Show Us Your Hand Tool Organizers

[Rich Riddle]

Pegboard lines he walls of the garage/shop but those organizers leave quite a bit to the imagination. Can some of you folks show photos of the organizers you use for hanging small hand tools on walls and such. Almost anything has to be an improvement over the little metal hanging clips on pegboard. Thanks.

[Sean Hughto]

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2005/2265379117_349d1fe51d_o.jpg

[Sean Hughto]

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2185/2233245819_e9e8773041_o.jpg

[Sean Hughto]

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3108/3256578957_17e609cbbb_o.jpg

[Sean Hughto]

https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6085/6113979445_d61807b87c_b.jpg

[Sean Hughto]

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2425/3929860183_e7613406f9_o.jpg

[Sean Hughto]

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2317/2281043624_ff65229e3b_b.jpg
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2586/3948785593_82b43d1473_b.jpg
lives under the end of the bench:
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3653/4554549216_29a1510630_z.jpg

[Rich Riddle]

Sean,

You put a lot of time, effort, energy, thought, and money into your storage ideas.....

[maximillian arango]

^putting my mail bins, creates and buckets to shame lol; Sean do you have anymore pictures of your cart?

[Sean Hughto]

I can take whatever you want. What would you like to see, Maximillian?

[Cody Kemble]

^putting my mail bins, creates and buckets to shame lol; Sean do you have anymore pictures of your cart?

At least I'm not the only one who now feels that my pegboard and bin storage is inadequate.

[Sean Hughto]

I didn't build all of these in weekend. They evolved over time - years.

[maximillian arango]

I can take whatever you want. What would you like to see, Maximillian?

I'll take your plans please :D but any pics you have I'm happy with


At least I'm not the only one who now feels that my pegboard and bin storage is inadequate.

At least I know where everything is... for now lol

[Doug Bowman]

Mine
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[george wilson]

Actually,I'm not as organized as I'd like to be. Too much stuff,and not an inch of wall space left.

The riffler file box is about 12" x 14" and holds rifflers I made and a set of fishtail carving tools I also made from W1 steel. It has seen a lot of use,and was made to look old to begin with. The carving tool racks aren't as neat as they could be,either. My tool chest was made in 1970,my first year as musical instrument maker. It is more like a pattern maker's chest. Not copied from any style.

Hopefully,now that I have a camera I can manually focus,future pictures will be better than some of these.

The "ghost"looking white skin is a ray skin I bought to use in a restoration job. The boxes with red labels are Bigsby guitar vibratos. My wife is in the picture.

I had to make 450 feet of shelving for the new shop,so it is not the most highly finished shelving around. At least,made from good hard pine.

I did not imagine I'd ever fill up a 30' x 40' and a 16' x 22' room and a lawn building and a full house basement. But,when I retired,it was a whole new game!!

[Brian Holcombe]

Mines a bit haphazard and due for either an upgrade or for me to build a cabinet.


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/3BD31EDA-1D58-41E2-8CAB-87CFC20B7769_zpswsr4omzs.jpg

[Sean Hughto]

Judging by the picture George, it looks like you punched above your weight. ;-)

[Ray Bohn]

My shop is approximately 10'x10' with a vintage 6' cabinetmakers bench plus a 5' HF bench for sharpening and temporary placement of tools that I am working with to keep the clutter down on my work surface.. Not much room for storage. I tried to condense as much as possible into one area that is easy to reach from both benches.

[Sean Hughto]

The plans are not complex. Its poplar "2x4s" forming the base for stability and caster attachment. It's a quicky baltic birch plywood carcase. And simply poplar drawers with ply bottoms in grooves and scrap cherry fronts. The drawers are quicky dovetails and ride on accuride side bearing slides. That's about it.

[steven c newman]

Don't have all that much to organize, but i do have a box to store things not in use on the bench286395what one sees when the lid is open286396remove the top three trays286397install the slider286398install the tote tray. I don't really have a lot of room down in the Dungeon Shop, so the box tended to be a bit small286400but it is about the right height that I can sit down and saw some dovetails286401This is it for the room I have to work in.....

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Sean

Those a beautiful cabinets and boxes. You have clearly put a lot of thought into them, and I can imagine how much time it took!

There is a drawknife in the picture below I'd like you to tell me about - the small one (perhaps 4" or 6" blade) with the rounded handles, a carvers drawknife.

https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6085/6113979445_d61807b87c_b.jpg

I have just purchased one like this on eBay, a 6" Jennings, so my curiosity is piqued.

With regard to my own humble shop fittings, they are also items I have built over the past 5 years (new shop), as the need arose and there was time. It's just cheap pine tarted up with Jarrah trimmings.

There are marking tools hanging on the wall behind the bench ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/8_zps2cbbd7a2.jpg


There are also tool trays attached to the wall behind the bench (rather than attached to the bench, which stands free) ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/TooltrayWithaDifference_html_m74f6cf70.jpg

To the left are cabinets for spokeshaves, ploughs, braces, rasps ...

Nothing is ever this tidy!

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/3_zps8d9b0350.jpg

And a bench dog to keep an eye on all ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Letsleepingbenchdogsliesmall.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Brian Holcombe]

My shop is approximately 10'x10' with a vintage 6' cabinetmakers bench plus a 5' HF bench for sharpening and temporary placement of tools that I am working with to keep the clutter down on my work surface.. Not much room for storage. I tried to condense as much as possible into one area that is easy to reach from both benches.

I like this a lot, very nicely done and quite simple.

[george wilson]

Sean and Derek,your shops are so much more beautiful than mine. I wish I could make mine nicer,but just haven't the space,or the energy at this point.

I have just too many interests,with a complete machine shop(for metal working),and a woodworking shop,and blacksmithing area all crammed into one.

[Derek Cohen]

Sean and Derek,your shops are so much more beautiful than mine. I wish I could make mine nicer,but just haven't the space,or the energy at this point.

I have just too many interests,with a complete machine shop(for metal working),and a woodworking shop,and blacksmithing area all crammed into one.

Tell you what George, I'll trade my tools for your skills. Deal?

Regards from perth

Derek

[Sean Hughto]

The little drawknife has a four inch blade. I'm blanking on the maker right now, but I can check tonight. I do a good bit of craving, shaping and so forth in my projects, so I'm always anxious to try more shave type tools. This one is very useful at times, but my vintage 8" Swan gets 95% of the use (better than the LN and Barr to my hands). I find I get too many tools not because I want to collect, but more because I'm curious to compare and owning seems the only way. You don't know till you hold it and use it.

[Patrick Bernardo]

Ray, looks very neat. I'm curious - what angle do you have the planes at? I can see in the picture that it angles diagonally across the width of a board, but from the picture it's hard to tell how much that is - is that a 4" board? I'm thinking of organization for some planes, and like the idea of a simple open till like yours. Been wondering about the angle, though.

Also - anything else hold the planes in? Do you have a lip at the bottom?

[Rich Riddle]

This first photograph shows why better storage is needed for the hand tools:

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The garage houses quite a few shelves for power tools and such as you can see here:

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The garage would provide far more space if it wasn't for the 50 year-old interloper taking space. It can be moved out on a nice day.

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The current bench leaves everything to be desired. The goal is to get hand tools regularly used above that bench and get rid of many of the items on that wall. Of course when the new front door gets installed it will open a lot of wall space by the drill press. Your ideas are greatly appreciated.

[gary Zimmel]

Mine took a while to build but it still puts a smile on my face every time I walk into my shop...

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This corner of my shop is dedicated to hand tools.
Except for the LV sharpener in the corner :)

.

[Dave Proper]

Wow! A lot of impressive tool storage systems and ideas for upgrades to my humble system which is shown below.

The racks on the right and upper center slide on 5/8" white wood rails so I can readjust them if needed.

Overall shot of my bench and various racks
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Layout stuff
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The 12" and 6" rules in front are held in place with small super magnet and have a finger slot to make picking up easier.
The fractional dial caliper in back sits in a carved slot and is also held in place with a super magnet.

More layout stuff
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Plane till
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The plane till consist of white wood shelves with canary wood dividers sized for each plane (there is a small wedge at the toe of each one
to keep the irons from touching). Further additions will require revisions!

Saw till
286475
Left to right: xcut- hybrid - rip, lots of room for more!

Dave P

[Pedro Reyes]

As they say in Texas, all y'all have way too many tools. Gary Z. Your storage is nicer than my kitchen, I think you need another dovetail saw.

/p

[Ray Bohn]

Ray, looks very neat. I'm curious - what angle do you have the planes at? I can see in the picture that it angles diagonally across the width of a board, but from the picture it's hard to tell how much that is - is that a 4" board? I'm thinking of organization for some planes, and like the idea of a simple open till like yours. Been wondering about the angle, though.

Also - anything else hold the planes in? Do you have a lip at the bottom?

Here is a close up. The side and bottom boards are 6". The plywood is divided up by 1/2" square dowels, including the bottom edge. The angle of the plywood is approximately 13 degrees. I used recessed rare earth magnets for assistance with holding the router plane (Fence rests on top of a dowel) and any other planes that seemed in danger.

[Greg Ladd]

Gary,

I don't know what to say except 'incredible'.

Greg

[Darrell LaRue]

I subscribe to the Zero-Rummage-Factor school of tool storage. Everything is spread out in a thin layer on the walls, within easy reach. This makes grabbing the right tool easy, so I am more likely to use the correct tool for the job instead of whatever comes to hand. More importantly, it make putting the tools away much easier. I don't know about you lot, but in my shop every horizontal surface becomes a collection of junk within minutes of being exposed to the rust fouled atmosphere. Almost like the tools congeal out of the air on to any available flat surface. So, being able to put them away easily is a key requirement of my storage solutions.

These pictures a a bit dated, imagine the spke shave rack filled, and each peg doubled up. Add a few more bench planes to the rack too. I don't bother with cleats to store bench planes, I just string'em up by their knobs. The dense-pack brace-rack is also great, as I can load the bits I need and just use them without swapping bits in and out.

286492286493286494

Darrell

[Jim Matthews]

Mine took a while to build but it still puts a smile on my face every time I walk into my shop...
This corner of my shop is dedicated to hand tools. Except for the LV sharpener in the corner :).

Corner? It's bigger than my kitchen.
Cleaner, too.

Yikes

(Viewers will need a tetanus shot before viewing the mess I'm about to post.)

[Tony Shea]

Gary,

I've seen you post your tool storage before but never actually realized all the hand tools inside. That is the most impressive piece of tool storage I've ever seen. That must've taken some serious amounts of time. I am truly in awe of it.

[Jim Matthews]

I'm very much impressed by the beautifully appointed shops, but far too lazy to attempt this sort of thing.
I'm a big believer in keeping my tools in some kind of wooden container, it seems to be less prone to rust than
the typical tool cart found in most garages. I do have one, but it's for things like screwdrivers and prybars.

* Warning *
Make sure your tetanus shot is up to date before venturing inside...

Under my bench is an oversize drawer that didn't fit the carcass - because it's oversize.
I cut a couple handles into the sides and it's the place where I keep everyday things.

I'm beginning to suspect that if a tool isn't in this box - I don't really need it.
FYI - I did not build this bench, and it's better than the one I did make.

286537 286539

Files, braces, scrapers and longer items go into this filing cabinet.

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Basic handtools, like screwdrivers and wrenches go into this standard machinist style cart
(which never goes anywhere)

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Chisels, smaller specialty planes and measuring gear go into the drawers
that support my old bench (which has become a dumping ground).

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Saws, levels and larger marking tools hang on the wall behind the old bench.
There's a "ramp" where I keep the longer stuff I use on occasion, like my Warrington hammers
and fine pull saw. This is a very busy section of my shop, and really useful.

I'm in and out of this far more than the stuff behind my main bench.
If I get any bigger around the middle, the old bench will lose real estate
or it will be removed altogether. For now, I can still reach across.

286546 286547

Lastly I have the home for orphaned tools which is nothing more than
the upright shelves from a AV cabinet that had four components.

I keep cast iron and tool steel wrapped in the Lee Valley "blue bags" to inhibit rust.
Things in here are infrequently used, and the first I put up for adoption.

I suspect that if a tool comes to reside here, I don't really need it.
Conveniently, it's right next to the door in my basement shop.

Apologies for all the shavings, sawdust and debris - it's the Maid's week off.

[Jim Matthews]

The last storage shelves look like this:

286548 286549

The stash is in the adjacent room (both in the basement) and I finally have a pathway around,
instead of a series of piles. Some of the boards exceed 10 feet and are at the limit of what
I can manipulate. They get broken down in this room, prior to entering the shop.

Most of this was purchased S2S or S4S from local hobbyists that were moving onto other interests.
That's why there's so much - three of the six purchases in my first two years required taking EVERYthing.

286550 286551 286552

[Evan Patton]

Mine took a while to build but it still puts a smile on my face every time I walk into my shop...

This corner of my shop is dedicated to hand tools.
Except for the LV sharpener in the corner :)

.
Wow! In addition to being beautiful, it also makes it more difficult to buy more tools (although it's hard to see how you'd need anything you don't already have?)

Nice!:)

[Roger Rettenmeier]

I built 20x20 shop a few years ago. I have some storage completed, but not all. I'm glad this thread was introduced.

[Cody Cantrell]

This is how I store my handsaws, user braces, and hand drills. They hang on the beam above my bench.
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[Jim Koepke]

For my mess there are only two recent pictures:

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It hasn't occurred to me to "organize" them all.

Well, actually it has, it is just getting one of those round tuits.

jtk

[Eric Schubert]

Very nice, guys! I think some of you may need to think about some storage for your storage! :D

Gary, those cabinets look great! I can at least dream of something like them, for the time being.

[Harold Burrell]

That's it! I can't take any more of this!

You...you...you well organized, meticulously clean, neat freaks you! You and your oh so very tidy shops! I can't stand it!!!

Why...your tool storage units are better than the furniture I make. Besides, I've always felt that tools were never meant to be neatly stored...they were meant to be stacked...and piled...and generally left laying around.

I'm telling you, you don't know what you're missing! My tools and I have spent COUNTLESS hours playing hide-and-seek. We laugh and play (and cuss) for so long on some days that we loose track of time and hardly have any time left for...umm...work (ewww).

And another thing...you guys are always talking about "making sawdust", like it is something you enjoy. Hypocrites! Why do you say such things when your shops all "sparkle and shine"? If you loved it so much you would have kept it around for a while. It's like you sweep it up and throw it out the second it is created. For crying out loud...did you get rid of your children the moment they were born? Of course not, you let them lay around the house for a while...

Maybe you don't know what you're missing. Indeed...maybe I am being too harsh. Perhaps it is your upbringing. You may have been brought up in a home that was all neat and tidy and sterile...with signs in every room that said things like "A Place for Everything...And Everything in its Place" or "Cleanliness is Next to Godliness" (*shudder*). Perhaps you have never experienced the sheer joy of wading knee deep in sawdust!

Layer upon wonderful LAYER of precious memories! *sigh*






So...with that said...I might be starting my own forum. You know, a forum for the rest of us. Something called maybe "Haphazard Slobs", I dunno...

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Here is my humble, constantly evolving cabinet, and planes. Not much, but works. Need to finish the chisel section so it's not possible to stab your hand when you grab another, and I don't like the brace storage. It holds a lot of stuff. Work in progress though, so...
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bz5R9AkiR_Y/UwqWW6ImflI/AAAAAAAADxk/MKFVvQqzXxA/w311-h553-no/20140223_174507.jpghttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jt61hJjm3kg/UwqWh_G7FhI/AAAAAAAADxY/RUKrW4Qt-vc/w311-h553-no/20140223_174511.jpg

Planes. (pic from earlier this year, cabinet was in a makover)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pAzLTVFb4t8/UvB9yB8hwHI/AAAAAAAADrs/bY6LkEp_Nhk/w983-h553-no/20140203_224001.jpg

[Harold Burrell]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pAzLTVFb4t8/UvB9yB8hwHI/AAAAAAAADrs/bY6LkEp_Nhk/w983-h553-no/20140203_224001.jpg

Is that a router I see on your bench???

Stone him...

[Doug Hobkirk]

Mine took a while to build but it still puts a smile on my face every time I walk into my shop...

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This corner of my shop is dedicated to hand tools.
Except for the LV sharpener in the corner :)
.
WOW! Magnificent seems like an insult!

I have two very personal questions which I hope don't seem rude.

First, I built a workshop in my garage that I brings me pride (although in no way comparable to what you have done). I carefully designed each piece - workbench, saw station table for an EZ track saw, router table - and incorporated stuff I already had - mechanic's tool chests (one of which is filled with mostly mechanic tools), an old solid wood dresser (the drawer base under my workbench), a wide drop-leaf table to act as an assembly table, and LOTS of storage (15' of 7' tall industrial shelving, an old IBM card cabinet for all my hardware, wood rack, peg board on most open walls, a 30-drawer cabinet I bought from a carpenter's estate, etc.).

I repaired some things, built a couple of things, and then stopped doing much with it. My 12-18 month attention span had been reached. And/or, the real challenge and goal was the workshop itself. (My braniac 28-year-old son had predicted I would lose interest as soon as I was "done.")

Question 1: Does this apply to you at all? Your creation is simply so outstanding, it must have been a major goal in itself. And, FWIW, I think this is one of the best "man caves" I have ever seen even if you never use it for woodworking.

Question 2: Can you show pictures of the rest of your shop? Can you describe what sort of space and setting you have for your shop? I would anticipate this "corner" you have shown is the shops heart and soul, but I am curious about the rest.

And thank you for showing us what you have done!
----------
My workshop is in total chaos so no pictures. Soon, as I get back into WW.

[Doug Hobkirk]

Don't have all that much to organize, but i do have a box to store things not in use on the bench what one sees when the lid is open remove the top three trays install the slider install the tote tray. I don't really have a lot of room down in the Dungeon Shop, so the box tended to be a bit small but it is about the right height that I can sit down and saw some dovetails
286401 This is it for the room I have to work in.....
Superb! Very clever, very compact, and you protect the steel and iron from moisture in the air.

[paul cottingham]

Harold, I will try to post a picture or two of my tool storage today, that will make you feel better, I promise.

[glenn bradley]

Mine took a while to build but it still puts a smile on my face every time I walk into my shop...

Whatever you do, DON'T look at Gary Zimmel's shop . . . . Doh! TOO LATE! :D:D:D


Gary,

I've seen you post your tool storage before but never actually realized all the hand tools inside. That is the most impressive piece of tool storage I've ever seen. That must've taken some serious amounts of time. I am truly in awe of it.

I like Gary's layout so much I smile every time he walks into it.

[maximillian arango]

Steve Rozmeiark I showed your set up to my fiancee she said I can't buy anymore tools at the risk of it getting out of hand... thanks :( lol


To quote her, "what do we do when your dream is my nightmare" hahaha



I'm about to bring this thread back down to earth

[maximillian arango]

If I get a few request I'll show you guys my plane till too hahahahahahahaha, I don't think that should be posted I feel like I'll get a brick with a note thrown through my window if I do that. I promise that I will make a real saw till as soon as my joints look cleaner and I'm done with all my papers. Till then enjoy the saw till :D


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at least its made out of cardboard so its almost like wood :rolleyes:

[Robert Culver]

lmao^^^^^ someday I will make a proper storage cabinet Maybe after I finish up my proper bench !! which I am by the way working on!!

[maximillian arango]

Glad you found it funny this thread was making me put my head in the ground.

I made saw horses that I was too embarrassed to post so they ended up as fire wood to cook up some chicken I will have a second try in a week or two and take my time

[Robert Culver]

no need to put your head in the ground I have made plenty of tooth picks over the years I have learn two things in my path ! take your time and take your time.....projects that I have rushed... tooth picks... projects that I have taken my time with and only worked on them when I was able to focus on the task at hand well they turned out to be wonderful gifts!! well most of them anyway...nobody built rome in a day and im sure we cant either!!

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Is that a router I see on your bench???

Stone him...

LOL, I was hoping no one would notice that.. :)

Think of it as an illustration of how much better those molding planes are!

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Steve Rozmeiark I showed your set up to my fiancee she said I can't buy anymore tools at the risk of it getting out of hand... thanks :( lol


To quote her, "what do we do when your dream is my nightmare" hahaha



I'm about to bring this thread back down to earth

Well, it's a very long process to get our better halves to accept this sort of thing. She is right of course, it inevitably gets out of hand (they are always right of course...), so my technique may help you. When you first move into a new house, immediately fill the garage with an incomprehensible pile of stuff. Doesn't really matter what, they don't notice that, then over time organize the chaos and blend in a couple hundred new tools. They tend to just be happy that it's not such a mess anymore. At least for a while. One flaw to the plan, you do have to change shops periodically to remind them how bad it can be.

I'm curious what you posted, I can't see the pic.

[Brian Holcombe]

The plus side of a hand tool shop is that it does not necessarily need to be large.

[Don Kingston]

Awesome! This is amazing, I wish I had the patience and discipline, or let me say, I hope the day comes sooner than later that I start doing.

[Don Kingston]

Great looking stuff George. Did you stamp your name in the riffler's before or after you made them? Would after distort the finished product?

[maximillian arango]

Well, it's a very long process to get our better halves to accept this sort of thing. She is right of course, it inevitably gets out of hand (they are always right of course...), so my technique may help you. When you first move into a new house, immediately fill the garage with an incomprehensible pile of stuff. Doesn't really matter what, they don't notice that, then over time organize the chaos and blend in a couple hundred new tools. They tend to just be happy that it's not such a mess anymore. At least for a while. One flaw to the plan, you do have to change shops periodically to remind them how bad it can be.

I'm curious what you posted, I can't see the pic.

I have buckets full of sockets and other auto tools that are now under our bed in my closet in the coat closet and in other locations lol I'm running out of places to hide them I'm going to need a garage soon.

I posted my saw till :D anyone who seen the picture my disagree lol I may host it externally if I get the chance

[Brian Holcombe]

I have buckets full of sockets and other auto tools that are now under our bed in my closet in the coat closet and in other locations lol I'm running out of places to hide them I'm going to need a garage soon.

I posted my saw till :D anyone who seen the picture my disagree lol I may host it externally if I get the chance

Alright, now I'm starting to understand your fiancé's concern. :p

Where will the woodworking tools end up? Mind you, it's dangerous to leave sharp objects in the bedroom.

[maximillian arango]

This is true I started to re priorities my stuff like getting rid of clothing that doesn't fit anymore, and cleaned out most of the car parts I had sitting around wood working will fill that void soon if I keep my alarming rate.

[Brian Holcombe]

Funny enough my predominate hobby in my early 20's was building cars. Woodworking is much more enjoyable in the long run, and provides many more things to look at around the house (tables, chairs and cabinets.)

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Funny enough my predominate hobby in my early 20's was building cars. Woodworking is much more enjoyable in the long run, and provides many more things to look at around the house (tables, chairs and cabinets.)


Hmm, mine too. I wonder if we have a pattern?

Amusing side story, my eccentric father moved into an old grocery store for a while i was in my early 20's. It was huge, and he liked hot rods too, so we found most of an old 60's front engine nitro dragster, and put it in one of the rooms. Obviously there were no women involved in that decision, but it made a heck of a conversation piece. Max's fiancee has serious grounds for concern...

[Brian Holcombe]

That's awesome. I imagine an old grocery store to be pretty much ideal for a hot-rodder. Might be just as ideal for a woodworker….

[Moses Yoder]

This is a picture of my hand tool area just after I finished remodeling it. I have changed it considerably now, I have a lot of tools on the wall around the cabinets. I need to clean it up this summer and take a new pic. Various projects in process right now, none of them involving much in the way of hand tools. I did not work in the shop this winter, am about to get started again.

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This is a link to the write up on my tool box at Woodcentral. Toolbox. (http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot550.shtml)

I am bipolar and when manic don't sleep much and tend to fixate on a project. I did all of this before being diagnosed bipolar and being put on medication. I think I was in various stages of mania while working on it. I am glad I did it, I just don't have the energy to do it again.

[Andrew Fleck]

This is a picture of my hand tool area just after I finished remodeling it. I have changed it considerably now, I have a lot of tools on the wall around the cabinets. I need to clean it up this summer and take a new pic. Various projects in process right now, none of them involving much in the way of hand tools. I did not work in the shop this winter, am about to get started again.

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This is a link to the write up on my tool box at Woodcentral. Toolbox. (http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot550.shtml)

I am bipolar and when manic don't sleep much and tend to fixate on a project. I did all of this before being diagnosed bipolar and being put on medication. I think I was in various stages of mania while working on it. I am glad I did it, I just don't have the energy to do it again.


That's a nice looking shop you have there. How do you have your post vise mounted? I have one sitting in the corner of my shop that I'm still trying to figure out where to put.

[Moses Yoder]

My post vice included a bracket to attach to the bench top. It slides up and down the post with a flat piece at 90° to the post; all I had to do was install lag bolts. I drilled a hole in a wood board and inserted the bottom of the post into the board. It just sets on the floor and can move but tends to stay put. My wife says the post vice makes the best nut cracker. At least she isn't using my bench vice for nuts.

[Bill Clark De]

I would like to apply for membership in your new forum --wait hell;; i am elible to be president... A friend ( I think he is a friend) once said how do you work in here and not get hurt!!! Its a god giving gift I think...

[bridger berdel]

Alright, now I'm starting to understand your fiancé's concern. :p

Where will the woodworking tools end up? Mind you, it's dangerous to leave sharp objects in the bedroom.


especially if SWMBO is entertaining disapproving thoughts regarding your gallootish activities....

[Jim Neeley]

My wife says the post vice makes the best nut cracker. At least she isn't using my bench vice for nuts.

You have the MY in the wrong place.

The *real* "At least" is that "she isn't using the vice for MY nuts!"

:D:eek::)

Jim

[maximillian arango]

LMAO I never knew woodworkers were so funny I wish I made the jump sooner

[Matthew Hills]

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3653/4554549216_29a1510630_z.jpg[/QUOTE]
What is the yellow shroud behind your miter saw?

Matt

[Sean Hughto]

Dust collection. The four inch hose coming out the bottom connects to the dust collector. Gets a lot, but not every bit.

[Joe Tilson]

Sean, how many years did it take to get where your shop is today? I have just started my third revamp.

[Sean Hughto]

While I worked wood in apartments before having a house, it was pretty crude and unsophisticated stuff to meet needs with a corded drill and jigsaw and not much else. When I got a house in the mid-nineties, I set up a shop in a small dank corner of the basement and still had no room for power tools, except a portable benchtop table saw (crap mini-fence) that I would lug up narrow stairs to the backyard to use. It was then that I started learning about handtools in earnest as I had no room to work any other way. About ten years ago when we renovated our small house, I was able to add a basement shop under the new space - about 20x20. I still don't have very fancy stationary/power tools (contractors table saw PM 64A, PM 14" bandsaw with riser, Makita 12" lunchbox planer, Makita SCMS, Rigid drill press, Jet dust collector), but they are more than enough for my needs. I added a Jet 1642 lathe a few years back, and the rest are hand tools. I build storage and shop organizing stuff between projects - maybe every 6 months. Funny thing is, I always need more! With wood, and all sorts of other stuff living there, my shop is getting pretty cramped and messy these days. I need to sell some extra stuff!

[Joe Tilson]

We seem to follow the same route as woodworkers. My grandfather was a carpenter of the highest order and made just about anything. I got my first real taste as frosh in high school. Made a few things in the yard of apartments we rented, and in a shop of sorts in the maintenance room of one place we lived in. We got our house in the seventies and had a 10'x10' metal building to work out of. It's the home of three lawn mowers and a tiller now along with some stuff. Finally did build a 12'x20' shop back in 1998. We have a lot of power tools, but have decided to go back to hand tools. We will be selling off the power tools not needed along with some of the rust hunt tools not needed(I know we will need them once sold). Starting over with hand tools has been fun for me, my wife says it's costing to much, and why haven't I sold the electric tools yet? I tell her I will when we find some more right tools needed to do the job. Like you I will get around to selling the extra stuff. Good Luck,
Joe

[Mike Allen1010]

I have really enjoyed the shop and hand tool organizer pictures. Thanks to all who share their shop pictures, they have all brought a big smile to my face.

Here's a couple pictures of my single car garage size shop.
288002288003

FWIW- The most important thing I've learned in moving through three previous shops is pegboard! I like to have all my tools available in easy reach, without having to open the door so I take advantage of as much wall space as possible. I've organized my saws and planes into the tills/rack you see here. Given the inevitability that your collection of hand tools will absolutely grow beyond the space are currently planning, the pegboard lets me move the tills and racks around so I don't have to confront the fact I have a horrible tool problem!
287999288000


The tool cabinet is on rollers and was my first piece of shop furniture. I keep chisels and small carving tools etc. in the drawer so I can bring the whole drawer to the workbench when needed. The inlaid box below holds molding planes. You can't see them behind the open doors of the tool cabinet, but hanging on the outside of the cabinet are shop built bow saws, which candidly I don't use much these days.
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The 8' foot, Maple Ruebo bench is the center of the shop – I built it several years ago which allowed me to put my original 30-year-old bench inthe corner for finishing, metalworking assembly etc.

Directly adjacent is the saw bench with a light clamped directly overhead – which is been a big timesaver/accuracy enhancer for me.


All the best, Mike

[Doug Hobkirk]

I have really enjoyed the shop and hand tool organizer pictures. Thanks to all who share their shop pictures, they have all brought a big smile to my face.

Here's a couple pictures of my single car garage size shop...
288000

...All the best, Mike
Mostly I lurk in this haven. Some of you guys stun me. Like this picture. In the part of the saw rack that's shown, I counted about
75 HAND SAWS!
My jaw is agape, my mind areel.

Oh, and thanks, Mike and others, for your pictures. I agree that it's been a delight.

[Moses Yoder]

Why isn't there a like button on web forums? Take a lesson from Facebook, ya'know.

[Mike Allen1010]

[QUOTE=Doug Hobkirk;2259761]Mostly I lurk in this haven. Some of you guys stun me. Like this picture. In the part of the saw rack that's shown, I counted about
75 HAND SAWS!
My jaw is agape, my mind areel.

Doug, it's called a "bad saw problem" for a reason:).

In my defence the backsaws are shop built and I don't have a table saw...., on second thought ... ah never mind, not sure that really helps my case ...

Best, Mike

[steven c newman]

I thought that after 15 saws, I was getting too many, SHEESH! Five in the tool chest, the rest hanging from hooks in the ceiling joists. That doesn't include three hacksaws, or three coping saws, or two Dovetail saws.....

Think I might have this ....under control??

[Alex Zimmer]

Hi Matthew,

What's the woodie behind what looks like a beautiful LN? It [the woodie] has a really comfortable, stable look to it. Shop-made?

[Lenore Epstein]

I subscribe to the Zero-Rummage-Factor school of tool storage. Everything is spread out in a thin layer on the walls, within easy reach. This makes grabbing the right tool easy, so I am more likely to use the correct tool for the job instead of whatever comes to hand. More importantly, it make putting the tools away much easier.
Darrell
This is what I do with every other collection of stuff I have, from ski or camping gear to kitchen equipment. The closer I am to being able to quickly put my hand on a tool or put it away without looking, the more likely it is that I'll get anything done. But with most of my tools and supplies crammed into or on top of or in front of a small set of bookshelves, my need for some semblance of organized storage has become urgent, while I lack the time and energy to build my long-planned wall cabinet with hinged 'leaves' (much like the one Zuye Zheng posted in his chisel cabinet thread). The situation is bad enough that I've decided to hang the 2' x 4' piece of 1/4" pegboard that's been sitting in a corner in the next few days. It's a crude and temporary fix, but the tools which can be hung will be easily accessible, and everything else can be sorted and organized on the bookshelves, which'll be a huge improvement on the trash-midden approach to tool storage.


It hasn't occurred to me to "organize" them all.
jtk
Jim, your system might not be as exquisite as some, but everything is visible and easily accessible, and every tool has a home it can be effortlessly returned to. All the nice carefully-designed cabinetry is wonderful, but your setup looks completely functional.

[Jim Koepke]

[clipped for brevity]
Jim, your system might not be as exquisite as some, but everything is visible and easily accessible, and every tool has a home it can be effortlessly returned to. All the nice carefully-designed cabinetry is wonderful, but your setup looks completely functional.

It is functional and everything has a home.

It has changed a bit since that picture was taken. A shelf was added under the shelf of molding planes to accommodate the purchase of a bunch more molding planes. If you look at the different shelves you can see what has been added over the years.

My chisels have different handles so they can be found either in the drawer or box in which they are stored.

I keep thinking of making a better storage cabinet so it can have Golden rod heat tubes to combat the problem with humidity we have here in the Pacific Northwest.

I also like the hinged storage Zuye Zheng posted.

The Studley tool box is one I would like to emulate. The only problem with many tool storage designs is they seem to be for a minimalist's tool set. The last time I counted I had more than 50 metal planes. I am likely pretty close to that with wooden planes. It is likely there are more chisels and gouges than planes in my shop. Maybe it is time to cut back and thin out the tools.

No, just have to figure a way to store more in the same space.

jtk

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Lenore

While planes and saws and chisels are stored in cabinets, the tools most used (especially marking tools, knives, squares, etc) hang on the wall behind the bench where they are close enough to reach for.

There is also wall-hung tool trays for planes, saws and chisels in current use.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/TooltrayWithaDifference_html_m74f6cf70.jpg



Regards from Perth

Derek

[Lenore Epstein]

There are two sets of tools that are always eminently reachable: the favorites (big tape rule, favorite screwdrivers, box cutter, pliers, old 16 oz hammer, etc) that have lived in my orange plastic toolbox for 30 years, and my rules, squares, straight edges, levels, and saws, which hang tidily from nails on a handy little patch of wall within a few feet of my work table.

Is that a slot that runs the length of the rack attached to the wall that's nearest the camera, or is there more going on between those boards?

[Lenore Epstein]

Oh, lord, how embarrassing: I'm guilty of resurrecting a zombie thread! My apologies to those who're bugged by this sort of thing.

[Derek Cohen]

There are two sets of tools that are always eminently reachable: the favorites (big tape rule, favorite screwdrivers, box cutter, pliers, old 16 oz hammer, etc) that have lived in my orange plastic toolbox for 30 years, and my rules, squares, straight edges, levels, and saws, which hang tidily from nails on a handy little patch of wall within a few feet of my work table.

Is that a slot that runs the length of the rack attached to the wall that's nearest the camera, or is there more going on between those boards?

Hi Lenore

I think that most are interested in tool storage. In my case I am interested in how it adds to the efficiency of building furniture.

The above photo is a couple of years old. The space behind "slot" behind the rack holds a cooper's jointer.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Bench%20Accessories/Accessories9_zps3922a1c1.jpg

The slot is usually filled with chisels and marking gauges. It is possible to place 4 set marking gauges out of harms way, but within reach. Immensely useful.

Here is a more recent shot of the bench and racks ... levelling a wide and long rough sawn board ...


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/LingerieChest2_html_4e85f87a.jpg


Regards from Perth

Derek

[Lenore Epstein]

Thanks, Derek. Looks most useful. There are things that store tools and (hopefully) make them easy to find and put away, and things that contribute to their use, and your narrow tray and chisel/gage/whatever holder are nice examples of the latter.

[Brian Holcombe]

My 'organizers' are in the background;

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/721B2FA4-162F-4E7A-99DC-C8B4D86684B1_zpsc7exqgje.jpg

[Reinis Kanders]

I also like having most things nearby within the reach. It helps that I can easily reach my ceiling so I can hang stuff where I want. My sharpening setup is a small box that I keep behind me, but can easily move to the bench if the tool needs more than a touch-up.

336955.

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[bridger berdel]

https://bridgerberdel.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/thoughts-on-tool-organization-and-storage/

[William Adams]

https://bridgerberdel.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/thoughts-on-tool-organization-and-storage/

Some really great lines from that:

>Pegboard is the lowest common denominator of tool storage.

>Fitted cases are for mature sets of tools....a static system.

>Anarchist’s tool chest.....allows for a practical amount of upgrading and rearranging....enforces restraint.

>(T)ool rolls....don’t waste space, at least not as long as the tools in them aren’t too awkwardly shaped.

>Drawers....Get enough drawers and you start forgetting what’s inside any particular drawer.

I have the same problem as the latter w/ a couple of boxes and a joiner's chest and an open toolbox (which I keep on my workbench and can't see to the bottom of). I'll try to take pictures if the weather permits.

[steven c newman]

Getting a few planes from underfoot...
336966
Stanley/Wards 78, Stanley #39 3/8". Ohio Tool 1.25 " shoulder plane.
336967
Stanley,Roxton Pond No.45 SW T-20
336968
Plane till is getting full, space under the bottom to stash the extra block planes, and spokeshave..
336969
Till for drills...but the newest one is too big. Holdall 14" won't fit. Will stash the newer boxes in here..
336970
Might be a spot over in the right front corner? This is tool ChestNo. 2
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I think Tool chest No.2 is a bit full?

Saws still hang from the overhead, might work on that later...

[Malcolm Schweizer]

That's it! I can't take any more of this!

You...you...you well organized, meticulously clean, neat freaks you! You and your oh so very tidy shops! I can't stand it!!!

Why...your tool storage units are better than the furniture I make. Besides, I've always felt that tools were never meant to be neatly stored...they were meant to be stacked...and piled...and generally left laying around.

I'm telling you, you don't know what you're missing! My tools and I have spent COUNTLESS hours playing hide-and-seek. We laugh and play (and cuss) for so long on some days that we loose track of time and hardly have any time left for...umm...work (ewww).

And another thing...you guys are always talking about "making sawdust", like it is something you enjoy. Hypocrites! Why do you say such things when your shops all "sparkle and shine"? If you loved it so much you would have kept it around for a while. It's like you sweep it up and throw it out the second it is created. For crying out loud...did you get rid of your children the moment they were born? Of course not, you let them lay around the house for a while...

Maybe you don't know what you're missing. Indeed...maybe I am being too harsh. Perhaps it is your upbringing. You may have been brought up in a home that was all neat and tidy and sterile...with signs in every room that said things like "A Place for Everything...And Everything in its Place" or "Cleanliness is Next to Godliness" (*shudder*). Perhaps you have never experienced the sheer joy of wading knee deep in sawdust!

Layer upon wonderful LAYER of precious memories! *sigh*






So...with that said...I might be starting my own forum. You know, a forum for the rest of us. Something called maybe "Haphazard Slobs", I dunno...


Is is there an award for best comment ever? Can I nominate this for that award? Funny thing, I used to have a horribly disorganized shop, and one day (okay- week) I organized it. Next day, I couldn't find a darned thing. "Where is my no 4 that used to be under that pile of tools in the corner?"

So I believe they call it a zombie post when someone resurrects an old post, but I am glad someone did in this case. I see lots of ideas. Tool Cabinetry is my next step after Frankenbench/Schweizerbench is done.

[glenn bradley]

Oh, lord, how embarrassing: I'm guilty of resurrecting a zombie thread! My apologies to those who're bugged by this sort of thing.

the subject is still viable, I see no problem. I don't know why people have a problem with discussing such things again (still?). ;-)
When

[Rich Riddle]

I am not a zombie and am glad it's still a useful topic.

[Jerry Olexa]

Sean, very impressive..Love several of them..VERY nice work!!!

[Jerry Olexa]

Extremely good use of space for storage...You obviously love vintage hand tools..Great work!!!


I subscribe to the Zero-Rummage-Factor school of tool storage. Everything is spread out in a thin layer on the walls, within easy reach. This makes grabbing the right tool easy, so I am more likely to use the correct tool for the job instead of whatever comes to hand. More importantly, it make putting the tools away much easier. I don't know about you lot, but in my shop every horizontal surface becomes a collection of junk within minutes of being exposed to the rust fouled atmosphere. Almost like the tools congeal out of the air on to any available flat surface. So, being able to put them away easily is a key requirement of my storage solutions.

These pictures a a bit dated, imagine the spke shave rack filled, and each peg doubled up. Add a few more bench planes to the rack too. I don't bother with cleats to store bench planes, I just string'em up by their knobs. The dense-pack brace-rack is also great, as I can load the bits I need and just use them without swapping bits in and out.

286492286493286494

Darrell

[Jerry Olexa]

Wow!!! thats lot of saws!!!! Good job!!!



I have really enjoyed the shop and hand tool organizer pictures. Thanks to all who share their shop pictures, they have all brought a big smile to my face.

Here's a couple pictures of my single car garage size shop.
288002288003

FWIW- The most important thing I've learned in moving through three previous shops is pegboard! I like to have all my tools available in easy reach, without having to open the door so I take advantage of as much wall space as possible. I've organized my saws and planes into the tills/rack you see here. Given the inevitability that your collection of hand tools will absolutely grow beyond the space are currently planning, the pegboard lets me move the tills and racks around so I don't have to confront the fact I have a horrible tool problem!
287999288000


The tool cabinet is on rollers and was my first piece of shop furniture. I keep chisels and small carving tools etc. in the drawer so I can bring the whole drawer to the workbench when needed. The inlaid box below holds molding planes. You can't see them behind the open doors of the tool cabinet, but hanging on the outside of the cabinet are shop built bow saws, which candidly I don't use much these days.
288001



The 8' foot, Maple Ruebo bench is the center of the shop – I built it several years ago which allowed me to put my original 30-year-old bench inthe corner for finishing, metalworking assembly etc.

Directly adjacent is the saw bench with a light clamped directly overhead – which is been a big timesaver/accuracy enhancer for me.


All the best, Mike

[Jim Koepke]

Nor am I a zombie. I was thinking of taking a few images so people could see how my disorganized organization has changed in the last few years.

Currently my mind is mulling over some changes, so maybe if they get done in the next couple of years they can be used to resurect this thread again.

jtk

[Jerry Olexa]

Steve, beautiful but you need more planes :) With envy,


Here is my humble, constantly evolving cabinet, and planes. Not much, but works. Need to finish the chisel section so it's not possible to stab your hand when you grab another, and I don't like the brace storage. It holds a lot of stuff. Work in progress though, so...
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bz5R9AkiR_Y/UwqWW6ImflI/AAAAAAAADxk/MKFVvQqzXxA/w311-h553-no/20140223_174507.jpghttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jt61hJjm3kg/UwqWh_G7FhI/AAAAAAAADxY/RUKrW4Qt-vc/w311-h553-no/20140223_174511.jpg

Planes. (pic from earlier this year, cabinet was in a makover)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pAzLTVFb4t8/UvB9yB8hwHI/AAAAAAAADrs/bY6LkEp_Nhk/w983-h553-no/20140203_224001.jpg

[Adam Stevens2]

It still needs a lid...

336980

[Chuck Hart]

What a wonderful thread. I wish I had pictures of my 8' X 12' shop. I am adding on to double it this summer. Then I will have a whopping 200 sq. ft. maybe even 232 sq. ft. if I add another 4 ft. But what a great supply of ideas. Thank you.

[Lenore Epstein]

the subject is still viable, I see no problem. I don't know why people have a problem with discussing such things again (still?). ;-)
When
Reviving old threads is considered a breach of etiquette by some crusty individuals at a certain ski forum I've been involved in, so my first instinct was to apologize even though I certainly thought the subject is very interesting. I guess I'm not used to how civil, tolerant, and helpful the SMC community is yet. Anyway, I only found this thread because someone posted a link in another thread, a fact I forgot by the time I finished all four pages, so clearly I'm not the only one who loves seeing the many ways woodworkers deal with the plethora of tools they have.

I started screwing a frame to the half sheet of pegboard today but ran out of 3/4" clear pine and short screws, so it'll be another day or so before I can hang it. So I played around with some scrap and figured out that I can shape the holes for that simple chisel rack everyone and their Aunt Mabel uses by just wrapping sandpaper around dowels. Of course that led me to conclude that it's time to spring for some reasonably priced files and/or rasps to supplement the one little worn out file I appropriated from my dad decades ago. I'm sure more than one exhaustive conversation about that topic will turn up in a forum search, though.

[Jim Koepke]

Steve, beautiful but you need more planes :) With envy,

Well, that makes me feel better about not having too many tools.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

Reviving old threads is considered a breach of etiquette by some crusty individuals at a certain ski forum I've been involved in,

My only thought as to why, is what I thought I knew eight years ago is in many cases quite different than what I have since learned. Other than a little embarrassed back peddling if an old thread has good legs, why not add to the knowledge in one place instead of shoving it off to the digital waste bin and starting anew?

jtk

[Malcolm Schweizer]

My only thought as to why, is what I thought I knew eight years ago is in many cases quite different than what I have since learned. Other than a little embarrassed back peddling if an old thread has good legs, why not add to the knowledge in one place instead of shoving it off to the digital waste bin and starting anew?

jtk

Agree 100%

[Lenore Epstein]

My only thought as to why, is what I thought I knew eight years ago is in many cases quite different than what I have since learned. Other than a little embarrassed back peddling if an old thread has good legs, why not add to the knowledge in one place instead of shoving it off to the digital waste bin and starting anew?

jtk
Indeed, and this wonderful collection of inspiration and a few charmingly neurotic rants clearly fits the bill. After all, I didn't say the cranky old dudes were right; they were just ill-tempered enough to want to avoid their attention. I only go back if I have a ski tuning question I can't resolve elsewhere, because there are some very sharp pros (pun intended) in the tuning forum who are always happy to help.

[John Schtrumpf]

Here's mine:

337033337034337035

[george wilson]

How do you close that angular top piece without the tools falling out?

[John Schtrumpf]

How do you close that angular top piece without the tools falling out?
They are free standing chisel racks, held in place with cleats. I just lift them up, put them down on the middle shelf. When the lid is closed they are sandwiched between the narrow half shelf and the front of the lid.
337037337060

[Matthew Springer]

If this will make everyone feel better:

This _is_ the organized state. Yes. The tool tray is where I'm keeping all my tools. What else is the tool tray for anyway?

https://goo.gl/photos/wcbi7rQeAYQC4UmR9

Fixing my shop org issues is this weekends project. I'm trying to get a rack for behind the bench up and populated.

[Jim Koepke]

If this will make everyone feel better:

This _is_ the organized state. Yes. The tool tray is where I'm keeping all my tools. What else is the tool tray for anyway?

https://goo.gl/photos/wcbi7rQeAYQC4UmR9

Fixing my shop org issues is this weekends project. I'm trying to get a rack for behind the bench up and populated.

Does one have to be a member of the group to see the images?

For some reason a lot of those online image banks do not produce images I can view.

jtk

[Lenore Epstein]

Does one have to be a member of the group to see the images?

For some reason a lot of those online image banks do not produce images I can view.
jtk
Ah, our quirky forum software. I can see the external images on my desktop computer but they're about half hidden behind a "Join" popup I can't get rid of. Fortunately the popup goes away for a while on my iPod when I scroll down. It's much less annoying than Photobucket's display, though.

[Jerry Olexa]

Wow!!! Some excellent ideas on hand tool storage/organizers !!! Plan to incorporate some into my next project..

My question is: HOW do YOU store the handplanes in a VERTICAL position so they do not fall? Most of you store them vertically (some of you in drawers or Chests) but I'm interested in how you prevent them from falling forward and hold them secure in a wall-hung closed cabinet?? Your feedback will be appreciated...I cannot determine your method ( I see some hanging loops, wood turn-clamps etc) but I'll look forward to your responses..Thank you in advance.

Am I hijacking this? Guilty as charged I suppose..Thanks:D

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Wow!!! Some excellent ideas on hand tool storage/organizers !!! Plan to incorporate some into my next project..

My question is: HOW do YOU store the handplanes in a VERTICAL position so they do not fall? Most of you store them vertically (some of you in drawers or Chests) but I'm interested in how you prevent them from falling forward and hold them secure in a wall-hung closed cabinet?? Your feedback will be appreciated...I cannot determine your method ( I see some hanging loops, wood turn-clamps etc) but I'll look forward to your responses..Thank you in advance.

Am I hijacking this? Guilty as charged I suppose..Thanks:D

I wouldn't consider that a hijack. I use rare earth magnets, but they need to be mounted flush into a strip of wood to keep them from damaging the sole. This only works with iron planes. For bronze use a little flip-down lever to hold them in.

[Tom Vanzant]

Jerry, two commonly used ways to mount planes vertically...hanging from loops of cord, or with the toe slipped under a tab and the heel resting on an undercut cleat. Mine are on a panel at about 10* with the heel resting on a cleat. Rare earth magnets keep them from tipping out. I epoxy the magnets slightly below flush, cover with a single layer of Scotch tape, then place the plane in place. The magnet grabs the sole and comes flush without any actual contact with the sole. When cured, remove the tape.

[Robert Payne]

A woodworking colleague who passed away six years ago started to make a beautiful display cabinet for a full set of Marsh Planes he had collected over several years, but he was never able to finish it or show it off. He did complete the back portion of the display in quilted Walnut veneer and I added vertical Walnut/Maple partitions between each plane. The base of the cabinet had a slight gap to hold the base of each plane and rare earth magnets installed before the veneer was glued in place held each plane vertically in place. I built the partitions, and name plaques and assembled the cabinet and took it to several Mid-West Tool Collectors Association meets, including the National Meeting in Lexington, KY a year after his death. It won First Place among all of the other entries at each showing. Here are a few pictures -- I plan to build a similar (but much elaborate) cabinet for my more humble collection of planes one day. His widow later sold the collection even though I offered a substantial amount for it.

337073337074337075337076

[Mike Holbrook]

Great thread! I am especially interested as I am downsizing in anticipation of a move. I am in the process of figuring out how to get everything into a single room shop of unknown size.

Here are a few ongoing organization projects: Click to enlarge pictures...

First it is important to have good management, that is not afraid to bite you in the rear end if you start getting slack. Haka boy watches me close these days! Yes, he can use all the planes, but he chewed out the shavings you see, just to show me how easy it is to do!

337077

I am trying to figure out if I want to use this StoreWall product again. There are tons of types of hangers, cabinets...for it. I probably would not have invested in it if the wife had not bought a large quantity for her garage organization project.

337078

My Festool hand truck with Festool Sortainers holds an amazing amount of gear in a very mobile unit

337079

Some of my pictures are not uploading so I will try later.

[george wilson]

I have never heard of Marsh planes. They look just like Stanleys. Can you elaborate please?

[Joe Bailey]

George

As you probably know, Stanley was the Microsoft of its day -- it eliminated its competition by buying them out.
H.C. Marsh of Rockford, IL made Bailey clones after Stanley's original patent ran out -- they were later bought out by Stanley and made Stanley-branded planes at the old Marsh facility.

Anyway, that's the story as I recall reading it some time back -- if I'm off on something, you can rest assured, I will be corrected.

[Robert Payne]

Here are some details on Marsh Bench Planes, which are now becoming quite rare:

The H.C. Marsh Tool Company was founded in Rockford, Illinois in 1888 by Horace Clarence Marsh. The company manufactured carpenter tools and was located along the Rock River where a water mill provided power for an overhead line shaft used to power machinery. Aside from making 20 bench, 14 block planes and 3 specialty planes closely mimicking the Bailey designs, Marsh also developed their own designs for picture frame vises and both straight and right-angle miter boxes. By 1908, Marsh incorporated with a capital stock of $25,000 and employed 15 people with an annual payroll of $9,000[1] (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/#_ftn1). Marsh also produced a separate line of 20 bench planes that were marketed under the name Rockford. In February 1924, the H.C. Marsh Company was acquired by the Union Plane Company. In 1926, Stanley Tools acquired the Marsh plane business from Union and incorporated them into their product line. [2] (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/#_ftn2) The primary reason why Stanley bought the Marsh line was to procure a set of H.C. Marsh patents for Miter Vises that they released for carpenters making picture frames and similar products. [3] (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/#_ftn2)

Compiled by Robert Payne, Hendersonville, NC

[1] (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/#_ftnref1) Cullum, Peter (March 1986), The Marsh Tool Company, M-WTCA Gristmill, pp. 16-17.

[2] (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/#_ftnref2) West, Robert F. (December 18, 1981), Correspondence to Fred A. Curry. West was Manager of Product Research & Standards for Stanley Tools, New Britain, CT.

[3] (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/#_ftn2) Stanley Picture Frame Tools (http://tooltrip.com/tooltrip9/stanley/stan-mbox/miter.pdf), Stanley Tools, New Britain, CT (link to PDF copy of catalog).

[Mike Allen1010]

Derek Cohen quote: With regard to my own humble shop fittings, they are also items I have built over the past 5 years (new shop), as the need arose and there was time. It's just cheap pine tarted up with Jarrah trimmings.

There are marking tools hanging on the wall behind the bench ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/8_zps2cbbd7a2.jpg


There are also tool trays attached to the wall behind the bench (rather than attached to the bench, which stands free) ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/TooltrayWithaDifference_html_m74f6cf70.jpg

To the left are cabinets for spokeshaves, ploughs, braces, rasps ...

Nothing is ever this tidy!

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/3_zps8d9b0350.jpg

And a bench dog to keep an eye on all ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Letsleepingbenchdogsliesmall.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek[/QUOTE]


Derek, thanks for posting pictures of your shop – now when I dream of heaven this is what I will be picturing - the Cabinets in my kitchen don't look that good!

Your "bench dog" is absolutely adorable – Somewhere there is a woodworking calendar missing a picture.

Cheers, Mike

[Mike Allen1010]

Just looking back on this thread I have to say it's one of my top two or three all-time favorites; very inviting shops with insights to people on SMC who have become friends, lots of really cool tools, self-deprecating humor; come on - who doesn't like those things!

In the spirit of perspective for those woodworkers perhaps just getting started with hand tools etc.; it may be helpful to recognize, I'd wager many of these shops are a second or third iteration and have been evolving for longer than probably most of us would care to admit. You can have lots of fun with a very basic set of tools, limited shop space/bench/less than optimal lighting, etc.

My interest in hand tool woodworking was sparked in the late 70's early 80's by James Krenov's books when as a broke college student I needed simple, functional furniture I couldn't afford, and Krenov's books made me think maybe I don't need a bunch of power tools. Maybe I can do something with basic hand tools. I certainly "crashed and burned" pretty much every time when I was young. Even though my early projects were suitable mostly for firewood; even then I realize I was having a lot of fun.

FWIW, I believe as your experience with making hand tools work properly grows, woodworking just gets better and better. The building process becomes more fun/satisfying and your finished products projects are more likely to be something usable you can be proud of.Okay, just now reading that back I recognize it sounds awfully "preachy" and I am absolutely not remotely qualified for that,YMMV.

BTW, this thread makes me realize I wish Harold B. and Kent B. would post more often. For me, SMC is a refuge from the trying aspects of daily life and their posts always make me smile. That said, Bro's– do us a solid and throw us a bone once in a while!

Best wishes for a Great weekend to all!

Mike

[nima hadavi]

Those were some excellent thoughts Mike, I appreciate the time you took to post. Brought me some great incite into how some of these collections come to be. Here is a photo of my my very modest tool collection. I am just beginning this craft and thoroughly enjoy the feel and sounds which accompany hand tooling. Also coming from the Automotive world where I have more tools then Imaginable; I foresee no end to collecting.

http://i.imgur.com/dYvNGko.jpg

[ken hatch]

Mike,

I agree every time one of these Zombie threads come up they make me realize how much we lost when the likes of Harold and David stopped posting.

As I just finished or have almost finished my latest round of trying to fit 10 lbs. of stuff into a 5 lb. shop and still have room to work project. My shop has X cubic feet of space, I have Y cubic feet of shop fixtures, tools, and work benches and for some perverse reason no matter how many times I move stuff around I always end up with about the same amount of space.

Anyway here are a few photos:

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/shopEastWall160508_zpsxhyw4bt7.jpg

East wall sharpening station as seen from the left end of the main work bench.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/shopNorthWall160508_zpsfd3veu5q.jpg

North wall from the back side of work bench.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/shopWestWall160508_zpsrlkqqa8v.jpg

West wall from working end of main work bench.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/shopToolRoomGrindingStation160508_zpsdvnpoxtr.jpg

Tool room grinding station.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/shopToolRoomSawStation160508_zpsp6bnp5mt.jpg

Tool room Saw station.

It is easy to find yourself in a too many tool fix, tools are wonderful to play with, to hold, to own but a few years ago I realized I was spending more time chasing and fixing rust than making furniture. As The Dude would say this can't abide. I'm working hard to git rid of extra tools and the pile is slowly being reduced. The good news this being Arizona with RH's for most of the year 10% or lower I don't have to fight rust, if I did that would be all I did.

ken

[Maurice Ungaro]

A woodworking colleague who passed away six years ago started to make a beautiful display cabinet for a full set of Marsh Planes he had collected over several years, but he was never able to finish it or show it off. He did complete the back portion of the display in quilted Walnut veneer and I added vertical Walnut/Maple partitions between each plane. The base of the cabinet had a slight gap to hold the base of each plane and rare earth magnets installed before the veneer was glued in place held each plane vertically in place. I built the partitions, and name plaques and assembled the cabinet and took it to several Mid-West Tool Collectors Association meets, including the National Meeting in Lexington, KY a year after his death. It won First Place among all of the other entries at each showing. Here are a few pictures -- I plan to build a similar (but much elaborate) cabinet for my more humble collection of planes one day. His widow later sold the collection even though I offered a substantial amount for it.

337073337074337075337076

I'm sure it gave you great satisfaction to finish your friend's project. Sorry that his widow rejected your bid.....that must have stung.

[Mike Holbrook]

Preparing for a move I have several ongoing tool organization projects that may be of interest.

Here is a sawing & gluing station I am working on:

337345

The cabinet is a bathroom cabinet I ended up with for free, after the basement build out I did. I put a Festool table top on it. The Stanley #150 miter box, on a bench hook, fits perfectly behind the door that would normally provide access to the bottom of the sink and plumbing. I placed a couple strips of wood over the top drawers that I lay 1/8" luan sheets on which prevent sawdust & dirt from falling down into the drawers. I may drill a hole to fit my Festool vac, just above the luan sheets, to suck out sawdust. The Festool top allows me to use Festool clamps to hold the miter saw in place. When I finish sawing the boards in the picture. I will remove the miter saw and use the top of the bench/cabinet for gluing up wood panels using the Festool clamps... The drawers will hold glue, clamps, finish for the projects done at this work station. I have a couple heavy duty Lee Valley folding shelf brackets that I may attach to the back of the cabinet. These could provide a place to hold the wood after it is sawn....

The miter saw handle is in a near perfect position for sawing as it is. I am thinking about adding casters that can fold up out of the way when not in use. With one of my outfeed/infeed tables, rollers on either side I hope I have a functional sawing station that can handle some of the larger pieces that are awkward on a bench, leaving the bench clear for planing and other uses.