Looking for a good way to organize my tools?
My resolution this New Year’s was to STAY ORGANIZED! When it comes to my tools, they somehow always end up messy and unorganized. I don’t have such a large supply so this should be pretty simple. Does anyone have any good ideas of how I can keep my tools tidy and accessible and how to organize a toolbox?
Thanks Hometalkers!
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https://www.pinterest.com/explore/tool-organization/
Use pegboard, peghooks, and outline your tools in the location they should go in.
I keep like things together; all electrical in one bin, plumbing in another, painting tools in another, smaller bins for screws, nails, bolts, etc. -I love Donna's suggestion of the pegboard for all your hand tools; everything available at a glance
Funny....about an hour ago I was looking at Pinterest: "1,000+ Ideas for Tool Organization"! I still have the page open. They have some great ideas, a lot of them using things you probably have around the house.
A tool box is a must; I recommend plastic over metal, a medium to small size. You need a few shelves and a hanging area, peg board or nails. Cordless power tools are wonderful to have. Try to buy power tools that come with a case or use a plastic bin and keep all attachments and extras in it so you can just grab it...labels are good because your tool collection will grow over time. My last two husband's have come to me with no tools at all!
We've done several things to organize our garage (a.k.a. workshop). We built wood shelves and used sturdy plastic storage containers for some of the smaller power tools and hand tools, as well as hardware, sandpaper, etc. Inside one of the shelves we left "counter" space and hung pegboard in that area for additional power and hand tools. Then we hung a barn door that fits one side of the shelves and attached pegboard to the front for other hand tools. You can easily slide it from one side to the other. On top of the wood shelves that we built, we added a flat surface to store long wood planks, 2x4s, etc. Also on this wall we have heavy duty shelving for paints, stains, project materials, leftover tile, etc. Dry concrete, grout, etc. are stored in water tight bins that we got from The Container Store.
We have metal shelving on wheels and one workbench on wheels (with storage drawers and shelves). This allows us to easily reconfigure the space as needed for projects or if we want to put a car in the garage (as if that's what a garage is really for, right?). On the metal shelving we have large storage containers for Plumbing, Painting and Electrical supplies, rollers, etc. The metal shelves also have an area for drop cloths, old sheets and shower curtains - also used for painting or staining. There's a lot of other stuff on those two metal shelves. Between the wood shelves and the metal shelves, we left sufficient space for BIG power tools (mower, pressure washer, table saw) and the mechanics tool box. All of these things can be easily moved out when needed.
Some of our landscape/garden tools are stored on pegboard on the other side of the garage, along with all the fishing stuff. A kayak rests lengthwise just below the pegboard and my pride & joy - a miter saw (on a stand) resides in front of the kayak for easy access. The freezer is also on this wall and we have cabinets above that for spray paints, caulk, adhesives, etc.
On the front (house) wall, we have my craft bench with pegboard and wall cabinets. To the right of that is where we store our small wood pieces (in bins) on a movable metal shelf (4 shelves). Next to that we built Frankencart (sorry, we've copyrighted that name ). Frankencart is also on wheels and this is where we store additional leftover wood, pipe pieces, etc.. Above that are large hooks mounted on the wall to hold long pieces of pipe, PVC, molding, you get the idea.
To answer your questions: we have a two car garage with very little extra space and yes, we label all storage containers. We still have sufficient space in the middle for projects and to walk through to the house. Someday, we'll have an actual workshop with more tools . . . I can dream, right?
Pegboards are the way to go, and they look so cute!
I hung a pocket
shoe organizer on the wall in the closet near the front door, I keep all my garden tools,gloves etc all nice and organized, and easy to grab on my way out the door! It was a bit too long so I cut the bottom two layers off! Would be great for hammer,screwdrivers etc. too! Coffee jars fit neatly in the pockets for nails,picture hangers, etc.
Really like both of those ideas. Thank you!
If you only have a few tools and are constantly gathering them up to carry around, get yourself a couple of soft-sided tool carriers - one for hand tools, one for gardening tools. Get the kind with lots of exterior and interior pockets. Then you can pick up the one you need and take it to the project location. Replace tools as you work and carry them back all together. There are also organizers that fit onto a 5 gallon bucket. Good luck and have fun!
One of my best finds is the METAL peg board panels at LOWE's... about $20 for a 16 inch X 16 inch panel... they are designed with spacers on the back to keep the panels away from the wall (to allow for the peg board hooks) There are all sorts of peg board organizers, wire (and plastic) hooks, baskets, bins and pockets. I used them in my craft room to organize wraps in ribbons inside a closet. and on the end of a bookshelf (mounted on the wall) to hold my tools. Also on the wall to organize all of the Battery rechargers (temps here in AZ get above 110 and really shortens the life of re-chargable batteries kept in the garage)
note: I did use drywall anchors for the top mounting holes on each panel, for security on the walls.
Buy a good tool box !