Are you struggling to keep your tools organised? It can be very frustrating when you are working on a project and can’t find that one tool or part you urgently need. Luckily, there are various ways you can make your workstation or garage better orgainsed.
Use your wall space
A well-designed workshop eliminates the process of rummaging through a large toolbox to find what you need. It is time-consuming and there is a large risk of injuring yourself on sharp tools. Make use of your wall space to create the order you need.
Perforated panels are widely available, inexpensive and a great way of storing tools. The first step to installing a wall mounted perfo panel is to select a wall that is large enough to use and accessible to everyone who may need to use tools stored on it.
The next step is to lay out the tools you will be organising in a logical way. Place them on the board (prior to hanging it up). You could place them by size, from smallest to largest, or group tools that may be used together near each other on the pegboard.
Keep drawers tidy
Drawers are one of the places in a workshop that get very messy, very quickly. Plastic or metal drawer dividers not only keep small parts like bolts, nails and screws safe, but they can be fully interchangeable to accommodate large tools.
You can purchase as many dividers as you need to keep all your screwdrivers, hammers and other items separated out into categories to make all your drawers easily accessible and tidy.
Store nuts and bolts separately
If you need a system to store all those small parts separately in an extremely clear and coherent way, clear mason jars may be the best way to do so.
The only thing you need to consider is that these jars need to be stored somewhere that won't clog up counter space. Consider building open shelves for them to sit on, or you can even screw the lids on the underside of a shelf andsuspend the jars from their lids.
Use wire shelving for power tools
It is important to keep power tools stored safely as, even when they are not plugged in or in use, they still pose a hazard.
When you store power tools on wire shelving, the parts of the tools that prevent them from lying flat on a standard shelf (eg. the saw blade or the end of the drill) can fit right through the spaces in the shelves. Install your shelves higher up on your wall, even if it means needing a ladder to reach them. That way you can be sure that they are stored in an organised way and out of unauthorised reach.
Install a tool cabinet
If you carry out a lot of sawing or other work that creates a lot of dust, storing your tools out in the open may not be the best idea.
A closed cabinet is preferable to open shelves in this case, to protect your tools from the dust. You can secure a tool cabinet to one place and fasten it to a wall, or purchase one that is mounted on castors so you can easily move it around the workshop with you.
First Mats started life as safety matting specialists, but have since expanded to become a complete industrial and commercial supplies company. The focus of First Mats is to provide safety-focused products that improve the wellbeing of staff through quality approved products, backed up by extensive knowledge. www.firstmats.co.uk