Anybody have some general work shop tips to share?

Here are some of mine:

I am by no means a pro, and my work tends to be a little of everything, not so much alot of something.

But, I do have a couple of tips for you:

If you keep your tools in a humid spot (Garage, Basement) Have your wife keep the silica gel packets from her new purse, etc. and put a couple in each drawer. Helps keep them from rusting.

Get creative! My shop is my refuge! It is comprised of 3 mismatched tool boxes, an off brand, a craftsman and a husky, My work bench is an old stainless steel topped cabinet from a bankrupt electronics store i used to work at. lol. Not to mention the crap load of shelving, wire racks and the like that i retro-fitted into my garage for tons of storage. I also installed TONS of light fixtures, you can never have to much light in a shop. I also have spotlights over my bench.

I just installed an old desktop with internet connection in order to hop on forums like this to try and find a solution while my hands are messy.

As far as labeling, I use the plastic price tag holder from the end of the peg hooks from the store. Attach them to the front of the tool drawer and write on a piece of paper whats in the drawer. If it changes, write out a new slip.

A favorite organization tip for me as well is to use the foam drawer inserts that you can cut out the shape of the tool. Especially for pliers, wire cutters, etc. that way it looks much better and you immediately see when a tool is missing.

Also, try and keep the sawdust from wood projects in an old 5 gallon bucket so that when you spill a little oil, you can just throw that down. no need in buying kitty litter.

And as other people have said here, Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices has a TON of tools that are cheap, both $ and physically, but will help you do the job, plus let you try it out to see if you need a heavier duty one. I mean a Rec. saw for $20!?! An air stapler for $9!?! (which works great btw)

Can't wait to hear some new ones!

 

Great tips! Welcome and thanks for joining us at FTE!

 

I nearly always use impact to loosen any threaded fastener that requires a wrench. The impact comes from the palm of my hand. Got in the habit a long time ago to thump 'em loose right from the get go. It is surprisingly easy to twist of the head off a bolt or have a wrench slip off the nut by immediately applying the torque.
I just put the wrench or ratchet on and thump it a couple of times to get the fastener to move, then ratchet or wrench it off as usual.

I keep my 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive sockets in an old spice jar rack I pulled from a dumpster.