Shop storage – Files holder

One of the most important ways to keep a workshop safe, is to keep it tidy. And that requires having some kind of storage for organising tools and accessories effectively. As I’ve accumulated different tools and figured out my shop furniture and layout over the past couple of years, I have ended up with quite a few different things just sitting on surfaces or put down temporarily – something which is very easy to do!

So I decided I needed some kind of hanging storage for getting all the screws organised, as well as getting all my saws, spare blades and other accessories off the mitre saw bench. That way I can make all my cuts without having to move a load of stuff around every time! I was given some simple plastic containers and a slotted shelving design for Christmas last year and I have now put it up on the wall between the two shelving sections on the mitre saw bench. That way I can make use of the wall space behind the mitre saw and still have available space elsewhere in the workshop for another tool wall if I need it! It also means I can keep all my PPE together alongside my ear defenders which hang on my previously made hook to be quickly grabbed when needed.

I also have quite a selection of different shaped files now, which I find very useful for shaping and smoothing wood alongside using sandpaper. As my collection has grown however I didn’t have a proper place to store them, which meant they were rolling around on surfaces and getting in the way of other tasks.

I copied parts of my previous design for holding my chisels and measured out slots for the files to slot into from the top, leaving the lower section open for me to easily see which file is which. I used some off cuts in my scrap wood pile, together with a couple of pieces of mdf to act as the front and back pieces. And once again, as this was a quick shop project I wasn’t too worried about the overall appearance, as function was my main priority!

In the same way as with the chisels holder, I used a 45 degree cut to make a French cleat on the back of the holder, held in place with a piece of mdf joined to the thicker mdf backer board. I really like how this means I can have a permanent home for tools, but can also grab the holder and take it with me around the workshop when I am working on larger projects away from tool storage and not have to keep to-ing and fro-ing to fetch a different chisel or file.

Now I just need to figure out how some kind of dust collection, as well as how I am going to store all my other tools in a safe but easily accessible way. I also need to work out a better way for storing scrap wood too, as I have quite a few scrap pieces stored around the workshop now, plus a large amount of salvaged pallet slats from disassembling a decent number of pallets I acquired recently. The workshop is really beginning to take shape! 🔨