Are you having trouble coming up with a resolution for the new year? Something that often goes forgotten for woodworkers is the condition and organization for their shop, so we thought that would be a great new year’s resolution! Keep on reading to hear all about our ideas for improving our shops for the new year!
Steps to Improve Your Shop
Step One: Throw It Out of the Shop
The first and most important step towards your resolution of improving your shop space is to go through every item in your shop to determine what you need and what you need to get rid of. We all know that you probably have random bolts in places they shouldn’t be and scraps laying around that would be better served in your fire pit.
If you begin to find duplicates of items or upgraded items that don’t serve any purpose in your shop anymore, consider selling or donating them! There are plenty of people who would love to get into this oftentimes expensive hobby, so being able to acquire some useful tools at a discounted price may make all the difference for them.
This step is also a fantastic time to get rid of the thick layer of dust that has accumulated over the years!
Step Two: Sort Everything in the Shop
Another vital step in setting up your workspace to make for a better year is to separate items based on their purpose. Not only will this be much easier now that you have thinned out your shop, it will also serve to make each project moving forward easier if all of the tools you typically use together are near each other in storage.
There are tons of systems for sorting your tools based on what kind of work you do. It is best to set your space up for how it will best work for you, so use guides as a baseline and adjust them to your needs.
Step Three: Put It All Away Where It Belongs
Once everything is sorted into areas based on how you would like it, now is the time to put everything away into its new homes. Using storage systems like peg boards or slat walls can offer a simple, modular solution for hanging quick-access tools on a wall. If you are feeling more motivated to really amp up your shop as a new year’s resolution, you could even add french cleats to a large surface in your shop that will serve as a hanging place for larger items as well!
Step Four: Admire Your Hard Work And Get Started On Your Next Project
After everything has been put away and the floor has been swept, all that is left to do is to step back and take a look at how your resolution of getting your shop back in order will have you set up for all of your future projects. Now you won’t need to stress about where you put the tape measure or your favorite drill bits!
I’m sure you have stacks of lumber ready to use (if not, check out our selection), so hop to it and make something useful out of it!
New Year’s Resolution Bonus Step: Keep It That Way!
If you were ever made to clean your room as a kid, you are probably familiar with the phrase, “Now keep it that way and you won’t have to do it again!”. One of the most important steps of this process is to make sure to keep up with it. That means put your tools back in their place when you are done with them and make sure to get rid of any duplicates or unnecessary tools or items as you upgrade them. This will ensure that you never have to have “Get the shop back in order” as a new year’s resolution ever again!
To Wrap It Up...
A clean space is a huge motivator! It makes you feel good and the better you feel; the better your projects will be. A clean shop gives us new perspective. Now that you've cleaned out your space and are ready to get started on your next project, check out our new live edge slabs!