Project Garage Clean Up and Sorting

Inspired by others on here, I started my own organization and clean up project a couple weeks ago. Ive been creating a thread on another, local forum, but why not post it here.

I have TRIED to do 30 minutes a night, but with the holidays it's been hard. But I can say that Im putting in at least 3.5 hours a week out there. Sometimes it seems like nothing got done, sometimes I can close the garage and see the difference. Overall, though, it IS improving. I am creating space. I am getting rid of things which have no purpose/use for me. Ive given away things. Ive gotten so much more organized with much more to go!

So one night I returned from hockey at about midnight and decided to 'start' ...well, the 'start' was taking pictures of the starting position.

I decided to start the next day (a Sunday) with just gathering trash. It was mostly just old mail, packaging from products and shipments etc, nothing decomposing or anything of that sort.

But a bag and a half later I started to see some progress...but more trash will be unearthed as I go. Much more.

Next, lets start with one of the workbenches. Clear off one place that I can then use as a 'base' to work from...and on.

I start here. See the airhose? I used a spring clamp on the side of the table to hold it. Not good. The ryobi box - it's got brake parts for some Lexus monoblock calipers, lots of space taken for little stuff.

FIve bucks or so from WM and I got something to hold the hose on the wall.

Several sessions later and there is actually WORKING ROOM on the workbench. We aint done, but it's a start.

Other workbench, where I keep/use the saw and sanders etc

First things first, clean everything off of it. And actually CLEAN it.

Next, I added some pegboard for more vertical storage and keep things used over there, well, over there. It also allowed me to empty out one of my tool chest drawers which held my three hammers (one not pictured)

With that corner "finished," lets make some space in one of the bays - lets put things where they go.

I work for a school, procured an old chromebook cart they were discarding. It makes a great mobile workbench which Ive used a few times. But it's BIG. Almost 8sq ft footprint...but fits nicely under the hockey goal. Lets put it back and utilize the space inside for my old suspension parts (for now), which frees up another 6 or 7sq ft of floorspace. We're not talking a lot, but every bit helps

LIttle by little, Im getting things done. I'll work more in a few, and sometime in the next couple of days take updated pics all around.

Loving all of these garage cleanning threads!

Nice progress.

My trick to cleaning the garage, which I know isn't always possible due to time and weather, is to take every single item out of the garage. Start putting back items of most importance to least importance. Throw away items that don't fit. Or move them to the shed/attic/basement. 

I do the same thing to clean my kids' rooms. 

Javelin said:

Loving all of these garage cleanning threads!

Inspired by you, brother.

In reply to hybridmomentspass :

Nice work. And you are correct: every bit helps. 

Part of the cleaning and organizing is, well, organizing. It's getting things more efficient, everything having their place, creating space.

One thing I did recently was a 10 dollar project that only took a few minutes, but made space and organized, better, my tool chest...or at least SOME of it.

A while back I had been inspired by a friend (and seen other similar things before) to create specific places for my wrenches. It was a lot of cutting (and not easy when just using and xacto) and I was happy at the end of it.

The problem was multi-faceted

a) it only fit the wrenches I had at that time. We're car guys, we aquire more tools from time to time. There were things that werent part of my Craftsman kit when I was gifted it that I needed...like a 17mm wrench, for example. So, over time, I got that as I needed it. Or going to an estate sale I found some older craftsman wrenches for about 1.25 a pop - 6 or 7 more added to my collection. A little here and there and, well, they dont fit this mold.

So, I did a SIMPLE, and cheap, solution.

It's simple and easy. Have spares of something? No problem, just put it behind/in front of the other the same size.

Metric in black, SAE in red. SIMPLE.

While we're on about tool chests, a 3D printer is a nice thing to have when organizing.

This is where I had started from

And printed these little guys to create space.

Sometimes my time out there (and Im about to head back out there shortly) is not as 'glamorous' as other times/days.

Some days it's like, "WOW, look at all this I got rid of!" or something. Sometimes it's just little things that eat up time.

A while back my father gave me a little water separator thing for the air compressor. It's an awkward shape and it takes up SPACE. So take a few minutes, put fittings on it and now it's functional and off the workbench or a shelf

Some things arent as exciting as others, but all is in the name of progress

Javelin said:

Loving all of these garage cleanning threads!

Me too. Mine has been a battle to do and more still needs to be done. I did just score a free 3 shelf cabinet today for my shop. I posted it up in my Toilet thread in builds and projects.

Nothing better than a clean shop and there is a ton of support here on GRM to get it done.

Awesome work dude! Love the progress shots. 

I started doing this at my house where my kids live this past week. It feels great to get rid of unwanted and uncessary clutter and actually having a workspace. The problem is their mom thinks the garage and my S2000 are giant trashcans. 

MR2 and a Rotax powered Buell- excellent taste!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

MR2 and a Rotax powered Buell- excellent taste!

TWO rotax powered Buells lol

Big Buell fan, have a third at my parents house, that's the race bike (not rotax though)

Also, the fiance is taking her mom to Biltmore Sunday morning, and I have Monday off. I plan to spend HOURS AND HOURS out there. Some good progress shots to come. But Im not close to finished!

Following this thread with a mix of interest and shame.....

DONT BE SHAMED! So many of us are in that boat, BE INSPIRED!

One rule I try hard to follow is no boxes on the floor.  Everything on a shelf.  

Datsun310Guy said:

One rule I try hard to follow is no boxes on the floor.  Everything on a shelf.  

Im trying!

One of the best items I got was a set of these.  Took my pliers drawer from a mess to a very nicely organized mess. 

https://www.harborfreight.com/wire-pliers-rack-70022.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12145234740&campaignid=12145234740&utm_content=117048375836&adsetid=117048375836&product=70022&store=142&gclid=Cj0KCQiAlMCOBhCZARIsANLid6bAA4IQGAtMwv2mLP5m8d8hTnw0FSDYLBPhy-htiDEcCw5gR13wLuAaAhn3EALw_wcB

So far so good guys!  I forget who it was at GRM who offered some sage-like advice 10 or more years ago (maybe Per?)   Take 15 minutes at the end of every wrench session to clean your workspace.  Throw everything away no longer needed (old parts, packaging, etc), clean and put your tools away, and have a tasty beverage while you do it.  A few minutes spent every time has a lot of advantages:

• Everthing is back where it started, making tomorrow's work more productive.  
• No tools are lost or left in vehicles, nothing is closed up till everything is back home.
• Batteries are charged and ready to go.
• Good chance to center yourself and formulate a game plan for the next wrench session.
• If you were doing any hot work (grinding, cutting, welding, torching) its essentially mandatory to do fire watch after hot work to make sure everything is cool.  After almost losing a garage I make a point to do my hot work early in a project if possible and always make sure everything is cooled before going back inside, then double check for smoke or smells about a half hour later.  

I love cleaning my tools and putting them away at the end of a project, it's relaxing.

Some quick before and after pics. Doesnt look like much, but I swear Ive been trying.

On the first workbench Ive put like items in small, 6qt totes that are easy to access. All sanding paper etc is in one, wiring stuff (solder, iron, wire, heatshrink tubing etc), adhesives,, tapes, zipties, brushes and drill-mounted brushes etc etc. Everything has a place and easy to see and get to

And I opened the packaging on some ratchet extensions that I got for Christmas and organized those today. Not pictured is the other work Ive done in tool chest - I now have three drawers empty due to my organization, moving some things (hammers) to the peg board etc

We aint done, more to come. Saturday was spent outside due to the great temps - burning brush and some old 2x4 from a past project etc

Today might be a bust, which sucks because I was planning on spending lots of time out there

But it's bad weather today - Ive got no power at my house. Currently 'stuck' at a coffee shop downtown WS charging my devices.

Just checking in..

In reply to hybridmomentspass :

I like the socket bit holder 

travellering said:

Just checking in..

Well we're regressed... My GRM box of 'junk' came in and holy crap it's a lot! My workbench is now filled and Ive not had time to get out there to do more work, sadly. Tonight though I'll be home. (last night was supposed to be until I was told at noon that at 6 I was expected to be at future father in law's birthday dinner, for example)