# Shop Organization



## beck3906 (Mar 20, 2015)

I've said for way too many months I needed to build cabinets and organize my shop, so I finally decided it was time to do something about it.  Instead of large cabinets, I opted for a French cleat system.  This allows me to tailor the storage to the need.  I also used a lot of small scraps laying around the shop.

Here's the initial set I have.


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## beck3906 (Mar 20, 2015)

Here's more shots


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## MarkD (Mar 20, 2015)

That looks great! 
French cleats are so versatile!


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## designer (Mar 20, 2015)

Oh yeah.  Like now you will be able to find anything.  No sawdust, no piles to look thru.....Yes I am jealous.  Well done.


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## Rink (Mar 20, 2015)

Outstanding. You've raised the bar.


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## beck3906 (Mar 20, 2015)

designer said:


> Oh yeah.  Like now you will be able to find anything.  No sawdust, no piles to look thru.....Yes I am jealous.  Well done.


 

You just don't see the main part of the shop.  Major cleaning needed there.  :biggrin:


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## csr67 (Mar 20, 2015)

Wow, very nice work. Any tips or resources on how you did the cleats?


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## Nikitas (Mar 20, 2015)

You suck.....Very nice shop!


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## KCW (Mar 20, 2015)

That is great.  One day, one day.


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## Kragax (Mar 20, 2015)

That is really impressive!


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## Edward Cypher (Mar 20, 2015)

Jealous too.  Beautiful design, sweet organization.


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## preacherman (Mar 20, 2015)

I really like that. A lot of good ideas for getting things organized!


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## JimB (Mar 20, 2015)

I wish my shop was that organized. Nice job.


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## kruzzer (Mar 20, 2015)

Wow... outstanding job.. and yes I'm jealous...


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## avbill (Mar 20, 2015)

Where  were you then I change  my shop!  that's amazing!


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## Rick_G (Mar 20, 2015)

Want to come visit Canada.  I have a spare bedroom.  Be happy to feed you give you a place to sleep and keep you busy organizing my shop. :biggrin:  Very nice.


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## turncrazy43 (Mar 20, 2015)

Rick, great job on your shop. It should save you a lot of time trying to find things as you work thru a project. Thanks for sharing your ideas. I am sure some of us will steal some of your design ideas and us them in our own shops.
____________________________________________________
Everyday I'm vertical is a great day


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## larryc (Mar 20, 2015)

Love that French Cleat system and you've taken it to the nth degree!


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## wood-of-1kind (Mar 20, 2015)

BEAUTIFUL,FUNCTIONAL AND VERSATILE.

Thanks for the 'inspiration' to get organized.


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## Sataro (Mar 20, 2015)

Looks more like a showroom instead of a shop. Very nice!!! Now I've lost the urge to go out to my shop & look through my cluttered mess....


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## SteveG (Mar 20, 2015)

Back when I used to read a lot of wood-work mags, I remember one guy that lamented having spent a great deal of effort building extensive shop cabinetry with door closures. He discovered that in use, open display of all that "STUFF" was preferable. Here you have seemed to have done that just right, along with the flexibility of the cleat system. It looks great, and looks like it works great also. Nice job all the way!!


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## gimpy (Mar 20, 2015)

Shut the front door,,,,,,,awesome


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## hcpens (Mar 20, 2015)

Can I hire you to do my shop, live just down the road?


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## Rink (Mar 20, 2015)

A bunch of folks on here may already know you and your approach, but I don't, so I'll ask...

I love the french cleat system (why is it called "french"?)  Anyway, I see a couple of trays of blanks standing on end, several sections of plastic bins.  

Is all of this just for penturning? or also general woodworking?  For pens, can you tell us more about your process and organization method?  For instance, what's in the plastic bins and why you do it that way?  Are you casting your own blanks?

Sorry if not appropriate questions for this thread, just trying to learn.  Will be moving this year and want to set up my next workspace as efficiently as possible.  My current shop is great for woodworking, but not very efficient for pen making.


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## Timbo (Mar 20, 2015)

Great job!  I did the same thing, just didn't use as many cleats.  WOOD Magazine had published a set of plans for a bunch of wall fixtures that hung from a cleat system.  I made some from their plans, but also had a lot of fun designing and building my own fixtures to hold various tools and jigs.  I think this system is one of the best in terms of organization, usefulness and flexibility for shop storage.


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## keithbyrd (Mar 20, 2015)

Outstanding job!
I am impressed!!


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## Paul in OKC (Mar 20, 2015)

After seeing that I think I will just keep my normal mode of dis-array. That is way too neat for me


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## nativewooder (Mar 20, 2015)

When I look at your amazing progress, it makes me happy I retired and sold everything. (Almost):biggrin:


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## Carl Fisher (Mar 20, 2015)

French cleat systems are fun, but I love all of the accessory holders you've come up with.


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## flyitfast (Mar 20, 2015)

hcpens said:


> Can I hire you to do my shop, live just down the road?


 
Rick, While you are down here in SA doing Richard's shop, I'm just a couple of miles away - then we can get started on my cluttered cavern!! 

You are well on your way to a model shop - it looks great and I'm envious!!  I see why there hasn't been anything about a Central TX meeting lately.  You have your priorities right and you will have something to be proud of.

Thanks for showing.
gordon


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## JimB (Mar 20, 2015)

Now I can say I learned something today. I didn't know what a French cleat system is so I googled it and then watch a you tube video of a guy making one for his closet (I think his shop is bigger than my house). It's kind of like upside down slat wall.


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## rkimery (Mar 20, 2015)

Great job!


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## GaryMGg (Mar 20, 2015)

No wonder your pen craftsmanship is so nice.
Your overall workmanship is goal oriented toward excellence :biggrin:


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## Ligget (Mar 20, 2015)

Yes I am jealous, awesome work my friend!


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## raar25 (Mar 20, 2015)

Nice wall organization, but whats up with the mess on the benches?  Just kidding, very nicely done. I find myself torn between cleaning and organizing and making stuff with the limited time I have to spend in the shop. You made me decide I need to take the cabinet doors off of my work bench cabinets.


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## LeeR (Mar 20, 2015)

Rick, 

Is this really an actual shop?  Looks like on of those "studio" shops you see in a woodworking magazine.  Way too organized, and clean.


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## robutacion (Mar 20, 2015)

Well, first of all, you done an amazing job and created a great way to keep things organized and visible.  I appreciate a well organized work-shop and I can say that, I experience it a few times in my life, particularly in the first few weeks a building a new work-shop however, things start to change slowly, things are not put back when they should (do it later, tomorrow...!), new things start to be added/come in, space start to be reduced and not everything goes back into the wall space and off the floor, and when you least expected, the beautiful organized work-shop, is a mess...!

Sometimes, will continue that way until we die or move elsewhere however, it gives great pleasure to build a proper, organized and functional work-shop, at least, once in a life time so, congrats mate, you achieved that...!

In fact, the system you used and all the cabinets that suit different needs, if someone was to make a living out of making these things and sell them in shops, either assembled or flat-pack, I'm sure many of us would buy them and get our stuff a lot better organized, I've seen solutions there for most of the items/tools that we all have in our work-shops, laying all around the place, huh...!

Well done,

Cheers
George


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## Fish30114 (Mar 20, 2015)

Beck 3906, if you would, what type of mandrel is that in the third pic, last one on the right with a stainless shaft? That looks like just what I am looking for.

As to the 'cleat' system and shop--Wowzers! I am a horrible pig as far as my shop goes, and I don't have on overabundance of space-so I would really like to learn more about what you have done, I was just ready to start a thread about how folks stored their Morse taper items. 

Thanks for the share!


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## Mrs. Charlie_W (Mar 20, 2015)

Can you come organize my hubby's shop? I think having the ability to organize like this is a gift. I think your ideas are great because like items are together and everything is visible. Your sandpaper organizer reminds me of the teacher mailboxes that were in old schools. Excellent job!


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## wob50 (Mar 21, 2015)

Looks great, nice and organized , that French cleat looks great ( I will used that one ).


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## wob50 (Mar 21, 2015)

Love the sand paper rack LOVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## beck3906 (Mar 21, 2015)

Thanks for all your comments.  I fel like I'm making positive moves to get things organized.  It feels good when others think so also.

I had built 7 wall cabinet boxes and was ready to apply the face frames when I began researching the french cleat system.  Pinterest was a great resource for photos and links to other people's work to use as suggestions and inspiration.  I began designing my own things over a few weeks and then began construction. 

I would build a few, do the finish work, hang them, and them start a few more.  I probably have another 15 different things to build before the fall.  I need time to get back to inventory making for a couple of shows this spring.

I'm also working on show displays in another thread.  The displays I had been using were getting to be a bit over-whelming for the look I wanted.  I'll have these mostly finished this week for a show in San Antonio 2 weeks.

As to questions.....

The big room in the shop is terribly cluttered right now.  Organization starts with small steps and I needed to get certain things done to really make a final push for cleaning.

 I did want to get organized before I had everyone over this spring.  As it looks now, I'm thinking it will be the weekend after Memorial Day when I can host something.  I'm having cataract surgery during April so that month is out.  Shows in May hinder something the first of May.

I wa asked about the stainless mandrel.  This is a regular mandrel with bushings left on it.  Nothing special.

As to my organization method.

I had a dozen tackle boxes I had accumulated over the last few years.  I built something to hold them to get them out if the way.  Nothing specifically planned for now, but thoughts do exist.

Wal-mart sells small storage containers I use for "work-in-progress".  I built 2 racks to hold these types of boxes.

There are racks wth boards having dowel pegs to hold blanks that are drilled and tubed.  I often get several things tubed and put them aside for turning later.  These racks also hold blanks I buy from vendors as I see things like watch part blanks.  Buy them when you see them...they may not be available for a while.  Some may be one of a kind.

I'll post more pictures as I finish more racks or cabinets.


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## beck3906 (Mar 21, 2015)

More thoughts.

There's a group of 4 of the cabinets with small drawers.  These are for bushings.  Yep, I do collect a number over time.  And expect more.

Another cabinet with drawers was built because my wife thought I needed the cabinet to organize my shop.  I built the rack to hold it on the cleats.

I love the idea of moving things around.

Multiple holders for gloves to use in different places in the shop.

A couple of racks to hold end mills depending on which room I'm working.

Small trays to hold misc things like drill bit cases, buffing bars, etc.

Small shelves to hold those things I loose easily like loc-tite.


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## Jim Smith (Mar 21, 2015)

Just one word; WOW!

Jim Smith


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## TDE (Mar 21, 2015)

Wonderful job.Outstanding in fact.


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