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I've been slowly building up my collection of tools for building and repair, and its time I start getting more organized. I'm giving up my guitar building room so that two of my young boys may each have their own bedrooms, and I'm setting up a new little shop in an area of the basement - this is a perfect time to rethink my tool storage.

A good friend just dropped off a bunch of nice 3/4" cheery so I'm considering building a nice wall-mount tool cabinet with a plane till and hangers for chisels. I do have a number of hand planes that I use for wood prep, thinning, smoothing. Being able to close up the cabinet is appealing, rather than just having open shelving/magnet strips.

I've also considered building a few nice wooden tool chests that group tools by job or at least major building vs repair. Something like the Pekovich tool chest: http://www.finewoodworking.com/woodworking-plans/article/tool-chest-with-drawers.aspx

And of course this is the time to finally build a nice luthier's workbench.

It would be great to hear recommendations for tool organization specific to building and repair - any inspiring images.

Thanks all

This video from Robert O'Brien may help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loh76JKUsJU

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Mike Fields

Just curious as to why cabinets sound appealing? I used to have them but got rid of them all. I like to be able to see everything and have the most common tools within arm reach. I can almost look down at the frets on the workbench and blindly reach out with my left arm and grab my fret file. If you build cabinets then you will have to open them

Some really do look very cool -- but I much prefer to use the Toyota system where every tool is in full view and the location clearly marked, drawing a profile outline is the common practice.

We don't follow the outline strategy for all tools, but it is very helpful when there are multiple user. Magnetic strips are my personal favorite -- I catch them on sale on Amazon and Harbor Freight.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

jfmckenna - I find them appealing for a few reasons. Keeping things up of flat surfaces (I have a terrible habits of just piling things up - in drawers, on benches etc. Flat surfaces fill up fast.

I also like the idea of being able to close them up in nice looking cabinets, to keep things clean. I do this only as a hobby, and find weeks where I'm building a lot, and weeks/months when I'm not.

With more limited floor space, and a desire to keep the bench open, hanging things on the wall could work well. That said, several smaller tool chests that can be brought out for the work at hand could work well too.

You hang most of your tools in open racks on the wall above your bench?

Yeah I like the mag strips personally, and I have shelves and while I don't mark the location of every tool, something my father did and I remember growing up, I just happen to know exactly where every one of them goes. When It's not there it's like hell on earth as it totally shuts down work for the day till I find it

I do know what you mean by piling things up though and cabinets are nice and clean. For tools that I don't use much of I do have a tool box sort of like auto mechanics use and that also has a maple top with a vice on it so it substitutes as a bench too.

My suggestion would be that you start with the work bench, and improvise the tool storage until you have done some work in the shop and figured out where, what kind, and how much storage you need. I have built several "tool box fails" over the years that seemed like they would be the cat's meow, but in practice didn't work.

This really is good advice. I often find myself complaining about a storage or layout system that I thought was optimal at the time I made it. . .

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Plan for flexibility and future acquisitions. If you design a storage system that has a place for everything and everything in its place, that's cool, but what happens when you buy another tool? Where does it go? And we always buy another tool.

If you are setting up shop in an unfinished part of the basement, think about a set of homemade floor to ceiling shelves. If you stand some studs up, and screw the top ends to the floor joists above, all in a rectangular pattern of your chosen size, you can put shelves between them with plywood and angle iron. Cheap, easy, sturdy, and reversible if/when you want to rearrange things. This will get stuff off the floor and off the horizontal surfaces (and onto a different set of horizontal surfaces) so you can tackle the real project of constructing a good workbench. A good, sturdy bench with the right kinds of vises for guitar making is a darn handy thing to have around.

I think cheap clear plastic bins for different groupings of tools is a good way to organize things.

Good luck with the project!

One of the nice things about working in someone else's shop for a time is the opportunity to see what works for them, and understand the why of things as well as the how. I now see shop organization as a process of progressive revelation without a defined end point, with the storage here designed to accommodate that constant churn without too much disruption.

Unlike shops that get used to produce many nearly identical items, this one is focused on one-off work, so we minimize the wasted time associated with changes to the storage plan by avoiding difficult-to-change labeling or single purpose fitted storage schemes. All durable marking gets done in legible plastic tape labels and temporary marking is done on blue tape with Magic Marker.

We have four major tool storage areas in the shop - repair, woodworking, large jig and fixture, and power tool jigs, fixtures, carriers, and aids.

The repair benches are within easy reach of the large roll-arounds, and hold everything needed for repair and new instrument assembly and setup. Other than a few bench-top caddies that hold set-up rule, fret rocker, string lifter, radius gauges, and fret guards, everything is in well labeled drawers organized by type of tool or (in some cases) task. We have poly storage boxes for commonly used stuff like bridge cauls, pickguard materials and patterns, etc., plus a poly 'project' box for each new guitar under construction and each repair in the shop. Roll-around tool boxes for all small tools. specialty tools, and electronics or delicate measuring tools...all of the drawers are labeled, and reorganization is as simple as stripping the labels and printing new ones. For taller people, everything in the roll-arounds can be had with just one hand. For those of us with less vertical projection, the most important things are still within reach via the magnetic holders that carry the most commonly used screwdrivers, wrenches, punches, etc.





The general woodworking tools and general layout tools are adjacent to the main woodworking bench, go-bar deck, drill press, bender, big band saw, and we use tool boards here to avoid the need to open and close drawers or doors to either reach for a tool or return it to it's holder or till. From old shop photos, the plane and saw storage has changed significantly over time, with longer planes retired and the number of saws dropping from dozens to a half dozen or so that are useful for guitar work and fine joinery, but the core of the system - the back boards - allow easy screw-mount of revised tool holders.







Large jig and fixture storage is in the back storage area with wood, long-term guitar storage, and the bosse's 12' lapstrake canoe boatbuilding project.

Power tool stuff, to include specific adjustment tools and spare bearings, etc. get stored as close to or on-board the tools, with the exceptions being blades and bits, that are stored where they can be maintained.

I hope this gives you some ideas.

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We have become a civilization that elevates idiots, prostitutes, and clowns. Am I still to defend it? Yes, for its principles. Yes, for what it was. Yes, for what it still may be.

-Mark Helprin, The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story (A Novel)

I'm really a fan of the automotive style drawer sets. A bit pricey, but with full extension drawers on roller bearings, they are a delight. If you are lucky, and I was not, you might find some of these at a garage sale that advertises tools for sale. I have 1 very large set that is pretty good, even if it is Craftsman. I also have a cheaper no name set that is not so good. Hope to get lucky enough to replace that. Big drawers, easy to see into, and full extension is really cool. You can easily compartmentalize the larger drawers to prevent tool pile up. Living in a humid climate, the drawers also provide some rust protection that hanging tools on the wall does not.

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“ The meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away” Pablo Picasso

Craftsman may not be snap-on, but neither is the price!
Woodie, if only my shop were that clean.

Now that looks like an awfully familiar bench and wall.

Yeah but what do you need that many planes for?

I'm not certain that can ever be a serious question with this group!

Thinking on this tool storage issue a bit more, and specifically the tool chest that the original poster mentioned, it seems like storage is a compromise between protection and use. The extremes are something like storing all of one's tools in the bench tool tray for instant use, or in the bottom of a tool chest, safe and snug, but 5 minutes to dig them out - either would drive me crazy, but might work well for someone else.

I can see Mr. Cierpilowski's tool profile system as ideal for a situation where there are a defined set of tools for a specific set of tasks at a work station, and several people using that station. It would be a very simple matter to determine whether all the necessary tools were present when starting the task or leaving the station after task completion. We have a version of that in place for power tool adjustment tools, where it is unlikely that the necessary tools will ever change. It's very convenient when mounting a resaw blade on the band saw - I can verify that every tool and piece of safety equipment (full-length leather apron, face shield, and rawhide gloves...I have needed them all!) necessary for adjustment is present before I end up with a double hand-full of springy, razor-toothed blade. Most of the remaining tool storage in the shop changes too often for the scheme to be of benefit, but I will use it in my future shop for at least a few storage tasks.

A wall-hung chest which could be sealed would seem to me to be a good option to defeat dust, and if mounted with angled cleats, could be at least somewhat portable. As traveling luthiers tend to be fairly rare, I'm not sure how often 100-250 pounds of tool chest would be moved around, but for someone teaching luthiery for a week or two at various locations, something along the lines of the Fine Woodworking tool chest or one of the wall-hung cabinets might be attractive.

I'll echo a comment made earlier - the full extension draw glides in good quality automotive tool boxes are very useful - they allow two or three ranks of tools in the drawer (assuming some non-skid drawer liners) and make organizing all the small specialty tools needed for repair work a bit easier. My one complaint with the system in use here is how often the labels get modified, but that is also a reflection of the ease of storage scheme modification. We have one of the 5 drawer upper units set up primarily by task, and that seems to work well (I can find everything I need to ramp and slot a bridge in one drawer, or prep and refret in another). All of the chests in use here were purchased on closeout or deep sale due to damage or missing components, so total investment was under $400...I am watching Craiglist for a nice double-width upper and lower Snap-On or similar cabinet for under $200, but suspect I may have to settle for Harbor Freight...I can dream.

I've been to a few other shops, with storage schemes that run the range between pegboard holders and random nails for hanging, and custom-built walnut and maple wooden multi-drawer full height cabinets with every tool in it's own fitted tray. This shop is somewhere in between, but every time I walk in the door, I can count on some minor 'improvement' or a trial of something new, so as mentioned, the more flexible the storage, the better it accommodates that process.

Besides - it's just cool to fiddle with a tool holder or improved fixture between coats of lacquer or while the glue is setting!

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We have become a civilization that elevates idiots, prostitutes, and clowns. Am I still to defend it? Yes, for its principles. Yes, for what it was. Yes, for what it still may be.

-Mark Helprin, The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story (A Novel)

I'm also a part time builder, and my main problem has been finding where the heck a tool is after a few months. This has worked well for me.

http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3718

Randy, this is almost exactly what I've had in mind both in terms of safe storage and organization.

My tools have always lived in drawers. I am planning on building a tool cabinet with doors so that I can see most of my tools at once. What I have found with the drawers is that I can find things pretty well, because the drawers are labeled, but I'm a little reluctant to put things away. The advantage of a cabinet with doors in a basement is that you can shut the tools in and they are going to be less likely to rust. Same with the drawers. A tool board exposes them a lot more. The other thing that I have come to realize is that I am messy when things don't have a dedicated storage spot. So I'm trying to fix that.

I built a machinist-style tool chest that I am going to put most of my specialized luthier tools in. Needs labels.

I use my old mechanic's tool boxes. They easily hold all of my hand tool sized guitar tools.

Chris-

Lots of good ideas and I have used a couple

I do a lot of woodworking besides instruments. My old shop had ductwork at 6 feet and I am 6'2". It was damp and dark, but served the purpose. We built a house 8 years ago and it has my dream shop in the basement. Moving in I just sort of did what was easy with my stuff and my tool collection. I am now in the middle doing what I should have done at the beginning - hanging my user tools within reach of the bench. Here is a before and some afters with things not quite done - insulating and covering the wall with white plywood, and hanging racks for each type of tool. I still have to build a rack for spokeshaves and drawknives, and one for braces and hand drills - will be doing that today:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/28227196296/in/album-72157670257976882/

Ed

Just goosing this old thread to mention a purchase I made yesterday. I really needed to get on top of all of the little things in my shop that are important, but can lead to flat surface and drawer clutter. The best option felt like an automotive tool chest. I looked around a bit, exploring the options at Craig's List, eBay, Lowe's, Home Depot, and Harbor Freight. I also did some cyphering on the cost of building my own.

The clear winner in terms of quality versus cost (i.e., value) was the US General Series 2 line of tool chests at Harbor Freight. These are great values at regular prices, and while the regular coupons won't work on these items, HF does send out coupons that target this line. I bought a 26" wide rolling cabinet (for which I had a coupon) and a 26" top chest for a bit over $500 with tax. Both cabinets are 22" deep. Together the stack is about 5 feet high. They have full extension drawers, liners included, thick metal parts, snazzy paint job, strong casters, and all for a few hundred dollars. I'm tickled pink with the purchase. All of the stuff at Lowe's and Home Depot was less expensive, but it looked and felt really cheap and flimsy in comparison. The used stuff folks try to sell is usually Snap-On, so it is still insanely expensive, no matter how used it is. The US General line was just the right balance of quality and cost.

Advice for purchasers: I would have liked to have the storage capacity of the 44" wide rolling cabinet and the matching top chest, but I would not have been able to get them both in my small SUV, and I am certain I would not have been able to move them around by myself. I was able to move the 26" pieces around OK. However, in order to get the top chest on top of the rolling cabinet, I had to take the drawers out; it was too heavy otherwise.

No need for photos, because the Harbor Freight website has all you need to see.

When someone talks about building a toolbox I'm reminded of this
https://mymodernmet.com/studley-tool-chest/

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

Yes, the Studley toolbox is a marvel of job planning and masterful execution, as well as advertising with a carry handle. I often nest my tools in storage, but not to that extent.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Another thing people might want to consider is repurposing things that others no longer need. Horizontal file cabinets have nice long and deep drawers and fit under work benches. Some businesses are disposing of large multi-drawer map cabinets as things become increasingly digital. My wife found a "mail center" for her craft supplies for $15. It has closed storage below and large pigeon holes above and a counter in between. It was modularly constructed of aluminum extrusions and prefinished panels and probably originally cost $1K.
I was given several Medical carts. They have drawers and bins and shelves and really nice large castors. I have used them as rolling tool boxes and several have benchtop tools on them which I can roll outside and use in fair weather. The bench I assemble musical instruments on is an old maple Mail sorting bench. I also have a small low quality secretary desk for tools and wood storage in the shop which a "yardsaler" gave me because I hesitated in front of it too long and a had a vehicle that could haul it away. In the house I use a large "hutch". It has storage above and below and a large shelf. I placed a MCP cover on the shelf to minimize damage in case it ever returns to a domestic use. I have bought or built a few benches and boxes that were originally intended for woodworking, but some of the most successful items I have are things I acquired for little or no money and repurposed.

Definitely true, Clay. I have a number of repurposed items in use here in my shop, and I'm always on the lookout for good quality used things.

For this particular storage need, I knew the measurements of the space I could fill (2-3 feet wide, up to 2 feet deep, up to 6 feet tall) and what I needed in that space (lotsa drawers). The automotive tool chest stack was a pretty obvious solution, and there were no local used options worth considering, so I bought new.

Great guidance, though. You never know what will show itself as having a great second life as a guitar making accessory.