Shop Storage Solutions

Following are hacks I've implemented to make my shop more efficient and less cluttered.

2007 Desperate for a way to store threaded rod and other odd bits of metal that had been piling up in the shop I hit on this shelfy-thing which was made from some 1/4" scrap wood with nothing more than a tablesaw, a router with a sliding fence and some glue.

Photo #1: Quart-size parts jars are suspended by the edges of their lids, off of a roof beam. To bring the jars within reach we made an upside-down box-shaped plywood shelf. I filled the space between bottom of rafter and top of box bottom with all my dust masks, which had been stuffed way out of reach on a cluttered workbench. The brackets that hold the jar lips are made by welding 1/2" square, 1/16" wall steel tubing to a 1" wide strip of flatstock, also 1/16" wide. I drilled pairs of large holes in the bottom of these sandwiches and matching smaller holes in the tops. The big hole is large enough to slip in a hex driver holding a #10 hex head sheetmetal screw; these work much better than ordinary wood screws.
Photo #2: Similar situation, but hung beneath bottom shelf of a wall storage unit. These brackets are made by attaching strips of 1/8" x 1" aluminum to lengths of 1/2" square bar, using FHMS. Again, the sandwich is drilled thru and counterbored in two places, then fastened to the shelf with recessed hex head sheetmetal screws.
Photo #3: With a little help from my pal Vern we made a top shelf of 1/4" steel plate and screwed it to the top of my ironworker. Welded bits on the sides and ends, plus a welded top strap on the front hold my ancient Dayton bandsaw securely. I need to stand on a stepstool to use the saw in the upright position, but I do this so seldom that it's not a bother.

Photo #1: All lubricants are now stored separate from the action, near the southeast door. This seemed the wisest location for various reasons, in the event of a fire... Lubricants are arranged from thinnest on the left to thickest on the right, to make grabbing what is needed less of a chore.
Photo #2: This contraption I built from plans in a woodworking magazine. While the eastern side of the shop is given over entirely to machine work, the western side is for woodworking. This rolley-cart hold all clamps needed in both domains and can be rolled around as needed.

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