# Question Of The Week... (2023 week 2)



## ripjack13 (Sunday at 7:45 AM)

*How do you store your hand tools?*

@hmmvbreaker 's topic on *Utility builds* inspired this week's QotW


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
primates, woodticks, wood spinners, and leprechauns are welcome to post an answer.
“Try Not. Do or Do Not, There Is No Try.” — Yoda

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## woodtickgreg (Sunday at 7:52 AM)

That's a great question with not a simple answer, lol. They are kind of in many places in the shop. Some are on the walls on peg hooks, some are in drawers under my miter saw station, some are in an old refurbished craftsman mechanics tool box. Some of the power tools that I dont use often are in a closet under the basement stairs in the shop. I would say that the tools I use most often are on the wall of pegboard hooks, quick and easy to get too and easy to reconfigure if need be. But all are convenient and easy to get to.

Reactions: Like 4


----------



## 2feathers Creative Making (Sunday at 8:44 AM)

Most are packed in boxes waiting on a shop. The ones I need badly, are in a rolling toolbox in the living room, then there are a few in the back seat of my truck, oh, and a few in the carport, and a toolbox in the side shed, and... Well, That's most of them except the back porch and bedroom and ...

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 3 | Way Cool 1


----------



## hmmvbreaker (Sunday at 8:48 AM)

I inspired a thread? Oh, my. You guys better stop it or I'm gonna start feeling all famous and stuff.

Reactions: Funny 7 | +Karma 3


----------



## Mike1950 (Sunday at 9:01 AM)

are you asking about the ones I can find or the ones that are somewhere??

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 10


----------



## Nubsnstubs (Sunday at 9:04 AM)

If I can see a flat spot in my shop, if you call it a shop, you will likely find a tool on it. Depends on how large that flat spot is, it will be readily occupied by something that fits the space ................. Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 2 | Funny 2


----------



## T. Ben (Sunday at 10:06 AM)

All over the garage,kitchen table in the pickup in the car on the trailers…..

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1 | Funny 1


----------



## DLJeffs (Sunday at 10:39 AM)

Most are on a peg board behind my bench; some in the two drawers in the bench or in the lathe cabinet. And i have an old wooden toolbox my son made in Scouts that holds all the miscellaneous tools I've used once.

Reactions: Like 4


----------



## Maverick (Sunday at 10:54 AM)

The more frequently used tools are on a pegboard or in a chest high cabinet for easy access. The less used tools are in tool cabinet drawers or higher shelves in cabinets. The fun part is remembering where the less used tools are when I do need to use one.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


----------



## Nature Man (Sunday at 12:27 PM)

I'm usually pretty organized, but waiting for the workshop to be completed has fragmented my tool storage habits. Principal place is a toolbox on wheels, but I also have tools in various boxes, laying around on flat spaces, and anywhere else I can find. My wife has a small set in the house for general household usage. Chuck

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Sprung (Sunday at 1:00 PM)

If you're asking if my tools are organized like this:





or like this:





No. No, they are not!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 9


----------



## Sprung (Sunday at 1:02 PM)

They're shoved in drawers and cabinets, hanging on the walls, laying on benches, in tool boxes, and the turning tools are all hanging out in a 5 gallon bucket. It's all pretty organized right now, but not OCD organized.

Reactions: Like 4 | Sincere 1


----------



## Gdurfey (Sunday at 8:58 PM)

Depends on size sometimes. I am trying to build storage under every flat surface I build. That is for lesser used and larger tools. I am hoping to use more peg boards or something similar for smaller and often used tools.

Reactions: Like 3


----------



## Brink (Monday at 4:23 AM)

In a tool chest

Reactions: Like 6 | Way Cool 6


----------



## Mike1950 (Monday at 8:04 AM)

Sprung said:


> If you're asking if my tools are organized like this:
> 
> View attachment 236021
> 
> ...


I saw that and thought- "he has gone off the OCD deep end on us""

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 5


----------



## Sprung (Monday at 8:20 AM)

Mike1950 said:


> I saw that and thought- "he has gone off the OCD deep end on us""



Ha! You haven't lost me off the deep end!

I'd have to at least double my shop space to use either of those styles of organization. While both of those are very nicely organized, neither are really a very efficient use of space. At least not for someone with a home shop and space constraints.

Kinda like this clamp rack idea - who has the wall space to really store clamps this way? (Well, I did when I started out and didn't have many tools or many clamps. That didn't last long.)

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 3


----------



## hmmvbreaker (Monday at 11:10 AM)

Brink said:


> In a tool chest
> 
> View attachment 236091
> 
> ...


Old school!

Reactions: Agree 2


----------



## hmmvbreaker (Monday at 11:12 AM)

I learned some time ago to not trust a man who's shop is super tidy. It usually means they aren't doing anything with those tools. Except organizing.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


----------



## hmmvbreaker (Monday at 11:16 AM)

Sprung said:


> Ha! You haven't lost me off the deep end!
> 
> I'd have to at least double my shop space to use either of those styles of organization. While both of those are very nicely organized, neither are really a very efficient use of space. At least not for someone with a home shop and space constraints.
> 
> ...


Besides which, the brackets are screwed to the wall. At that point you might as well do french cleats. Then you're modular and can change it with minimum fuss. I wonder why there are any English cleats. Or German cleats. Or Azerbijani cleats. Or...........

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 2


----------



## DLJeffs (Monday at 11:39 AM)

Who has that many clamps? That display looks more like an art project than a wood shop.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 3


----------



## hmmvbreaker (Monday at 12:01 PM)

DLJeffs said:


> Who has that many clamps?

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Sprung (Monday at 2:17 PM)

DLJeffs said:


> Who has that many clamps? That display looks more like an art project than a wood shop.



The exact number of clamps a woodworker needs is equal to however many he owns, plus one.

In other words, you can never have enough clamps. Whoever's picture that is that I grabbed, I'd consider that a good start. There are no longer clamps in there. No parallel clamps or bar clamps.

And it's questionable if the clamps in the picture have ever even been used. No glue drips on them, or any sign of wear. No dust either. Probably an advertising photo of some sorts...

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


----------



## Mike1950 (Monday at 2:20 PM)

DLJeffs said:


> Who has that many clamps? That display looks more like an art project than a wood shop.


I have many more than that. Went to sale. Cabinet shop going out of biz. Had to have building empty. Over 100 heavy duty clamps. $150. I could not say no....

Reactions: Like 3 | +Karma 1


----------



## hmmvbreaker (Monday at 2:32 PM)

Who has that many clamps?

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## Nubsnstubs (Monday at 3:16 PM)

DLJeffs said:


> Who has that many clamps? That display looks more like an art project than a wood shop.


IMO, that's a floor display at some woodworking supply store. Picture was taken just right not to show anything else that might give it away. .......... Jerry n(in Tucson)

Reactions: Agree 2


----------



## Nubsnstubs (Monday at 3:31 PM)

DLJeffs said:


> Who has that many clamps? That display looks more like an art project than a wood shop.


I have just about 48 3/4" Pony pipe clamps. @ are 12", 14 are sized for 25" wide wood, and only 2 at 36", and the rest are from 48" to 10 1/2' long usually in sets of 3 for face frames. I was always one or 2 too short, but never had any issues with lengths. Most are hanging off my greenhouse, and the ones over 6' are hanging off the outside of the turning shop. My ceiling today is a bright blue with some white streaks most of the time, probably about 280 days of the year, and the rest of the days, it's probably a decent grey if not raining.............. Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Mike Hill (Monday at 3:48 PM)

hmmvbreaker said:


> I learned some time ago to not trust a man who's shop is super tidy. It usually means they aren't doing anything with those tools. Except organizing.


Kinda reminds me of a time in the past when I was making more important business decisions. Do I want an attorney who sat at a clean, empty desk, or one that had piles of paper that he was busy using?

Or what my Granddad used to ask - If a busy desk means a busy mind - what does an empty desk mean?

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 2 | Funny 1


----------



## JerseyHighlander (Monday at 5:30 PM)

Nubsnstubs said:


> I have just about 48 3/4" Pony pipe clamps. @ are 12", 14 are sized for 25" wide wood, and only 2 at 36", and the rest are from 48" to 10 1/2' long usually in sets of 3 for face frames. I was always one or 2 too short, but never had any issues with lengths. Most are hanging off my greenhouse, and the ones over 6' are hanging off the outside of the turning shop. My ceiling today is a bright blue with some white streaks most of the time, probably about 280 days of the year, and the rest of the days, it's probably a decent grey if not raining.............. Jerry (in Tucson)


Possibly. I know people that have what I call "boutique shops". Nicest thing they ever built was the shop itself. People with an overabundance of money for tools they display but don't use and the time to spend years making it look just so, typically for nothing more than bragging rights or to make youtube videos "reviewing" tools they've hardly ever used. 
Moved my professional shop five separate times over 12 years. Priority one was always being back to work by the second day. To be honest, I don't miss those days but organization always seems to be "someday".

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## JerseyHighlander (Monday at 5:40 PM)

ripjack13 said:


> *How do you store your hand tools?*
> 
> @hmmvbreaker 's topic on *Utility builds* inspired this week's QotW
> 
> ...


Were you one of those kids that saw a fire and had a need to dump gasoline on it?
Also, why the need to differentiate tools you use with your hands? As opposed to what (he asks with much trepidation)?  

Only partially kidding... Most of my non-hand tools are in deep, deep storage, I have virtually nothing but and like most people answered, they're everywhere! But they never seem to be where I remember leaving them last. Some of my really nice anti-Q & collector versions are on display shelving at my desk, if nothing else but to keep them safe from damage down in the cave like space that is my basement shop. Many of them made in England so, they're very particular... The others made in Germany are just plain arrogant.

Reactions: Like 3 | Funny 1


----------



## woodtickgreg (Monday at 6:01 PM)

I've got some clamps, and how I store them.

Reactions: Like 6 | Way Cool 1


----------



## Dmcoffman (Monday at 7:01 PM)

Spam post deleted by admin
warning issued.


----------



## ripjack13 (Monday at 7:05 PM)

Dmcoffman said:


> Verifpro - paypal, ebay, stripe, banks, crypto, docs and more!
> Follow channel https://t.me/Verifpro_accounts to get more info


What do they have to do with handtools storage? Looks a lot like spam to me Don.

Reactions: Agree 2


----------



## JerseyHighlander (Monday at 10:44 PM)

I hope everybody's some people's ears were ringing earlier... Looked at this post while taking a break from trying to organize the chaos from the last few rounds of emergency repair carnage, thinking about how someone could possibly have too many clamps, I looked up at a string of handscrews clamped along a floor joist in the basement ceiling and my OCD noticed how sloppily they were aligned. I tried to just walk away, I swear I did. Then I started loosening each of the 25 clamps, one at a time and pushing them up till the bottoms were flush. Did several, griping the whole time as everything is in the way, but then stepped back and of course, the gaps between them were nowhere near even, or parallel.  Uttered a few choice expletives, started loosening clamps again...
All the rest are scattered as if they fell in a storm but my old wood handscrews must be neat. 

I think I'd be comfortable entering into a rather large bet for who has the most clamps and if I go to a garage sale this weekend and see the right ones for the right price, they're coming home with me.

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 2


----------



## Dmcoffman (Monday at 11:08 PM)

The password is changed, sorry about the hack happening ...

On to the question at hand, how do you store your tools ...?

My shop is a 14x40 building. Looking toward my storage/cabinets etc (saw, planer, lathe, jointer, opposite direction). I like building chests :).






And I added storage under my bench ...

Reactions: Like 8 | Way Cool 1


----------



## Mike Hill (Tuesday at 7:15 AM)

Have one big stainless steel rolling cabinet/work surface bought from Sams that holds the majority. The rest are in different toolboxes, rolling luggage (where I keep my good chisels and another for jewelry making junk), or just out on any horizontal surface. 

This was one of the hardest things I had to type what with all the tears streaming through my long curly lashes - reality had hit me -- I did not have a shop - I had a storage place!

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


----------



## David Hill (Tuesday at 9:05 PM)

Firstly— I’m not OCD— I’m the guy that treats it.
Saw this large cabinet at an estate auction, the fella was a big contractor & there were lots of well worn tools, passed on them. I got it to store power tools, cords, etc.
On the wall is a pegboard/shelf system I saw on a “build in a weekend” show, was ok until I outgrew it. Was a neat build for few $$. Makes a great place for my shop cd’s too.
My other “storage” is the Husky table that swmbo let me buy last year as a “reward”. It’s really nice, even has a leaf that folds out to make table top bigger.
For grins, the last pic is of the lathe tool storage unit. Hope to be using soon since I just cleaned the area.

Reactions: Like 7


----------



## Lou Currier (Yesterday at 8:58 PM)

Where I can never find them

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


----------

