shop orgaization ? bins ? Shelfs? cabinets? [Archive]

yager

03-21-2006, 09:56 AM

Hey all here's my current garage organization/storage problem. I have a small 20x22 attached garage with a hodge podge of various storage systems. I make use of various storage systems but ultimatly loose track of whats inside of each or each one doest work well with other stuff.

Anyone have a good system to store stuff AND keep track of where your storing your junk ? Note: Im not talking about trannys and t-cases but shackles, plates, tabs, brackets, misc hardware etc..

I'm at a point where I'd like to come up with a strateogy and stick with it. Looking around my garage I have tons of wasted space. I'm just not sure how to make good use of it. Id like to find something flexable that can be reconfigured as my projects shift around..

I have tried many different storage technques and they just arnt working for me.. Now I have all these dissimiler things and its impossible to make them work together in any way..

Things Ive tried:
2x4/plywood shelves - cheep, worked well, not flexable, and collected junk
Blue tote bins - Worked well, clean inside, loose track of stuff, get to heavy to move,
cardboard boxes - cheep, disposable, fall apart..
Colored open bins (northern) - nice, no cataloging/sorting scheme, always loosing crap.. need to sit on shelvs/cabinets...
Various sized cabinets/shelfs - work great, dissimiler sizes wastes top space.
Plastic wall cabinets - sucked, all warped, can hold weight.
File cabinets - Ok for some stuff, just never seem to be the right size for other bins/totes...

Any ideas ?
Things ive considered:
Metal free standing shelving/racks - exspensive but durable, easy to configure, doesnt address the high up storage..
Wall supported shelving - costs??? can be movable with narrow shelf sections. how much weight ?? can go floor to celing..
metal floor standing cabinets ? very exspensive..

whats everyone using ????

ironpig70

03-21-2006, 10:10 AM

i have a ton of boxes that are the same size(easier to stack) and a black sharpie marker. each item is stored according to what it is and said box is labeled. so shackle pins would say "shackle pins" light bulbs would be "misc electrical" and for nuts and bolts i use old formula cans from when my kids where little and i have "grade 5 sae", "grade 8 sae" and so on and so forth. also use zip lock bags and 3x5 index cards. fill said bag and fill out an index card and staple it on the out side of the bag and then all those bags go into a box. larger stuff ie oil pans and that size go in large boxes under my work bench and are labeled.

D60

03-21-2006, 10:39 AM

I don't think there is a wonderful answer to your problem, or at least I dont' have one. We all suffer from similar problems I bet.

However, I'd highly recommend not using free-standing shelves as you mentioned. Wall mount is vastly superior IMO. Free standing just eats up floor space and is simply less flexible. Plus all but the highest quality free-standing shelving is more susceptible to being bumped and knocking lots of things over, or falling over completely.

Another cheap alternative is milk crates. They can take a decent amount of weight, won't hold abrasive dust, are open enough to see most things, can be labeled if you can't see everything in them, and can kinda sorta be stacked or organized - but far from a panacea I'd think.

Finally, if you're using enclosed steel cabinets (rollaways, file cabinets, whatever), go to a craft store and buy sheets of magnetic material. You can then make up labels on your home printer with simple address mailing lables, stick them to the magnetic sheet and cut the magnet using the label as a template. This prevents having to open every drawer looking for [whatever] and can be moved/reused infinitely.

yager

03-21-2006, 11:07 AM

Thanks for some ideas.. The magnet stuff is a great idea !!

ok back from a trip to lowes to gather some ideas...
Wall mounted Shelfs:
The wall mounted shelfs look nice. double wall brackets were 6'=$8, 4'=$5.50 (rounded up)
double shelf brackets were 14" wide=$3.50, 11"=$3, 9"=$2 (platnum color was noticeably cheeper not sure why)
compressed particle shelf boards = 3/4"x16"x96" $15, 12"x96"=$12, 8"x48"=$5.50, 10"x36"=$6

Free Standing metal
Med. Duty 36"x18"x60"/4 shelfs = $40 seemed flimsy probbaly fall over.
HD 36"x18"x72"/5 shelfs = $60 seemed sturdy, sides split in half and were joined by middle shelf brackets, forced to use it in that spot, also unit can be used as a work bench.
HD 48"x24"x72"/5 shelfs=$70 same deal, just bigger..
Thinking outloud, I could split one unit and make 2 shelfs goto 9' and cover the wasted space uptop. Probably secure it to the wall to keep it stable..

I actually see uses for both setups, shelfs up high over the door, 3 stairs inside. Shelfs along other wall.. Shelf units were flexable enough I could even cut a shelf board in half and set my stubby air compresser in there making use of space over top that..

thanks !! keep the ideas coming..

D60

03-21-2006, 11:35 AM

compressed particle shelf boards = 3/4"x16"x96" $15, 12"x96"=$12, 8"x48"=$5.50, 10"x36"=$6

This is always expensive. I'd look into a 4x8' sheet of OSB or plywood that you can cut to any size you want. I don't know if it would be cheaper, but probably.

yager

03-21-2006, 11:38 AM

sorry, forgot to mention those shelfs had a thin whilte laminent on all sides but the cut ends. Definilty looked a lot cleaner than i could do with a table saw, plus might hold up better with liquids/oils...

edit: the larger free standing shelfs had uncovered particle board and im sure would need to be swaped out over time/maybe not..

omg, i just priced out 'cheep' enclosed metal cabinets, cheepest i could find was just under $300....

D60

03-21-2006, 11:42 AM

ironpig70

03-21-2006, 11:45 AM

another idea i used because i have a small 1 car garage is to use peg board. anchor some 1x2's to the wall(so you can get the hooks in) and then toss up a 4x8 sheet. works well for large tools or tools that don't have a place in the tool box

ironpig70

03-21-2006, 11:48 AM

No, I know what you're talking about but it seems you pay dearly for that laminate and having them pre-cut. I've always considered that stuff "homeowner grade," I don't see why it's necessary in a fab environment vs in a kitchen or bedroom closet..........

the pre cut/pre drilled stuff is $$$ but imho is well worth it. with it being predrilled every 6" your shelving can be adjusted indefinetly. with 3/4" plywood for cabinets you'd need a table saw with a dado blade to cut the wood to accept shelf railing. just my .02 why i made a cabinent out of it.

Pavemen

03-21-2006, 12:38 PM

HD 48"x24"x72"/5 shelfs=$70 same deal, just bigger..
Thinking outloud, I could split one unit and make 2 shelfs goto 9' and cover the wasted space uptop. Probably secure it to the wall to keep it stable..

I picked up 2 of these units the other day. My garage is large enough to let me put these opposite my bench, down the middle of the garage splitting it in two. One side of the vehicle and one side for work.

The units are 24" deep, so they are not too easy to tip over. They are 128lb just for the shelves, so they are pretty sturdy.

If you have a large workbench, try to find an old waterbed setup someplace for real cheeap, the drawers work great to stack up underneath a bench.

saf-t scissors

03-21-2006, 01:24 PM

Yager, you don't want any MDF or particleboard shelves. They sag. And they collect dust. Properly supported (screwed down, doubled edge, etc), they hold up pretty well. That's what I'm using for the underlayment on my bench. But I wouldnt' use them for shelves with standards 24" apart.

The wire "closetmaid" type shelves support quite a bit of load. They have heavy-duty stuff that has a tighter mesh, flanges front and back, and double teeth on the track, but the selection is a little thin.

Search my threads for this forum, and you should be able to find links for a shelving company that I found a while back. They had nice stuff, prices were okay, but you had to buy shelves in packs of 6 or something. Buying what I needed would have left me with a ton of extra parts. If it looks useful to you, let me know. Maybe we could go in on it together and sell off the odd shelf or two we don't need.

Lowe's carries some wire shelving (lots of the white household stuff, less of the grey utility/garage stuff) but IIRC the shelves were kinda deep for what I wanted. I think they only had them 18" deep. 10-12" seems better to me, fits better with the sorts of things that'll end up on there -- gallons of thinner, odd small parts, some tools, etc. Maybe a deeper shelf near the ceiling for big, blowmold saw cases and such, but small shelves the rest of the way.

The best part about those metal wall-hung shelves is they hold lots and lots of weight. If you attach the standards to studs and space them properly, they'll hold several hundred pounds per LF.

I have a bunch of kitchen cabinets that came with the place that I use for small stuff. A big full-height cabinet holds rattle cans, quarts of oil, boxes of screws and nails, etc. Small things that you want to keep dust off.

If you make a habit of visiting the Habitat store, you can find some decent cabinets for cheap. The biggest problem with them is that a lot of stuff doesn't fit inside. A wall-hung cabinet is only 12" deep overall, maybe 11" or so inside. With an open shelf, you can let things hang over the edge a bit. Do that with a cabinet, and the door won't close.

I think the key is having plenty of different types of storage available. One solution isn't going to take care of everything, so the more flexibility you have, the better.

yager

03-21-2006, 01:39 PM

glueing steel ? shawn wtf are you doing now?? LOL

heres your shelf thread... http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=391380

I may have to think about the wire shelfing stuff some more... I like the wall/track brackets and i guess it'd be farily easy to reconfigure it.

Will it support a set of small block engine heads ? Thats usually my standard to determine light duty vs heavy duty..... Have some wire stuff in the house, have to take a grab some parts and go on a field trip when i get home.. .

PAToyota

03-21-2006, 02:08 PM

Going through this myself - as is everyone...

My strategy is to not do a "one size fits all" solution but to have a few different storage solutions for different items. I'm hoping that will also solve the "where is it?" type questions if all the cabinets/boxes/shelves start to look the same.

So some of the things I'm looking at:

Some HD wire shelving up high for larger boxes of stuff and items that aren't used regularly
Some metal storage cabinets with shelves to store smaller boxes of stuff, trays of various parts, and medium sized tools
Some of those metal divided open bin cabinets for regularly used items (I like that magnet idea that D60 had since these bins change regularly depending on what I'm working on)

ironpig70

03-21-2006, 02:35 PM

the wire shelving i have would not support a set of heads but i only have two brackets on it, if i use 4 brackets i'm sure it would support it.

D60

03-21-2006, 03:05 PM

the pre cut/pre drilled stuff is $$$ but imho is well worth it. with it being predrilled every 6" your shelving can be adjusted indefinetly. with 3/4" plywood for cabinets you'd need a table saw with a dado blade to cut the wood to accept shelf railing. just my .02 why i made a cabinent out of it.

No, I'm not bashing the production standards, I just don't see the actual shelving (ie the boards) being worth the $$

http://www.hardwarestore.com/media/product/277137_front500.jpg

And yeah, peg board is sweet. You can hang all sorts of odd stuff and it's perfectly visible. I used to have ALL of my wrenches hanging on peg board. Bad for a big shop 'cause you can't wheel them around. Awesome for a small shop 'cause you just walk over to the wall, all the wrenches can be hanging at waist to head level, grab what you need and walk away. Easy to see if wrenches are missing, and easy to put back when you're done for the day.

ironpig70

03-21-2006, 03:09 PM

i see what you mean d60. i used the standards and used the long 8' x 24" deep and cut to size a whole 4x8 sheet would have been cheaper but with out a table saw i would be hard pressed to cut it straight:D and i prefer like stated open pattern shelving as in mesh so dust falls thru it.

born loser

03-21-2006, 03:24 PM

I like the Metro shelving. It will support up to 800 lbs per shelf depending on the setup. Its kinda pricey..but I can get it at 50% off or even less sometimes..
The 'wire' construction is nice because you can hang stuff from it too..

http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?PRODID=60630&CATID=13378&searchId=3510258&itemIndex=32

Rudezuk

03-21-2006, 06:01 PM

We just built a simple storage unit for our trailer under neath the work bench...Here is what we did, ill get pics tomorrow of it..

We took some 1/2" ply wood, some 2x3's and some of those red top flip crates from Home Depot (the ones that are whitish clear), and some old 1" MDF flooring material.

Made sides out of the 1/2" ply wood, and made trays for each bin to slide into using strips of the MDF (as the shelf), and then the 2x3's stood on end to hold the bin in the shelf.

The 2x3's held the plywood together. We of course screwed everything together.

Works out pretty slick! I am thinking about doing this in my new shop for storing odd things. To make it a little sturdier, you could use thicker ply wood for the sides, and then achor it to the walls when you are done.

Everything is easy to get to, and the bins are partially see through. The bins roughly measure 16" wide, 12" tall and 21" long. They cost about $5 each.

With a 4x8 sheet of ply wood, you should be able to get 5 bins vertically stored.

LCAC_Man

03-21-2006, 06:23 PM

Keep as much on casters as possible, wall hang everything else, then put down epoxy flooring so that you can hose out your mess.
Had to add the gratuitous shot of the Buick.

Pavemen

03-21-2006, 06:40 PM

Keep as much on casters as possible, wall hang everything else, then put down epoxy flooring so that you can hose out your mess.
Had to add the gratuitous shot of the Buick.
dont have enough stuff in your garage to be allowed to post in this thread :flipoff2:

LCAC_Man

03-21-2006, 07:05 PM

dont have enough stuff in your garage to be allowed to post in this thread :flipoff2:
All my junk is out back...with my junk.

yager

03-21-2006, 07:23 PM

that pic was... well..... TO CLEAN !!!

ok here's what im workign with...

Things that need to stay or im happy with... my nut/bolt bins, overhead door shelfs, tv. compressor needs to stay +/- 10ft to that spot (outlet, hard lines)

The only things ive re-done that i like is the lawn garden tool section, ya ya it its my calm down after work thing...

My personal preference is to push my jeep to the left side and have more work room to the right side.. thats why certain things are on the left should less used ~storage kinda of stuff.. (side with compressor, lawn tools, door to house etc..)

note: i have the following stuff under my house in the 6' sloped dirt crawl space all on wheels.. Large sand blast cabinet, engine crane, engine stand axle cart, tires, wheels, axles, and many tote bins of crap...
some pics...

oh ya DO NO BUY those plastice storage shelves, they suck monkey dick !! I had to add thin 1/4" ply wood to all of them to hold anything more than 3 qts of oil... I'm in the middle of taking them down... Not sure if ill keep them near the lawn tools... I have oil/drain pans in the bottom unit..

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=235521

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=235522

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=235523

yager

03-21-2006, 07:38 PM

last 2

bins - note: need easy access to elec. panel behind white board
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=235524

card file type shelfs, love these and its packed full of tools/parts etc...
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=235525

saf-t scissors

03-22-2006, 07:04 AM

note: i have the following stuff under my house in the 6' sloped dirt crawl space all on wheels.. Large sand blast cabinet

I asked you LAST WEEK if you had a blast cabinet, and you said no. Fawker. :flipoff2:

But holy fawk, the car hole is a wreck. It doesn't look like the Jeep even fits inside anymore.

I can see your problem from here, tho. You need to gather up all the rakes and shovels and shit and put them back under the house where they belong. That'll fix it.

DownNDirty

03-22-2006, 08:09 AM

I am slowly switching to old lockers from an athletic facitlity instead of normal shelving. The plan is that I can weld in shelves so that I can maximum storage out of minimum space. The real advantage is that the doors close so I won't have grinding dust all over all of my spray bottles, power tools, misc parts that I hide in there. On the door I will just label what goes in each cabinet. At $40 for 3 lockers it is hard to beat.

edit: They are also tall and skinny so I don't run into the problem of having crap pilled behind crap on a 2 foot deep shelf.

Aces'n'8s

03-22-2006, 08:14 AM

Regarding bins, I use the Gladiator parts bins. I think they are made by Rubbermaid? They are roughly 5"W x 3"H x 6-7"D. On their backs, they have interlocking "lips" that secure to a base board that must be purchased separately. They are very strong and will hold more weight than you could fit into them. I picked mine up at a Kmart closing sale but I have seen them at Sears.

Rudezuk

03-23-2006, 11:21 AM

Got some pics of the trailer last night..

Here is our workbench made from 1.25" MDF flooring.

But you can see the idea we came up with for the bin storage..
http://hbrk4x4.com/albums/userpics/10001/dsc00096%20%28Changed%29.jpg

Yeah I know its messy, we are still building it up :D

D60

03-23-2006, 11:38 AM

But you can see the idea we came up with for the bin storage..

I've seen a very similar setup but with milk crates two deep. In this instance they were used mostly for power tools, there was a crate of 4.5" grinders, another of drills, etc. The only thing I'm not sure about is if all the abrasive dust that could potentially settle on the tools significantly shortens their life? But otherwise I liked it 'cause electric tools eat up drawers in rollaways very quickly.

Hellbound

03-23-2006, 06:23 PM

what ever you can get on the CHEAP

cebby

03-23-2006, 07:48 PM

More of those card index cabinets clearly labelled. They make them with big drawers also (and they have ball bearing slides - overengineered)

http://rigs.corequipment.com/Cebby/Shoptools/Misc%20Shop/organization%20004%20(Medium).jpg

Use a labelmaker right on the cabinet. Takes a little time initially, but will save you time in the long run by you not having to open 3 drawers to find the right one.

D60

03-24-2006, 11:08 AM

I was just at my local Habitat store and one of the local thrift stores.......both have boxes of shelf brackets, ie the pieces that clip into the standards and support the actual shelves, for .50 to $1.00.

I've found variations in standard spacing, so it'd be advisable to take your standards in to match them up, but in the end you could do this on the cheap.

ironpig70

03-24-2006, 12:53 PM

heres a large tote this one has camping stuff in it but i use similar ones to hold tools

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=236052&stc=1&d=1143229694

got these boxes from a buddy and as you see they stack very tight on the shelf

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=236053&stc=1&d=1143229694

formula can with twins we used 2 cans a week so it was either trash them or garage them. all the cans are marked and have a lid

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=236054&stc=1&d=1143229694

got these from the last place i worked. they are plastic storage boxes with a snap lock lid. we got trencher teeth in them and they weighted 70-80 pounds so i'm sure they will hold some weight.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=236055&stc=1&d=1143229694

ironpig70

03-24-2006, 01:07 PM

a shot of under my bench. green boxes are those lid boxes like in rudes trailer the rest are just cardboard

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=236056&stc=1&d=1143230251

heres a shot of my peg board wall. also see a storage box on the right el cheapo from target. the hose and ext cord are actually wrapped around a copper wheel that wire for a welder comes on. also note the blue box near the vise thats a pencil box from walmart got them on sale after school started:D and i have a drawer full of them and they hold drill bits, punches, small grinding disks etc.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=236057&stc=1&d=1143230251

this is a melamine storage unit that used to be in the house:D also note the hoods on the wall figure it was dead space. also i hung shocks by screws in the corner

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=236058&stc=1&d=1143230251

this is a plastic toy organizer my kid out grew. also note on the left side the oil funnel is in a diaper wipe box anchored with plumbers flex tape. also in the upper left bin you'll see a pile of bags. also got these from my last job. great for storing parts.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=236059&stc=1&d=1143230251

as for cheap the formula cans, the bags, the small plastic boxes and milk crate and 2 green crates where free. the work bench was also free. did a little welding to it added some angle iron and the wood so i'm out maybe $40. the multi color bin and shelving unit where salvaged from the house. the rubbermaids are like $10 on sale. so cheap is where its at:D

Damo

03-24-2006, 03:02 PM

Another cheap alternative is milk crates. They can take a decent amount of weight, won't hold abrasive dust, are open enough to see most things, can be labeled if you can't see everything in them, and can kinda sorta be stacked or organized - but far from a panacea I'd think.

I like milk crates. Once I have my shop finished I intend to get a heap more and build some frames (just a square out of 1" angle) that the crate will sit in, and attach castors to the bottom. Then stack up 2 or 3 and roll under the workbench.

Finally, if you're using enclosed steel cabinets (rollaways, file cabinets, whatever), go to a craft store and buy sheets of magnetic material. You can then make up labels on your home printer with simple address mailing lables, stick them to the magnetic sheet and cut the magnet using the label as a template. This prevents having to open every drawer looking for [whatever] and can be moved/reused infinitely.

On the subject of labelling, say you have some boxes of stuff on a shelf, you have the boxes labelled, but also consider putting the same label on the shelf where the box is supposed to go. It helps the buddies that come over to help out "remember" where to put stuff back.

I am slowly switching to old lockers from an athletic facitlity instead of normal shelving. The plan is that I can weld in shelves so that I can maximum storage out of minimum space. The real advantage is that the doors close so I won't have grinding dust all over all of my spray bottles, power tools, misc parts that I hide in there. On the door I will just label what goes in each cabinet. At $40 for 3 lockers it is hard to beat.

edit: They are also tall and skinny so I don't run into the problem of having crap pilled behind crap on a 2 foot deep shelf.

Great idea. I have been thinking of how to keep my stuff closed in because I always get grinding dust everywhere and I hate it.

yager

03-25-2006, 11:26 AM

i went to HD and they had those heavy duty metal on display. TOTAL JUNK - Definilty NOT wort the $70 they are asking..

The wire shelves still look good to help me in a few areas, im thinking i like rudezukes idea. So possibly some homebuilt system like that... Still looking...

Where do you get those cardboard boxes like that. I woudlnt mind buying those if i knew i could get more/replacments in the future and not have 100 different sizes like i have now..

cebby

03-25-2006, 02:25 PM

I used to have a slew of open storage (pick bins, milk crates, etc) My complaint about that stuff is that you get all sorts of debris on the stuff in the bins. In my garage, it's sawdust, grinding wheel/sanding dust, and/or cobwebs. I finally have it to the point now where the only stuff that gets stuff on it is the tools on the peg board which isn't bad.

Along with the card file cabinets I have shown in post #30 I use the following...

For tools, if they came in a plastic storage box, I prefer to keep it in there (except cordless drills, they get used too much) I built a HD shelf above my workbench and put lights underneath. The workbench is 24"d sitting on top of 2 tall 6 ft high shelving units (the steel rail type with particle board shelves) split into 3 1/2 units 36" high. I built a drop down area for my wood miter and steel chop saws. More storage bins below - full of stuff.

http://rigs.corequipment.com/Cebby/Shoptools/Misc%20Shop/organization%20003%20(Medium).jpg

You can see the drop down better in this pic...
http://rigs.corequipment.com/Cebby/Shoptools/Misc%20Shop/organization%20002%20(Medium).jpg

The rest of the stuff goes into my growing collection of Craftsman toolchests.
http://rigs.corequipment.com/Cebby/Shoptools/Misc%20Shop/organization%20001%20(Medium).jpg

This includes tools without plastic storage boxes. I'm definitely pushing the weight limit on a few drawers.
http://rigs.corequipment.com/Cebby/Shoptools/Misc%20Shop/Drawers/Organization%20018%20(Medium).jpg

I don't have a problem with the cheapie drawer storage cabinets for nuts and bolts - hell these are a big improvement over sifting through 2 or 3 large rubbermaid sweater boxes and getting errant drywall screws stuck in my fingers. Sure it took a while to sort, but I can find stuff alot easier now - still need to label them though. I still have a paint bucket full I need to go through... :shaking:

http://rigs.corequipment.com/Cebby/Shoptools/Misc%20Shop/Drawers/Organization%20019%20(Medium).jpg

NiteKrawler

03-25-2006, 02:27 PM

Here is my storage system solution, electrical cabinets. (transfer switch cabinets to be exact) Just bolted in some 2x12 shelves and hung 'em on the wall..easy and FREE...:smokin:
236243

Big4x4Rides

03-25-2006, 03:11 PM

That garage is nicer than the inside of my house !!!

gdf_77

03-26-2006, 12:50 AM

I went to an army surplus store and bought some various sizes of ammo/rocket boxes that have a hinged lid (I like the 88mm rocket boxes myself). they work really well for bigger tools, cords, and parts. You can also take some sheetmetal cut to fit inside bend the ends at 90* and rivot them to the box. I bolted some hasps to lock the boxes when out on the road. Some places also carry or can get the medical boxes which are water tight as long as the seal is still in them. they are quite alot bigger and don't have a hinged lid but are very handy. I tghink harbor freight has some too.

Pook

03-26-2006, 01:52 AM

keep an eye in the classifed's for old filing cabinets and stuff like that, auctions are good places too they usually sell real cheap.

gferris5

03-27-2006, 12:48 AM

My housemate uses an old refrigerator; he learned that trick growing up on a farm.

yager

03-27-2006, 07:45 AM

Well i installed some wire shelves this weekend. That along with just some plain old throwing crap out.. [ok its not gone yet, its in the FS or free pile]

This is what, ive got so far.. Honestly Ive got close to $250 into it and while its more than what I thought i'd have. Its so nice to be able to easily/quickly move the shelves around.. I moved each one 2-3 times finding just the right spot for stuff..

Ill snap a pic later of it loaded all up..

ironpig70

03-27-2006, 08:27 AM

yager thats the stuff i use for my pantry(or similar) and i love the flexibility of it and would love to know how much weight it will actually hold:D

yager

03-27-2006, 08:37 AM

you see how well its holding that empty plastic bin don't you.. :D

I'll snap a pic tonight, but so far it better than i expected.. I was doing chin ups on to of the brackets with np... I'm using the regular stuff, but they actually have a pantry grade shelf with more wires.

pics later

D60

03-27-2006, 09:23 AM

I used a little of that same stuff in my old shop. I liked the lack of surface area so it can't collect dust.

Also, on the lowest shelves, you can hang stuff on the wire. I hung misc like small work lights, come-a-longs, etc.

But yeah, it's spendy. I later turned to just building my own shelves out of expanded steel, but it's difficult to do AND make it wall-mount AND make it easily adjustable.

ironpig70

03-27-2006, 09:56 AM

vager i used that same stuff. careful once it's been together awhile its a pita(or forehead) to take apart. i needed to adjust a shelf in mine and one side came off easy but the othe bracket refused. so i pushed and pulled, twisted and bent this way and that way. finally said hell with it and just yanked it out:D was all exited it came out but had a small puddle of sweat above one eye:confused: so i wiped my brow and it was blood. yep i pulled so hard that the fawker caught me in the head and they are pointy and will hurt you:D wife said its not a vital organ so its all good:laughing:

BAD4WD

03-27-2006, 12:27 PM

This guy has some kool stuff.
http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/showthread.php?t=15905&page=1&pp=15

cebby

03-27-2006, 01:13 PM

This guy has some kool stuff.
http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/showthread.php?t=15905&page=1&pp=15

I did a writeup for Scott (Mxtras) on those, complete with downloadable drawings. Have at it...

http://toolandfab.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154

PAToyota

03-27-2006, 01:24 PM

This guy has some kool stuff.
http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/showthread.php?t=15905&page=1&pp=15

Holy crap that is nice work!

That Alpolic stuff is pretty nice. I did some searching, but couldn't come up with any costs or where to get it from. The manufacturer will send it to you direct - but something like 57 sheet minimum!

Pavemen

03-27-2006, 01:52 PM

whats the deal with worrying about collecting dust on the shelves when I see a lot of you using open top containers/boxes. I am more worried about dust on the stuff on the shelves than on the shelves themselves (wow, had to read that twice to make sure it was right)

BadDog

03-28-2006, 01:18 AM

Having a small shop, I've got lots of stuff I've done to optimize, still more to go though.

Recently added a small outside shed for coolers, ladders, yard tools, and stuff unrelated to metal/automotive work.

Full length floor to ceiling shelving on one wall. Cantilever shelves for full front access. Bottom shelf holds larger/heavier 20' uncut steel lengths. Top 2 shelves have dog 4" legs and hold 20' lengths of small/light steel like 1x0.120 strap, 1/2" CRS, and such.

Welder, plasma, and all associated tools are organized on a tall narrow cart. Top shelf holds shims, scribe, square, measuring tools. Pins on the sides support coiled lines, 4 grinder mounts, and around a dozen c-clamps in various sizes. It’s also wired and plumbed so that I can plug in it’s 15’ cord to 220, and hook up a single air hose, then I can run all the equipment with no other hoses or wires, I’ve got 4 110V receptacles for running grinders and drills, and I’ve got both filtered and unfiltered air ports to keep wires/hoses under control.

All metal tools are down one wall. Currently includes a Bridgeport, small Grizzly lathe (upgraded when I find something) mounted on storage/work center (tool box drawers for cutters, buts, chucks, etc.) , 20T press, HD floor drill press, 96 steel bin parts cabinet about 4’ wide and 8’ tall, and decom mill spec hazardous materials locker (for oils, spray paints, grease selection, etc.). This is on the opposite wall to the full length shelf.

Down the center I’ve got a HUGE industrial roll around work surface with locking cabinet and mounted on 8”(?) 1500(?) lb double tire wheels (paid $80). Top is something like 2.4 x 6 or so. It has a 1/4" top, locking tool cabinet on one end, and a 1/2 plate bottom. I use it for grinding, plasma and other messy fab work so I can roll it outside to keep the mess in the shop down. Also handy for throwing a transfer case on top of to work on or whatever. I’ve also go a small “work center” roll around next to it that holds all fab focused tools like files, layout tools, grinder stuff, and so on. Behind them is my bender post, the welder cart, and my welding table.

My 4x4 welding/fab table has lower shelves for storage of sub-4’ shorts. It also has a MIG gun holster, mounts for around 10 hammers (several ball peins, soft face, slag, hand dead blow, mallet, sledge, etc.) and 2 receiver hitches on the back that mount my bead roller, strap/bar bender (like a hossfeld), vice and so forth. Planning to add a third on the side for more convenient vise access.

Back wall has some shelves and stacked up “big stuff” storage along with some high shelves for stereo and junk. Back there I’ve also got a pup-tent shaped roll around that stores full sheets of sheet, expanded metal, and ply wood. Inside the inverted “V” formed by the sheets, I have short storage for up to 8-9’ in length.

Still more to do organization wise, but it’s coming along…

calfj60

03-28-2006, 09:04 AM

Wow that sure sounds organized....any pics???

keenavv

03-28-2006, 07:46 PM

Bad Dog I would really like to see pictures pf your shop. I need to organize ---

yager

03-28-2006, 09:15 PM

my sorry ass garage pic... ok so its not as great as those SS cabinets...

NOODLES

03-29-2006, 03:35 PM

I use lockable metal cabinets, out of a credit union branch that closed. they have roller bearing drawers, and some have cabinets, and some have sliding doors. they kick ass. as good a quality as a snap on tool box. I am glad I don't know how much the bank payed for them, but I din't pay a dime. My mom is a head project coordinator and a purchasing manger for this credit union, and the company wanted all new stuff for there new branch being put on the other side of a parking lot the original was in.

Caver Dave

03-30-2006, 11:56 AM

I have split bay underhouse garage... long, but not very wide. To compound the issue, the hot water heater, HVAC unit, & upright freezer screw me outta another few feet.

I got some pretty decent shelving from a bud... said it came from a shoe store he dismantled years ago. I ended up using the entire length of "my side" :D ... It's all 5/8"-3/4" stained plywood. Upright sections had the tracks on both sides and shelves were about 4' long. I had a couple of sections where the shelves were cut down (2'-3') to miss the main sewer line from the upstairs, HVAC lines, etc. I used galv. brackets from Lowes ($.15 ea) and Tapcons (blue anchors for masonary) to anchor the uprights... used 1" drywall screws to screw the shelves to uprights (dragging a heavy part off the shelves sometimes slid the entire shelf out/off the clips... dumping it all on you feet! :mad3: )

The stud wall splitting the garage is covered on both sides with pegboard the PO had, but never put up :rolleyes:

I also have a found that retail stores tend to pitch "out dated" brand specific shelving & bins when a new logo/style/vendor comes in... I have a route that I take about once a month down the backside of several strip mails that have netted me some decent stuff...

BorgDog

04-08-2006, 05:11 PM

I've remodeled the kitchen in both the houses we have owned and used the old cabinets, carefully removed, in the shop. Base kitchen cabinets make nice workbench bases, and I really like having doors on all the cabinets, keeps dust off everything.

Dan

Erik D_lux

10-13-2007, 04:58 PM

I recently re organized my shop (2 car garage). I was looking through Craigs list to find some metal cabinets and stumbled upon some file cabinets. They ended up working out super, super sweet. Some of them are drawers, some are shelves that pull out and some are just shelves. I got all 5 for $80. Also I came up with the idea of a night stand to set my drill press on. I put all my bits, hole saws etc,. in there so I dont have to walk back and forth whenever I need a different bit. Getting the metal off the floor is a nice thing too. Just simple brackets attached via lag bolts and they are holding fine. I bent the end of the bracket so the round tubing dosent roll off.

Here are a couple of before pics. They are very non specific so hopefully you can see how bad they were.