Organization: Tips and Tricks

This is a neato thread. I'm a big time believer in peg board. I absolutely hate looking for a tool when I've already walked to where it should be. Pegboard allows me to scan for tools that need to be put away on the quick.

I work in batches, so we use trays with 14 slots in them to hold the knives as we go. These trays worm their way through the process from beginning to end. In the new shop, where there will be more room, we will use carts and racks as well. An employee will go to the rack they start their day at, pull a tray and put it on their cart, then proceed to do their step. When done the tray goes to a different rack, and the next employee will pull it and do that operation. We use the racks they sell in restaurant kitchens to store trays. We just added plywood to the metal guides to hold the trays. Each rack can hold ten trays.
 
In my old shop, and probably in the new one, I had smaller and less often tools and things mounted on pieces of plywood about 24"X24". There was a place on the bench top with a space 24" wide with no plywood top. You set the desired tool/jig/thingamabob in the blank slot and used it. When done, the jigs were stored on a rack similar to what fiddleback uses. I put the items in the rack upside down to keep dust and grit out of the tools. This freed up a lot of valuable bench top real estate.

As I have mentioned before, putting any tools and equipment not used regularly on rolling carts is really smart. You roll it over to the bench, clamp it in place against the side if needed, use the tool, and when done, roll it into a corner. Tools like hardness testers, forges, quench tanks, HT and tempering ovens, specialty tools, mini mills, welders, etc. are perfect for such carts. Supplies and accessories can be stored on the shelves and drawers under the cart top. Also, supplies and tooling storage can be mounted on a cart's sides Make a cart into a rolling "tree" for your grinder wheels, arms, platens, and belts. Same for abrasives storage boxes, and water stones, etc.
The additional plus for carts is they can be rolled outside on nice days and work done in the fresh air.

A "work" cart with a top that has a lip is great for projects. Place all items currently in process on the cart ( in individual bins if working on several projects) and roll the cart from place to place as you do the work. The drawer/drawers on most work carts can store all sorts of things like grinding jigs, accessories, and the small tools needed to change arms, etc.
 
My local (super old) mom & pop hardware store has really neat sandpaper racks like the above.

3m sells racks for their paper, but they aren't anywhere as nice as even the old steel ones.
 
here's storage rack I had built, it's essentially a copy of the Rockler Pack Rack

0BF3BB01-8255-47F2-B420-A56C0EB08E88_zpsu18izdvk.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top