Organization: Tips and Tricks

javand

javand

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Oct 17, 2010
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Lets have a thread, specific to shop organization, and the clever tips and tricks we've come up with.

If you're anything like me, you spend entirely too much time trying to figure out the optimal location for things, and are often dissatisfied. For instance, yesterday I put up a couple new shelves, went on a cleaning frenzy, and found new places for a lot of hand tools around my work bench. I've got a couple of large standing tool boxes, and lots of drawer cabinets, but some things (like one each standard screw drivers, files, wire cutters, deburring tool, clamps, file guide, blah blah blah, etc) you want to keep close at hand, so you're not walking across the shop to find them. I drilled holes in one of the shelves for the screw drivers next to the bench vise, as an example. I keep all the other dozens of drivers in a toolbox on the other side of the shop.


Right now I'm trying to decide how to organize pin stock. I've a separate cabinet with corbys, and folder hardware, but pin rod is long for that. I've currently got it all in one slot of a larger drawer cabinet. Most is easy to identify, but stainless, nickel silver, titanium, and sterling, all look very similar to the naked eye. I'm thinking about rubber banding them together and putting a paper label under the rubber band. They're too small to write on with a sharpie (mostly use 1/16 and 3/32 stock), and even the stuff that I can identify needs labels. For instance, I got "416" pin stock from knifekits.com that I'm doubtful about it's chemistry since they etched extremely black and rapidly when they were used to pin bolsters on a damascus kitchen knife before etching the blade.


There has to be a slicker way to organize these though than rubber bands, anybody got any tricks?


What other clever tricks do you have or learned to keep stock, supplies, parts, etc. Organized? How do you mark pieces of knives or folders when you're doing a run of half a dozen or a hundred at a time?


Lets hear some tricks and see some photos? I'll post some of my own also.
 
The way I store my pin stock is overhead. A few small hooks with screws attached to the ceiling or wall work great. For telling them apart, i used to do tape. just go to any craft or hardware sore and buy some bright colored tape, make a little chart if you want, and wrap tape around one end of the pin. Cut from the other end so the tape is the last thing cut. Or you could separate them into several hook pairs.
 
Paint the ends of round stock or flat bars according to a system that you set up. I kind of follow Texas Knifemaker's Supply color coding system for 416 stainless, vs. 303 stainless, vs. nickel silver materials. Whatever you do, keep it consistent, and make sure that at least one end is clearly marked after each cut.

Also, keep long and slender zip-lok bags for storage. Label them, and keep like materials in them.

There's nothing more frustating to me than having material, but not knowing clearly what it is.
 
logem said:
There's nothing more frustating to me than having material, but not knowing clearly what it is.
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I agree wholeheartedly!


What do you guys use to mark your stock? Paint pens? Colored metallic sharpies are good for layout but they rub off most metals with handling.
 
See that gray piece of gutter, that is where I keep pin stock. I use tape to mark wich is wich.
The drawer block is where I keep andppaper
P1011732.JPG


And I prefer to have tools I use a lot lay flat, handle towards me. That is what the shelf above the work surface is for. Underneath is a piece of scuare steel so magnetes stick to it.
P1011721.JPG

(ten bonus points for spotting a Nathan Carothers knife)
 
2", 3" and 4" PVC pipe cut to 10" length and stacked as high as you want to make compartments.
 
I highly recommend clear storage bins/boxes for keeping things clean and findable - All rivet stock in one or two bins; all screws, taps, and specialty parts for attaching handles in another; all the leather working tools and supplies together, ....etc.

Use various size clear bins with snug tops for storing handle blocks/scales. Mark one, "SPECIAL" for those blocks that really jump at you or were very special/rare, etc. I can't tell you how many times I have searched for hours/days for a block I "set aside" last year for a special project. Now that all wood is in easy to find stackable bins, and special wood is in a bin in my upstairs workroom, I can find what I need in minutes. My "special" box sits a few feet from the computer. On a cold winter's night, I can sit on the floor fondling some fossil walrus, exhibition grade curly koa, or superb ringed Gidgee to keep me going until spring.

Have "project bins" to put the parts, drawings and pictures, and any supplies needed for a knife you are working on...or will be working on. This can be a clear storage box, or a surplus inventory bin.
I purchases several hundred 18" long blue plastic bins in a variety of widths from 3" to 12" (eBay surplus seller). Every part for the project is in the bin with the handle wood and blade steel. This has made setting up and procuring the parts for a project long in advance simple, as well as making carrying a project around the shop and from house to shop to store much easier. The bins stack on each other and have a slide for a label on the front. No more having a blade done and saying, "What was the handle wood I decided to use for this knife?", or, "Oh crud, I thought I had copper Corby bolts for this knife!"
They are like these: http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/s...gn=Bins-Shelf-Nesting&infoParam.campaignId=WR

I really love the multi-colored flat stackable bins from Costco for storing and transporting inventory and knives. They are semi-transparent and about 16X16X3". The top is hinged with latches, and is removable. They come in a bundle of a dozen for around $15. I store my wood inventory in them, too. Each bin has one wood type in it. I just take the top off and set the bin right on the table at a knife show.

Other ways to make life in the shop more pleasant:
Get the biggest tool cabinet set you can afford and put ALL your tools in it. Having tools scattered about is how you end up with 100 screwdrivers and still can't find a small Phillip's wen you need one.

Tool cabinets are also great for storing milling bits/tooling, drill bits, taps, specialty tools, equipment wrenches and adjustment tools, etc.
 
I find that tossing all my drill bits into a single box is a good way to keep my drill bits in one place and easy to find, also I painted the box hunter orange so I can find the box ;0)
 
Best trick: marry someone who likes to organize things. Best tip: Keep them within yelling distance for when you cant find something.

No really though, Stacy has some excellent points. I too organize inventory and then pull relevant materials on a per project basis. As a knife comes together slowly you can keep all materials/notes etc together. I also use a spreadsheet on the computer that lists every knife project I have going that keeps track of materials to be used as well as time spent so far, pricing info and any other relevant notes.
 
Hengelo_77,
Bottom right on the peg board. I have one similar or identical (?), that I love.
Please keep my 10 points in reserve until I amass enough for a large stuffed animal.
Nathan can make a knife.

Organization is not my strong suit, so I have no comments or tips to share.
Dozier
Accuracy beats speed
 
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Never use rubber bands on anything. By the time you go to use it, they will be like dried up boogers on your material.
In my business, I have to have many sizes of pin stock, as I repair, as well as make, knives. I drilled holes along a short length of 2 X 4, and mounted it under a shelf. It holds enough stock to use handily, and I refill it from marked boxes stored elsewhere.
A Brother P-Touch labeler is a very handy shop item.
 
javand said:
If you're anything like me, you spend entirely too much time trying to figure out the optimal location for things...
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Am I ever, It's a sickness I tell you. :o The other day I added a shelf to my main workbench and that made me way too happy. :o That's why I was apprehending Bill posting a pic of his workbench again. It always takes me a few days to recover from seeing that. :p;)

I keep wanting to make a video of my shop to show you guys how bad it is but something always come up to prevent me from doing it. Someday...

Kidding aside, I do like William, stacked up short length of PVC piping for all smaller round stock.

PS: I wish I had room for nice posters like that Hengelo. Seen some in Nick's shop too. But I've long ran out of room for that. :(
 
Code:
How about organizing your sand paper? Do you guys have and tips for that? Mine is always a mess as I've been keeping it all in one drawer but am considering doing something else with it like buying some of the plastic stackable shelves that the teachers always had for papers.

Also do you guys precut your sheets?

Jay
 
Antlerhog said:
Code:
How about organizing your sand paper? Do you guys have and tips for that? Mine is always a mess as I've been keeping it all in one drawer but am considering doing something else with it like buying some of the plastic stackable shelves that the teachers always had for papers.

Also do you guys precut your sheets?

Jay
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I've wanted to build this for some time but time has been prohibitive.

[http://chadsworkshop.blogspot.com/2013/12/sandpaper-organizer.html]

IMG_20131215_170504.jpg
 
When I get pin stock, I just cut them into pins right away and then throw them into a clear plastic storage bin. I know I waste a little that way, but it's just so much easier.
 
J. Hoffman said:
When I get pin stock, I just cut them into pins right away and then throw them into a clear plastic storage bin. I know I waste a little that way, but it's just so much easier.
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Yeah, I just can't see myself doing that with sterling and 18k gold. ;)


I cried a little just cutting a couple of coils of sterling up the other day to straighten and fit in my drawer. Knowing I'd get to the end of each piece and have some unusable section that'd go into the scrap bin.

I can certainly understand the allure however.
 
A couple of things I added to the new bench today. A couple of cheap towel racks to clip my clamps on, and an easy place to store pens. I wanted something that wasn't going to collect dust.

 
Antlerhog said:
Code:
How about organizing your sand paper? Do you guys have and tips for that? Mine is always a mess as I've been keeping it all in one drawer but am considering doing something else with it like buying some of the plastic stackable shelves that the teachers always had for papers.

Also do you guys precut your sheets?

Jay
Click to expand...

In the top picture I posted you see a gray plastic block with shelves. It is used office stuff.
Every gritt size has its drawer and when I use it I take out the whole drawer. I keep all small unused bits, they come in handy.
Alwas have the finer gritt above the coarse. A bit of fine gritt poluting coars paper isn't realy a problem, but imagin the other way around.
 
I use an old file cabinet i picked up at a yard sale and put each grit in its own folder.It works great and you can easily see when its time to stock up on paper.
 
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