I am a small renovator-remodeler, and I do a bit of everything from electrical, plumbing, rough carpentry, finish carpentry, flooring (wood, laminate, tile) and so on. You can just imagine how many tools, and bins full of hardware you accumulate for this kind of work. I’m sure there is a lot of guys out there like me, and I’m looking for suggestions on my problem. Problem? I have a full size Ford Van, and it is jam-packed full of this equipment and parts. I organize it at the beginning of the week, and before you know it, its all messed up again. Sometimes I feel I spend more time looking for a tool, which is under something else, which I just moved to get to something else,and so on….than I do working. I would like to see an article about this in the magazine, maybe. Anybody have any thoughts?
Thanks
Replies
I had a full size van once too Stemreno. It was jambed full too. One day I organized it and there was room everywhere. I took pictures of each wall and all the shelves. I stapled the pictures to the walls showing everyone where everything goes. I threatened to maim and behead anyone that didn't put the stuff back where it was in the picture.
It actually helped.
blue
Discipline and optimization. I did the same as you do out of a minivan and no problem. As the other poster, I worked out an optimal layout and continued to optimize it as I bought new tools, etc. I always kept it organized and cleaned and tidied up at the end of each workday. I also thought carefully and bought tools no larger than necessary. I did not carry all the tools all the time. That would have taken a semi. If you do it regularly, you would be surprised how little time it takes to go through and carry only the tools you might need for that job. It does take discipline and planning, but once you get going, it's really nice because you know exactly where every tools is. No more hunting through a pile of stuff and wondering if it's even there. You actually save time.
DG/Builder
Stem,
Do you have built or commercial shelving in the van? If so, you are a few steps ahead of many guys. You can't organize a van by piling it in there. Good utilization of space with a thought out shelving system will go along way to helping you stay ordered. Of course, you have to have a dedicated spot for everything. Not so much what fits, but what you use the most or grouped according to most job specific use. You don't want to have to move things to get to your saw box, drill motor or tool bag. These are the first things out of the van, should be easiest to get to.
Also, having job specific boxes for those tasks you don't need the equipment everyday. I've got boxes for Kitchen Install parts and tools, Tile, drywall, concrete, etc. Of course there's some overlap and for this I have several multiples of the same tool. Nothing worse than finding the brick chisel you carry in the van everyday got put back into the brick trowel bucket and is in the garage. Keep these job boxes in the shop in a quick to get to spot and all it takes is a little thought in the morning to be fully equipped..............that and work close to home.
Best of luck.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
As a Handyman doing just about all the trades, I really know where you're coming from. I need tools and supplies for everything, and it's just impossible to keep it all organized. To add to the problem, instead of a van (which would be optimal, I think, for this type of work but I just haven't made that switch yet) I have an open Dodge Dakota p/u, with 4 doors.
Also, while at a client's, I'l get the "While you're here can you look at this?" They call me out to fix the dripping faucet, so I bring plumbing tools. Then while I'm there, they need a switch replaced. Opps, sorry, if you had told me in advance I could have brought that stuff. Guess I'll have to make another trip another day. So between now and then, make a list and let me now so I have the tools and supplies needed. Thanks. So even though it can be a pain, it usually results in more business.
I have all my tools separated by trade, basically. A few overlaps, like extra screwdrivers, cutters, pliers in an electrical tool belt. I have a Veto Pro Pack (which is EXCELLENT by the way, and I bought just about all the other types of tool boxes, bags, and bucket organizers out there, with no success in making them work). The Veto is filled with general tools: screwdrivers, pliers sets, wrenches, sockets, WD40, allen wrenches, snips, and all the general type tools.
Then I have a drill bag with 2 cordless drills, bits, and drivers, etc. This and the Veto go on every job, since they're used on just about every job.
I have a tool box full of general electrical fittings, some receptacles, switches, an organizer full of different electrical screws. The electrical tool belt has testers and tools, and they stay there. Any electrical job I take the belt and box. (not to mention the 3 milk crates fill of rough-in supplies like conduit fittings, boxes, wire thast goes on specific jobs).
Plumbing is a pain. I have 3 toolboxes for this. One is dedicated to sweating copper. One has all sorts of plumbing tools (basin wrench, pipe wrenches, cartridge extractors, etc) and one has misc. supplies for sinks and toilets. Of course, I can't afford the space to stock it like a REAL plumbing van, so I just make sure I know the location of the nearest Ace or big box.
Then the rough carpentry, finish carpentry tools, demolition, painting, caulking, drywall repair, etc. Still working on those, but the bucket boss has all the DW stuff, and some old tool bags (that didn't work for a general tool bag but work OK for are used for trying to dedicate them for tools of a specific trade.
Recently I bought some organizers for fasteners. Home Depot had them for about $10, they're about 12"x18"x3"deep with compartments (WorkForce brand, I think). I have one for nails (I use a variety of nails in small quantites, so it works great for me), one for screws, fasteners, anchors, etc, one for nuts, bolts, washers, etc. and one for the small plumbing fittings theat kept getting lost in the big plumbing box. These things work GREAT and have really helped my organization.
In my dreams I'm looking for a van, bread truck, or what I think would be really cool is a little mail truck that our postal carrier drives. I'd love the bread truck, but I'm not sure a lot of clients would like a big monstrosity pulling up in their driveway.
I have some steel racks in my garage and I load/unload for each day practically (most of my jobs are done in a day.) But this can be a pain, and I have to be diligent, or it piles up on the floor where the wife should be parking.
A little trained monkey to put everything away is the answer. Still looking for that, though.
Good luck, and sorry for the long post.
Pete Duffy, Handyman
Man are you looking over my shoulder. I have a basement full of tools, piles of tool boxes, mountains of bags, bunches of buckets, other sundry containers. I will get it where I want it someday before I sell all the crap on ebay. I use a lot of the square cat litter buckets for task oriented tool up. I try to group like tools in bags with a mimimum to get particular jobs done.
I have one of those compartment boxes for tapcons, one with deck screws and drywall screws of most every concievable length. One for sheet metal screws, one for machine screws, one for wall anchors, one for small plumbing repair items. A larger one for elect. supplies, recpt. switches, wire nuts, connectors, plates, etc.
I keep rotary hammers, jig saw, recip and some in their cases. I put impacts and cordless drills with appropriate bits and accessories in soft bags. I work out of a short bed Chev with two 37" Contico boxes that need to get cleaned out often. I try to keed the general stuff in there just in case. I have a receiver mounted hitch packer that I put another 37" box on sometimes. When we have a job that lasts a fair amount of time and tools pile up I usually end up taking the Blazer or Tahoe to haul stuff back if weather is marginal.
I do not have a trained monkey but DW is partner in this and she is VP of putting crap away and fetching tools. Throws me in a real ditch when she is not there and I try to figure out where whe put something.
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The top picture, of the toyota with a camper shell, that's mine. The really cool workshop/trailer is the handiwork of Garfield J. Karpiak, known as gdcarpenter on the BreakTime Message Board. The rest (in successive following posts) are pictures I gathered from previous threads on BreakTime. I just wanted to share some great solutions to the storage problem by BreakTimers.
Edited 1/14/2006 9:29 am by Huck
Got Plans of that trailer?
GoodLuck
link
I originally posted my trailer pics in a message called "cargo trailer layouts" if you want to do a quick search. My pics are in message #39 and then someone kindly resized them in message#44. This thread may also give the OP some other storage ideas.
From:
glsstep <!----><!---->
10:00 am
To:
HandySteve
I originally posted my trailer pics in a message called "cargo trailer layouts" if you want to do a quick search. My pics are in message #39 and then someone kindly resized them in message #44. This thread may also give the OP some other storage ideas. (I added links to the posts - Huck)
From:
stemreno <!----><!---->
Jan-14 11:35 pm
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ALL <!----><!---->
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68296.1
Thanks to everyone who offered advice on my storage problems. I have some ideas and what I've read and seen has inspired me to develop something. I'll post pictures of my creations. That is, if I can find some time to actually work on my own stuff...
stemreno.
Take a look at this...
http://www.extendobed.com/
Looks like a great system, but I havn't been able to set aside the $$ for it yet to go in my tacoma. I'm sure it would pay for itself quickly, and over and over again once installed.
For those of us with truck camper shells, you can get flip open side widows which will go a long way toward making things easier... That will probably be my next step.
Here's a few pics of my truck. got a shelf behind the seat to give me two levels of storage.
Made the rack on top myself... designed and cut out the aluminum pipe then had a guy tig weld it all together. can carry about 500 lbs up there (ladders, lumber, doors, windows, kayaks...) before she gets a little squirly.
Need to organize the back in the camper a little before I show any pictures of that.
Very nice - I need to do something like that with my extended cab. Just kinda wasted space right now, with a few boxes of who-knows-what setting back there!
You ever worried about the cap popping off the rails with all that weight? I have a cap mounted system thats good for about 165lbs, but at around 150 I start to get nervous,
I got rid of the standard clamps that hold the camper shell to the bed, and replaced them with big bolts / washers, 3 on each side. Hasn't budged yet.
Still, when it get's above 6 or 7 sheets of dry wall, I get a little nervous as well. Pretty rare that I really put that much weight up there. Got a big open trailer that I use when it gets heavy.
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I'm a handyman/painter/lightweight carpenter. My van is set up full-time for painting, some light carpentry and miscellaneous repairs. I try to keep the middle area clear to bring what I need for a particular job. In the side picture, the middle area has a few small items that I will be using on Monday.
It doesn't look as neat in the picture as it does in real life, but it's really quite well organized unlike my garage and workshop which contain at least twice as many tools than I could fit in the van at any one time. For example, I don't drive around with my portable table saw.
In the view from the back, you can see the raised floor (where the ladder is) that is used to slide in sheet goods. I can fit about 10 sheets of drywall. That's enough. If I need any more than that at one time, I'll have it delivered.
The best thing about storing across the back rather than down the 2 sides is that I can usually get stuff by standing outside of the van. I don't need to hunch down and walk through.
I really like how Huck's pickup (the one with the cap) has those pull-out drawers. I'm thinking about setting up my van like that, but I would use heavy duty full extension drawer glides like the ones here: http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?&page=1491.
-Don
P.S. small pictures embedded, larger ones attached Edit: I guess I don't know how to embed pictures.
Edited 1/14/2006 11:41 am ET by DonCanDo
I've been kicking aroud the idea of recycling garage door track/rollers to make my own low budget drawer glides. I haven't really worked out the details, but it's on my list of things to do.--------------------------
It's only satisfying if you eat it.
I have had perpetually the same problem as stemreno.
my solution, and it ain't perfect, by any stretch of the imagination is to use individual tool boxes for seperate tasks.
the bucket boss solution is the primary source of tools, and I gotta admit that I have two of em. When one gets a little too heavy from all the crap in the bottom, a rationalization transfer takes place to the empty one.
Milk crates hold the power-tools for the most part- the drills, heat gun, jig-saw, etc, and then there's a plethora of the inevitable red metal tool boxes-each with a label on both ends so I can ID em.
There is always a vacuum cleaner and a broom in the truck too. For folks who don't have em, you'd be suprised at the complements yu get when you actually clean up after yerself.
Mostly picked up from garage sales for a buck or three, these boxes line one side of the truck. Some of em never leave the truck, but others are transferred back and forth as need be.
Theres also bigger plastic storage bins (I hate plastic!!- but it is cheap and light) to hold painting stuff, grouting stuff, tile tools, HVAC bric-a-brac (not to be confused with the actual sheet metal tools-which are in metal boxes), electrical supplies....alll those generally reside in the shop til required.
Drywall tools, bazookas etc, why they all fit nicely into a snowboard duffle bag. There's always a mudbox and basic knives and trowels in the truck, but there's also a box of complete tools set to go for the bigger jobs (I can leave them on site, and still do drywall patch jobs on other jobs.
Some of this stuff obviously required duplication, or in some cases, even triplication of tools, but for me that's not a problem as I'm a certifiable tool nut, who frequents garage sales. For me it's unthinkable to have to search for the right screwdriver when you can have a half dozen of each- each roughly close to where it's typically needed, for only an extra buck or two.
for the garage sale afficiandos, to my mind the old metal first aid kit boxes make excellent storage for stuff like speed-bore drills, and I've got several of em, but them aluminium make-up boxes, particularly with fold out trays make a great storage solution for all the driver bits, drill bits, countersinks, vix bits etc.
With the tools boxes, and appropriately designed racks, I can quickly empty the truck as much as needed to fit in 5x5 sheets of baltic birch, as well as 4x8 stuff.
I've always been interested in how folks organize their vehicles (I'd love to see "pimp my ride" or "overhaulin" do a tradesman's truck, almost as much as I'd hate to see one of them 'organizing' shows go through a tradesman's shop. That would be painful to watch!!!
And from what I've been able to determine, ya simply gotta clean up the truck about once a week or at least every two.
The one thing that always stays in the truck though is the invoice book. Even if I take it into the shop or the computer, it always goes right back. Nothin more frustrating than NOT to be able to invoice immediately.
That's just the way I work, and it's not perfect, but it's just what has evolved....
Eric in Calgary
Where are your pictures? Good post.
pictures? I gotta have pictures?
Maybe Wednesday eve good Lord willin and the creek don't rise.
Eric
Sunday AM, getting ready for Monday AM, the truck was half-assed clean enuf to take some pictures. These are only pictures of the bubba mobile.
There's at least as many other tool boxes left sittin in the shop waiting till they are needed.
Now, I wanna see the pictures of yer truck....., and I just gotta wonder, how other fellas would wildly envision the "pimp my ride" version of it.
Eric