I would pay good money for someone to organize my shop!

[Lee Schierer]

I struggled with the same problem. I laid it out on paper and couldn't get a good solution. My DIL looked at it and came up with a really good layout that I now use.

[Darrin Vanden Bosch]

The thing is if I organize now I'll never find anything, you know the old saying
a place for everything and everything in its place.

[David Giles]

You might notice that few people make a living organizing other folk's things, despite an obvious need to do so. That's because your work space reflects your personality, mindset and thought processes. Another person can organize it once, but it rarely sticks because it isn't "you". However, there are a couple of suggestions that you can implement in your own personal style:
1. You are the most important tool in the shop. Make spaces for you to stand, walk and work. Everything else is potential storage.
2. Toss it out. You know what I'm talking about (even if I don't). Just get rid of it once and for all.
3. Finish it. Complete those old projects that are 90% done.
4. Do it again next month. Psychological changes take time to get used to the "new layout" and to come up with ideas for the next step.

[John Coloccia]

As promised, here's a walkthrough of the shop. Ellen was kind enough to give me an evaluation of my "problem" areas. I have commitments tomorrow, but I will be working all day today and Sunday to get it back under control.

Here's part one, the main shop.




Part two is what was my office/thinking space. We had to rearrange some things and this turned into a holding area for junk.




Hopefully on Sunday night I will post part three, Ellen's updated evaluation. There's no turning back now.

So after giggling for a bit with the videos, we actually did some real work and came up with a plan of attack. The basic plan is to hit the furnace room first to make some room for bikes, planes and things. Then misc. stuff, like jackets and chairs, end up in the attic. Desk comes apart. Monitor goes somewhere. Etc etc....get everything off the floor is the goal. From there, I can start reorganizing as I'll have plenty of floor space to work with. Maybe I'll even build or bring in a another bench. We'll see. Stay tuned

[Dave Anderson NH]

I, like probably everyone else, know my shop is not the optimum configuration or perfectly organized. I think that unless one starts out with a virgin space and designs it from the start to be a shop, a shop evolves over time and not always in an organized fashion. There is a tendency to make the quick fix to get through the current crisis and this repeats itself over and over through time until we have a "completed" shop. The other thing we face is our inability to see the forest for the trees. After looking at your shop a thousand times you see what you expect to see and you develop a set of mental rules about why something can or can not move to a different area, about why something will or will not work, and a series of other mental tricks you play on yourself. John has already taken the single most important step to redeveloping his shop. He brought in a fresh set of eyes that lacked preconceived ideas.

I have been fortunate over the years in that I belong to an active woodworking guild and many of the meetings have been in other woodworker's shops. I have NEVER gone into someone's shop and not come out with at least one good idea which I was able to use or adapt for my own use. If there is any chance at all, network and look at as many other setups as you can arrange the time to visit. Couple this with someone coming to your shop and challenging your assumptions about why this or that can or can not be done and you have a great start toward redevelopment.

It is an article of faith in our NH guild that everyone from the rankest beginner to the oldest master has both something to teach and something to learn.

[John Coloccia]

Dave: what my wife really brought to the table was the idea that I really don't need the office space anymore. It looks lie that's turning into my main work area, and the rest of the shop is my power tool area. That makes sense from a space standpoint, and also from a human standpoint. I'd much rather spend most of my day in an intimate studio than a full blown workshop.

I probably wouldn't have thought of that on my own as I always thought about that second space (the smaller disaster area in video #2) as office space, and never as woodworking space.

[David Giles]

She sounds pretty bright, quite organized and has a vested interest in the project. I'd delete the SMC thread and just listen to her.

Does she know that you are willing to pay someone to help organize your shop? Can we let her know and suggest a rate sheet?

[Dave Anderson NH]

John, While I think of myself as a Neander, I still have and use the full complement of power tools. My basement shop is divided into a machine room and a bench room. The machine room is smaller than the bench room and most of the equipment is on mobile bases and is rolled around as needed. The only fixed location machines are the drill press and the lathe. My bench room is the emotional and intellectual nerve center of my shop. Here I have a woodstove, my glass doored bookcases of woodworking books and magazines, and all of my hand tools. It houses my main workbench, my 24" x 48" sharpening bench, the 30" x 78" assembly and dirty job bench, a saw bench, and all of my finishes. I also have my drawing implements, laptop, and a couple of chairs in the room. In effect, it is my office, at least as far as woodworking is concerned and there is no question it is my main work space. I do suffer from what I alluded to in my earlier post, a shop which evolved over 21 years. If I was starting with a fresh slate things would be organized differently based on the information available here on what others have done and based on what I have seen on visits to friends shops. On the whole though I am very satisifed with what I have. A few years ago Sue asked me if I would like to build a free standing shop behind the house. I chose not to based on convenience. Why build a separate building you have to heat and cool, shovel a path to in the winter snow, pay taxes on, and put on boots and a jacket to visit in the winter. Right now I can sit watching TV, go downstairs in my sweats and slipper to throw a coat of shellac on something, and be back in front of the tube by the end of the commercials. I have plenty of natural light with 5 double hung windows, and at night artificial lighting takes care of things. My shop is far from perfect in organization or the amount of space available, but it is comfortable and far more than adequate.

[bill schmoott]

John, I watched your shop video and laughed quite a bit. I went into my shop and saw a lot of the same type things. (stuff just sitting, taking up aisle/access/bench space) etc., that just needs to be put away after use. I would in this case just listen to your wife. It sounds like she has some great ideas. I would die to have half the space that you have. My entire workshop is probably just a little bit bigger than your office. Which I saw to be a great finishing room if you could figure out a way to ventilate it. Good luck and hope to see a video once you are finished.

[Maurice Ungaro]

John, you're lucky. My wife would never allow me to take over that much space.

[Dave Houseal]

People are always starting biggest loser weight loss groups at work. Maybe we should start a shop organization support group....hahaha

We'll just have to come up with a scoring system.

How about something like....

1 point for each piece of wood thrown out under 12" in length.
2 points for each piece under 18" in length

Anything over 18" in length....let's not get carried away here.....you keep that!!!

5 points for getting anything out of your shop that isn't shop related.
5 points for getting rid of an old jig you don't need
10 points for each tool you get rid of that you don't use

5 points for each shelf installed
10 points for each cabinet

Sounds like John has a bit of a head start on us :-D

[Tom Clark FL]

John,

Years ago I got tired of never being able to accomplish anything because of constantly fighting the clutter. So I did take the time to build shop cabinets so there was a place to put things away instead of dumping everything on any clear space. Now working on projects is a far nicer experience.

By the way, getting ready to move to a new shop across country. Everything goes with me to the new shop. Wouldn't give up a thing!

[John Coloccia]

Well, I haven't forgotten about this. It's been quite a week. Circulator pump on furnace died, leak in water treatment stuff, car stuck in driveway, etc. HOWEVER, an interim update is coming soon. As happens with this sort of thing, the original scope has grown a bit. I'm trying to keep it flexible and just let things develop.

You know, it would actually be pretty entertaining to see creekers inviting other creekers into their shops and getting advice, and then watching the shops transform.

[Mike Cruz]

John, I think that's an awesome idea! As I said before, I've invited others over here to see my shop and its layout for their sake. I should have been asking for their advice for mine!

[Dale Probst]

John,
My wife and I watched your videos and thoroughly enjoyed them. My wife said to tell you that you married above yourself.
DP