Cleanest Way To ORGANIZE TOOLS! Tips And Tricks!

The color coding based upon use is interesting. Colorizing adds a level of sortability when cleaning up. Similar to the color coded Fast Cap KISS drill bit set.

When I was an automotive tech many years ago I worked next to the shop foreman who was a master tech super smart guy who turned 120hrs a week easily. Anyway this guy had a huge 3 bay snap on $30k tool box completely full and a roll cart to match. He would look at his work order pick out what tools he needed arrange them in the roll cart and do any job in the shop super efficiently and when he was done he would clean all his tools and put them back up neatly in his box from the cart. He didn't believe in a messy work area or going back and forth to your box all day because time is money. He was a real professional technician not a grease monkey. I have always tried to model myself after him and it makes for a better experience all around.

An organized shop that can get good and messy is exactly right. Once you know where stuff belongs, you don't have to sweat about "making" the mess. You just collect all the tools when done and put them where they belong. Love your shop!!!

Wow. I just wish you and I lived close enough for a coffee from time to time. I am in the process of converting our 1910 “carriage’ house into something that I can be proud of. Just finished painting it’s block walls and installing a mini-split for year round comfort. I have purchased a 72 inch Husky rolling cabinet similar to yours and have begun organizing. This video is PERFECT timing. I too have a few health issues and will say a prayer for you from time to time. Love your attitude. - Dan

"An organized shop with a designated "messy/work area", but everything is easy to clean and reorganize" would be perfect for me

Thanks for sharing. This is something I’ve been struggling with for a long time … spending too much time looking for things in my shop and occasionally buying something I thought I needed only to discover weeks or months later I already had one but it was buried somewhere … so I’m moving in the direction of getting a lot more organized and this video is super helpful.

I am a road me mechanic. Work forced us to use kaizen foam and organize our tools. Reluctantly did it. Now I love it. There are times when the mess is unavoidable but being able to finish a job and know I have all my tools is great and saves me money from buying replacements. Plus’s I feel more comfortable buying a more expensive tool because I am more confident I won’t loose it. The foam pays for itself.

Kudos to Maggie for the sorting. I'm down to about 3 coffee cans that I have to run through now that I'm getting my shop more organized. I've got only a couple of drawers with Kaizen, but thinking of replacing my built wood cabinets with the rolling metal cabinets like you did. Kaizen would definitely be great for those. Keep 'em coming Izzy, I love to see your videos. - Chris

I love that you’re doing this. Organizing things by how much you use them is such a good idea and it’s the driving force for my shop organization. I also really love the cart that has all the most important stuff on it. Great idea.

Your Lady is a Saint for tackling that hardware project! Thanks for sharing!.

It’s what works for you and that’s what counts. I like my shop clean yet multiple projects going because ya know life happens, it gets chaotic. At which point I stop everything and straiten up for my own sanity. Shop is all ways evolving on top of that so am always in a state of flux. Hope your health rebounds love your channel.

Fantastic, Izzy! I absolutely agree, organization is a necessity! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

I agree - an organized shop that can get messy is a great place to work and be creative……and at the end of the day it’s easy to clean up! Thanks Izzy for the great videos 👍👍

I'm with you on this, Izzy. My shop was a messy garage and outbuilding that seemed to always accumulate junk from the house. I finally had enough and cleared it out one weekend and left everything out on my drive under a tarpaulin while I sorted out the workshop. My saw was already on wheels, and my metal working/car/bike tinkering tools were in a metal tool box on wheels so I got another metal tool box like your Husky ones and made wheeled carts for all the machines. I organised all my screws and components and got a lot of larger plastic crates for all the stuff "that will come in handy one day". I am so pleased I took the time to do it. I can now find things I want for projects easily and my tools are all organised to be right where I need them. The one advantage you didn't mention is that it means that when you do make it messy while working, it is dead easy to clear up again as everything has a place. (And a lot of the junk that was left on the driveway went to the tip and not back in my shop!)

You are Right in a lot of ways and Hats Off to the lady that helped, Comfort and Nicely placed tools are my heart zone; It’s easier to Work in that kind of shop and I love your Ideals.😎😇

Thanks, Izzy. I would agree that an organized shop allows for greater productivity. This is especially true for those of us in a smaller shop, where moving things around just to work can take valuable time away from our projects. The more organized I am, the more work I am able to do. Keep up the good work. As someone who also suffers from a disability, you are motivating me to get my butt in gear!

I’m a fan of Kaizen. Love the tip of cutting into smaller modular sizes. This allows for the inevitable rearrangement without tossing the full drawer sheet. Also, I didn’t know you could order cut sizes so thanks. There’s clean/dirty and organized/disorganized. I can work in clean-organized and dirty-organized. I absolutely hate working in dirty-disorganized. My goal is doing what you’re doing. Luckily I’m already halfway there.

I absolutely love when everything has a home. Im super organized in the area of the shop that I work in and in my toolbox especially. its definitely more efficient to be organized, it cuts down on loosing or missing something and also make your everyday clean up process so much quicker and thoughtless. I can toss everything back in my toolbox at the end of a late night and it takes me maybe 10 minutes and with a quick glance I can tell if something didn't make it back to its place.

Thank you for this video. I have been following fleets wood shop, He uses the same foam in all of his drawers and has the best cleanest and organized shops I have seen on YouTube. You two are great. Thanks Alf 🙂🙂🙂

Love it, my OCD would be happy for ever! It works for your fantastic shop and with trouble getting around. My shop is half a single car garage and my small tools and fasteners would go in one of those cabinets, so I go with a wall cabinet and shelves over the bench with frequent users in it and everything else sorted by type.