Small Workshop Solutions, Part 1 (Tool Organizers)

I recall someone said, "When in doubt. organizise". Playful fun with the word organize but a small workshop, such as what I have, needs a dose of it.  Plenty of doses actually. Clutter and finding the tools when you need them is the bane of every hobbyist woodworker (next to sanding).  I must admit it is hard to keep a workshop neat and clutter-free, if one is actively used.  But the most frustrating part is finding the tool when needed and making sure it goes back to where it must, after it is used. At the same place, every time.  Easier said than done.

Marking tools are 99% of what starts a project. All of these (below) were needed to be in one portable carrier. Limited work space calls for keeping these tools (below) in as small a caddy as possible, i.e., one with a mere 3 X 9 inch foot print and the portability of a condiment holder.

Two rare earth magnets at the bottom secures this stand when set on top of the table saw. It will slide smoothly enough or it can be picked up and moved via a handle with a finger hole. 

Each marking tool in a specific slot makes finding and returning easy.  

Pocket hole joinery is quick, strong and convenient to use.  Depending on the thickness of the material to be joined, the special drill bits must have a specific stop collar.  Having each set, marked  and readily available adds to convenience.

Seldom used, small carving chisels need portability too and a small footprint caddy makes it easy to set aside and stored on a shelf.

Drill accessories and drill bits (below) at "parade rest" ready to be called upon ..

.. by the drill sergeant on duty (below). My wife asked once, "Why do you have so many drills?" I answered, "One can't have too many drills".  Because ..

"One can't have too many clamps", along the same line of  non-sequitur arguments husbands use when it comes to buying tools. But clamps need to be organized too.

From above ..

To middle height ..

To below ..

These long clamps (below), some as long as 48 inches, take up residence outside by the workshop door. Often they are used for assembling bigger projects that require space outside the small workshop, such as at the adjoining car garage, so they might as well be conveniently there.

Below, also with a magnet bottom, this caddy typically sits on the table saw fence containing the remote switch for the dust collector, a remote for the air cleaner, a digital angle gauge and tape measure. Procedurally, I'd turn the dust collector and air cleaner on, before turning on the table saw.  The digital gauge is needed when setting the angle of the saw blade. All within easy reach as I stand in front of the table saw. Of course, the entire caddy will slide along the fence or it can be picked up and set aside near-by if called for.

Individual saw blades in their tray..

.. and tucked into their individual slots to the right of the table saw within arms length.

Another caddy, designed to slide along a track on the side of the bench. It is removable if the entire workbench surface needs to be used.

Tucked away in a large drawer are the various hand planes. 

Below is another drawer with the "drill sergeants".

When it is not doable on the drill press this tool makes it possible to drill prefect 90 deg. holes using a hand drill attached to it.

CA glue and accelerator are now  an invaluable part of woodworking, specially for gluing up small pieces or for quick adhesion until regular glue dries.

Camera batteries and charger caddy (often used to take the photos for this blog)

Obviously, it helps to organize a maddening array of tools in a small workshop. I am not a neat freak by any means but a little organizing takes away the madness otherwise.

Small Workshop Solutions, Part 2 (Wheeled Butler)

Imagine a butler holding up a silver tray.  At one's beck and call, there he is serving up whatever it is one needs.  That's the inspiration for this project - part of a small workshop solutions. Where there is little room on the work bench, table saw, the router table or by the drill press, a caddy like this that can be wheeled next to where it is needed and tucked away when not, is quite useful. 

For $10, I bought the wheeled base below from the home center simply because there was no way I can build one for less than that.

From some left over 3/4 plywood, I cut to size a 20 X 14 board.

Drilling on a large board, too unwieldy to do on a drill press, is best dealt with using this accessory.  First, a small pilot hole drilled through from the under side.

Drilling with a 1/4 inch Forstner on the top side bit to recess the screw head.

Right angle drill head accessory to drive pocket hole screws in tight spaces

Fastening the recessed screws on top of the tray

This butler caddy will roll around the workshop next to wherever it is needed to hold and set various items.

Little Jig for Small Projects

 Repurposing a coffee jar, create a little jig, and on with a project.

It started with a left over 1/4 inch thick acrylic. Ripping it to 5 inch width.

A small table saw sled  made quick work on cutting the acrylic to size.

Making this jig was fun but, as sometimes the case, as soon as I finished it I realized there was one other little improvement I can do.  That will be in another blog if I decided to make it.  Perhaps I can explain a little more in detail how this thing works in its entirety. My full-size sleds are on sabbatical now that this little one takes over.  For small projects, anyway.

Featured in previous blogs, a kerf maker tool makes accurate grooves without measuring. Here I'm using a commercial miter bar with an innovative flip stop.  The stop slides along the track and set with a set screw.

Here is a close up (below) of that miter bar, made by Woodpeckers. The stops flip out of the way while keeping their positions for repeatable cuts. The stop can be micro-adjusted when necessary without loosening the set screw.

Flattening the edge with a jack plane is quick.

Ripping the work pieces to width.

Cutting to length on the sled is safe and repeatably accurate.

This is where the sled makes accurate tapered cuts on small work pieces safely.

Easing the edges of the cut acrylic with the sharpening jig

 Acrylic is stable and rigid in small dimensions as with this project and it is a great complement to wood for small pieces like these.

CA glue and accelerator makes for quick joinery of acrylic to wood.

The illusion of floating in mid-air

 

Non-draining planters featured in earlier projects have become my favorite because they use very little water, creating no spills and plants seem to be okay with it.

Tapered stand used a little differently.