Both.
As long as it is not on the floor.
When outfitting a work shop, cabinets are prime, right? When discussing the topic among the GRM staff, Publisher Tim Suddard voiced his preference: “I have to have cabinets because of all the dust involved in restoration.”
But then a dissenting opinion from the art department. “In my world, cabinets and drawers–any storage location that you can’t see into–are places where things go to die, or be hidden away forever, or at least until I forget that I have them and buy another one,” noted Production Manager J.G. Pasterjak.
J.G.’s preference? “My world is one of shelves, and other exposed storage methods,” he replies. “It’s not as sexy or clean as drawers and cabinets, but I appreciate the ability to clear my mind of the hiding place of all my stuff more than I appreciate the clean lines of a fully cabineted workshop. In the cases where I do utilize drawers, I label them on the outside with their contents, which is as much to identify them for further use as it is to create the link in my mind through the act of labeling them.
“And, look, I may not be right here. I get that a lot of people appreciate the clean look of cabinets, and the fact that they don’t collect dust or debris the way shelves do. But I can’t hang that way. Give me my shelves and I’ll just have to live with the fact that I’ll never make it into one of those boutique garage websites.”
So, a question for the rest: What are your preferred storage solutions for the garage and shop?
Both.
As long as it is not on the floor.
My garage is quite dusty, so having things in boxes if they're not in a cabinet is necessary. I like a cabinet for fluids, spray cans, cleaning supplies.
Stuff that goes on shelves is good to have in storage boxes, clear storage boxes are even better. Having parts strewn across shelving is not ideal, and being able to quickly identify what you need is invaluable.. Costco sells these for about $15/3-pack, it's become a regular purchase along with their microfiber towels.
We have lots of shelves and the only cabinet is for the flammables, per our local fire department. We've used some storage bins to put things on the shelves to keep it from getting out of hand but I would much rather have mostly cabinets. Everything on a shelf gets coated in a layer of dust in pretty short order and it can be kind of annoying to have to clean something off before you can use it. If you're not generating a ton of particulate matter, it's probably not as big of a problem but even with the dust collector, the table saw can cover a car-sized object in a fine layer of dust after just a handful of cuts. And if you don't roll the bandsaw away from the shelves, something (usually the router bits) will get covered in sawdust.
I'm largely with JG on this one, although Tim's point rings true as I do my first paint restoration project on the MR2.
The. Dust. Is. Everywhere.
I've started using a leaf blower across the garage after each working session in an effort to fight the tide. That said, it's so rare that I'll do this kind of work that I'm not converting the garage to cabinets anytime soon. If sanding was a regular activity I'd strongly reconsider.
Either setup has a common problem though: accessing/viewing whatever's in the back. Stuff "disappears" back there too so I've started putting smaller stuff in trays so I can pull them out in groups. Works great for the gazillion paints, sprays, waxes, etc.
Like father like son, I guess. I have a few big metal cabinets for things that would normally be on shelves but aren't easily "binnable," with the rest of my storage comprising of shelves and plastic totes. The only things I leave out in the open are things I'm constantly using.
(photos from a few months ago, hence the different state of the 350Z)
I am in the both catagory, depends on use. I do love shelfs with totes for spare parts and tools.
Depends on what I'm storing. I like my spray cans, oils and cleaners on shelves for quick ID. I like my power tools and accessories in labeled cabinets. I'm partial to filing cabinets. They're meant to hold weight, easy to label and readily available used.
Just got rid of the cabinets in my shop.
Way too easy to stuff a mess into a cabinet and ignore it. Visible storage keeps me from being a slob.
ShawnG said:Just got rid of the cabinets in my shop.
Way too easy to stuff a mess into a cabinet and ignore it. Visible storage keeps me from being a slob.
Don't stick your finger anywhere you wouldn't stick your hootus.
Visible storage exposes my sloppiness!
In the future I'll do cabinets
This winter project is to turn a 30' X 10' section of wall into a French cleat system. I've wanted to try this for a while and decided this is the plan.
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