Workshop

Small cabinets with plastic drawers are easier to use if you mount them at eye level in your shop. That way items are easier to see without pulling out all of the drawers to get what you need.

A good deal of shop work can involve planning and designing jobs. If you have not done so, outfit your workshop with plenty of paper, drawing tools, tape and planning aids, plus a desk lamp and a comfortable stool. Such creature comforts will help increase your enjoyment of home and workshop projects.

When rounding out your workshop tools, consider adding two of the handiest tools used in shops of old-timers: a drawknife and a spokeshave. For the occasional job a drawknife can be used instead of the router for beveling work. It’s fast and it can make fine cuts without any chatter marks. A spokeshave is like a plane with handles, making it easy to control the depth of cut for a perfect surface.

Shop injuries often can happen when something is difficult to remove and excess pressure is applied. When using heavy force, especially with tools like a screwdriver or a needle-nose pliers, think ahead to what will happen if the tool slips off. If it could hit a part of your body, search for an alternative removal method.

Cords for small power tools like sanders and drills can get in the way when you work on a bench. One trick to keep them from interfering is to make up a chain of heavy rubber binders. Loop one end of the chain onto the cord about a foot behind the tool. Loop the other end over a cup hook screwed into the ceiling of your shop. When done, unhook from the cup hook and put the tool in storage.

A hot glue gun can provide an alternative when labeling containers of small parts. Glue a sample of what’s inside to either the top or sides and you will immediately know which container to grab. Whether you use the glue method, labels, or just write on the container, repeat it three times equally spaced around a can. For square containers, identify all four sides. That way you will know the contents regardless of which way the container sits on the shelf.

You want to do the right thing and include a first aid kit in your workshop. The question is, what should you keep in it? Here’s a list of must haves: Regular and elastic bandages, antiseptic ointment, cotton swabs and balls, a tweezers, eye drops, elastic bandages with first-aid tape, gauze, a chemical cold pack, and a first aid information handbook. Also a list of emergency phone numbers either right near the phone or in the first-aid box cover itself.

Keeping large handled tools, such as sledge hammers- and axes-, hung up on a wall surface keeps them neat and handy. To hang, drill a hole crosswise in the handle an inch or so from the end so the head will be flat against the wall. Since the hole is near the end, it won’t weaken the handle.

Use caster sets to keep your major tools, even workbenches, portable. Wheeled tools and benches will allow you more flexibility, and will let you reposition for specific jobs like ripping long lumber or for taking advantage of natural daylight.

Save time searching for your tools by organizing your workshop. Use your wallspace for good visibility and easy access. Open shelving is great for storing heavy tools and organizing shop hardware. Drawers are a good place for smaller tools and especially sharp ones. Make sure your working surfaces are large and free of clutter.