space saving shop ideas

[roccitycafe]

I've got a lot of wall space currently, but as I'll be moving into a smaller space, I've been trying to come up with ideas on how to get stuff off walls and keep things accessible, so far I've been buying old rolling tool chests, and that's working pretty well but I still have a 16' section of pegboard that is pretty packed with corded tools. I came up with an idea to build a couple boxes of 2'x2' vertical pegboard drawers on full extension slides, so you can store the box on top of a rolling box, but have access to lots of "wall space" of pegboard. We'll see how it works, I googled the idea and found some similar devices. anyone else have space saving "shop hacks"?

[Buckets]

jag, know any shop hacks?

[drgonzo]

Pictures are always good. Pictures of the well organized motorcycle shed, that's what we need. I sure don't have any of those.

[wingwalker]

Plastic tubs -- the kind with lids that you get from Wallliemart -- make good storage containers for corded tools. And these then store easily under work benches. Stuff like special wrenches and other accessories fit into these tubs with their associated tools.

Look for modular sizes so they store neatly. And of course, label them. so that you pull out the right tub when you go to do a job.

I learned this trick form a buddy who used to run an auto body shop. Another of the advantages is that the lids keeps dust and other crud off the tools. And, keeping the lid with the tub allows them to be stacked. I know it sounds as if all these containers would take up room, but once I adopted the practice I found I could store a lot more stuff under my benches.

Oh, and for sure you want to store your respirator in a closed container. Leaving it out in the air breaks down the good stuff in the filter canisters (which I think contain activated charcoal intended to absorb bad chemical fumes).

[bmartin]

Depending on wall height - maybe you could have peg panels with tools that can be lowered to eye level. You would group your tools to the type of work your doing and have them on one peg panel. So you'd have a mechanical tool panel, a metal shape tools on another panel and so forth. One the same idea - sliding panels of tools again group by job function.

[raven]

I think you need a secret agent like tool room.

[TCed]

For me the less flat surfaces the better. I built a 12 foot work bench and it is cluttered with all sorts of stuff that should be put away or thrown away. I do like having a shelf below the workbech just for power tools and hard storage cased tools. Put everything possible on rollling wheels w/locks.

[DesmoDog]

Look for modular sizes so they store neatly. And of course, label them. so that you pull out the right tub when you go to do a job.

Bonus points if the tubs are clear so you can see what's in them.

[roccitycafe]

For me the less flat surfaces the better. I built a 12 foot work bench and it is cluttered with all sorts of stuff that should be put away or thrown away. I do like having a shelf below the workbech just for power tools and hard storage cased tools. Put everything possible on rollling wheels w/locks.

totally. I moved practically all my tools into rolling tool chests, for me, flat spaces just gather shit and it seemed to be a better philosophy to have one work area and multiple tool chests for different types of tasks