I have a Blog on building and setting up my new shop-BUT...

Hi Sandhill,
I don’t know if you are planning on building cabinets or not but when I built my lowers and before the doors were installed I put dividers in them to keep things from turning into a messy pile inside..

-- Better looking at it than for it....

I am beginning to despair that I will ever organize to the point I like. My shop started out with a bench 8’x3’ with two shelves in back. Well that is so crowded and ugly that I can’t find anything without moving 5 other things. It’s crazy the amount of stuff you can accumulate.

You’re fortunate that you can start over like this. Just remember to only unpack what you use. We like to keep everything, but we rarely ever use everything. I’d just leave questionable stuff in their boxes and make a list on the outside of the box as to what’s in it just in case you ever need it.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

Jen has inspired me to chuck or donate vast quantities of the treasures I’d accumulated before we met. I’haven’t yet missed anything that I’ve gotten rid of and my life is a whole lot more organized. I’ve adopted the philosophy that if its easy to find and put away I will do just that…easily. The old saying ‘a place for everything and everything in its place really rings true for me. I wish you success in setting up the new shop!

-- "Checking for square? what madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2

I am building cabinets but I am talking about small hardware bins for all the different stuff I have. Things like Melamine fasteners, assortments of 20 different kinds of screws, Washers, Nuts & bolts, Those one of a kind hard to find specialized fasteners, different kinds of electrical stuff. screen parts, the list just goes on and I need to have a place I can get at them so I don’t end up buying more. I have like 20 paint can openers, 6 putty knives, You name it I have more then two, I could open a hardware store.

Depending on how far the hardware store(s) are away, it may just be easier to let them stock it until you have a project then go and buy the stuff…no storage hassles or unwanted clutter. I live 10 to 20 minutes from about 6 stores that carry just about all I need (except T nuts can’t seem to find those anywhere) so I don’t stocks lot. It’d take me longer to find them then to zip over to Rona:-)

-- "Checking for square? what madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2

mark that was the problem I now have about 25 Med size moving boxes. Everything was berried in and under other stuff in the shop or shed. While packing I came up with almost 1000 feet of 14-2 and 3 wire I thought I had about 200 feet. I have Hydraulic pumps, conveyor rollers, electrical parts for the motorized carts, this is my 2nd 16’ POD and hopefully the last. Some of has been house hold that I was not able to ge into the first moving van but mostly shop and shed. I was looking at U-Line’s bins byt I got to about 250 dollars real quick so I am looking for other options. The Hardware store True value is about 3 miles from me but the next places are about 20 miles I have a better selection of hardware then True value LOL.

OldKranky@ I am ready to start on the wall cabinets its driving me crazy and takes 30 min to an hour to find one thing and sometimes I give up and find it days later while looking for something else ((not finding it) then there are times I get what I was looking for. Now your photo makes soooo much sense I am starting on it Monday. Thanks! OH are they double walls for the inside boxes to accommodate the dado’s on each side and how high did you make the cabinet?

Sandhill, The 8 boxes (4 up & 4 down) are all made with 3/4 plywood 32”high by 25” wide and 18” deep the top is two layers of 3/4 ply with 2” edging and they are hung about 4.5” off of the floor giving me a 38” overall height. The uppers are 24” high by 25” wide and 12” deep. Here is what they look like finished.

-- Better looking at it than for it....

getting organized is the key,to finding what you have quickly;and to keep from buying parts when you already have them. good luck

Getting organized may be the key but it is also the puzzle. lol
It’s been my puzzle anyways. Cant seem to get organized to start with so i can stay organized.

-- In the end, when your life flashes before your eyes, will you like what you see?

Thanks for the information i off and building next week. I just have to zero in my panel sled.

The key to staying organized is DRAWERS. There are over 100 in the cabinets I built in my shop. When you have a place to put things, keeping organized is far easier.

I just moved from FL to NM. Moving the shop was a lot of work. Here is a couple of snaps of the new place. It’s smaller but far better insulated, so it is very comfortable.