You can make a nice multi drawer organizer with tackle/compartmented boxes then make an four sided box with masonite shelves slotted into the sides to keep them separated. Keep paints divided by color with a dash of it on the lid for fast retrieval, and if you wrap a brush with a sleeve of paper after cleaning them it keeps them from losing shape.
Planned or not it was a good video to shoot. I've used some of the same organizers, but I appreciated your suggestions of others I've not used in the past. Rather than printing out things and putting them In binders, I've gone the other direction and scanned documents or magazine articles and keep them in computer files.
+Legion of Weirdos thanks on the transition. I ran across this somewhere where I could download it with the rights for free and figured why not. And yes, those tackle boxes are awesome. You can buy basically the same thing in an art store for three times the price.
Great video Ron. I’m a big fan of the rotating carousel organizers. I’m also an avid fly fisherman and artist and use them for fly tying tools and artist brushes, pens and pencils. Been using them for years and actually have 2 that date back to the early 80’s. I was watching a similar video from another modeler and he also had a good idea for tool storage. PVC pipes. Cut to length and with various diameters available they can be mounted above your work bench to store all sorts of tools. I think he actually uses the PVC glue to attach a bunch together in a row and provided you have some type of shelf above your workbench mount them to the bottom. Anyway I thought it was a good idea. I also use small bin organizers like the red one in your video. Very useful. Thanks for the tips.
Gift wrap paper tubes are great for keeping smaller wood stock organized. I keep my basswood and balsa wood neat. When it gets shorter I use paper towel tubes and toilet paper tubes.
I've used many of the same organizers, but still find myself with a cluttered workbench. So the struggle never ends. I use the roll around storage bins to keep scenery materials. For example, when I get a bag of ground foam I empty it into a bin and toss the bag. Instead of binders, I scan papers and keep them on my computer. By scanning magazine articles I avoid cutting up a magazine. I keep the magazines because I often find articles in old magazines which I had previously not found to be relevant. If I had cut out only what I first found relevant and tossed the rest I would have lost the something useful later.
Good video Ron! Here’s a tip for you! I know you are computer literate so there is no excuse not to use JMRI Decoder Pro. This program keeps track of and builds a database of your locos. It is a comprehensive list of settings and manufacturer type and decoder. I use it for all my programming.
+Ralph Renzetti Hi Ralph. Actually, I do use decoder Pro for programming my decoders. I also download those specs and save them outside of jmri as I don't fully trust the stability of jmri. I mentioned the Excel document because that's what I used before I started using jmri and I know there are a lot of guys out there who still don't use decoder Pro. I just wanted to get across the point that it's a good idea to keep some record of your CV settings for your decoders. Thanks for the tip however. You're always helpful and always looking out for me. LOL.
Yes, I think what he's sharing will help those of you that haven't already gone crazy. I think I may be too far gone in that line, but I still think organization will help modeling. Then maybe a shrink for the past damage... :)
My solution might be extreme. When I upgraded my garage tool boxes with pro quality automotive boxes I brought the “homeowner quality” craftsman boxes downstairs. Added an intermediate box and now have decent amount of tool and material storage. Often used tools kept on pegboard on bench within easy reach. Workbench is an old computer desk and hutch that always seemed right height and dimensions for me. Oh yeah- light. Lots of light. You cannot throw enough light at any project. Added LED to bottom of hutch. And lights above chair. Did I mention light?
some really good ideas! I use the small plastic containers too I get mine from Hobby Lobby and with the 40% of coupon it saves a lot. I use peg board a lot ON tools in a blister pack I just cut open the top and hang it up. Thanks for sharing!
+will kling Pegboards are great. I have a large one in my garage but not near of my modeling workbench yet. I have a perfect wall for it just to the left of the workbench as you see it in the video, but I haven't gotten the pegboard to put up yet. My local Lumberyard only sells it in full 4 by 8 sheets and I only need about 4 feet by 3 feet. Watching for someone to sell me a scrap. I mostly wanted to hang parts and supplies on. Thanks for your comment.
I use JMRI Decoder Pro to archive all my locomotive roster,decoder specifications,and any special notes that pertains to a certain install. I also have a binder with the roster and its custom installations. Just in case my files are lost on the computer. I do have them backed up as well. Great video Ron!
Hi, MIke. Mine was a game changer. It has saved me countless hours looking for misplaced tools...as long as I remember to put my tools back in it. LOL.
At 9:55, Ohhh, hardcopy! LOL... Yes, paper, dead tree... Ah well. Regardless, great video with some good ideas, as always! I really love that drawer set on casters for projects, I'm all over that, gotsta have me one. Good information, I always love to see how people do what seems the impossible for me... be organized. But I love to see peoples workbenches. Good video, and thanks for sharing such a well timed bit of information, as I'm knee deep (kinda literally) in reorganizing my modeling life and moving my modeling mostly out of my layout room, at least some. So far I've just got the dispatcher setup in an adjoining room, a room that will contain much of the staging eventually. And I plan on setting up my programming and rolling stock construction and tuning location beside the dispatcher. I've also moved my core electronics arrangement into an enclosure in this room. Since it shares a wall, it'll be as easy to have the power supplies and the like there, and just feed through the wall to the layout for power. It also seemed more logical to have the DCC core near the programming and dispatch systems. Now, if I can move scenery stuff to a cart, I could move it into the layout room only when working such a project. Thanks for the insight, gives me a couple answers to the split brain/split room approach that has a few small issues, none of which wheels can't help solve.
+Andy Crawford Hii Andy. Thanks for the comment. Yes, I'm still a little old school. I like old dusty paper books and a page in the hand. I'm not anti-technology, I'm just redundant. I wanted electronically but don't trust that it will always be there. Organization is something I have to work really hard at 2, but I find that if I don't do it I don't get things done. I end up wandering around the layout room looking for something and then I get distracted by six other projects. 2 hours later I leave and I've gotten nothing done. Yes, that set of drawers has been a godsend for me. I can keep 10 projects organized and going at once. That serves my ADHD really well.
i like the video, always helpful. i have to use a rolling cart as my work bench. it helps with the space and i can move it to where ever need it for the day.
What cart are you using, or where did you find it? Are you modeling off it, or just using it store and bring the products to the work area? Curious, as I'm thinking about moving much of my modeling tools and supplies to a series of task dedicated cart(s).
+Eli Garretson I don't have a portable workbench, but I do have an old cheap TV stand on casters that I put all my scenery materials on so I can wheel it around the layout as I'm working on scenery. I love that thing.
it is a cart from harbor fright and it works great for modeling and i do use it for storage on the bottom of it, just make sure you level it so the wheels work nicely. it was 35$ 2 foot wide 4 long
Can you do a video on building a bench for model train. Like ground up? I'm not good with woodwork so I could use the help for sure. Also would love to see a video on basic wiring. How to wire things like building lights switches and how to keep the wires clean and organized on the bottom side of table
Hi, Ray. The workbench videos are probably not on the agenda in the near future for a few reasons. The wiring videos, however, are something I have been planning on doing. I can't say exactly when, but they are on my list of videos to do.
Ron: I have been searching for a multi tray cart for some time, but I have not seen one at Wal-Mart or anywhere else either. My guess, they don't carry them, now. If you know where to find one today I would appreciate knowing . Eldon Lowman
I just did a search and realize that, since I bought mine, they have basically doubled in price. Here is a link to the exact cart I have but with clear drawers instead of black. amzn.to/2HcIOCc
Metal wheel sets run more freely and smoothly than plastic, they tend to attract less dirt, I really prefer the why they look, and I love that "clickety-clack" sound they make as they run across the layout.
Absolutely Ron, agree... Plastic wheels are like magnetic to dirt. If you run plastic wheels, I can't imagine all the extra work to keep the track clean. All the other benefits, better rolling, less resistance to pulling, stay in gauge better, etc., etc., etc. are all just free pluses, as the track cleaning aspect is a lock on the decision. Once you start to experience the benefit, you won't let a single plastic wheelset make it to the layout.
You make me sick, you want me to get organized! That's funny then I might get something DONE, I SHOULD GIVE YOU A THUMB down....No just kidding you make a good point about it &we all could use that kinda help- Ron thanks for sharing....
Do you mean rolling stock that is not on the layout? I keep an Excel document inventory of my rolling stock so I can know exactly what I own categorized by manufacturer, car type, road name, and road number. I do the same for locomotives.
You can make a nice multi drawer organizer with tackle/compartmented boxes then make an four sided box with masonite shelves slotted into the sides to keep them separated. Keep paints divided by color with a dash of it on the lid for fast retrieval, and if you wrap a brush with a sleeve of paper after cleaning them it keeps them from losing shape.
This was not the video I had originally planned this week, but I was working with the settings on a new camera and this is the video I shot.
Planned or not it was a good video to shoot. I've used some of the same organizers, but I appreciated your suggestions of others I've not used in the past. Rather than printing out things and putting them In binders, I've gone the other direction and scanned documents or magazine articles and keep them in computer files.
NICE TRANSITION!
I have my daughter use those tackle boxes for all the stuff she uses for her art projects... beads, googly eyes, little stones, etc.
+Legion of Weirdos thanks on the transition. I ran across this somewhere where I could download it with the rights for free and figured why not. And yes, those tackle boxes are awesome. You can buy basically the same thing in an art store for three times the price.
Great video Ron. I’m a big fan of the rotating carousel organizers. I’m also an avid fly fisherman and artist and use them for fly tying tools and artist brushes, pens and pencils. Been using them for years and actually have 2 that date back to the early 80’s.
I was watching a similar video from another modeler and he also had a good idea for tool storage. PVC pipes. Cut to length and with various diameters available they can be mounted above your work bench to store all sorts of tools. I think he actually uses the PVC glue to attach a bunch together in a row and provided you have some type of shelf above your workbench mount them to the bottom. Anyway I thought it was a good idea. I also use small bin organizers like the red one in your video. Very useful. Thanks for the tips.
Great tip, Joe. Thanks for sharing it.
Gift wrap paper tubes are great for keeping smaller wood stock organized. I keep my basswood and balsa wood neat. When it gets shorter I use paper towel tubes and toilet paper tubes.
Great tip. Thanks.
Well done Ron I use some of the same containers. I just got my first few pieces of hobby zone organizers for on top of my workbench . Again thanks
Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.
So many great ideas, I haven't seen some of these ones before. Consider this video saved in my playlist for later use!
Great video, I use the same type of boxes for leds,resisters,shrink wrap, etc thanks for sharing Ron....
I've used many of the same organizers, but still find myself with a cluttered workbench. So the struggle never ends. I use the roll around storage bins to keep scenery materials. For example, when I get a bag of ground foam I empty it into a bin and toss the bag. Instead of binders, I scan papers and keep them on my computer. By scanning magazine articles I avoid cutting up a magazine. I keep the magazines because I often find articles in old magazines which I had previously not found to be relevant. If I had cut out only what I first found relevant and tossed the rest I would have lost the something useful later.
Good video Ron! Here’s a tip for you! I know you are computer literate so there is no excuse not to use JMRI Decoder Pro. This program keeps track of and builds a database of your locos. It is a comprehensive list of settings and manufacturer type and decoder.
I use it for all my programming.
+Ralph Renzetti Hi Ralph. Actually, I do use decoder Pro for programming my decoders. I also download those specs and save them outside of jmri as I don't fully trust the stability of jmri. I mentioned the Excel document because that's what I used before I started using jmri and I know there are a lot of guys out there who still don't use decoder Pro. I just wanted to get across the point that it's a good idea to keep some record of your CV settings for your decoders. Thanks for the tip however. You're always helpful and always looking out for me. LOL.
Loved the finger swipe transition.
Great tips, thanks
Chuck
Thanks, Chuck. I thought the finger was fun.
Top tips keep em coming Ron
Ron all good suggestions. I agree staying organized keeps me from going crazy wondering where things are. Thanks.
Yes, I think what he's sharing will help those of you that haven't already gone crazy. I think I may be too far gone in that line, but I still think organization will help modeling. Then maybe a shrink for the past damage... :)
My solution might be extreme. When I upgraded my garage tool boxes with pro quality automotive boxes I brought the “homeowner quality” craftsman boxes downstairs. Added an intermediate box and now have decent amount of tool and material storage. Often used tools kept on pegboard on bench within easy reach. Workbench is an old computer desk and hutch that always seemed right height and dimensions for me.
Oh yeah- light. Lots of light. You cannot throw enough light at any project. Added LED to bottom of hutch. And lights above chair.
Did I mention light?
some really good ideas! I use the small plastic containers too I get mine from Hobby Lobby and with the 40% of coupon it saves a lot. I use peg board a lot ON tools in a blister pack I just cut open the top and hang it up. Thanks for sharing!
+will kling Pegboards are great. I have a large one in my garage but not near of my modeling workbench yet. I have a perfect wall for it just to the left of the workbench as you see it in the video, but I haven't gotten the pegboard to put up yet. My local Lumberyard only sells it in full 4 by 8 sheets and I only need about 4 feet by 3 feet. Watching for someone to sell me a scrap. I mostly wanted to hang parts and supplies on. Thanks for your comment.
I use JMRI Decoder Pro to archive all my locomotive roster,decoder specifications,and any special notes that pertains to a certain install. I also have a binder with the roster and its custom installations. Just in case my files are lost on the computer. I do have them backed up as well. Great video Ron!
I use Decoder Pro too. I just mentioned the Excell document which is how I used to keep those records because I know a lot of guys don't use JMRI.
Hi Ron, great tips. Now I just need a plow to get to my workbench so I can organize it :) Keep 'em coming!
I know that feeling, been there.
Some great tips here!!!! Thanks...
Ron , Thanks for the great info. I have always wanted a tool rack. Maybe now I will get one.
Thanks , Mike
Hi, MIke. Mine was a game changer. It has saved me countless hours looking for misplaced tools...as long as I remember to put my tools back in it. LOL.
LOL that is not my problem but rather my grandson.
Thanks , Mike
Nice video my friend. Some good tips.
Thanks, Kenny.
I give up on keeping things neat n tidy long ago
Excellent ideas, have gotten going on some of these
THANK YOU...for sharing.
At 9:55, Ohhh, hardcopy! LOL... Yes, paper, dead tree... Ah well. Regardless, great video with some good ideas, as always! I really love that drawer set on casters for projects, I'm all over that, gotsta have me one. Good information, I always love to see how people do what seems the impossible for me... be organized. But I love to see peoples workbenches. Good video, and thanks for sharing such a well timed bit of information, as I'm knee deep (kinda literally) in reorganizing my modeling life and moving my modeling mostly out of my layout room, at least some. So far I've just got the dispatcher setup in an adjoining room, a room that will contain much of the staging eventually. And I plan on setting up my programming and rolling stock construction and tuning location beside the dispatcher. I've also moved my core electronics arrangement into an enclosure in this room. Since it shares a wall, it'll be as easy to have the power supplies and the like there, and just feed through the wall to the layout for power. It also seemed more logical to have the DCC core near the programming and dispatch systems. Now, if I can move scenery stuff to a cart, I could move it into the layout room only when working such a project. Thanks for the insight, gives me a couple answers to the split brain/split room approach that has a few small issues, none of which wheels can't help solve.
+Andy Crawford Hii Andy. Thanks for the comment. Yes, I'm still a little old school. I like old dusty paper books and a page in the hand. I'm not anti-technology, I'm just redundant. I wanted electronically but don't trust that it will always be there. Organization is something I have to work really hard at 2, but I find that if I don't do it I don't get things done. I end up wandering around the layout room looking for something and then I get distracted by six other projects. 2 hours later I leave and I've gotten nothing done. Yes, that set of drawers has been a godsend for me. I can keep 10 projects organized and going at once. That serves my ADHD really well.
Great ideas, Ron. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you.
i like the video, always helpful. i have to use a rolling cart as my work bench. it helps with the space and i can move it to where ever need it for the day.
What cart are you using, or where did you find it? Are you modeling off it, or just using it store and bring the products to the work area? Curious, as I'm thinking about moving much of my modeling tools and supplies to a series of task dedicated cart(s).
+Eli Garretson I don't have a portable workbench, but I do have an old cheap TV stand on casters that I put all my scenery materials on so I can wheel it around the layout as I'm working on scenery. I love that thing.
it is a cart from harbor fright and it works great for modeling and i do use it for storage on the bottom of it, just make sure you level it so the wheels work nicely. it was 35$ 2 foot wide 4 long
it helps i try not to put stuff on my layout when working on them. one of the must have tools i would saY
Can you do a video on building a bench for model train. Like ground up? I'm not good with woodwork so I could use the help for sure. Also would love to see a video on basic wiring. How to wire things like building lights switches and how to keep the wires clean and organized on the bottom side of table
Hi, Ray. The workbench videos are probably not on the agenda in the near future for a few reasons. The wiring videos, however, are something I have been planning on doing. I can't say exactly when, but they are on my list of videos to do.
Ron's Trains N Things right on looking forward to it and what reasoning as far as table/ bench if you don't mind my asking
+ray porter Partly because my layout's benchwork is complete.
Ron's Trains N Things I guess that's a fairly good point lol
Ron: I have been searching for a multi tray cart for some time, but I have not seen one at Wal-Mart or anywhere else either. My guess, they don't carry them, now. If you know where to find one today I would appreciate knowing .
Eldon Lowman
I just did a search and realize that, since I bought mine, they have basically doubled in price. Here is a link to the exact cart I have but with clear drawers instead of black. amzn.to/2HcIOCc
Pretty cool tips
+BALD8BIL thanks.
great tips Ron.. thanks for sharing.. vinny
Thanks, Vinny.
I use the Walmart small Tackle Boxes..
Please tell me why you convert all Wheel sets to metal? I'm in N Scale and run MTL Trucks.
Metal wheel sets run more freely and smoothly than plastic, they tend to attract less dirt, I really prefer the why they look, and I love that "clickety-clack" sound they make as they run across the layout.
Absolutely Ron, agree... Plastic wheels are like magnetic to dirt. If you run plastic wheels, I can't imagine all the extra work to keep the track clean. All the other benefits, better rolling, less resistance to pulling, stay in gauge better, etc., etc., etc. are all just free pluses, as the track cleaning aspect is a lock on the decision. Once you start to experience the benefit, you won't let a single plastic wheelset make it to the layout.
You make me sick, you want me to get organized! That's funny then I might get something DONE, I SHOULD GIVE YOU A THUMB down....No just kidding you make a good point about it &we all could use that kinda help- Ron thanks for sharing....
LOL. Thanks
Hey Ron, excellent video. How do you organize your rolling stock?
Do you mean rolling stock that is not on the layout? I keep an Excel document inventory of my rolling stock so I can know exactly what I own categorized by manufacturer, car type, road name, and road number. I do the same for locomotives.
Ron's Trains N Things Actually I meant how do you organize and store your rolling stock
There is no little bell icon
Organize? What is this 'organize' of which you speak? :?
It is a constant fight to keep the clutter monster at bay, isn't it?