Organization

[Oldmechthings]

Proper organization sure makes projects go smoother. You can spend more time doing and not so much time looking.
It has been said that one picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe this picture is worth a couple hundred.

There is another saying: A place for everything and everything in it's place.

 

[Bernd]

Nice. I have to much horizontal storage. It seems like the part or tool I'm looking for is always buried 3 or 4 layers deep. Now wonder I don't have the enthusiasm to get any project done. I spend to much time looking for things.
Seems like I just can't get myself organized either, just no discipline.

Regards,
Bernd

 

[shred]

I also have a pretty minimalist organization structure-- instead of every tool in it's place, I have places for tools-- mill tooling and parts are over on these shelves, lathe bits for the 10" lathe are over there, nothing much divided below the drawer level. It's not as fast as a spot for everything, and it would suck for a production shop, but it fits my nature better.

 

[deere_x475guy]

Mine is kind of in between organized and scatter every where. I work better when everything is in it's place. When I am working on a project I tend not to put stuff back until I am done with that project. So as I get deeper into the project I get frustrated because I laid something down and now can't find it.... :

My lathe isn't against a wall and I was thinking about building a rack to sit on the bench the lathe is mounted to this last weekend...but I started another project. It will probably go on like this till someday I really get fed up with it and make a place for everything.

 

[BobWarfield]

Let's keep the "organization" thread going as long as possible, guys. I have to struggle constantly to get organization. My shop oscillates (or wobbles may be better on this board!) between more space than junk and more junk than space. I'm currently annexing another hunk of space, and my first thought was how to up my organization so I could accomodate more junk. I settled on a few ideas.

As much as possible my benches in the new space will have toolbox like drawers. Lots and lots of drawers. My welding table is one I made from a rolling tool chest:

I have a bench on order that has 2 legs that are essential just like the welding table in terms of number of drawers. I'll be bolting my collection of grinders to the top of that one. Behind it will be a steel table with stock storage underneath and small parts on top. It's cramped, because all I need is to get to it once in a while to get raw materials. To organize the small parts, I built a giant parts box organizer:

I have a plastic box for all the basic sizes of fasteners I use around the shop:

I keep my taps, dies, and any extra drill bits for the tap size in with the nuts and bolts.

In the machine room I use a wall organizer I found and love:

It's divided into the LHS metrology-related and RHS lathe-related.

Just a few more ideas for the never-ending organization battle. I need to build a QCTP shelf life Oldmech's too I see!

Best,

BW

 

[DICKEYBIRD]

I don't know if this could be categorized as "organization" after seeing you guys' setups but the lathe stuff I use is pretty close to hand. The lathe sits on a bench/drawer unit and the pegboard is attached to the back of the top. I've added several more items since the pic was taken.

Even has a "racing stripe" in line with the chuck! ;D

 

[Cedge]

Not quite as neat and orderly as the photos so far, but I've got soooo much stuff to keep in a small area. However if you look closely, you'll see several tricks that evolved over time.

The stepped wooden tool rack screwed onto on the back of the lathe splash guard is the one piece of organization I enjoy most. All the centers, chuck wrenches, center drills,counter sinks, MT 2 and 3 tapers, micro chuck, tap guide, files, tapping handles and change gears and brass hammer are right there at hand when you want them. Constructed of 3 pieces of 3/4 x 2 pine and drilled slap full of holes ranging from from 1/8 inch to 1 inch. It wraps around the corner of the splash guard where cup hooks hold thread gauges and other items like a material test magnet. Allen wrenches are kept in the holder on the front of the gear box cover.

The small loops above the DRO are a peg board device made for holding screw drivers and such. With a slight expansion of the loop, it became a collet holder for the Micromark collet set. The end mills are stored in the collets and collapsed inside to prevent cuts to non metal surfaces like my hand. Specialty or finish cutting mills are in small oak blocks next to the scrap metal boxes.

Next to the collet loops is a magnetic tool bar holding QCTP holders and various loose cutting bits. Then comes a tapered peg glued into the shelf to hold the tailstock when it's resting. The yellow bins separate the "waste" steel, brass and aluminum pieces that are too small for the metal rack. Lots of nice small to tiny pieces of still usable stock in those boxes.

It ain't so photogenic, but it functions pretty well for my work style.

Steve

 

[Hexbasher]

Organization is over rated :

 

[rake60]

tattooed
Such disorganization is repulsive!
It not only wastes time it can be dangerous!!!

My own home shop work table and tool box are ALWAYS kept in perfectly organized order.

OK
Perhaps the word "ALWAYS" needs a little clarification in my case.... LOL

When we need something we can reach right to where is is.
Clean it up and we'll have to look for hours.

Isn't the right tattooed???

Rick

 

[Hexbasher]

tattooed
Such disorganization is repulsive!
It not only wastes time it can be dangerous!!!

My own home shop work table and tool box are ALWAYS kept in perfectly organized order.

OK
Perhaps the word "ALWAYS" needs a little clarification in my case.... LOL

When we need something we can reach right to where is is.
Clean it up and we'll have to look for hours.

Isn't the right tattooed???

Rick

OH CRAP!....ISO inspectors are coming to the shop (i dunno why, we're a dirty jobber shop, the rest of my 41 inch toolcab is nice and clean, but i'll have to spruce up that top drawer

how the feck i'm i gonna do that!!!!...gonna have to get a chuck of wood and drill/mill a million holes and grooves in it

hey, i'd lock up my sludge hammer if i could, thats the kind of shop i work in, i don't even like it when someone else uses my welding helmet, where do spring calipers go besides the big 'master-in-pile'????

 

[rake60]

OH CRAP!....ISO inspectors are coming to the shop (i dunno why, we're a dirty jobber shop, the rest of my 41 inch toolcab is nice and clean, but i'll have to spruce up that top drawer

how the feck i'm i gonna do that!!!!...gonna have to get a chuck of wood and drill/mill a million holes and grooves in it

hey, i'd lock up my sludge hammer if i could, thats the kind of shop i work in, i don't even like it when someone else uses my welding helmet, where do spring calipers go besides the big 'master-in-pile'????

I hate it when that happens!!!

 

[tattoomike68]

As far as being a slob I have you all beat. my shop is a dirty mess with junk everywhere.

 

[Powder keg]

II haven't been able to shut the top of my box for 8-9 years:O) I know where most everything is:O)

Wes

 

[Brass_Machine]

Ya know, I just built new benches for the mill and lathe. Within a day, they are both disasters. BUT I know where everything is

Eric

 

[gilessim]

Tattooed machinist, I have a drawer just like yours, but if I pull mine out that far it drops on the floor!

Rick ,my bench is worse than yours, every now and again I blow off the chips, someday I'll pull out the bench and clean out the 10+lbs ,melt them down and make some weird alloy with them!

P.S. wasn't it in Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance where he talks about "classic" and "romantic" mechanics

Giles