What are your methods in organizing your tooling and material stockpile?

[rmack898]

I know where everything is in my shop. But, I'm the only one that works in there! If I had to catalog every item in my shop, I'd be dead way before the cataloging would be complete.)

I have a system of organization that works for me. I have a "spot" for everything. It's all committed to the space between my ears.

I can't remember what I had for dinner last night but I know where everything is in my shop even if I haven't used it in the last 5 years. I have more drawers than Carters got pills and none of them are labeled, but I know what is in each and every one of them.

 

[Harris Creek Central]

When someone can tell me how to accomplish this task, I may consider trying. I have made a conscientious effort to put a certain item away in that place where I will be sure to look for it next time. Problem is, I can't remember where that safe place is....Maybe, just Maybe age may have a little bearing on this.. My advise to all you young fellows, "DON"T GET OLD"

Here is my story: I had three "NMRA" Track Gauges for my Model Railroad. I decided to put them on a nail all in one spot. FINE..but something got put on top of them on the same nail... I looked for two years for those gauges. Finally I was at a Swap Meet, and had the chance to buy another one at a reasonable price. I brought it home and thinking of that nice safe spot to hang it....... I moved this one item that had got put on the wrong nail, and now I have four NMRA Gauges hanging on that nail.

Now, don't tell me I am the only one that does this, so tell us what you have done so we can have another chuckle..

Have a good day, and God Bless all those who have a good memory, and know where everything is..

By the way.! I do know where most of my tools are, that I use on a regular basis. It is those darn things that you only use once or twice in a year.

 

[Dave Smith]

Jon--I think last year there was a thread similar to this one and it is very tough to get all tools-machines-and stock supplies totally organized--one thing I have found to be totally helpfull in keeping track of what is in every drawer, box, cabinet and hanging from the rafters and on the walls--is a digital camera--just take pictures one day and enter them in your computer.--you can then look at the pictures quickly if you have lost something without having to open every drawer and search till you get sidetracked and forget what you were even looking for--then after reorganizing an area or cabinet just take updated pictures--I'm telling you that organizing really gets messed up during and after a move--especially after you turn 70---keep trying---Dave

 

[Ray C]

I know where everything is in my shop. But, I'm the only one that works in there! If I had to catalog every item in my shop, I'd be dead way before the cataloging would be complete.)

I have a system of organization that works for me.


I have a "spot" for everything. It's all committed to the space between my ears.

Sounds kinda dangerous, Marcell... How do you store tools inside your head? 'splain it brother...


Ray
(LOL)...

 

[Brain Coral]

Hello all,

I think that for anyone, like myself, who does this for a hobby, it's difficult to remember which drawer certain tools are in when you don't work at it daily. When I'm on a project for a few days in a row, I get into a groove and can put to hand all of my tools with ease. But give me a few weeks off and I'm fumbling again for awhile.

I haven't come up with a good way to store metal, but I have some woodworking and tooling storage systems that work for me. Mind you, I am a one man shop with no interference from anyone else.

Here's a few pics of a tool cabinet for woodworking tools. Everything has it's particular spot...







Here's how I store my rough lumber...




These racks have nearly 1000 lbs. on them. I have three such racks in the shop.

I recently threw this little shelf together to store my lathe toolholders and the different cutting fluids. It simply slides onto the splash guard and can be slid to any position...



I have this roll aroung tool box to store the majority of my tooling. Home Depot has them on sale every year for around $300.00. Each drawer has it's specific "genre" of tooling and everything goes back to it's specific spot when I'm finished a project. During a project, however, it looks like a bomb went off... :yikes:







Tooling to do with the mill is on the wall next to it. I am going to enlarge this shelf to be able to store my spin index as well as the dividing head...



This is my first attempt at metal storage.... not so good...



Best regards....

Brian

 

[Barnesrickw]

Nice set of moulding planes, and a great looking shop.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[AR1911]

When I buy a machine, I start looking for a sale on a roll-around toolbox to go with it. Each machine has it's tooling box for tools specific to that machine - steady rests etc. There are also larger boxes, marked Lathe and Mill, which house shared tooling for those machines. I have a separate rolling bench with drawers for grinders and sanders, with their accessories stored therein. I also have a separate rolling box for measuring tools, with surface plate on top.

 

[xalky]

Sounds kinda dangerous, Marcell... How do you store tools inside your head? 'splain it brother...


Ray
(LOL)...

Ahhh, Ever since I lost all my marbles. there's plenty of room in there.)

 

[toag]

I have no system at the moment, and its a killer. spending 20 minutes looking for a bolt... run to the hardware store, come back and put the bag right on the bag that held the bolt... no joke!

So i'm planning on buying some nice hardware bins, red for SAE, yellow for metric, label each bin. then start in on the tools, every tool gets its own cutout in a drawer, label the drawers, tool cabinets for the lathe tooling, one for the mill tooling, bins for the endmills, hout drill drawers... yeah i need to get going.:whiteflag:

 

[AR1911]

For used hardware fasteners, I use those plastic 2-lb coffee bins. (I drink a lot of coffee.) I have about a dozen of them for various sizes of fasteners. I ad one every couple of weeks.

For bolts 1/2- 3/4, I keep an inventory and buy new from this place: http://www.krsupply.com/
Prices are cheap, quality is good, and they ship a $30 order for free, and it comes quickly.
Now if I need 16 5/16 x 1.25 bolts, with washers and nuts to mount some casters, I have them.
The new bolts are currently in long boxes, sorted by size.

I actually have one of those 49-hole bolt bins, but I don't use it. I may need to get it out and re-evaluate.