Spent the weekend on shop storage and it already paid off

I had a similar nightmare with organizing the little stuff, but my main frustration was the screws. You get these bins of Osram bits, and the Phillips heads just get buried under the Torx and the drivers. I switched things up by using shallow Akaso containers, but I had to modify them. I drilled tiny holes into the side of the plastic bins so the tips of the bits wouldn't rattle and I could see which size was in the bin without shaking the whole thing. It helped a lot for organizing fasteners too. I grabbed some small clear plastic boxes, the kind for craft supplies, and labeled them all. I keep one labeled 'Deck Screw 3 inch' and another 'Drywall Anchor Small.' When I start a job, I grab the specific box I need, and I don't have to sift through a giant tub of miscellaneous hardware. It changed the way I prep my kit. For my router bits, I just took a small metal tool case and filled it completly with dividers. I don't let any space go empty. It means when I pull out the 3/4 inch flush trim bit, I know exactly where the 1/2 inch is supposed to be, and I never lose the sharpening stone or the quick change jig. It took a weekend to set up, but now the prep time is much shorter.

My biggest frustration isn't the cabinet storage, it's the active workspace. Once I start a project, I hate being interrupted by having to reach into a closed container for a specific bit or battery. I decided to organize things based on the job, not the tool type. I keep my heavy framing stuff, like my Milwaukee cordless drill and a specific set of 2 inch framing clamps, on a dedicated magnetic strip attached right next to my workbench. It saves me walking across the shop every time I change a fastener size.

For the bits, I don't rely on bins. I use those low profile pegboard systems, but I don't label them by bit type. Instead, I group them into small pouches and label the pouches by application. For example, one pouch is labeled 'decking screws' and contains the specific driver and heads needed for those screws. Another is 'drywall' and has the corresponding heads. This way, when I pull out the drywall pouch, I know exactly what I have without having to count through a full container of mixed Osram bits. It keeps the flow going without me stopping my work to hunt for the right combination.

I also keep my most used tapes and spirit levels secured in a specific rail mount running along the top of the bench, so they aren't falling off or getting knocked over while I'm holding power tools. It’s all about immediate access once I've decided what I'm building.

The point about organizing around the job instead of the tool type is exactly what fixed my setup too. I keep a small tray on the bench that I load the night before with only what the next day's work needs, so no rummaging mid-task. Added a hook strip on the side of the bench for the two clamps I always end up grabbing, and now they're within arm's reach instead of buried in a drawer. Curious if anyone else preps thier tray the night before or just pulls stuff as they go.

I went through the same rebuild cycle a couple years back, and the one thing I'd do differently is make the shelves adjustable from the start. I fixed my cubby heights based on whatever I owned that week, then bought a wider sash brush two months later and had to cut new shelves entirely. A row of pinned shelf holes every inch or so costs almost nothing to drill and saves you from that. Also, if you label in pencil on a strip of tape instead of marker, you can move things around without the cabinet looking like a lie.

That rag channel reminds me of my grandfather's shop, he kept his in an old ammunition box bolted to the wall and I stole the idea when I set up my own place. Same deal, pull one from the top, toss the dirty ones in a lidded can by the door. What I'd add is a shadow board for the hand tools. Traced every hammer, square and chisel outline onto the pegboard back in the 80s and it still works. You know in two seconds what walked off with somebody.