Tips for whipping your workshop into shape

With all the tools, hardware, and other junk we accumulate over the years that get stored in a garage or workshop, clutter might just seem like a fact of life. Taking time to locate the right tool for the job around the house is just part of the process, and digging through boxes and drawers is a time- honored tradition for the handyman.

But you don’t have to live like this! There are lots of simple things you can do to keep your workspace in order without just getting a bigger place. Here are just a few tips to restore some sense to your workshop.

1) Maximize your wall space as much as possible. Having clutter covering the floor of your workshop makes it hard to get around, and it’s not the best use of your space. Use shelving where you can, and find ways to use the walls for hanging tools and other items to get them out of your way. Pegboards are excellent for this because they are very customizable, but hooks drilled in where needed will do great as well.

2) Mount a piece of rigid foam insulation on a plywood base. Hang this on the wall, and you can use it to store drill bits, Allen wrenches, screwdrivers—anything with a point that would otherwise be rolling around in a cluttered drawer.

3) **Install an overhead rack. **This will only work if your ceiling is high enough to accommodate the extra space, but big, bulky items like ladders and kayaks can be stored on a solid overhead shelf to get them out of your way.

4) Slide wire and tape spools onto a single rod to keep them from rolling around. You can either mount this rod vertically with one open end to slide the spools back off when you need them, or you can use scrap wood to block the ends of the rod on either side, making it easy to unspool lengths of tape or wire whenever you need them while keeping all of the spools together.

5) Use your head! It’s tough to give prescriptions for every specific workshop, and what works in some places may not work in yours. Still, handymen and construction workers are a notoriously resourceful clan. A little bit of imagination will earn you some workshop hacks tailored for your specific situation.

If you’re the kind of worker that finds creative ways to get the job done effectively, we value your talent at Wright Brothers. It’s workers like you that make the world go ‘round!