Welcome back to Threaded! In this edition I detail how I arrange my most-used tools and tease what they are.
Tool choice is one thing, but years of working in bike shops and forever improving my own workshop setup have led me to try countless variations and methods for stashing tools. How those often used tools are organised can be the difference between joyful efficiency and chaotic disdain.
The general layout and construction of my existing tool wall has served me well for several years, and I’m even proud of some of the solutions, which of course, I’ll share below. Still, I won’t claim it to be perfect, nor is it the ideal solution for everyone, and I’ll explain why.
Let’s begin.
Drawers versus walls
There are many ways to store tools; some are portable, some are not. This article focuses on creating a more permanent setup, one that either forms a professional workshop or a personal workspace. When it comes to such tool storage, there’s undoubtedly a lot of personal preference and what is practical for the space you have available.
Space and security allowing, I like the efficiency of a tool wall, but only for the tools that get the most use. Here, I aim to be able to quickly see that a commonly used tool is where it should be and then be able to easily grab it without having to move anything in its way.
The tools you’ll find on my wall are closely aligned to the 12 tools to start with and the further 12 tools for building an intermediate tool kit. And that’s certainly no accident.
You’ll then find my lesser used tools, delicate measurement instruments, or those that have countless small pieces and/or are difficult to hang are all organised in nearby drawers.
Not only is hanging tools on a wall efficient, but it is also typically the most affordable way of organising them – rolling toolboxes or workshop shelves are now readily available and no longer significant expenses, but you can’t beat the price of a screw or nail. On this note, you may also have some large and awkward-to-store tools, where putting them on the wall (hopefully in a corner) saves a drawer or shelf for other things.
Still, some people prefer the visuals of clean walls, and others need the security that a locked drawer affords (especially in a busy shop environment where customers have workshop access). There’s also the argument for those who live/work in an often damp or humid environment, where drawers may allow better keeping of your rust-prone steel possessions.
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While the photos within give away plenty about my specific tool choices, Part Two of this Threaded edition (to publish the 28th of March) will offer a complete tool list of everything that I’ve chosen to put on the wall and use regularly. Stay tuned for that.
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