AndrewPritchard Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 So I'm moving my shop into a buddy's garage. It's way larger, concrete floor which is a great improvement, way higher ceilings, and considerably better light. Only problem is that there's a lot of his stuff in the garage. A lot of it's currently on the floor. I'm building some shelves at the moment to move all the crap off the floor. However, it's leaving me with almost no wall space to hang tools etc. So Woodtalk Hive mind - what suggestions do you have for convenient tool storage? I'm wondering if a mobile tool wall will work. Something like this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 Mobile tool wall could work, but a tool cabinet on wheels might be more efficient. Certainly more portable, should your buddy want his space back. What tools do you need to store this way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 I need a few buddy's like that, where you can move his stuff out and yours in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewPritchard Posted January 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 13 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said: Mobile tool wall could work, but a tool cabinet on wheels might be more efficient. Certainly more portable, should your buddy want his space back. What tools do you need to store this way? All of my hand tools, powered and otherwise - circular saws, routers, handplanes, the lot. I'd prefer it were mobile as I need to be able to move it all out of the way of the shelving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 In that case, I would definitely lean toward a cabinet. You can have core like a bookshelf, but with deep boxed doors front and back. Gives you a lot of exposed area for hanging storage, shelves, or small drawers, but has a minimal footprint when closed. Think 2 H O Studley tool cabinets, back to back, and on wheels. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewPritchard Posted January 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 That could work. I don't have nearly as many tools as Studley, but I'm working on it . Of course closable doors will help keep the dust off the tools too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Marmotjr Posted January 25, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 Check out some of Adam Savage's videos on the Tested channel on You Tube. He talks about 'first order retreivablility' , ie he doesn't have to dig for stuff in drawers, and most of his tools are on mobile carts. He has a lot of good ideas about workflow and tool storage planning in general. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewPritchard Posted January 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 I too realised that drawers are not the way to go. My last shop didn't have any. But did have a lot of wall space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krtwood Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 I store my handheld power tools in the workbench. I store my hand tools in a wall cabinet. I use the inside and the outside of the cabinet for storage, with the most used stuff on the outside and least used the further you go in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewPritchard Posted January 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 I have a slightly sketchy back, which means I try not to bend down and especially if I'm lifting something heavy like a circular saw. Once I'm upright, I'm fine but it means storing tools like routers under a bench is a rather painful process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said: In that case, I would definitely lean toward a cabinet. You can have core like a bookshelf, but with deep boxed doors front and back. Gives you a lot of exposed area for hanging storage, shelves, or small drawers, but has a minimal footprint when closed. Think 2 H O Studley tool cabinets, back to back, and on wheels. Another plus to this design is if you were to decide you want things to be more secure when you are not there you can add some locks. If everything is open shelves you can't. Not that things will be taken but just some piece of mind that they are not mis-used or mis-placed in your absence. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewPritchard Posted January 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 Also a good point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmotjr Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 Something I'm using right now are 3 7' high, 3' wide, 2' deep, 2 sided shelving units on wheels. As I'm in a similar situation (it's not my space, walls are off limits), most of my tools fit on these shelves. When I eventually move again, I can just screw some hardboard to the fronts to seal them up and load them onto a truck. The outsides of the shelves make a good place to hang stuff. The handles are steel pipes which make surprisingly good clamp racks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewyo Posted January 25, 2017 Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 I use a maid's cart to keep my tools mobile. http:// 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted January 25, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 While it is true that if you build deep drawers and fill them with stuff that doesn't need deep drawers, you create layers. I also hate to paw for stuff buried at the mesozoic layer in a drawer ill suited to its contents. I do favor drawers though; I just have them dedicated and organized. Since you are building something, you can build the drawers to suit the contents. A drawer unit with drawers built to hold what you need to store could act as the base for an assembly table, a clamping station, an outfeed table or all three, all mobile. I do not keep all like tools together in all cases. generally my wrenches, screw drivers and chisels are together but, I also keep tools where they are used. A mobile work surface or tool stand could hold the tools you use most in that area or in those tasks. I see this as an opportunity to not build yet another item that takes up floor space but, to use that floor space to its maximum and save steps across the room in the process. P.s. If your existing drawers are too deep, add a sliding tray. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Drawers create clutter. Better to have in open with easy access.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chet Posted January 26, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 17 minutes ago, BillyJack said: Drawers create clutter. Better to have in open with easy access.... I have to politely disagree with this. People create clutter. The drawers just provide them a place to master their craft. I have had drawers in my shop for a long time and there is no clutter. I find open shelves easier to clutter because you can just throw something up there to get it out of the way. I think if the drawers are set up in an organized way they stay that way. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RichardA Posted January 26, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 36 minutes ago, BillyJack said: Drawers create clutter. Better to have in open with easy access.... Drawers do not create clutter. People create clutter! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Drawers are about the best way I know of to hold & organize stuff in the least space possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Drawers look good but aren't productive. Hanging tools visually are productive.Easy access,, Sample..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 The situation that the OP is in does not provide him with wall space. He is looking for mobile storage that he can secure when he is not there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Wall or mobile access is the same as the cart he showed in his original post... Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike organized drawers. We had a company come in and found that is has a lot to do with work flow. If a tool is directly in sight it is much more productive than opening and closing a drawer to retrieve such tool. I found this to be a problem in my own shop. Why I'm redoing it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 2 hours ago, BillyJack said: Drawers look good but aren't productive. Hanging tools visually are productive.Easy access Yes, that's nice. But it takes lots of wall space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 There needs to be storage for little used tools, and access for often used tools. There is a separate category for tools that will be needed often for a short while, and then can be stored. The efficiency Nazi often forgets that you will not need every chisel to be hung in view. You might want some in view access, but most chisels in a drawer is not hurting any efficiency. The either or without any blend is kind of pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Some comes from "the Toyota Way". The rest comes from people who get payed to show you how to make small spaces productive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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