Photo: Gorloff-KV (Shutterstock)
Home workshops for maintenance and repair tasks, or for working on bigger projects, can get expensive quickly. Tools and equipment aren’t cheap, and keeping everything organized gets difficult in a small space. For DIYers with a home workspace, here are a few things you can do to upgrade your shop and keep everything clear of clutter.
Make a shop towel dispenser
One thing that can be a hassle in a workshop is cleanup. For small spills, sawdust, and other messes, keeping everything clean as you work doesn’t have to be too much trouble, though, if you have a shop towel dispenser. A dispenser will keep the roll of towels out of the way until you need it, but on hand when you do.
You can make a shop towel dispenser out of a paint roller if you’ve got a peg board. Hang the roller handle from a peg and slide the towels onto it. If the handle shifts, you can add one peg to each side of the handle to keep it from swinging. Another simple shop towel dispenser is a 1-foot piece of threaded ¾-inch steel pipe, an end cap, and a flange. Screw the flange into the surface where you want to keep the towels, and then screw the pipe into the flange. Slide the towels onto the pipe, and screw the end cap into the top end of the pipe to keep it from sliding up.
Use magnets for cleanup and to stay organized
Magnets can help keep screws and other metal pieces organized. Using a piece of sheet metal mounted on the wall and a couple of magnets, you can make yourself a place to keep plans and notes where you can read them while also keeping your workbench clear of paper clutter. Another handy use for magnets in the shop is cleaning up metal shavings: After cutting or threading a steel pipe or sawing through a bolt, metal shavings can hang around on surfaces and can get under your skin as splinters. Wrap a magnet in a paper towel, pick up all the tiny bits of shavings, and then hold it over the trash to peel the towel off and discard the shavings.
File away your sandpaper
Sandpaper can get messy fast. While not everyone has space for a dedicated sandpaper shelf in their shop, most people have room for an expandable file folder. For sanding discs, you can use a smaller version of an expandable folder. Label the tabs with the grit of the paper, then file the sandpaper accordingly. No more searching through boxes looking for the one you need.
Make a blade disposal
If you go through blades for your utility knife, using a safe disposal bucket is a good way to avoid accidents. You can make your own used blade bucket out of a coffee can or a disposable plastic container with a slot in the lid. Once the container is full, tape over the slot so no one needs to touch any of the blades. It will also keep trash bags from getting shredded while being emptied.
Tie down your chargers
If you use tools that need batteries and chargers, you might run into the issue of needing to change out the battery while you’ve got your other hand occupied. Being able to pull out a charged battery without the charger coming with it can be a challenge. Using a ratchet strap or some webbing with screws and washers to hold the charger in place on its shelf will make changing the battery much less of a struggle. Some chargers also come with holes or slots for screws on the underside—if you have those, you can also mount the charger on the wall for one-handed access.
