Having the tiniest workshop in the world – or universe perhaps – comes with one benefit: incredible efficiency. Every tool is within arm's reach. I can spend a full day making stuff in my workshop without moving my feet.
This week, I've reached another milestone in my workshop: completing what I call my "second cabinet." I previously wrote about this project in this blog and here is a preview the "finished" version.
In designing this cabinet, I planned to use the doors as additional wall space to maximise storage capacity in my shed. Initially, I planned to use this extra surface area for my chisels. However, I soon realised this wouldn't be the most efficient storage solution.
Different types of chisels
My disappointment stemmed not from a failure in design skills, but rather from an oversight in my purchasing policy. I had bought chisels that were both too large and too many for the space.
While I believe these larger "bench chisels" may prove useful someday, I currently find myself reaching for the smaller "butt chisels" more often.
So, what to use these doors for?
It felt like one of those momentous epiphanies when I realised that these doors would be perfect for storing my (most frequently used) drill and screwdriver bits. I use them a lot!
Just to illustrate, here are a couple of commonly used screw heads.
Commonly used screw heads (from Quora)
My personal favourite is the Torx screw. Especially for the every day screw job they are the most efficient ones to work with. They don't get "stripped" as often happens with the Philips or Pozidriv screw heads – especially when driving in a screw with one of those cordless drills that often happens.
Despite these weaknesses, Phillips, Pozidriv and slotted screws are not banned from my workshop. I have a vast collection of Phillips/Pozidriv screws that I've built up over the years. Particularly for outdoor purposes, which require stainless steel, I have managed to build a good stock of different screws. In some cases, I might use a Phillips screw for aesthetic purposes, but that's usually where I prefer the slotted screw. They are, however, a pain to drive into wood; you have to do it by hand. With a cordless drill, the screwdriver bit easily slips out, damaging the screw.
Here is how I'd rate them in terms of easy of use and aesthetic quality.
As you may notice, the Phillips and Pozidriv screws look very similar but have different scores. You can drive a Pozidriv screw with a Phillips screwdriver, but using a Pozidriv driver on a Phillips screw may damage the screw head. The Pozidriv screw has additional indentations to ensure a snug fit with the Pozidriv screwdriver. In terms of performance, I've actually never really noticed a difference. Both types of screw heads still easily get stripped if blunt force is applied to them.
In my view, the Pozidriv screw is little more than a marketing gimmick. It's designed to encourage the purchase of tools specific to this screw head type. However, I find it offers no real advantage over other designs – it's essentially snake oil in the world of fasteners. snake oil.
Besides screws, I've also collected a variety of drill bits over the years. I have my Forstner bits for drilling large holes, as well as a selection of bits for wood, metal and masonry, and have a bunch of counter sink drill bits as well (a countersink bit creates a recess for screw heads to sit flush with the surface). All these drill bits come – of course – in an array of sizes and lengths to suit different tasks.
So, at some point, I grabbed a couple of pieces of scrap wood, drilled a couple of holes in it, and started experimenting with a universal holder that could hold both my drill and screw bit with a hex shank. I thought it would be helpful to have a grid of holes, allowing for flexible rearrangement of the setup in case my needs change in the future.
Here is a first prototype.
Prototype of a universal drill and screw bit holder.
These drill holders were easy to make. So, I fitted a couple of them, and started using them right away to organise my bits and bobs.
After using this configuration for a couple of months, I felt quite satisfied with the results. For once, I wasn't struggling to locate my drill or screw bits. The system worked particularly well when I managed to stay disciplined and return the drill bits to their designated places after use.
As autumn arrived and the rainy season set in, forcing me to work indoors, I decided it was the perfect time to complete this project and make the final version of these bit holders.
Here is the final result...
You may have noticed the hinges in the middle of the door and wondered about their purpose. Well, the idea is quite simple. These hinges allow me to fold the doors slightly, creating a curved surface that partially surrounds me (see picture below).
This design feature may seem trivial, but it actually enhances my experience of working in my shed greatly.
It's a bit hard to explain what the work space looks like in reality. Let me give it a try.
In the picture below, you can see how I have organised my clamps (on the left), provided easy access to my Japanese saws, and arranged my drills along with their drill bits and screwdriver bits. And if you wonder why I need three drills? I'll write a blog about that one day!
Here is the top view, showing how the main shop furniture is organised.
Here's why this setup works so brilliantly – and this is by design! When I'm working in my shop, I essentially have three positions – yes, it's like ballet! Position 1 is when I'm working at the bench. Position 2 is when I reach for one of my drills. Position 3 is when I select a drill bit from the folding doors.
As you may notice, I am staying roughly in the same spot, in the centre of my workshop – and although this workshop is small—very small, it feels as if
I'm in the very centre of the universe... doing my ballet.
