How do you keep your garage organized? (1 Viewer)

[toolguy]

Hi guys,
I'm looking for a good organization sytsem for my garage. I'm having a lot of tools but also smaller parts (Nuts, screws,...). I keep losing or damaging stuff because it's just lying around everywhere...
Do you have some ideas?

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

Parts, I keep in zip lock bags grouped into boxes with related parts, all stacked on metal shelving. Milk carton crates on the bottom shelves with the heavy items.
Nuts/bolts/small stuff I keep in metal bolt trays, the kind that come in a metal rack that the tray pulls out and the lid folds down.
Tools, well I have 2 tool chests that are on opposite sides of the garage, both stocked with basic tools, one stocked with more specialty items.
Beer, depends on the temperature, winter I leave a sixer on the floor in the garage, summer, I leave them in the fridge inside.

I'm sure if you browse through the last few pages of my thread there are some pics that show most of my garage.

 

[Tapage]

Pegboard .. has been my solution to keep my tools and small stuff organized and handy ..

 

[2mbb]

I use a Plano 3700 series "tackle box" with adjustable dividers. I settled on this originally because they were available locally. But you can get anything on the internet these days, so shop around for a good price. This company also sells a wall-mountable holder for four boxes. I just keep the boxes, on edge on a shelf above my workbench. They are easy to access, and you can take them with you when you have a project.

 

[Randy88FJ62]

Old peanut butter jars get used to hold bolts, nuts, and hardware. I recently bought a label maker and it helps me find things a lot faster when working. It also helps your friends find things when you're under the truck.

 

[Hornd]

Are your Rafters exposed in the Ceiling?

I have a neat idea.

 

[oldschool4wheeling]

Look on you tube, there are alot of good ideas on there.

I use organizers from harbor freight https://images.harborfreight.com/cpi/logos/Storehouse.gif. This is where I store bolts, nails, screws etc.. the small stuff.

I also have one of their tool chest, bought it last year... and now Im going to have to buy another one because I running out of room. I think they are a good value. 56 in., 11 Drawer Glossy Red Industrial Roller Cabinet

I bought more organizers from Home depot.. I like them too....seem to be good value HDX 15-Compartment Interlocking Small Parts Organizer Black (2-Pack)-320034 - The Home Depot

Ceiling.. made storage space, block and tackle system to hang hard top and kayak
Wall..... bikes, fishing rods, doors.

 

[PAToyota]

I’m working on putting together a shelf unit to hold the HF storage cases. Something like this:

 

[waiting for time]

I’m working on putting together a shelf unit to hold the HF storage cases. Something like this:

Good idea, I like this set up

 

[waiting for time]

I use a wall for the basic tools and some cabinets for the less used or larger items.
Then I have steel shelves for parts.

 

[labcab]

I someday hope to have a budget and workshop large enough to necessitate a fleet of Amazon fulfillment robots.

Until then...I use crates, shelves, 5-gallon buckets, pegboard, a rolling tool chest, lots of plastic bins, and over-garage-door storage. The most valuable moves thus far have been: getting the bikes on the ceiling, getting a shed for all the yard crap, making a habit of finishing one project before starting another, and establishing the garage as a workspace not parking. My garage is still a war zone though. It's hard with kids and an office job.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

My organization skills are very weak but I do find Ziplock bags and a Sharpie help a lot.

 

[DRANGED]

horizontal surfaces are the devil!!
the motto stands true, "Have space will fill it."

Garage PANO 07/17

• DRANGED
• Jul 20, 2017

Bins and parts containers. The trick is USING them and RETURNING THINGS when done with a project (as I tell me kids, "we always put things away when we're done with them, so we know where they are when we want them again). I have some 20 qt totes for big things, pallet rack shelving in the front of the garage (42" deep) for things like tents, coolers, chairs, stoves, etc. (camping and rafting gear). But for nuts and bolts screws and nails, a parts bin (as variously mentioned) is great. The crux I've found is finding or making the time to actually go through the overflowing magnetic parts holder, to organize the little bits into their drawers. Labelling is awesome and makes organization and efficiency great. I have a 2-drawer, legal-deep file cabinet for metal scrap and power tools. Another could e better, maybe for caustics and paints to be separated too.
My dad and I built some plywood rolling shelves for powertools, basic tool box (sockets etc) and cans (paint, etc). which roll under the workbench of the pallet rack shelving.

file cabinet-tools

• DRANGED
• Jul 20, 2017

under-bench roller cabinets

• DRANGED
• Jul 20, 2017

peg board on back of roller cabinet

• DRANGED
• Jul 20, 2017

pallet rack shelving

• DRANGED
• Jul 20, 2017

But then I found the 44" HF tool cabinet would be a PERFECT fit (sans casters) for the lef half of under the workbench. (still don't have it yet though)

The aquistions are filling the walls and moving in, BUT we do still park the GX and Suby INSIDE. . . . when not prepping for a trip. . . .or projecting too heavily

 

[hairy_apple]

Mostly I rely on random piles and remembering which parts are in which pile.

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Mostly I rely on random piles and remembering which parts are in which pile.

Sadly, I'm closer to this than the other nicer solutions. Flat surface disease is brutal <- there can be no clean flat surfaces, they all must be covered with crap.

Having 3 wildly different projects going at the same time doesn't help either.

Nick

 

[oldschool4wheeling]

@Lil'John , you are spot on with using wall lockers. My experience was by pure accident. One of the wife's friends was moving and we stored her wall lockers in our garage. I had them full in a couple of weeks and wanted to keep them, but she wanted them back.

Put some shelving in them and they are the bomb!!

I also agree with you about too deep of shelving.... it gets cluttered in the back of it and make matters worse!!

 

[splitshot]

Spare time is the key, which I have none of.

 

[warpdriv]

5 high lateral file cabinets from a used supply house. Lots of storage density for tools, parts, nuts, whatever. Also stack "stuff" on top.

Lateral File Cabinet - 36" Wide, 5 Drawer, Tan H-3706T - Uline

 

[thatcabledude]

I try to remove the shelving/bins from service vans before they are sent to auction after being retired. I then build the work bench around them. Done several garages this way.

I got the majority in this corner of my garage from a van that was totaled with only 5k miles.

 

[waiting for time]

I try to remove the shelving/bins from service vans before they are sent to auction after being retired. I then build the work bench around them. Done several garages this way.

I got the majority in this corner of my garage from a van that was totaled with only 5k miles.

View attachment 1502828

Nice, I need to make some drawers too.