fast and easy organization tips

This thread is where we invite everyone to post their shop organization tips. From grandpa's baby food jar lids screwed to the underside of shelves to your wealthy neighbor's wall of Lista cabinets.

Todays top tip.

I got fed up with all my abrasives being in little trays on the shelf.  There happened to also be a sheet of 16ga steel next to me so......

I went to the trusty neighborhood Harbor Fright and bought 6+ packages of these magnetic hooks

And tapconned the metal to the nearest open spot of wall

Et Viola! 

no more shuffling through bins. Infinitely adjustable.

Oh nice.

Following this thread for sure.

That's a great idea!

I don't have the wall space to copy it, so I have a number of the oblong ice cream containers, they fit in my drawer and round cutting wheels, grinding wheels, flap wheels and wire wheels fit in them perfectly.

That's awesome. I use those hooks for my hearing protection! I have a workbench with a metal top rack, and i stick them on there. 

I wish I had a brilliant addition, but mostly I'm pleased at not just the organization, but the improvement in concerns about "how many times can I put the angle grinder back in this drawer before I've compromised a grinding disc?" Never mind the spare sanding belt oddly perched on top of the shelves...

I'm working on a tidying of the brake bleeding kit. I've added a conventional air line quick release to the Motive pressure bleeder stuff so I can change adapters without unscrewing anything (bonus points for being able to take the twist out of the line while tightening the lid), but I'd been trying to keep them sort of half tucked into their original plastic bags in a storage bin. I'm still finding the right fit, but moving to keeping the adapters in the semi-disposable plastic leftover containers inside the bin, so hopefully keeping filth out of the system and keeping the main storage bin from being covered in a haze of brake fluid and grit. I haven't found the perfect size containers yet, though.

Clear bins with labels have made a huge difference for me in the garage for organizing. I found that putting stuff regular bins or in a cabinet that it could easily got lost or forgotten about. With the clear bins it's easy to still see what's inside without digging through. 

In reply to Chris Tropea :

That's a lot like the same reason I have to keep cookies in a not-see-through cookie jar.

If I don't see them, I'm less likely to eat several in a row. 

Filing cabinets have been my go-to as of late. I picked up a bunch of 2-file/4-drawer cabinets and reconfigured them to fit my spaces. I stack two side-by-side and build wheel bases for them and then screw a sheet of wood or steel on top to make an ad-hoc tool or storage space on top, and the drawers all get labeled with what's inside. 

Also worth noting, a label maker is worth every penny. I picked one up a while ago on a black Friday deal because I figured, why not for $20. I use it all the time. Every tool box drawer has a label so even though I know were everything is its easy to keep it organized.

I use the "a bin for everything" approach for most things, and a "toolbox for every tool" for powertools. It's not great. 

I use the "a bin for everything" approach for most things, and a "toolbox for every tool" for powertools. It's not great. 

classicJackets (FS) said:

I use those hooks for my hearing protection! 

don't they hurt your ears?

I have a lot of cam buckle straps, ratchet straps, and bungee cords, and I keep a fair amount of them in a tote on my trailer. To prevent them from getting all tangled up with one another I put each one in a sandwich bag.  

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

classicJackets (FS) said:

I use those hooks for my hearing protection! 

don't they hurt your ears?

Ha!

I keep tote bins or toolboxes for certain jobs or related items.

I have a "Towing bin" that gets tossed in the truck when a trailer gets hooked up. It's got straps, chocks, tire irons, etc in it.

I have a travel toolbox with a set of everything I might need in it which stays totally separate from my shop toolbox. There's also a "house toolbox" in the basement to ensure shop tools don't stray into the house.

In the basement there's a plumbing bin, electical bin, home repair bin, etc.