Tour of Shop - Basement Workshop Organization

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tfufPbwBqc

For several years i had half of the basement as my workshop.

We spent a good part of last year refinishing the basement to make a play area for our son and nieces and nephews. I didn't really take a lot of pictures while we were building it, but i plan to make a quick blog post talking about what we did and why we did it.

basement remodel, house remodel, plans, designs, how to

Since the area that used to be my workshop is now carpet and a couch, that meant that i now have the only 1/4 of the basement near the furnace and sump pump. It used to be filled with paint cans, boxes, stacked chairs and stuff we didn't know what to do with. At first it was a little like fitting 2 pounds of junk into a 1 pound bag. I moved my work benches, table and shelves over there, but everything else like wood and tools just got piled up and there was nowhere to walk. But slowly i was able to organize everything, and make places for things to be hung up and out of the way. It's constantly a work in progress but here's what the shop looks like now.

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Organized Chaos

I'll go over some key points that have given me room and helped me stay organized:

Hang From Ceiling

This is where i feel like i'm really saving space. I have been able to hang extension cords, air hoses, paint cans, clamps, lights, and saw horses from the ceiling. It's all within arms reach but still out of the way.

Air Hose

how to sort tools, keep parts out of the way

Extension Cord Reel

Clamps

Shelves

You need to have some shelves in a workshop to store all the stuff you don't know what to do with. I like to use milk crates to sort of compartmentalize everything. That way i can pull out the milk crate labeled "Electrical" and it has everything i need to do electrical in it.

basement tools, on wheels, storage, sort

Big Tools on Wheels

The table saw, big table, and compact miter saw stand are all on wheels. This is essential because i am constantly moving things in order to make room. The table saw and miter saw get tucked in next to the furnace so that they are as out of the way as possible until i need them.

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Table Saw on Wheels

Close Up view of Saw Stands

Organizer Cart

This is something i built a few years ago and it has been perfect for organizing small parts. Being able to quickly get nuts, bolts, and all sorts of things has saved me hours.

Tools on Pegboard
I'll write up a separate blog post for why i like to use pegboards. I think it's the best way to go in terms of being able to quickly grab tools and to visually see what tool is the best for the job.