Workshop Storage

Quick and simple ways to get organized

A little bit of organizing will help you get a lot more done in your shop.

Vinyl gutter tool tray

What can you do with a leftover length of gutter? You can screw it to the edge of your workbench and use it to keep tools and fasteners out of your way but handy for assembly work.

Round up small parts

Steel shower curtain holders are perfect for organizing small hardware with holes, such as saber saw blades, washers, eye screws, POP rivet parts and cotter pins.

Cordless drill hangout

Here’s a way to prevent cordless drills from toppling off your workbench. Screw large vinyl-covered hooks (available for $1 at hardware stores and home centers) to a convenient spot on a wall or exposed stud and hang up those drills for safekeeping and easy access.

Rotary bit organizer

If you avoid using your rotary tool because all the bits and accessories are a discouraging mess, here’s a solution for you. Friction-fit a piece of 3/4-in. plastic foam into a snap-lid plastic food container.

Then poke holes in the foam with an awl to hold shafted bits, and slice crevices with a utility knife to hold cutoff discs. Using a spade bit at high speed, drill sockets for larger bits and tube-shape containers. Then just load it up and snap it shut.

Toolapron storage

Tool aprons can be modified to store nearly any household item. Just sew a variety of pocket widths in the apron, then mount them by screwing a wood strip through the top of each and into a door. For hollow-core doors, use drywall fasteners to hold the screws firmly to the door.