How Do I Organize?

[tardis86]

yep, that's what im asking, lol. how do others organize their workspace/ workshop? I struggle with wanting to be organized, but sucking at it. Maybe if others have pics or something and explain how they organize a bit, maybe i cant take some others ideas and retro fit them for my work area.

This is such a helpful bunch of folks in here, all of your help has been greatly appreciated.

thanks!

[Halitech]

I started out on an old kitchen table then moved to my old military desk when I moved house. I picked up a sheet of 2x4 3/4" mdf and started making tool racks. I keep scraps and dyes and stuff in totes under it.

I try and keep it clean but seems everything ends up getting tossed to the right hand side of the desk :/

[TinkerTailor]

Just a taste:

[Tugadude]

TinkerTailor, I love the bike frame! I refurbish vintage road bikes and truly believe steel is real.

[TinkerTailor]

TinkerTailor, I love the bike frame! I refurbish vintage road bikes and truly believe steel is real.

Its hand made in Canada, it has stress cracks around the lugs on the head tube, which is why that one is a wall hanger.

I just got a mint 1986 Kona cindercone frame in white with red splatter paint and the fork is there! Apparently it may have been the first ever kona in the UK if i can beleive the guy i got it from. It was only 40 bux.

I may have a few bikes.... I also have a dozen or so vintage brooks leather saddles kicking around that go back to the 30's. and a bunch of weird internal gear stuff. High end vintage bikes are my day job.

I commute 13 miles each way on a steel 3-speed. Its a drum braked 2011 Surly steamroller with 20000 miles on it...many of them passing lycra clad carbon riders.

Edited February 6, 2016 by TinkerTailor

[Tugadude]

Cool stuff. Brooks fan myself, although most of mine are new. Interesting that we both like leather and vintage bikes. It was my attempt at a leather bicycle tool bag that started me on this journey.

[TinkerTailor]

Cool stuff. Brooks fan myself, although most of mine are new. Interesting that we both like leather and vintage bikes. It was my attempt at a leather bicycle tool bag that started me on this journey.

My road it may be lonely just because it's not paved.

It's good for drifting, drifting away.

I feel like i should also comment on some of the other things in my photo, there is alot there.

I like to have a little of everything within arms reach of me when i am making one offs or designing. My 441 sits behind me. The bench can be cleared off and dragged out from under the shelf to work on all sides for bigger projects or production. We have a second bedroom full of the textile stuff and storage for leather. To the right is a butcher block kitchen cart i do small piece cutting at. It has fishing tackle boxes full of buckles and things on the shelves.

The dremel drill press gets used for burnishing and a bunch of other stuff.

I have lamps everywhere and a few holes drilled in the benchtops to move the desk lamps where i need them. I use the lamp shades to store my binder clips and clamps when not in use. I use alot of these.

The jars on the wall are spice jars full of rivets and crap. Some are labeled, most i can see into. The racks were a buck or two at the thrift store.

The shelf is mounted to the wall with h/d closet shelf braclets. Along the edge of the shelf is a good chunk of hand tools. They are all stuck into pieces i salvaged from a cheesy wooden collectable spoon display, again it was a dollar. On the right is a wood block with holes in in for dremel bits.

Most of the stuff on the shelf is kinda obvious, there is a subwoofer and speakers hiding in there. On the far right is the sub and my micrometers.

To the left is a plastic drawer thing full of punches, a treadle scroll saw and an amazing Wynton Marsalis record

Of course to the upper right is Waylon The record in the middle my grandmother bought in italy in the early 70's i think.

And that super awesome painting is from Cuba. I saw the car in it on Anthoney Bourdain's Cuba episode.....

Everything you see is a tool to inspire creation.

And of course, Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger too!!

[JerseyFirefighter]

I have a huge hardware problem. From conchos to chicago screws, to rivets and buckles of all different finishes and sizes. I've seen some storage ideas but I guess cracking open 3-4 part storage cases or dropping 150-200 on an organizer is just a little lower on my priority list when im constantly tool shopping. Priorities I guess. One day. Im fixing to find one of those steel multi-drawer hardware organizers.

[tardis86]

Here is my setup so far. The table is an old pallet that i upcycled to a table. The drawer was also saved from a dresser i upcycled to an entertainment stand almost a year ago. Im still trying to figure out how to organize stuff, but im getting there. My biggest problem is the lighting in my basement sucks!!

on a side note. i made the stitching pony myself.

Edited February 12, 2016 by tardis86

[JerseyFirefighter]

Here is my setup so far. The table is an old pallet that i upcycled to a table. The drawer was also saved from a dresser i upcycled to an entertainment stand almost a year ago. Im still trying to figure out how to organize stuff, but im getting there. My biggest problem is the lighting in my basement sucks!!

on a side note. i made the stitching pony myself.

I bought this shop light from Amazon. SUPER BRIGHT. and plugs into existing outlet.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UTX4HJS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

Edited February 12, 2016 by JerseyFirefighter

[Dwight]

I have a relatively small space in which I work.

The table in the picture is 3 feet wide, 5 feet long, . . . the covering is 1 inch squares, and is a "cut proof" bench top piece from Joann Fabrics.

As you can see, . . . my sewing machine is at this end, . . . everything sewn flows up and onto the table.

To the left of the table but unseen is a belt sander and a tube sander, all I do is turn around, . . . they are there, . . . turn them on, . . . go at it.

To the right of the table is all the punches, and other tools that would be used to shape or decorate or stamp the leather. Additionally all my snaps, grommets, rivets, and their associated punches and tooling are all there.

Farther back in the shop on the same side as the tools is the sink, . . . above which is all the finishing products and stains.

The "wall" you see behind the table is indeed not a wall, . . . but my leather vault, . . . 12 inches deep, . . . 4 feet wide, . . . 7 feet tall, . . . with swinging arms inside that hold my leather in a vertical position, . . . open the vault, . . . thumb through till you find the piece you want, . . . take it down, . . . cut it, . . . hang it back up.

Everything is designed to be within arms length of the table.

Works for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

[tardis86]

I have a relatively small space in which I work.

The table in the picture is 3 feet wide, 5 feet long, . . . the covering is 1 inch squares, and is a "cut proof" bench top piece from Joann Fabrics.

As you can see, . . . my sewing machine is at this end, . . . everything sewn flows up and onto the table.

To the left of the table but unseen is a belt sander and a tube sander, all I do is turn around, . . . they are there, . . . turn them on, . . . go at it.

To the right of the table is all the punches, and other tools that would be used to shape or decorate or stamp the leather. Additionally all my snaps, grommets, rivets, and their associated punches and tooling are all there.

Farther back in the shop on the same side as the tools is the sink, . . . above which is all the finishing products and stains.

The "wall" you see behind the table is indeed not a wall, . . . but my leather vault, . . . 12 inches deep, . . . 4 feet wide, . . . 7 feet tall, . . . with swinging arms inside that hold my leather in a vertical position, . . . open the vault, . . . thumb through till you find the piece you want, . . . take it down, . . . cut it, . . . hang it back up.

Everything is designed to be within arms length of the table.

Works for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

nice setup, is that attached to your house or is it its own building?

[Dwight]

nice setup, is that attached to your house or is it its own building?

We added a car port to the house, . . . and on the other end of the car port, . . . I built the hobby / leather shop, . . . needed to get it out of my family room, . . . made my wife VERY happy.

It would never do for anything above a 2 or 3 man operation, . . . and that would be crowded, . . . but it works really great for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

[gmace99]

This is something I cant teach. I pile stuff all over the place. My school has 5 boards 8 foot by 4 foot. if I am in the school on my own working on an idea or a design I use all 5 boards. One day I will have to go on a course to learn how not to make a mess.

[Nuttish]

Concrete forms and a loft hanging from the rafters on chains.

[DocReaper]

it took time to build up me catastrophe of a work bench, I now have a 6 foot tall x 5 ft long x 2ft deep shelving unit to hold my hardware. I also us a larger rack shelf to hold the leather, but it still a mess due to the tools. it was easier to make a mess than to clean up due to recent lower back surgery; the VA sucks for any medical help one might need, go private and get it done faster and better! I have a large mechanics tool box that will be housing most of my tools, you might want to design a wall unit to hang magnetic tool holders on, keeps em in sight and up out of the way. My work table is in the middle of the shop. I get use of all four sides plus i can trim a side of leather to what ever size I might need. My dyes are stored on an old bookshelf away from the unused leather, its a must to keep these two away from each other, shhtuff happens! all this is in a 16x20 shed that is heated by a wood stove in the winter and air conditioned in the summer. With the back half healed, I have a newish 6ft table to use as a work table, right noe its a 2ftx4ft table that where I do my magic. its hard to get things the way you would like them, but you adapt to your surroundings. you will have to work at keeping it orderly or it will just become a mess over and over again. keep it tidy as you go along and it wont be a place you shun!

[impulse]

Check out this topic- Coping with a small workshop

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=66403

[tardis86]

it took time to build up me catastrophe of a work bench, I now have a 6 foot tall x 5 ft long x 2ft deep shelving unit to hold my hardware. I also us a larger rack shelf to hold the leather, but it still a mess due to the tools. it was easier to make a mess than to clean up due to recent lower back surgery; the VA sucks for any medical help one might need, go private and get it done faster and better! I have a large mechanics tool box that will be housing most of my tools, you might want to design a wall unit to hang magnetic tool holders on, keeps em in sight and up out of the way. My work table is in the middle of the shop. I get use of all four sides plus i can trim a side of leather to what ever size I might need. My dyes are stored on an old bookshelf away from the unused leather, its a must to keep these two away from each other, shhtuff happens! all this is in a 16x20 shed that is heated by a wood stove in the winter and air conditioned in the summer. With the back half healed, I have a newish 6ft table to use as a work table, right noe its a 2ftx4ft table that where I do my magic. its hard to get things the way you would like them, but you adapt to your surroundings. you will have to work at keeping it orderly or it will just become a mess over and over again. keep it tidy as you go along and it wont be a place you shun!

Please post a pic of that