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.
You can attach a length of soft copper tubing to extend the reach of a blow gun nozzle used with an air compressor. The extra length will allow you to clean out motors and interior machine parts without getting a face full of dust. The end of the tubing can be bent to reach around the back side of motors or into other hard-to-reach areas. Use a wet/dry vac along with the blow gun to help keep dust out of the shop.
If you have a small air compressor or other machine in your workshop that vibrates, you can dampen it by putting special foot pads of corrugated cardboard squares under each of the legs. Make the pads about 2 in. thick by gluing several squares together. Glue so the corrugation of one piece lies at right angles to that of the next square of cardboard.
Worn-out nylons can be used to hold tools on pegboard if you run out of pegboard hooks or have something bulky to hang up. Knot up one end, then feed the nylon through the back, and then loop it through appropriate holes for the tools you want to hang. The nylons will stretch nicely to fit various tool shapes and will actually hold the larger tools more securely than the older-style pegboard hooks. This trick works best if you are able to gain access to the back of the pegboard.
To store project plans, reference materials and magazine clippings, keep at least one two-drawer file cabinet in your workshop. You may be able to tuck them under existing workbenches. Or, if you will be building new workbenches, design them to accommodate the file-drawer cabinets.
