I have had difficulty managing my workshop and personal storage spaces for quite some time now.
It’s too easy to put things off and to let things pile up. I’ll get to it soon. Later. Eventually.
I need more space, or rather more clean and usable space. Let’s say I need to punch some sheet metal, or punch a custom grommet out of a rubber sheet. Right now, it would take me maybe 30 minutes to get things setup, as I would have to first clean a little and move things around.
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Yes, I know it’s popular for YouTubers and content creators to move to huge industrial spaces where they set up drool-worthy workshops, but that’s not in my plans.
I have too much stuff, or at least too much stuff that I don’t need anymore.
I started sorting through everything a few weeks ago. The way my life is right now, I need everything to be more streamlined and optimized.
It’s clear to me, that I don’t like to throw things way, and I started fixing this.
I am finally recycling the motherboard from my first custom-built desktop computer, although I did harvest its 20mm fan and copper heatsinks. I also pulled the RAM modules, although in hindsight – for what?! – it’s not like there’s any modern device that could make use of it.
I have a small box of heatsinks and fans, and I’ll sort through it again as part of a second round of cleaning up.
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For the computer geeks out there, I’m recycling a DVD-ROM from around 2004. It’s not a CDRW or DVD-RW drive, it’s an internal DVD-reader-only drive. I’m also parting with IDE cables that I haven’t needed for a very long time. Why do I still have this?
Who uses CD-R discs anymore? My current desktop computer doesn’t even have an optical drive cage. I just need one SATA optical drive, somewhere, just in case I need to read an older data disc.
I do wish I had kept some floppy disks, to show my kids, but that’s no reason to keep recordable media I am unlikely to ever use again.
I didn’t even remember that mini writeable CDs existed. The TDK minidisc, that’s got to be close to 20 years old now, if not older.
What is this hardware from?! Hmm – maybe a VESA wall-mount for my computer monitor? I found that in a second box, along with a desk-mounted monitor arm.
A CD to cassette adapter?! To be fair, I could have used this up until maybe 2010 or so, when we bought a new car that came with a CD player. But then why do I still have it?
I kept this Milwaukee M18 RedLithium 2Ah and 4Ah release flyer, from around 10 years ago.
First, it was a good reference, as the opposite side of the page had Milwaukee’s then-current M18 lineup.
As an aside, those were interesting days, just after the first M18 Fuel tools came out.
But at some point, this literature outlived its usefulness as a reference, and I guess I kept it out of nostalgia.
Neat, I scored a 97 out of 115 on my Intro to Polymer Science & Engineering midterm exam, back in 2004. Why did I keep this?
I had an entire tote box filled with notebooks and exam packets.
Going through everything, I was reminded of classes I had long-ago forgotten I ever took. Apparently I took a “Physics of Living Matter” class, and also “Biosensors & Molecular Electronics.” It came back to me – I took these classes to fulfill extra credits needed for an applied physics emphasis.
This one was fun – it’s part of the single page of equations that I was allowed for my final exam in statistical thermodynamics.
Here’s a closeup.
If I recall correctly, I earned an A- in this class, and I worked extremely hard for it. This single sheet of paper is a good summary of everything I learned for that class. But now, it’s like a different language that I barely remember.
I start off keeping things for practical reasons. “I will need this.” Or simply, “I want to keep this.”
After an unspecified amount of time, “I could use this.”
And then, “I should continue holding onto this” becomes easier than “I should sort through everything and minimize the space it all takes up.”
My notebooks triggered a whole lot of memories, but it’s time to recycle them.
I also came across a lot of scientific papers, equipment usage instructions, and technical paperwork. Into the recycling bin – these aren’t irreplaceable.
Do I need 12 spare computer case fans? Will that 12V DC fan controller ever be used? Does anyone use cold cathode tube lighting anymore?
I have plastic pipe hangers from a project I was working on a few years ago. I wasn’t sure if they would work for it, or what size I needed, and so I bought 5-count boxes in 3 different sizes. I don’t foresee any use for them, so why am I keeping them?
I ordered 4 boxes of Wago Wall-Nuts once. But, I was somehow sent 4 cases of 6 boxes. I still have a supply in my parts bin, and came across 3 boxes holding another 17 packs of 10 pieces.
These aren’t my preferred wiring connectors, and so I don’t use them as often as other styles. I thought maybe I would share the spares, but it’s really not worth the cost to ship these to anyone. I won’t part with them yet, but I did consolidate them into a separate container to save space.
I will soon be parting with a couple of dozen large Dewalt ToughSystem cups – and no I’m not willing to ship them. I’ll bring it to the DPW guys on my next electronics recycling drop-off – I’m sure they’ll be able to put them to use.
Here’s what happened. I purchased a lot of Dewalt ToughSystem tool boxes over the years, but I didn’t use the large cups/bins they came with. I found no use for them in drawers or elsewhere. So why save them? I am nearly done fully converting over to stationary storage and Milwaukee Packout for portable needs, and so there’s a near-zero chance I will ever use those super-sized Dewalt parts cups.
“I could use it… sometime… not now, but someday…”
I don’t like parting with anything that has monetary or sentimental value. I don’t like selling things on ebay or elsewhere, and so I hold onto things. It’s easier.
But, it has been decided. I will be bringing books and DVDs to the library for their fundraising store. I’ll see if the local high school has photography and theater teachers I can donate unused camera and lighting equipment to.
I bought a couple of heavy duty boxes for the few tools or equipment I can potentially send to readers.
I am far from done. It’s a slow and tedious process going through everything. But, I have definitely made progress.
I used to wonder – how people could accumulate so much stuff?
But, it turns out that I have – or as of tomorrow had – notebooks from as long as 18 years ago. 18 years! I have some parts and supplies that are older than that.
I bought two mobile bases for workshop equipment a long time ago. I ended up only using one, and the other never left its box. Right now, I’m not using either of them. Should I keep them? Where?
I did need a mobile base 2-3 years ago, but had to buy something a little different because these weren’t appropriately sized.
ToolGuyd-related stuff makes things harder.
A 2-stage snow blower I didn’t ask for and wasn’t planning to request for review showed up mid-winter. A single-stage snow blower from a different brand arrived last week.
Cordless outdoor power tools that I had not yet requested – but could be interested in testing – started arriving when there was still snow and ice covering the ground.
For tools that I have tested or evaluated, “I will need them for future comparisons!” “Readers will have questions!” “What if I can squeeze more content out of it!”
One hand tool brand tends to send me random things without asking – a conduit bender, a rechargeable fan, an Android borescope (although I switched to an iPhone 3 years ago), and a bucket truck tool bag. Some of these I can use immediately, others might take some time for me to get to. So what do I do with them in the meantime?
Will I use the cheap casters I took off a cart I got rid of after it broke? PVC pipe cut-offs? Shelf brackets that I took down when we moved around 10 years ago and never installed here or the last place we lived?
I need to get rid of more stuff.
For every tool, part, or personal whatever it is: Do I need this now? Will I need this in the near future? Would I return this if I could? Is this irreplaceable? Does this make me happy?
Nobody likes to buy something that they just discarded. Everyone knows this will always happen – as soon as you throw away something you thought you didn’t need, well that’s when you will absolutely and most certainly need it. But is that a good excuse to keep so much?
I’ll also need a mindset shift, on the tool/part side of things.
Let’s say I’m working on a project that requires a certain size of screw. No matter how much I model things on paper or digitally, I’m sometimes wrong. So, I tend to buy a box of socket head cap screws, and also button head screws. This works out better than buying one style, finding out it’s not ideal for the application, and having to place an order for a $3 box of screws plus $8 shipping, and waiting 3 days for it to arrive.
Now apply the same concept to plastic bar stock. I might not be sure if I need 1/2″ x 3/4″, 3/4″ x 1″, or 3/4″ x 3/4″. It’s more economical to buy a couple of sizes and pay shipping fees for one long carboard tube than 3 separate shipments. But, I end up with a surplus of materials.
Maybe I could or should learn to better design projects where I get part and material selections perfect the first try, if that’s even possible.
I know I’m not alone here – I see plenty of shop photos where woodworkers have racks and racks of wood, where automotive enthusiasts have bare engines and car parts that don’t fit any of their current vehicles, where other PC builders have boxes of long-obsolete parts, where electronics and robotics enthusiasts have boxes of harvested components and parts.
Every now and then, a long-stored object comes in handy and provides validation.
For me, I’m done ignoring this. My workflow demands that I clear up space.
I have avoided sorting through my storage bins, tool box drawers, parts cabinets, and shelves. It’s tedious, boring, and highly disruptive. But it’s necessary.
I waited way too long. But, later is better than never.
For those of you that don’t have this problem, what’s your secret? For those of you who are thinking you’re just as bad as me or worse, if I could start cleaning up, so can you.
Andy
Our local, township-run dump is open 2x a year for anything a resident wants to dispose of, free of charge. Electronics, appliances, anything. Just pull in and place items in the appropriate area to be trashed, recycled, or donated if in good shape. My rule is that each time I must bring 1 car load of stuff. That rule has kept my basement and garage in reasonable shape.
Mr. C
I apply a simple line of logic to accumulation of stuff:
1. Do I need it now or for a specific, defined project?
2. Is it something that has a legit use keeping it around? It also helps if it takes up little space versus being a large burden, like an small assorted box of metric screws versus a large datacenter cabinet.
3. What’s it worth if I sold it right now? Could it realistically appreciate in value? Would I rather have that item, or that much in cash in my pocket? Could I trade it for something else?
Remember, we’re in a period of once-in-a-lifetime inflation & supply chain shortages. Once banal items such as TFT displays are unobtanium.
Concepts of minimalism and simple living only work when you have a stable, predictable supply. No different than JIT – you’re relying on other people to warehouse inventory… for a slightly higher cost since you have on-demand needs.
Are things going to get better or worse in the near future? Shake that magic 8 ball — all signs are pointing to “be prepared for more unrest.”
It might not be a bad idea to hold onto some “stuff” for the time being. Sell what you should, give away what can’t/shouldn’t be sold, and help others in need whenever possible. Building goodwill and community is something you can’t place a dollar value on.
———
I remember back in college, the local WorstBuy had cable internet setup kits on sale for 3 cents each. They included a USB-A to USB-B cable, Cat5e cable, and a short run of coax cable. I bought them all up — dozens of boxes — knowing exactly how to best use them.
Thing is, everyone moving into the college dorms needed ethernet and coax cables for their computers & TV, as nothing was wireless back in that era. The school was ripping people off, selling junk cables for $20 each. I could’ve undercut them and made a tidy profit — even at a dollar each. But I gave them away. Didn’t ask for anything in return, didn’t accept anything if offered. If someone insisted, I told them: “someday, someone might need help you’re able to provide. do the right thing and help them out if you can.”
That was one of the best years — it was a very friendly, generous floor of people who genuinely cared about each other. You can’t put a dollar amount on that. I’d like to think that helped steer things in a good direction.
Stuart
Good points!
My problem is that logic can be flawed. I’m bringing my 15” LCD monitor to the donation yard next weekend.
It’s a unique NEC model with folding base and acrylic or polycarbonate panel covering the display.
But the fact is, I haven’t used it in maybe 15 years. What are the chances I’ll need a VGA monitor anytime soon? I still have a 27” that I’m not using for anything right now.
Maybe that older PC can be a CNC controller. Maybe the LCD can be used in the workshop somehow. But despite all the “maybes,” all these things end up occupying space that could be better utilized.
Logic, and maybe some laziness, is how I got here.
Ryan H
For all your storage, do you have a Network Attached Storage (NAS) at home? If not, I totally recommend one, I essentially eliminated stacks of portable hard drives for me and the family and replaced everything with a nice, backed-up 4-drive NAS from QNAP.
Stuart
I do, but I don’t use it as much as I should.
Joshua Smart
Really enjoyed this post as it really resonated with me. Today I just got up on a ladder to look for something above a shelf and had no idea how many things I was keeping. Yes I may need one within a year but it is very unlikely and if I do I can just pop out and buy them.
I know I need to clean out the shed as I want to build a new workbench and buy a tablesaw as well as tearing apart an engine but can’t proceed as I am hoarding too much material.
Please keep us updated on your progress
DRT42
I have the same problem. Peter Egan described his solution in Road & Track. Put questionable items into a cardboard box. Seal the box. Write todays date on the outside. Three years from now, if the box still hasn’t been opened, place the unopened box on the curb. Do not look into the box before placing it on the curb.
My wife does a similar thing with paperwork. Each box has a destroy date on it. When that date comes around, all the paper in that box goes into a shredder.
Philip
U need 5s. If it takes time it’s costing you saftey and production … quality work is at risk. Your shop or any living area has to be set up for best service. That means organized and easily cleaned. This allows the mind to be clear rested and ready. Creativity is restored. Start one room at a time … have a red zone. Place all items that are rarely used and easy acquired agian in red zone. Now organize and then decide how to give up and give away the red zone. You will feel great.
JBC
Your suggestion is succinct and your methodology is right on point. A great Philip!
JBC
“Rather, a great post Philip”.
Although I’m sure you’re great as well!
William Adams
Ages ago, my (now 26 year old) daughter did a presentation/poster on computer storage which showed how physical size had decreased and storage capacities had increased.
Since she started w/ 5.25″ floppy disks, I thought it would be neat to send one in w/ her to pass around — her teacher asked to keep it since she had never seen one.
Steve B
I have several vinyl three-ring binder sleeves that hold 3.5″ and/or 5.25″ floppies. Like I will ever need these again! Your post had the effect of making me wish I saved an 8″ floppy disk instead of trashing it. I think we are supposed to learn something from this post, and this is not the reaction I should have, but can’t help it!
Though, I could have that 8″ disk hanging on the wall in my office as some abstract art….
Rock Hound
I feel this post so deeply and will be doing the same soon. Although, I could still use a CD to cassette adapter, one of my cars is a 88 Colony Park (works great to haul 4×8 sheet materials).
Farmerguy
“Does it spark joy?” of the Kondo method is simple and very central to your article. Or Thoreau quotes in a call to simplify would fit too. There appears through time a need to organize our lives so we maximize our meaningfulness. Einsteins simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
I may be off topic to the article written, but it is core to an underlying theme so I will share a favorite quote of mine that I am not sure who to attribute it to:
“Reduce your wants in life and your needs reduce themselves.”
Stuart
I figure I can eventually get to Kondo’s advice, but I’m far from it. Maybe that will be “stage 3” sorting, organizing, and cleaning.
MM
I always questioned that method of organization. My toilet bowl brush doesn’t spark joy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a basic essential.
Jim Felt
You just haven’t yet appreciated it’s purpose in the “proper” light. Or whatever. ;-)~
MT
Kondo’s system isn’t relevant to household essentials. But then, you probably knew that.
Farmer Dan
It does if you have a dedicated soft bristle brush for cleaning wheels on the motorcycle!
TonyT
I’m NOT a Kondo fan. Yes, there is some logic to it (I’d rather have one TWSBI 580ALR fountain pen – which makes me smile every time I use it – than 100 BICs), but it doesn’t work so well with mundane items like toilet bowl scrubbers (no, I don’t need an artistic one; I need one that works well, and is cheap enough I can throw it out when it gets disgusting), and computer cables.
Farmerguy
Neither am I, though the phrase about sparking joy has utility. That is a subtle call to action to permit yourself to let go of things. Organization is just moving stuff around, decluttering is letting some go. Everything with a place and everything in it’s place. Absent complete order, clutter zaps mental energy and takes its toll. There is no perfect system for everyone and 99% of things can’t defeat the fact everything ends up in a landfill sometime.
josh
i have 1 or 2 of those tape player things but i used them to listen to music through my phone in my garage or motorhome. i now have a blutooth speaker in the garage and plan to upgrade the motorhome stereo this year so i will probably still keep one around for a few more years. every couple of years i go through and throw junk out, it usually happens when i have to move a few of the same things to find something or a bin is over flowing
Hon Cho
Before retiring from the Army, we moved every two or three years and that forced a cleanout every time. Since retiring, I’ve lived in the same house for over twenty years now and it’s kinda full. I’ve started my Swedish Death Cleaning where you get rid of stuff until you leave a nice tidy place for when you die. At the rate I’m going I have to live another 200 years or so.
Dave P
The college stuff is typical- forced to lean something that ends up being worthless.
I have 2, 4-year degrees. My kids have 4-year degrees. All of us “work in the trenches” showering AFTER work-not before- and we all do WAY WAY better financially than if we were “using” our chosen degrees.
I would advise anyone who’s willing to work hard and get dirty and aspires to be the boss someday, to forego the degree and learn your chosen trade–through trade school education, through apprenticeship or whatever, but SKIP the degree and take some accounting courses at your local community college. ANYONE can sit in a cubical all day, but the movers and shakers (it’s a mindset) GET STUFF DONE, are very well-compensated for it, and have the satisfaction of saying, “I built that”.
YMMV but that’s how it’s worked out around here.
Stuart
No. Nothing I learned was “worthless.”
I went through a LOT of school. Do I make good use of my BS, MS, and PhD? Absolutely, although it’s not always obvious.
I didn’t work for pieces of paper, I worked for knowledge, skill, and the skill of being able to learn more.
Some of my college peers absolutely would have been better off following your advice.
Others were exactly where they needed to be.
I had to take non-major courses to satisfy credit requirements. I took the Philosophy of Disease, History of the Future, History of Early Modern Europe, karate, weight training, Creative Writing, Hebrew, and if I recall correctly, a class on the Civil War and Reconstruction, and there might have been another english class. I also took Economics, but that was freshman year when I was trying to figure out my path. The Polymers class was an elective at first, but later satisfied requirements for a BS in physics with “applied physics” emphasis.
A lot of my friends and acquaintances hated having to take anything outside of their majors, but I enjoyed these classes. Except for economics, they non-major courses were enjoyable and easy.
In physics, everything builds upon prior knowledge. The math skills are important for connected topics.
But, you “use it or lose it.” I went on a less abstract path, switching lanes slightly for grad degrees in materials science & engineering.
Much of the math didn’t stay with me, but the core concepts did. And, should I need to regain that knowledge someday, it will be far easier than learning everything from scratch.
I don’t remember who said this, but part of college is learning how to learn.
It wasn’t until my first grad year that I realized there are two types of college and university students – those that expect to be taught, and those that seek to learn.
A lot of people think algebra was “worthless.” The same with trigonometry. I use trig in project planning at times, and sometimes have to look up reference info.
Was there a point in learning how to solve quadratic equations?
Have you ever made use of high school truth table proofs?
Some of the work I did to earn my degrees was more theoretical than practical.
One junior-year lab exercise involved chaotic motion, and how it compared to periodic and random motion. This involved a vertical roulette-like wheel housed in a tank that I filled with varying levels of water.
Another junior lab exercise involved measuring the speed of light. A laser was modulated with a sine wave before being aimed at a mirror x-meters away before returning to an optical sensor. Compare the difference in phase between original and reflected light, and you can measure the time difference the light traveled 2x meters.
The speed of light is known, of course. Knowing this constant, and the phase difference between a laser pulse and its reflected pulse, what can that tell you? The distance to the reflective surface.
So just because I forgot upper-level math and equations, that doesn’t mean it was worthless.
I am better for a lot of what I learned, and the skills I developed along the way.
I can guarantee that ToolGuyd would be very different, or might not exist, if I had walked a very different path.
There were a couple of topics I sought to learn on my own – I was never able to take a class on gravitation despite strong interest in the topic – but it has been near impossible.
College isn’t for everyone. Some people waste their time – and money – just to get a piece of paper that ultimately doesn’t mean squat.
Sure, diplomas are a nice accomplishment to earn at the end, but they weren’t the takeaway for me.
I worked hard, and I take offense at your calling it “worthless.”
My wife knew exactly what she wanted to do to earn a living – she wanted to be an accountant, and that requires an accounting program. There’s no apprenticeship or field-training you can do for this. It’s a necessary role at many businesses, and a 4-year degree is generally required.
Do I remember exact facts from my “History of Early Modern Europe” class? No. But one of the first things the professor – he was a strict Canadian – drilled into our minds was that history isn’t so much about *what* but about *how and why*.
Am I using any of this today? Am I using my degrees? Yes, and no.
The math was absolutely the worst part of a physics degree, and there were times when I was terrible at it. But to call it worthless? No.
Given what I do for ToolGuyd, I work with a lot of marketers and PR people. Marketing is a field where a piece of paper means little, where some evidently cruise through 4-year programs with nothing to show for it bit a piece of paper at the end. Others are brilliant and highly capable, and I can attribute their skill and proficiency to talent, better training and education, or both.
I see some tradesmen sharing memes on social media about how they make more money and owe less than college graduates. I also know some college graduates who hold worthless pieces of paper and work mindless jobs because they don’t want to get their hands dirty.
A 4-year degree doesn’t benefit everyone equally. But it was the right choice for me. It’s a prerequisite for many fields as well, such as law or medicine.
I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do when I was 18, but the two paths I saw in front of me both required 4-year degrees at a minimum.
TonyT
I’ve found the only math I use at work is trig (triangle math!) and a bit of algebra. That said, I did learn some really cool math (like calculus of variations – it’s neat to be able to prove that a great circle is the shortest path between two points on a sphere!).
I don’t use my degree directly much, but physics provided a good background in abstract thinking which is quite useful in software development.
Patrick
Just a funny ‘small world’ sort of thing… been reading your work for a relatively long time but never knew much about your background. Your mention here led me to your LinkedIn profile, and based on timing, good chance we crossed paths on Busch at least once or twice.
Side note, pretty good book on deciding what physical things in your life to keep is “It’s All Too Much” by Peter Walsh. I tend to not read much in that genre as too much of it is gimmicky or in the vein of “this one trick will…”, but that book is pretty reasonable, rational, and I think worth the time.
Stuart
It’s definitely possible!
Thanks, I’ll look up that book!
Dave P
As I said, your mileage my vary.
I admire your quote: “I didn’t work for pieces of paper, I worked for knowledge, skill, and the skill of being able to learn more”. You’re much more well-rounded than me and I commend you for it.
I TOTALLY went for the piece of paper-for no other reason at all- but my folks were flat busted (80’s Farm Crisis) and I HAD to get that paper-or so I thought at the time. I did very well in school but HATED every minute of it (I felt that the better I did, the more employable I’d be (ended up not being true–all employers want is the diploma/not your GPA). I went so I could EARN MORE MONEY that if I hadn’t went.
I’m a numbers guy (profits come first) as a result of those days long ago–one can’t understand if on hasn’t lived through not knowing where you’ll sleep next week– and the intrinsic value of a “well-rounded education” fails me as the experiences I’ve been through render such as null and void (I know that’s wrong and that’s MY issue), but being able to do a fancy equation or quote Shakespeare (if you can’t profit from it or gain high personal satisfaction from it) holds no value to me personally.
First and foremost I always worry about eating and keeping a roof over my head. That’s what experiencing true poverty will do to you.
YMMV
Thank you for this site.
Saulac
Google “only the rich can afford this much nothing”. It’s an illustration from The New Yorker. It helped me realized the root cause of my desire to acquire and possess stuffs. Will always be a problem when you are DIY and must have tools and materials. But learn to be happy when you can afford NOT owning something. It will change your outlook.
Jared
I’m in a constant battle with my shop. I get things looking good, then start a project and by the time I’m done I can’t find anything again (including free counter space to work).
It bugs me, so I also spend considerable time trying to organize – but it never seems to last. I’ll be reading the comments in case anyone has any clever ideas.
Part of the “problem” is that even though I have a small shop, I don’t have enough space to leave all my large tools out, which leads to lots of shuffling. E.g. I might not use my bandsaw for a couple months at a time, so it doesn’t make sense to have it set up as a permanent station. Same thing for my scroll saw, welder, smaller of my two lathes, my second bench grinder…
I also have lots of parts and supplies hanging out, some of which have been sitting there for a long, long time. Like you mentioned Stuart, I get a sense of validation every time some long-stored piece is suddenly exactly what I need for a project.
But how do you fight that in any permanent sense?
I probably should do a more regular scouring of my supplies so that I’m not keeping stuff that’s totally useless.
Stuart
That’s the challenge.
In the past, I would clear up some space, but usually only enough to make things better for a while.
I am hoping that a set of rules, or at least a focused and determined mindset will help me sort through everything with brutal efficiency.
What I’m hoping is that this post helps keep me accountable, but I also hope it will help others. This is the kind of thing where everyone needs a kick in the pants on occasion.
My parents kept a lot of things, such as toys that they wanted to pass along when I had kids, but some of the plastic deteriorated. So what was the point in saving it?
I have a bin in the basement with some of my older action figures. Some hold sentimental value because they were gifts from my grandparents. But others?
Just because I can keep every jar of misc fasteners, bin of cut-off materials, or tools that I upgraded from, that doesn’t mean I should. I hope reminding myself of this, and the fact that clearing up space will lead to immediate joy and an easier time working on projects, will help me shift mentalities.
If not, I might just have to make do with regular cleanup efforts to help maintain things.
Aaron SD
Using the 5S system properly does include an accountability step (called Sustain) forcing you at a regular interval, of your choice, to do it again. The next time won’t take nearly as long if you always put stuff back where they are assigned.
The first step, Sort, can be broken down area by area and is really important to thoroughly do this first else more time spent later Sorting again instead of Setting or Shining. The red tag area helps get rid of stuff you’re not sure of by showing you’re not using it (or use it and keep it).
Another great part about 5S is the focus on keeping what you regularly use handy and out. If it isn’t regularly used put it away somewhere and everything else should be found in 15-20sec.
I’ve tried teaching my kids the system and they get the first parts. It’s hard to be disciplined with Sustain.
I also agree with your views on degrees. Not for everyone and it is fine if you don’t use everything learned. All that knowledge helps you get where you are. I have a BS Mech Eng degree and I mainly use the Windows basic calculator or excel while still delivering everything asked. It’s funny to me and I certainly don’t regret learning all the math. Being a product designer, experience in knowing why stuff breaks when you drop it is mainly used, but having the foundation of the degree makes it easier to fix any challenge as well as get hired in the first place.
Love the article and discussion. Thanks!
Nathan
I still have some of my college stuff and I should probably dump part of it. but yes test from partial differential equations – I keep that just to remind people there is some real complicated math out there that governs alot of our new technological life. and some other neat to me stuff. but most could be tossed.
As far as the tolls and other things. well I happen to have a shipping account and would be willing to take some off your hands if I knew what it was.
That android borescope caught my attention. and I’d be happy to review some things for you if that would help.
Stuart
The problem there is that there’s a lot of stuff I could send to readers for use or potential review, but it’s exhausting. I last did this 2 or 3 years ago, and it took over my family room for a few weeks and barely made a dent in things.
Nathan
oh I understand. I tossed out a bunch of hardware a while go . screws nuts, etc etc.
and I ended up going to buy some carriage bolts for my childs new bed. WHole time – you know I bet I had osme of thses in that toss out, shame I didn’t keep it . . . . . oh but I did empty 2 drawers in my cabinet.
anyway good luck.
Jared
I have a very hard time parting with spare hardware. 😄
I don’t know that I’ve ever intentionally thrown out a bolt, screw or nut unless it was damaged. The only way I’ve kept it under control is by forcing myself to organize it.
There really is no point to buckets of random pieces – then you can’t find that one unique fastener you need anyway.
…but then you can also waste a lot of time sorting metric from imperial, tapered from flat, course from fine, caps with phillips, flat, hex and torx heads, etc. However, it sure is sweet when you find yourself needing a M4 x 12mm with a hex cap and a black oxide finish – and you can walk right up to the bin and grab it!
JBC
Stuart,
Perhaps if you casually planned or even held to a somewhat rigid and regular schedule (every 6-8 months for example), whereby you eliminate more reasonable size lots of your excess, unneeded and unwanted items on a scheduled basis. Personally, I find this method isn’t nearly as difficult or challenging to plan and execute on a regularly scheduled basis, compared to simply waiting until the piles of excess and unneeded are out of control and in the way
Reducing the stress associated with the “excess elimination process” is key, and can be accomplished through REGULAR and ORGANIZED sales, giveaways, and trips to the various recyclers is an efficient way to accomplish what you currently view as an overly daunting task which tends to be put off until the need to get rid of things becomes too much. With a little trial & error, you’ll be able to figure out a regular timeframe when the need to reorganize your shop, garage & home in general is needed.
Stuart
That could be possible, but I need to get to a comfortable starting point first.
I cannot sell samples. I’d like to do giveaway boxes, but there are challenges there too.
My main problem is that it’s far easier to let things accumulate and shuffle them around than to sort through things.
I’ve made dents over the years, but not to a great enough extent or as frequently as needed.
I know what I could or should do, but actually doing it requires a big commitment and time investment.
My spending habits don’t help. I bought garage-style wall cabinets – and received test samples shortly after. I mounted 6 of them to the wall, but there are 2 more that I haven’t quite decided where to go.
I bought a couple of small wall-mounted cube cabinets at Ikea on clearance, but then my plans changed, and they’re sitting in a corner waiting to be used. At the time I figured that if I couldn’t use the cabinet as-is, I would at least use the Blum or Blum-style drawer slides that were worth much more than I paid for each cube shelf.
Things were relatively okay, until spring cordless OPE samples arrived, in addition to another snow blower.
I also received a pallet-sized crate, and those tools are going to have to go somewhere so I can start using them.
Normally I’d make use of offsite storage as well, but they’re raising my rates another 11% again, and I want to close it out. That’s forcing me to face the reality of some of what I’ve been storing.
It’s time for a systematic cleanup approach before I can even think about regular workshop and storage space maintenance.
The fact that I still had undergrad and grad school notebooks is a good indicator that I’ve been doing something wrong.
But, hopefully I make good progress, and then I can figure out how to keep all of my spaces clean and efficiently utilized.
Jbongo
Stuart, as one of those readers that received a box of the tools, it made my day when it came in the mail. Many of them have been helpful over time as I was really just starting my workspace and tool box (some I use pretty regularly now).
But, this post was a good reminder that I’ve got some things I really should get rid. Last year I had the honor of cleaning up and emptying my grandpa’s shop after he passed away. There was probably 40-50 years worth of stuff, which was both interesting and a good incentive to limit what I collect.
James C
Someone told me admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. I have a lot of stuff, but not too much stuff. That only happens to other people. Good luck 🙂
JAYoung
When I houseclean my shop I make a mental inventory of the stuff I’ve collected (for future reference) and separate duplicates, plus items I know I’ll never have a use for. They all go to my local Habitat’s ReStore for someone who might make use of them.
How many stubby screwdrivers do I really need?
They also welcome small jars and other containers that they use to re-sell small lots of fasteners that get donated there.
Timothy
Habitat for Humanity ReStore donation, followed by Toolguyd eBay garage sale, followed by recycle donation.
MT_Noob
Let me know if you want me to mail you a floppy disk I’m sure I got half a box of those around somewhere. I can also probably dig up a zip drive disk, though that might be buried deeper in the catacombs. I too need to purge.
Last year I was trying to purge some boxes in the basement and I found an old unfinished breadboard project from decades ago in my college days. It was so old I forgot what it was, and two of the chips I couldn’t even find online anymore. I’m guessing it was some sort of time for time lapse photos, but I can’t be sure.
Good luck with the cleanup. I’ll keep checking back to see if any of the tips resonate with me.
Stuart
I’m recycling or discarding a zip disk too. I’m not sure if it’s from home – I used them in high school at home and maybe at school too – or from my grad research, where we needed them to access files from one of the microscopes.
Either way, it’s useless to me not.
Thank you, but no need to send a floppy disk! I might still have some in my childhood belongings bins from when my parents moved and I had to box up my closet.
MT_Noob
Thanks for the kick in the pants post to remind me to get started. I did the trick today of setting a time for a little under 1 hour, and just buckled down and did some purging. I filled up 1 garbage bag and I have 1 box for goodwill and another for recycling. Having a fixed time of just a half hour or hour simplifies it for me, and yet puts on a limit so I don’t get stuck on a decision for one item or reminiscing.
I nearly fell into the trap of wanting to get some more “new stuff” to make the clean up easier. Getting a label printer to label the boxes, getting new storage containers etc. Those would all be helpful, and I may need them down the road, but what was far more important was to just get started. Hopefully if I can do a little bit each day, before long I’ll have tackled the majority of it.
Stuart
Good for you!
Good luck!
Frank D
Totally can relate, between computer repair, geek life / electronics as a hobby, this old house DIY everything in and around the house as much as you can, gardening, vehicle detailing, small engine repair, more than one property, … buying a little this and that in bulk, have another twenty projects lined up …
Stuff really adds up in 25 years.
Steve B
Stewart – I think you plagiarized this from my brain. Casters, PVC Pipe Cutoffs, shelf hangers, etc. litter my world. I even have some triangle shaped ABS plastic corner protectors from an appliance box – just because ‘one time I needed something exactly like that’ and didn’t have it. Its not like an individual thing takes up lots of space – but collectively it certainly does. I’ve slowly been going through boxes of electronic bits – like 555 timer chips, TTL logic chips, and other leftovers from prior projects and weighing cost/benefit of keeping them vs recycle vs rehome- things old enough to not only contain lead but also be of limited use to anyone. Decisions that are easiest to defer and just put back on the shelf.
Thanks greatly for this – I know I am not alone.
Stuart
I still have ICs from when I wanted to make BEAM robots. That was… 22-24 years ago?
I never could make those BEAM robots, since I couldn’t source the small pager motors most designs called for. I also have parts somewhere for the model rocket launcher I was working on.
All of those “I can’t get what I need” incidents definitely affected me, leading me to overbuy as an adult.
OldDominionDIYer
My system is simple, if I think I might need it I usually keep it, then about every ten years I throw a bunch of stuff out! In between everything is cluttered, but I save tons of time by not sorting and organizing in those intervening 10 years, its brilliant! LOL!
Gregg
On a side note you wanna sell that cassette taper with the cord. Lmk
Thanks.
Stuart
I’m sorry – I think it’s gone already, or at least I can’t find it. I have a box of scrap in storage and set for recycling this weekend – if it’s there I’ll grab it for you.
I cannot guarantee it still works, though.
TonyT
Like most things in life, there’s a balance between being a total pack rat, and a minimalist that’s always having to re-buy stuff. I’m trying to become a moderate pack rat, going through my stuff every few years – it’s really neat to find stuff that brings back memories, or that is perfect for me or someone else now. OTOH, I’ve learned to be more willing to donate/dump/eBay stuff. Stuff I like to keep includes hand-made items from family members, photos, and our favorite books.
I’ve dumped most of my school stuff over the years, just keeping the personal (like yearbooks) and dumping most everything else (although I’m keeping my Quantum Optics notes until I can find time to scan them).
We just finished moving; fortunately, the kids and I have been sorting (and boxing) stuff for a while, but we still got rid of a lot of things during the move, and need to keep sorting. Some items (like books I really enjoyed) for my kids to enjoy, but once they’re on their own, I’ll re-evaluate.
I’d recommend checking eBay or similar for some items; you might be surprised how much some old items are worth. There are plenty of retro-computing fans, and a lot of industrial equipment has long life (we have 20 year old machines that our customers are still being used in production), and thus need old technology to keep running. Also see if there are surplus stores that take items (like Excess Solutions in Silicon Valley for electronic surplus), or PLCCenter.com for industrial (they pay, but are selective)
eddie sky
Oh, don’t you live in north Jersey? Hmm, just off the NJTPK from me?
Anyway, I hear ya. I inherited a 1940 Meat Slicer (Before National became IBM) that must weigh 100lbs, and my dad’s RAS (Radial Arm Saw-Rockwell brand) that I need to make a new bed for (fence and MDF base to cut on). Plus I have computer parts ALL over.. how many keyboards should one keep? I have Mac, Mac serial, PC serial/PS2, a MacSE, several laptops, cables for all kinds of data recovery,… IKEA parts from a kitchen install, 50-60 pieces of 6-8ft moulding, walnut logs that need to be resawn and planed, … so much crap to throw out, as well as good crap to sell. Sigh…
TonyT
Old IBM Model M keyboards with buckling springs are worth VERY good money 🙂
tim Rowledge
If you have a MakerSpace nearby, there’s a good chance that they could help with removing ‘spare tools’ and unneeded materials.
Stuart
The last time I tried that, they loved the idea of free stuff but never got back to me about logistics.
I checked with the high school, they’re ready for some more tools.
tim Rowledge
Well thanks for trying, and more fool them. My ‘space would have practically bitten your hand off! Sadly, Vancouver island is about a bazillion miles from you…
Yadda
Donate your extra supplies like the wire nuts or even tools you aren’t fond of to Habitat for Humanity ReStores. They will sell them and use the money to help build houses fo the homeless.
Stuart
I have donated to Habitat before. They’re good for small stuff infrequently, but it’s a hassle to schedule big donations with them since they’re always moving around.
DC
My simple rule is that if I don’t touch something in 2 years it goes in the trash, recycle, gets donated at Goodwill or sold.
Scobey
I have $30 Dollars of Tile spacers in a $30 Dollar Stanley organizer. I’ve had it for 15 years. I used to do a lot of smaller tile jobs back then. That organizer could have served a more useful purpose over the past 15 years. Shoulda chucked those cheap things long ago.
Looking around my shop, I’m thinking it’s time to get all my remodeling gear down to what can fit in a trailer. Liquidate all the corded tools that have been gathering dust since cordless can finally do the job.
I’ve been trying to Craigslist corded tools for months now. Nobody wants them. Even at super cheap prices. It’s also impossible to even give away the old 12V XRP Dewalt drills.
Joatman
When I was in college I took quite a bit of physical science classes…..physics…chemistry…Some classes allowed cheat sheets on 3×5 note cards and some on regular sized paper. I wrote so small that I found myself spending way too much of my test time searching for a specific equation or example. Then I’d start sweating…..thinking I was going to run out of time. I still have most of my books.
A couple weeks ago I was putting together a filing cabinet for my fiancé and I broke one of the cams. I said “I’ll be right back”. I went to the garage and came back with a cam. She said “How do you even have one of those?” I told her I never throw little stuff away like that………but she will continue to roll her eyes whenever I say “No, I want to keep that”. Lol
Robert
One of the best ways to reduce clutter is to reduce the input.
One of the best ways to reduce the input is to reduce impulse buying.
One of the best ways to reduce impulse buying is to carry cash, and have your spouse control the credit card for your purchases (works both ways).
If you really need something above the amount of cash you are carrying, you wait until you can convince your better half of the absolute necessity of the better cordless mouse trap and your spouse can go with you and buy it on her credit card. Yeah, she gets to know HD/Lowes way better than she wants, and you get too familiar with Jo Ann’s, but at least you have a fairly declutter work space and home.
Stuart
That’s not going to work.
One of the reasons I started ToolGuyd was because I was trying all kinds of tools to better understand the nuances between them. That hasn’t changed at all over the years, and has only gotten much, much worse.
JoeM
Geez… I felt this article in my bones!
Life threw me some curve balls when I graduated College in 2003… though it had done damage in 2001 with an event that gave me PTSD the rest of my life… I was laser-focused on moving forward, trying to get a life going, despite my diploma being worth less than toilet paper with the .com bubble burst of 2004. Became a whirlwind of revising my Resume, getting supplies, resupplying ink for the printer… package after package after package… I did my best to recycle as I went along. Keep clean, do what I can. Keep organized, keep busy… remember to sleep… but that all ended with a singular event.
In 2008, both my Parents went into ICU for different reasons, living an hour public transit apart, being treated at different hospitals. I’d get up near dawn to see my Mother through her issues at the hospital on weekdays, then take a 45 minute commuter route to see my Dad at the hospital on Weekends, staying at his place Saturday Night to deal with things. Then by 11PM Sunday evening, I was back home again, and it would all start again. For 2 months. Then, when they were both stable again, I was attending every doctor’s appointment, memorizing every medication, and the side effects, and keeping both sets of Doctors straight on their patients’ conditions.
This lasted until November 12th. My Godfather passed away, and we all stopped to mourn/sit shiva as we’re Jewish on that side. It was remarked that I didn’t look well at all. I thought I was fine. I wasn’t. The following August 11th, my other Cousin, who got me into Computers to start with, also died. At age 26, My left arm went numb hearing this news… I was rushed to the hospital. I had had a Cardiac Pre-Event. All that Type-A Drive I always had… nearly killed me.
So I had to slow down… I did… Did some cleanup… thought I was doing okay, switched from 2 pots of coffee to wake up, plus an XL Double-Double every few hours to stay going every day, down to just 1 cup of Tea in the morning. I had forgotten how to sleep. My body literally didn’t know how. So I was like a flickering lightbulb, off-on-off-on…. Time went on… Bought into the DeWALT 20V Max line so I could lift and move things to build and tire myself out… Still burned. Still had the PTSD nightmares. Dad had Prostate Cancer and Hernia surgery at the same time, then just Hernia Surgery… Mom finally quit smoking when I had my heart issue… Mom ended up in the hospital again by the time I hit 30. Severe heart and lung damage, plus Lung Cancer (Stage 1, Stereoscopic X-Ray therapy… They basically put Mom’s cancer in a Microwave and Nuked the nodules they found. Full Remission.) I had to put down the tools and become a caregiver, late in my life.
2013/14 rolls around… some personal issues with a former friend triggered my PTSD over the edge, and I landed in Hospital myself. Now Medicated, things got harder to do, being over 30, old injuries slowed me down, aged me very rapidly. All the while… stuff piled up, always had plans to go back to who I used to be.
I turned 40 this past January 24th. Between the shipping and shopping adaptations from Covid, and the Death of my Father back in 2017, exactly a week before my 35th birthday, I look around me and I can point to exact moments along the timeline where each event happened… because there are piles of things that, if I wasn’t fighting to stay alive after all I’ve endured, would be tossed out, organized, and cleaned. But… Now I just end up passed out.
Yes, I would get rid of the huge pile of empty boxes in my room if I could endure it. Yes, I would recycle and organize my work area. And yes, I would be working my tuchus off trying to rehabilitate my heart and weight issues… if I hadn’t damaged 80% of my large joint usability in the process of getting here. I can walk places, but need a bus most of the time. I would get healthy… if I hadn’t developed a mystery knee problem that my doctors have never investigated, no matter how hard I insisted they do. Hard to burn off everything and be healthy if your spine and knees are taken out by life.
Life has a way of catching up on you. You try to keep up, but just…. Can’t.
So, I feel ya, Stuart. The only difference for me really, is that I don’t hold any sentiment behind most of what I’ve got. I hold too much pain to do anything about it.
Way off topic it seems… but it’s more… yeah… Life gets messy, and builds on you fast.
MFC
I have about 20 tool boxes and cases I have slowly decided didn’t work for me over the years. They are stacked to the ceiling in my garage. Need to work on getting them out along with other misc things.
Anyone want to buy an m18 Sectional machine? It’s only 70 lbs and the size of a rottweiler.
Nathan Wedding
I have very similar struggles with collecting and keeping, running a remodeling business doesn’t help as I end up keeping way too many “specialty” materials or tools that I most likely will never use again. One thing that has helped me drastically was finding a local auction house where I could drop off anything I no longer needed, and a couple weeks later they send me a check for the sale amount minus fees. I no longer have a “don’t need but too valuable to trash” pile, and it’s much simpler than listing an item online, and dealing with shipping. Just a thought.
Thank you for the article, you’ve got me ready for some more cleaning and organizing.
IndianaJonesy (Matt J.)
Another blog I follow (Uniwatch, not remotely tool-related), had a similar problem…he started hosting a yearly giveaway. I think the way it worked was anyone who commented was entered and while some prizes were legit, some were just swag he didn’t want or didn’t fit or the like. Always thought it was a clever way to convince yourself to part with stuff that’s in that no-mans-land of too good to throw out but not usefull enough to ever really use.
Charlie
I don’t trust people that have zero clutter, houses with no personal effects. They aren’t very interesting people, just pure consumers not doers.
Just thought I’d throw this in here, to make us feel a little better about this struggle.
TonyT
If you’re in industrial automation, being a pack rat is a virtue! I just got an e-mail from a friend who needs an old laptop that can run Windows NT because he has a customer that’s still running Windows NT and needs to show a demo program on Windows NT for them 🙂 (And, yes, I did happen to have a Windows NT capable laptop that I’ve planning to sell on eBay but didn’t get around to yet)
We had a customer that as of ~2007, had production systems running DOS. (I heard later that they were finally replaced, probably around 2010).
Raycr
Nice 3 dimensional calculus. My kid graduated summa cum laude from med school and teased me about my 2 dimensional calculus.
DylanTonic
I’m no minimalist and struggle with getting rid of stuff as well. What I’ve found most helpful was a reframing I read from someone who *was* a minimalist:
Paying to buy something you’ve gotten rid of is just the universe charging you a storage fee. They’re cheaper then self-storage, too, because you only pay for things you want back.