While I love a good, messy workshop, I appreciate a clean one if only to get tips on organizing my own space. Craig and Cindy Smith’s shop, which they call the Firefly Workshop, offers some neat tricks. Also, what’s up with the astromech dome and Wall-E eyes?
I am not a ‘green freak’, but I do use a lot of scraps in my workshop organization. My main workbench was a damaged countertop from a lumberyard’s bargain pile. Lots of shelves, storage and organization cubbys are from my scrap lumber pile. A metal shelving unit was about to be tossed out, but I made it into a low doublewide shelf with a worktop. Storage under my stairs was impossible to access, plus occasional basement water would have me pulling it all out to prevent trapped moisture mold. So I made a roll-out storage platform that keeps items off the floor; airflow & fans during the occasional downpour keep it dry, safe and accessible.
Pegboard is for suckers. All that expense and work for the pegboard, mounting it with furring strips behind, and the expensive hooks themselves… no thank you. A scrap of plywood and assorted construction/drywall screws/nails for hangers is easier, more customizable and WAY cheaper. My screwdriver holder is a 22″ piece of 1X3 with holes staggered along it, screwed to the board with 3″ screws.
Power tools tossed on a shelf can take up lots of space, and cords from one tool can get caught in another, so pull out your drill and three tools fall out. So I made an appliance garage with cubbys for various tools out of scrap plywood for my outdoor garage workshop.
Readers, what techniques have you found to organize your tools? Share them in comments or email me photos at johnb@makezine.com.
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