Sparktrician
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tsmi243 said:
Well, that explains why I have three tea infusers... [big grin]
Does this happen to you?
- Thread starter rvieceli
- Start date
Well, that explains why I have three tea infusers... [big grin]
Crazyraceguy
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About the only things I lose are pencils or the occasional tape measure. I generally keep two out, in use. One hanging off of my pocket and one at the chopsaw station. That one doesn't get a lot of use because I am a firm believer in the Kreg stop system. I have nearly 12' on the left and just over 6' on the right. That is also the one I point to when someone asks to borrow a tape, just in case it doesn't come back quickly.
Between the big mechanics box and all of the Systainers, I am pretty well organized. For the most part, I keep powertools in the original case, and they all have a specific place to be stored. The main exception to that is compact routers/laminate trimmers. They are grouped together in drawers.
Some people hate cases because they waste space. While I will admit that some are better than others, I like to keep them and use them. The ones I really dislike are the canvas bag style. They might keep things together, but they don't stack/store well or protect the contents like a hard box can.
Between the big mechanics box and all of the Systainers, I am pretty well organized. For the most part, I keep powertools in the original case, and they all have a specific place to be stored. The main exception to that is compact routers/laminate trimmers. They are grouped together in drawers.
Some people hate cases because they waste space. While I will admit that some are better than others, I like to keep them and use them. The ones I really dislike are the canvas bag style. They might keep things together, but they don't stack/store well or protect the contents like a hard box can.
Jeff Zanin
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My most recent episode involved a TS55 cement board blade which I bought using a Lee Valley gift card. I anticipated needing it for a future project, and although I am happy to receive gift cards I always fret about losing track of them, so I use them as soon as possible. The result was that I bought the blade months before the project.
The months pass, it is time to cut cement - where is the cement blade? I have a dedicated Systainer for TS blades - it is not there. It is not on the workbench, or in the Systainer with the TS55. Or on the TS55. Or anyplace else that I might keep saw blades. Or anywhere in the workshop, which actually got a pretty good straightening-up as a result of this fiasco.
Days go by, no cement blade. I even check my e-mails and find that yes, I did order one. It is too expensive to just order another one, so the project is delayed.
More time goes by, for some reason it is necessary to move some papers sitting beside the printer in my office. There is the blade, fresh in its box, under a sheaf of papers.
And now I remember why: I picked it up, it was not in a box or other store packaging, just the box the blade comes in. I brought it into the house along with some other things which I brought to the office, and while doing something else I put the blade beside the printer "just for a moment". Later I put papers on top of the blade, thinking "I'll take that to the workshop next time I go there..." - of course that never happened.
But I was very pleased to find the blade, the next day the cement cutting proceeded and it worked great. And now it is put away properly where I will be able to find it next time.
The months pass, it is time to cut cement - where is the cement blade? I have a dedicated Systainer for TS blades - it is not there. It is not on the workbench, or in the Systainer with the TS55. Or on the TS55. Or anyplace else that I might keep saw blades. Or anywhere in the workshop, which actually got a pretty good straightening-up as a result of this fiasco.
Days go by, no cement blade. I even check my e-mails and find that yes, I did order one. It is too expensive to just order another one, so the project is delayed.
More time goes by, for some reason it is necessary to move some papers sitting beside the printer in my office. There is the blade, fresh in its box, under a sheaf of papers.
And now I remember why: I picked it up, it was not in a box or other store packaging, just the box the blade comes in. I brought it into the house along with some other things which I brought to the office, and while doing something else I put the blade beside the printer "just for a moment". Later I put papers on top of the blade, thinking "I'll take that to the workshop next time I go there..." - of course that never happened.
But I was very pleased to find the blade, the next day the cement cutting proceeded and it worked great. And now it is put away properly where I will be able to find it next time.
threesixright
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Guilty. [blink]
I would take it one step further. Buying stuff I already bought [embarassed]
Numerous times I thought to get organised. I ended up simply downloading for all tools the PDF manuals and organise it by brand. So before I buy i check this folder. But that only takes care of the bigger tools, consumables is (still) a nightmare.
I would take it one step further. Buying stuff I already bought [embarassed]
Numerous times I thought to get organised. I ended up simply downloading for all tools the PDF manuals and organise it by brand. So before I buy i check this folder. But that only takes care of the bigger tools, consumables is (still) a nightmare.
Michael Kellough
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Mortiser said:
It would really be bad if you kept looking for it after you found it. See rst above.
dwillis
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I can't count the number of times I've misplaced a tool. Because my career required so many moves my tools would get packed up then partially unpacked or left in sealed boxes. For example I have half a dozen Vice Grips because every time I needed one and couldn't find it I bought another. Now that I'm retired and the boxes are getting opened and sorted (kind of like Christmas) my solution is using a lot of various sized clear plastic bins from the Container Store. Every item is sorted by like kind, hence a bin full of Vice Grips. But the end result is all of the tools and supplies have a home and all I have to do is pull a bin off the shelf and everything I need is in one place. They are called "Our Clear Storage Boxes" and come in a variety of sizes, made in the USA, and are made of polypropylene. Our Clear Storage Boxes
AlexThePalex
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Does this happen to you? Ha, of course, and worse, sometimes I am looking for my tape measure, getting frustrated that I can't see it right away while I know it's around, only to find out it's already in my hand. [tongue]
Crazyraceguy
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That is an often mis-quoted phrase. It is actually "in the last place you would look". Meaning that it is not likely that you would find your eyeglasses in the refrigerator. Literally the last place you would look.harry_ said:
mino
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My solution to this is - DING! - boxes, er, Systainers!
Ehm. Nough dreaming. Just. Standardized. Boxes.
About 10 yrs ago, after the frustration from 3 moves in 3 years, I have standardized on 60x40 and 40x30 (cm) Euro-containers.
EVERY, and I DO mean EVERY, tool, material stack, spare part stack goes into a box which gets dedicated for it and is not used for anything else.
The only exceptions are things which do not fit a 60x40x30-ish euro container. I have a couple 80x60x40 containers for some. But bigger things are usually not too many and not too easy to lose sight of ...
Sizes are in centimeters, but the point is not in sizes being consistent. Key is the "dedicate box to a scope and do not use it for other scopes no matter what" concept.
One must keep the dedicated boxes "pure" and never spoil them with other stuff "just for now temporarily" as that kills the whole point of not having to think "is it in that box possibly" 10 years later.
---------------------
Details/inspiration:
I use this both in shop and in home, with home ones just the nicer version like these:
In any place I move to now, I make a couple floor-to-ceiling cabinets purpose-made for the boxes with just simple "L" aluminum slides that take advantage of the "stacking" protrusions. That is good-enough for accessibility and allows easy access even for a box placed close to the ceiling. it also facilitates their complete removal when I need the whole boxes somewhere else temporarily. That it is cost-effective and space-efficient is just a side-benefit here.
A box is designated for a and every thing from that category I buy or get hold of then will go to that box. When I move or re-arrange, I move boxes. I never move individual things anymore.
When a box fills up and cannot accept another thing, I assess if the value of the content justifies a bigger box, or if oldest/worst stuff should be just "decommissioned" instead. The finite size of the box creates a natural psychological barrier to not over-hoard parts etc.
When a box is long-term less than half full, I move the category to a smaller box.
I always keep around a couple "spare" boxes which are used generally and that allow some storage capacity to be always ready to "dedicate" should a new category of stuff appear.
IMO the key to organized storage is to always remember organization >>> space efficiency. One must not succumb to the temptation and must not "multi-purpose" a box just because it is "under-utilized" in space. The "box storage system" purpose is to provide consistent and stable organization. Its purpose is NOT to be space-efficient. Trying to make it so results in an expensive inefficient organized chaos. At that point one would be better/cheaper off with unorganized chaos ...
The drive for space efficiency "evil" is in forcing dynamism in content of boxes and that dynamism is what becomes dynamitism for being able to find stuff. Our brain capacity is limited, and it will just "blow up" once a supportable threshold of modifications is crossed.
Per above, I use the "box system" to be able to avoid thinking about stuff. And that only works if I can rely on my (cheap) long-term memory what (type of) thing is in what (type/number/size etc.) of box. If that box does not change for 5 or 10 years, I will be able to find it easily and with no effort expended even 10 yrs later, irrespective of the 5 moves and 30 rearrangements since the box purpose was established.
YMMV, but above works for me for storing any and all "utilitarian" things where there is a need to be able to easily and reliably find it or get the "do I have it or not" answer.
It is a strictly utilitarian concept though. Not suitable for things where the the joy of finding that other old forgotten book is worth more than not being able to find the one looked for.
Ehm. Nough dreaming. Just. Standardized. Boxes.
About 10 yrs ago, after the frustration from 3 moves in 3 years, I have standardized on 60x40 and 40x30 (cm) Euro-containers.
EVERY, and I DO mean EVERY, tool, material stack, spare part stack goes into a box which gets dedicated for it and is not used for anything else.
The only exceptions are things which do not fit a 60x40x30-ish euro container. I have a couple 80x60x40 containers for some. But bigger things are usually not too many and not too easy to lose sight of ...
Sizes are in centimeters, but the point is not in sizes being consistent. Key is the "dedicate box to a scope and do not use it for other scopes no matter what" concept.
One must keep the dedicated boxes "pure" and never spoil them with other stuff "just for now temporarily" as that kills the whole point of not having to think "is it in that box possibly" 10 years later.
---------------------
Details/inspiration:
I use this both in shop and in home, with home ones just the nicer version like these:
In any place I move to now, I make a couple floor-to-ceiling cabinets purpose-made for the boxes with just simple "L" aluminum slides that take advantage of the "stacking" protrusions. That is good-enough for accessibility and allows easy access even for a box placed close to the ceiling. it also facilitates their complete removal when I need the whole boxes somewhere else temporarily. That it is cost-effective and space-efficient is just a side-benefit here.
A box is designated for a and every thing from that category I buy or get hold of then will go to that box. When I move or re-arrange, I move boxes. I never move individual things anymore.
When a box fills up and cannot accept another thing, I assess if the value of the content justifies a bigger box, or if oldest/worst stuff should be just "decommissioned" instead. The finite size of the box creates a natural psychological barrier to not over-hoard parts etc.
When a box is long-term less than half full, I move the category to a smaller box.
I always keep around a couple "spare" boxes which are used generally and that allow some storage capacity to be always ready to "dedicate" should a new category of stuff appear.
IMO the key to organized storage is to always remember organization >>> space efficiency. One must not succumb to the temptation and must not "multi-purpose" a box just because it is "under-utilized" in space. The "box storage system" purpose is to provide consistent and stable organization. Its purpose is NOT to be space-efficient. Trying to make it so results in an expensive inefficient organized chaos. At that point one would be better/cheaper off with unorganized chaos ...
The drive for space efficiency "evil" is in forcing dynamism in content of boxes and that dynamism is what becomes dynamitism for being able to find stuff. Our brain capacity is limited, and it will just "blow up" once a supportable threshold of modifications is crossed.
Per above, I use the "box system" to be able to avoid thinking about stuff. And that only works if I can rely on my (cheap) long-term memory what (type of) thing is in what (type/number/size etc.) of box. If that box does not change for 5 or 10 years, I will be able to find it easily and with no effort expended even 10 yrs later, irrespective of the 5 moves and 30 rearrangements since the box purpose was established.
YMMV, but above works for me for storing any and all "utilitarian" things where there is a need to be able to easily and reliably find it or get the "do I have it or not" answer.
It is a strictly utilitarian concept though. Not suitable for things where the the joy of finding that other old forgotten book is worth more than not being able to find the one looked for.
mino
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- 1,984
True.Crazyraceguy said:
But you may find your radio buzzer in the freezer. About a month after you bought a new one and made a scene to a girlfriend that "must have" thrown it our for being annoying ...
Part 2:
Yes, I put it there .. for there was no better place to put it, apparently ..
[big grin]
Hmmm...having taken care of dementia patients the fridge is often a good place to look for things. Cell phone in the cereal box was a good one too. Let alone the thousand other places things can hide, and eyeglasses are probably the most lost item...or a wallet, keys, shaver, toothbrush, and the list goes on.Crazyraceguy said:
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Look what I found today! Of course, it was after a new one was delivered yesterday. But I did order a different grit that I had been thinking about getting. But still.
It was in a drawer that I looked in more than once and wasn’t even under anything. [eek]
Oh well.
Ron
Look what I found today! Of course, it was after a new one was delivered yesterday. But I did order a different grit that I had been thinking about getting. But still.
It was in a drawer that I looked in more than once and wasn’t even under anything. [eek]
Oh well.
Ron
Attachments
I watched a TV show about organizing clutter and apparently "once size" does not fit all in this category.
Types of organization:
1. Visual. You need to see things at all times. Visual people like hanging things on pegboard and always in the same location.
2. Fast and dirty. You like to toss similar items in bins that are easily accessed.
3. Hidden. You like to have things behind closed doors.
4. Hidden and highly organized. Items behind closed doors have special places reserved for them.
I'm a visual organizer. As long as I don't add new tools, I am OK. A few new tools and things fall into disarray until I add more peg board space. I also favor fast and dirty. I have bins for tile work, painting, etc. I might have to rummage in those bins, but I know the stuff is there.
You can't fight your style. You have to pick the style that works best for you.
Types of organization:
1. Visual. You need to see things at all times. Visual people like hanging things on pegboard and always in the same location.
2. Fast and dirty. You like to toss similar items in bins that are easily accessed.
3. Hidden. You like to have things behind closed doors.
4. Hidden and highly organized. Items behind closed doors have special places reserved for them.
I'm a visual organizer. As long as I don't add new tools, I am OK. A few new tools and things fall into disarray until I add more peg board space. I also favor fast and dirty. I have bins for tile work, painting, etc. I might have to rummage in those bins, but I know the stuff is there.
You can't fight your style. You have to pick the style that works best for you.
AlexThePalex
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Fast and dirty, as always. [tongue]
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2016
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- 3,014
My problem is I need things to be arranged as in #1 but the way I put stuff up is #2.
So it's a total mess in between cleanups.
Example. About 2 months ago I used my drywall T-square. I know I used it in the garage
cutting some boards and no where else since then. Why haven't I used it since then you ask?
I can't find the darn thing to save my butt. I have looked in the garage, in the shop, in the
basement, and over at my BILs place where I have a shipping container with a bunch of tools
and lumber stored.
It's in none of those places. There is no one here to use it besides me. Wife wouldn't use it
she has her own tools for cutting stuff in here craft room but I looked anyway, nope, not there.
To this day I still have not found it and I have looked intentionally at least 6 times not to mention
keeping an eye out for it as I go about my daily routine. It's 2 feet wide and 4 feet long, where
could it be hiding. It's the fixed head type not adjustable so it's not folded up tucked away somewhere.
So it's a total mess in between cleanups.
Example. About 2 months ago I used my drywall T-square. I know I used it in the garage
cutting some boards and no where else since then. Why haven't I used it since then you ask?
I can't find the darn thing to save my butt. I have looked in the garage, in the shop, in the
basement, and over at my BILs place where I have a shipping container with a bunch of tools
and lumber stored.
It's in none of those places. There is no one here to use it besides me. Wife wouldn't use it
she has her own tools for cutting stuff in here craft room but I looked anyway, nope, not there.
To this day I still have not found it and I have looked intentionally at least 6 times not to mention
keeping an eye out for it as I go about my daily routine. It's 2 feet wide and 4 feet long, where
could it be hiding. It's the fixed head type not adjustable so it's not folded up tucked away somewhere.
Dr. P. Venkman
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- Jul 27, 2018
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- 169
I tend toward some combination of #1 and #4, and once it is set up, I do pretty well maintaining it.
But I suffer badly from paralysis in the initial setup. I want to think about everything and set it up perfectly the first time, which often isn't a reasonable goal.
I would usually do much better to admit that an organizational system is adjustable and just get started.
I also sometimes forget to properly cushion a system like tool organization. If everything is packed in tight from the beginning (even if well organized), you can't add new things, and making any changes is much harder. When possible, definitely plan for an empty shelf/drawer/whatever in your setup.
But I suffer badly from paralysis in the initial setup. I want to think about everything and set it up perfectly the first time, which often isn't a reasonable goal.
I would usually do much better to admit that an organizational system is adjustable and just get started.
I also sometimes forget to properly cushion a system like tool organization. If everything is packed in tight from the beginning (even if well organized), you can't add new things, and making any changes is much harder. When possible, definitely plan for an empty shelf/drawer/whatever in your setup.
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