Weekly Tips MAY 07

Storing lumber in your workshop can be a challenge. Most home woodshops have very limited space. When you store your material properly you reap some great benefits:

1) You can find pieces much easier and promote the use of smaller pieces and scraps in multiple projects. This will save time, monay and our resources.

2) Proper storage of your materials prevents the classic eyesore in the shop that a random pile of messy materials often creates.

3) Proper storage of materials protects them against damage, especially sheets of plywood and similar products. Ideally, sheet materials should be stored flat to prevent warpage, however most shops do not have the space to store 4 by 8 sheets easily. The next best option is to store sheet materials vertically against a wall in the rack depicted in the picture. The rack will keep sheets from warping, but it's important to keep the sheets from leaning. This will eventually cause distortion and damage.

Use the rack to store sheets below and dimension lumber above and use your space for maximum efficiency. If your area is prone to moisture or flooding like in a garage, elevate the lower pieces on blocks.

May  20, 2007

SIMPLE STORAGE IDEAS FOR SMALL WORKSHOPS

Often the storage of small parts and materials becomes a challenge. Most of us never have the space we need in a home workshop, so a little creativity is needed to store fasteners, hardware and small parts.  Here are some suggestions that cost little to implement:

1) Use old muffin trays for small parts. Fasten to the underside of shelves using one pivot screw and a washer so that you can swing it out to retrive parts. When it is under the shelf, it is out of the way.

2) Short lengths of plastic roof gutters can be fastened to the front of shelves or walls to hold larger parts. Sort special tools, screwdrivers, small lengths of pipes etc. in this simple manner.

3) The classic use of jars with metal lids is still a great way to store small parts that you can easily see through the glass. The best way to store them is attached with two screws to the underside of a shelf. This enables you to grab and open a jar with one hand. The only drawback of this classic storage method is the risk of breaking a jar of it falls off of your workbench.

4) Cut the sides off of plastic windshield washer containers to make a tray-like storage bin. These can store larger parts and even come with a handle. These can also be used for small drain trays when chainging the oil on smaller lawn tractors or mowers too.

5) Space between the studs in your basement or garage workbench offers usefull and out of the way storage space. Use 1" by 4" board stock to make a series of shelves between the studs. These are perfect for storing boxes of nails and screws in their original containers.  You can add a cross brace no higher than half way up a pair of studs to store short lengths of scrap lumber, pipes or curtain rods.

6) Many basement workshops have a lot of useful storage space above in the floor joists of the first floor above. Staple chicken wire or lightweight fencing under the joists to create "hammocks" for storage. Lighter objects like paint trays and rollers store perfectly in these spaces above.

7) Store old discarded pieces of lumber in an old golf bag fastened to the wall, ideally out of the way in a corner.

Use your imagination to create handy and inexpensive storage systems in your workshop like these. Organized storage saves time and makes all of your projects go more smoothly...