Garage Organization... where the OCD folks at?

[2mAn]

Share how you have organized your garage, because I need help...

I'm the "organized mess" type where I can find 95% of the things I'm looking for and know what pile of junk is holding that one thing I need.

However, I am trying to get organized so I knew I needed to start with my toolbox. Here are some before and after shots.

driver drawer:




wrench drawer




socket drawer




handle drawer


Theres still a few drawers that are messy, and 'Santa' brought me an organizer for my Milwaukee tools so excited to get to the point that the desk/ work area is actually clean again... maybe before the end of the year.

[Northern]

Mine's a dumpster fire now.

Basically - 2023 build. Uninsulated slab on grade, 20x28x10 with loft. 200A panel fed off a 100A breaker on the house's 200A panel (House is propane heat/hot water/stove/oven so there's not much electrical demand from the house itself.)
Fiberglass insulation - ceiling R20, Walls R12, 6mil vapour barrier everywhere.
Sonopan sound insulation on all walls. 3 walls drywall/1 plywood.

Winter of 2023 before interior was finished:


Loft is decent storage, and almost 6' of clearance to walk down the middle, but low load allowance, so I can't store heavy stuff up here.



main tool storage 26" tool boxes with a lot of drawers.
I find the 26" boxes are cheaper per square inch, and different brands fit together pretty well.
Sometimes deep drawers are good, but usually they're a waste of space.
The husky intermediate cabinets go on sale for $109 CAD sometimes, still could use one or two more.
I wish I planned the garage layout better - the window placement isn't ideal.


Plywood wall + various hooks to mount anything + flip-up workbench to keep the wallspace above it usable.
I need to update this pic. I have traction boards, ramps, collapsible sawhorses here now.


Workbench in 4' sections. Needs to collapse to fit 2-wide since the garage is only 20' wide.
Up:


Down:


A rack for frequently used battery powered tools/chargers (since this picture it's become much worse)


Use other areas (not garage) for storage whenever possible:
I have a tire & oil storage room under my front entrance:


My old basement workshop is now for tool kit storage (for rarely used things - timing tools, balljoint press, caliper winder, old wired drills/recip, etc.)
Trying to figure out some non-shed outdoor storage, but it seems harder to make work.

As far as the toolboxes go, one used to be shadowed for work but I ripped about half of it out to make room for tools more relevant for automotive.

[ehrawn]

We have a blank slate. I’m trying not to just dump everything in a pile in the middle of the floor as we move in.

[iXBeater]

My garage is a wreck (moved a year and a half ago, and haven't gotten it clear for a car...yet :( ), but my box is tidy...








etc.

But my garage itself is cray - I'm not taking any pix of it...

[Simple_Smith]

Fellow self diagnosed OCD here!

My home garage isn't too horribly OCD as its just what I need to get little house projects done. The lift bay I have at my parent's place is where all the heavy lifting is done, whether it be for myself or jobs for customers, that's the business side that is focused on workflow and productivity, not aesthetics.

The house garage I'd like to keep working on making it a nicer spot to hangout; paint the walls, insulate the attic, install a mini-split, add some tire storage, and clear out some of the yard tools and tractor once we get a shed.

The shop space needs more shelving and a good reorganizing. The issue with working in an old space and adapting is the amount of work it takes to get back to a bare bones, square one starting place to begin working vs. just having an empty space and a vision. Definitely need a better solution for spare engines and transmissions along with the larger tools ie. cherry picker, trans jack, engine stands etc.

Going to try and add pics from the phone so bare with me...

And don't mind the chicken feed

[Simple_Smith]

And for the OCD:

[Simple_Smith]

We have a blank slate. I’m trying not to just dump everything in a pile in the middle of the floor as we move in.

I say just dump everything in a pile in the middle of the floor, then start in one corner or one wall and work out from there. If you start half ass putting stuff on walls just so its not on the floor, they tend to just stay there. At least thats how it works by me. Then you end up having to move a lot of stuff two and three times. What size is that shop?

[Jordan]

Ah... this thread is relevant to my non E30 interests lol. My workshop is always a work in progress, I really need to finish painting the upper cabinets but I lack the spare time to allocate to their completion. The OCD is strong around these parts.... A few of my favorite and oh so afflicted drawers, along with the general workspace below. I cannot recommend foam enough for the organizational prowess and ability to close drawers without concern items will migrate. No it is NOT the most efficient use of space, but it sure looks nice AF.


Left:


Center:


Right:


Sockets and related items:


Battery operated items:


14 ABS pumps in build queue:


The workshop overall (It is honestly a bit messy at the moment due to a busy weekend working out there):

[Eric]

Ah... this thread is relevant to my non E30 interests lol. My workshop is always a work in progress, I really need to finish painting the upper cabinets but I lack the spare time to allocate to their completion. The OCD is strong around these parts.... A few of my favorite and oh so afflicted drawers, along with the general workspace below. I cannot recommend foam enough for the organizational prowess and ability to close drawers without concern items will migrate. No it is NOT the most efficient use of space, but it sure looks nice AF.

Looks tidy Jordan! How do you cut the foam so neatly?

Since I move every 2-3 years, I have to pack everything into a single toolbox, most of the drawers are stuffed, but I have been trying to organize the main socket/rathcet/wrench drawers. I've also recently picked up a slide top roll cab for work that I've been filling out (last pic). As I've become more organized, I've found that it has noticeably reduced stress when wrenching. I also like to wipe down my tools after a job, so I'll usually leave them on the workbench or on top of the roll cab until the job is done then wipe them down real quick before putting them away. Takes 2-5 minutes and makes a big difference.

Most of these wrenches are metric, but since picking up a classic Mini a few years ago, my collection of standard tools has grown. Working in aviation again is compounding that problem.


The ratchet drawer is a little silly if I'm honest. More of a collection than a need at this point. I use the same 2-3 most of the time, but sometimes one of the weird ones is super useful.
I'd like to get holders for the ratchets similar to what Jordan is using


Socket drawer is a mess. I've had it almost the way I want it a few times now and I never am satisfied. I think toolgrid is going to be the answer to my problem.


Work box. Bottom two drawers hold warm clothes, but I mainly work out of the open pit at the top of the box.


I can do 90% of the work I'm tasked with 1/4" 12-point sockets. The semi-deep are snap-on and I love them. The shallow and deep are Koken and they are great as well, no complaints.

[Simple_Smith]

Eric I have the same debate with reorganizing my top socket drawer. I like all the snap-on magnet bases but they take up a lot of room. On the one hand its nice because the drawer looks full so I don't spend money filling it up, on the other hand the space isn't being used to the fullest. I'll eventually pick up some of those triple row socket racks. I've also found that most of the time I'm working with the same handful of tools and all the rest just stay in the box looking pretty until I have to get in a weird space for whatever reason.

[Jordan]

Looks tidy Jordan! How do you cut the foam so neatly

I laid out all of the tools how I wanted them and cut them in one at a time with a new blade on a breakaway PPF knife. Specifically the pewter colored knife in the middle of the larger drawer next to the snap on utility knife. On amazon you can find it under "VViViD Best Damn Knife" The rest is up to a steady hand and patience. If you rush and screw up you ruin an entire sheet and the likely hours of effort already invested in cutouts. The end product is without question worth it.

All of my socket organizers are the Ernst Manufacturing - Socket Boss and I love them. I tried many options before I settled on these. I like the twist lock function though some may not, and the fact that I can quickly unclick an entire row to take it with me if I'm doing a house call or a junk yard run.

[FredK]

holy smokes Jordan, those foam cutouts look insane! How did you get the finger slots to have such a flat bottom? Not that I would attempt something like this in a million years, I just am not a patient person.

[2mAn]

We need Sh3rpak!ng to share here too