Gents, the recent tool box thread started me thinking about our own mess in the garage of our home. Like most home owners, I am none too keen on constantly organising our living space. It takes discipline to maintain it. Anyroad, here we go.
The biggest issue aside from getting the excess 'belongings' out is organising the stuff that is left. I've a small two level roll away chest that is perfect for my modest collection of mechanics tools. It's the rest that's proving hard to sort. I learned one thing in thirty-one years of maintenance work. If you cannot find stuff when you need it, you will buy, borrow or steal(well, not steal but you get the drift) more and that's how you get MESS.
I also learned a few things about having too many tools or odd bits of kit around. So getting rid of excess 'stuff' has been ongoing for over a week. Most of my time is being spent sorting through what I really need to keep and how to best store it. I have already installed multiple wall shelving units that are configurable which is beyond handy.
So far I have been sticking to what we did at work. If you were working on something that was not your day to day trade, then keep minimal amounts of it. So lets look at my plumbing kit. Two pipe wrenches about 10 and 12 inches in length, a pvc shear(kind of like pliers), 1 jar each of flux, pvc cement and cleaner, pipe thread sealant, and a small roll of solder. Add in a couple of extra stop valves and bits and it will all easily fit in a plastic tote or bin(latched lid only here don't want it coming off) around 14 inches long, 8 inches wide, and about six inches deep. No big issue.
It gets dodgier with carpentry and painting supplies. Carpentry tools are minimal right now. Circular saw, reciprocating saw, jigsaw, and a few levels and other odd bits. I do not keep building materials on hand. See second paragraph about that... And the painting items. A roller pan, a few roller handles, brushes, a number of putty knives, can openers, etc. This stuff is bulky and hard to deal with. Should I look at a flat plastic tote and lay it flat in it? Or should I be looking at some other solution?
Car care and lawn care products will go in tall narrow bins and on the shelves. But boy, rakes, shovels, etc. All that stuff is a royal pain. I am looking for any tips, ideas or links to sites to help manage space in a regular old American two car garage. Work bench will be home built and able to stand upright on its end to keep it up against the wall and out of the way. Fire away lads.
The biggest issue aside from getting the excess 'belongings' out is organising the stuff that is left. I've a small two level roll away chest that is perfect for my modest collection of mechanics tools. It's the rest that's proving hard to sort. I learned one thing in thirty-one years of maintenance work. If you cannot find stuff when you need it, you will buy, borrow or steal(well, not steal but you get the drift) more and that's how you get MESS.
I also learned a few things about having too many tools or odd bits of kit around. So getting rid of excess 'stuff' has been ongoing for over a week. Most of my time is being spent sorting through what I really need to keep and how to best store it. I have already installed multiple wall shelving units that are configurable which is beyond handy.
So far I have been sticking to what we did at work. If you were working on something that was not your day to day trade, then keep minimal amounts of it. So lets look at my plumbing kit. Two pipe wrenches about 10 and 12 inches in length, a pvc shear(kind of like pliers), 1 jar each of flux, pvc cement and cleaner, pipe thread sealant, and a small roll of solder. Add in a couple of extra stop valves and bits and it will all easily fit in a plastic tote or bin(latched lid only here don't want it coming off) around 14 inches long, 8 inches wide, and about six inches deep. No big issue.
It gets dodgier with carpentry and painting supplies. Carpentry tools are minimal right now. Circular saw, reciprocating saw, jigsaw, and a few levels and other odd bits. I do not keep building materials on hand. See second paragraph about that... And the painting items. A roller pan, a few roller handles, brushes, a number of putty knives, can openers, etc. This stuff is bulky and hard to deal with. Should I look at a flat plastic tote and lay it flat in it? Or should I be looking at some other solution?
Car care and lawn care products will go in tall narrow bins and on the shelves. But boy, rakes, shovels, etc. All that stuff is a royal pain. I am looking for any tips, ideas or links to sites to help manage space in a regular old American two car garage. Work bench will be home built and able to stand upright on its end to keep it up against the wall and out of the way. Fire away lads.