C'list under "business" - put in "retail" or "display" and you'll get some neat stuff!
 
stu454

stu454

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2004
5,407
61
Atlanta, GA
We've got a few U-Line bins and parts racks here at work. They seem fine and our guys could fuck up an anvil.
 
Blue

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,057
870
AZ
Maximumwarp said:
I like those prices
Click to expand...

Yeah, think I'll order up some wall-mounted panel racks with a variety of different sized bins. Keep all the misc nuts, bolts, screws, and other shit organized. Amazingly inexpensive and looks sturdy.
 
D

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,733
1,024
Northern Illinois
ERover82 said:
About your average three car garage in size.

Those Bench Pro benches are affordable, made in the USA, and offer solid galvanized tops. I'm not prepping food or doing this for an income, so I don't need the expense of stainless. The Shure benches look good. Haven't seen them before.

Air hose reel is a must have. It's tiresome to recoil 50ft of heavy air line every time I need to run an air tool.

How do you organize small tools and hardware? I find myself gravitating toward my grandfather's dozen pickle jars of random bits.
Click to expand...

I put most of my bolts and other hardware in 5gal buckets. It's a pain in the ass. I could use some bins. I had benches built in with wood and shelves around the back wall also built in. under my bench I can stack those GM parts crates. The plastic kind, they hold a lot of stuff.
 
J

JohnnoK

Well-known member
Mar 19, 2017
193
19
Cape Town, South Africa
discostew said:
I put most of my bolts and other hardware in 5gal buckets. It's a pain in the ass. I could use some bins. I had benches built in with wood and shelves around the back wall also built in. under my bench I can stack those GM parts crates. The plastic kind, they hold a lot of stuff.
Click to expand...
Problem with that is that you end up with a shed-load of parts that need to be spread out all over the workbench or the floor to find anything.
I'd go for smaller bins to ease the search for that one little thing you need so badly.
 
jim-00-4.6

jim-00-4.6

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2005
2,037
6
61
Genesee, CO USA
stu454 said:
We've got a few U-Line bins and parts racks here at work. They seem fine and our guys could fuck up an anvil.
Click to expand...
Same here.
I have something like the "closed shelf bin organizers" at home, about 25 bins.
they're handy.
if i had another 25 or so bins, that would be better.
 
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