I went through my box last year and whittled down my tool collection. Nobody needs twelve 1/2 X 9/16 wrenches, ten ball pein hammers, fifty pairs of pliers or forty screwdrivers. All the excess tools went into storage. I still have over 300 sockets, on racks that I should downsize, but they are organized and not taking up space. Besides, I have two tubs full of sockets on the shelf. One is American made, the other is cheepo Chinese stuff that I use as loaners, flinger tools and for making special, one or two use, tools. I made a rack for screwdrivers. No need to use up a drawer for the half dozen that you use 99% of the time. I could get by, for the rest of my life, with a four way and a few long shank drivers. My large tools take up the majority of my space. I have a press, three band saws, three lathes, three drill presses, four disc sanders, a monster table saw, thickness sander, planer, spindle sander, router table, grinders, welders (4) and on and on and on. All in a home workshop. I need to lose weight so I can walk around inside
I am very organized. I keep all the tools I can find in my two boxes. All the others are hidden in discrete locations around my garages, at my son's house and at work. Accidently coming across one is like Christmas coming early and I happily put the tool in with the new one I bought to replace it in the box.
2 roller cabinets that are mostly empty or filled with tools I'll never use. Workbench top that I saw the top of maybe 20 years ago. Tools in carry bags that make it easy to move from garage to house or shop. I probably buy a dozen or more wrenches and other stuff each year as I can't find what I want. I used to be more neat about my tools but no mater how organized my tool box was I have the one friend who would always look inside the drawers and tell me it could be better organized.We all have 'those' types of friends,right? So I started getting messier with my tools because it was a kind of side show to watch him get worked up at the state of my tool storage.Got to the point of him almost foaming at the mouth about the disaster concerning my tool boxes. He still does it.I don't think he can help himself. I'll leave tools laying about the shop on purpose and he HAS to wipe them down and put them away making sure everything is juuuuuust right. I sit in a corner away from him so he can't see me laughing.Better than most shows on tv. Pavlov's dog thing.
About 40 years ago I got my first mechanics job my boss thought it was a good idea to have everybody's tool box organized the same. All I had to do is swap the screwdrivers and pliers drawers. When I left there I never swapped them back and to this day 50% of the time I pull the wrong drawer! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I used to be a machinist, among other things, and I got in the habit of being orderly. Excessively orderly. My tools & supplies are organized in every drawer, cabinet and shelf. My buddy laughs at me and says "If you were struck blind, you could still grab any tool without making a mistake". I take that as a compliment !
I get paid when I'm using the tools, only when they are out of the box. And since nobody pays me to store them or laser cut foam inserts,,,, well it don't happen. They are all in one spot - yeah!!! They come out every day and make money - yeah!! They get used, get wiped down and put back- yeah!! Micro Organized in the drawers, hell no but it's not hard to find what you want if it's in the right drawer and briefly organized on the macro level. God help you around here if anything gets in the wrong drawer, there's 81 different drawers to look in.
In my garage everything has its place and everything is in its place. As stated you need to be organised. I know where everything is and when finished it goes back where it came from. An easy plan that I stick to. I have a friend whose home garage is like his former workshop, tools all over the place, bench and floor with nothing put back where it should be. It's almost impossible to find anything and very disorganised. Even he had problems remembering where things were. I have a large roller tool boxes with drawers and a cabinet that is easy to move around if needed. It is chock a block with wrenches, sockets, electrical and air tools, panel tools, tap & die set, brake flaring tool, drill sets etc etc. Magnetic levels and weld clamps are on the outside of the box. I have a couple of other tool boxes on the workbench for other miscellaneous tools. Other things such as vice grips and clamps etc are on shed wall racks.
took a hint from the old lady....have mine hanging on a rack around my center of the floor bench... like her kitchen with her pots and pans etc.......
The tools I use all the time go back to their spot in the box after I'm done with that project, or I get tired of working and feel like putting the tools away. I know where everything is supposed to be, and I don't like it when I have to look for one....and I really don't like it when my memory fails me, and I forget what I was doing with that tool, so I don't know where to look for it. I still don't know where my 1/4" ratchet is. I know I had it last March.
Working in aviation causes one to develop SOME good habits like putting all tools back in their proper places every day, so none get left in the aircraft. A $5 wrench can wreak havoc if left in the intake of a turbine engine or get jammed in the controls. Besides you can quickly see when you need to buy new tools...a priority.
The Jalopy Journal
