Cleaning up my messy shop!

[Bob Oswin]

My shop is a big mess with screws and small parts and rulers and compasses and, and...
So today I waddled down to my Lee Valley store and picked up some of their new all metal drawer units.
Thanks Rob Lee for a great idea! long over due!
After about an hour and a half of fiddling with my table saw I had a 36" tall tower which is going to get wheels that is the same height as my router table and my work bench.

I'll be able to use it for an extra surface for larger tasks.
The drawers come in 1" and 2" depths and I slotted the whole tower so I could stick em in wherever they are needed.
Tomorrow some "galew" and a couple of screws and were ready for more drawers and a clean up in my shop.
Next- a clamp rack!
p.s. they give you a little plan with the drawers so it's idiot proof.


Bob

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

I need some new drawers !

<center> DAMHIKT !!!!!
Don't Ask Me How I Know This




I would settle for someone to do my laundry.
My shop wore me out today........</center>

[Jim Shaver, Oakville Ont]

All these Dr's..............I'm getting confused.......nice drawers, eh!

Jim, BSc, BB, LE, DFSS, hehehehehehe:D

[Bob Oswin]

Originally posted by Dr. Zack Jennings
I need some new drawers !

<center> DAMHIKT !!!!!
Don't Ask Me How I Know This




I would settle for someone to do my laundry.
My shop wore me out today........</center>


What the heck were you liftin Buddy?:D

Bob[B]

[Bart Leetch]

Drawers to put your ahem stuff in looks great How deep are they from front to back it looks like about 12".

Bart Leetch DBS. DWB. DGPC. DJPMS

[Keith Outten]

Here is what I use for small parts storage, it's cheap and very handy. Cut the top off of plastic oil containers, clean them up a bit and use a 2x4 for the shelf. These will store neatly in an unused area of your workshop so you don't have to give up any premium wall space, note that mine are right above the roll up doors.

I store everything from screws, bolts, nuts, washers, string, electrical connectors, etc in these almost indestructable containers. I use a permanent marker to write on the front edge to identify the contents. I have almost 70 linear feet of containers, most are in my woodworking shop, the remainder in another building where I store bolts and mechanical fasterners.

[Bob Oswin]

Hi Bart:
I think they are 12 " .
You can go to the LV website if you need specifics.
I'm not selling them but felt some of you folks might appreciate the simplicity of this new product.

Regards

Bob

[Bill Esposito]

Just be careful when you build drawers. I added 16 large drawers to my shop when I built my SCMS station and then realized I didn't have enough tools to fill them. I've been on a buying spree ever since :)

[Bob Oswin]

Originally posted by Keith Outten
Here is what I use for small parts storage, it's cheap and very handy. Cut the top off of plastic oil containers, clean them up a bit and use a 2x4 for the shelf. These will store neatly in an unused area of your workshop so you don't have to give up any premium wall space, note that mine are right above the roll up doors.

I store everything from screws, bolts, nuts, washers, string, electrical connectors, etc in these almost indestructable containers. I use a permanent marker to write on the front edge to identify the contents. I have almost 70 linear feet of containers, most are in my woodworking shop, the remainder in another building where I store bolts and mechanical fasterners.
That's a very good use of space and materials Keith.
I should do some of that too.
One of the reasons I wanted to build this tower was to store the chucks and spigots etc for my lathe.
I am always running over to the bench to grab a wrench or change a set of jaws. This way I can do it right at the lathe.

I really like your idea however and request permission to adopt it here!

Bob

[Terry Hatfield]

you must be a Pennzoil man.:)

That's a lot of oil cahnges.

Terry

[Dave Richards]

Very nice drawer tower. I've been eyeing those drawers for the same reason.

Years ago, my father worked for a battery manufacturer and managed to get his hands on some 12V lantern battery cans. They made great drawers for storing nails and screws. Always wished I could find something like them. The oil containers seem like just the ticket.

[Jim Izat]

Hey Bob,

Very nice job! What kind of clamps are those?

Jim Izat

[Ted Shrader]

Originally posted by Dr. Bob Oswin
. . . .So today I waddled down to my Lee Valley store and picked up some of their new all metal drawer units.
Thanks Rob Lee for a great idea! long over due! . . .

Bob -

Good idea! Thanks for the picture. Some of us simple folks (tactile kinesthetic) really like the pictures better than words. :D

Ted

[Bob Oswin]

Originally posted by Jim Izat
Hey Bob,

Very nice job! What kind of clamps are those?

Jim Izat

Hi Jim:
I picked these up from Lee valley at a WW show about a year ago.

They were $10.00 each or some fool thing.
I see them at quite a few shows now but Lee Valley no longer stocks them.
They have a similar style at this URL.


Bob

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=31183&category=1,43838[FONT=century gothic]

[John Wadsworth]

Since retiring nearly two years ago, I've made great strides in dealing with 25 years' worth of weekend tag-sale accumulation.

How's the storage? Well, in my shop it's mostly garage-sale stuff--fits real well with the contents.

This includes:

1. An old oak pigeonhole-style mail sorter from the little post office in a nearby village, used to house a bunch of planes;

2. A discarded 20-drawer oak specimen cabinet from the museum SWMBO used to work for, now holding chisels, files, shaves, shoulder planes, and anything else flat;

3. A stacked oak parts cabinet, with galvanized sheet metal drawer innards--smaller drawers on top, bigger ones on the bottom. Dunno what it was used for before the garage sale, but it houses hardware now;

4. An oak library card file, fifteen drawers, with the brass rods punched out and new 1/4" ply bottoms to cover the slots, also for hardware and parts. It sits on an old walnut bookcase.

5. An old barber's base cabinet set--the sort that used to hold the towels and bay rum--with six swing-down-door bins to hold smaller power tools and their accessories. Not oak--stained maple or beech, maybe. The mail sorter sits on top.

6. Almost forgot--all the other stuff sitting in a bunch of those stacking apple-picking boxes and filling up ranks of steel shelving in the barn and garage. I really do have to have a tag sale myself.

In spite of all this, I'm in the middle of designing a set of wall cabinets to hold miscellaneous small tools and parts as well as abrasives. Next, a cabinet to sit on the rails of my PM66 mobile base and hold all those pesky tablesaw accessories, as well as the extra blades. Then, a dedicated grinding/honing station.

Or at least that's the plan...but Spring is in the air, which means yard work season is upon us...

[Dar Lounsbury]

Keith

Quite a clever use of otherwise useless space. Quart and half gallon milk cartons also work well as recycled containers.

Dar