We all try to reuse stuff in our workshops which is a good thing. In addition to recycling and reusing materials, you can make some useful shop storage solutions from recycled things as well.

This is the story of how I turned scrap items into useful shop storage solutions and a scrap spool rack into a nifty rolling tool rack with very little effort and great sturdy results. (Explanations and "how to" is all on the images)

These solutions have served me well for many years and didn't cost me much money, just but a few hours time to make them and some materials I had around or salvaged.

Enjoy, and keep on recycling!

Step 1: Make a Rolling Tool Rack

Instructions are all on the pics attached

Step 2: Cabinet and Bench Solutions

Where to put everything is always an issue. Here we made a great storage solution out of some old kitchen cabinets that were destined for the scrap heap.

Step 3: Steel Racks

What's the worst thing about storing steel? It ends up in a big annoying pile that you have to dig and dig through to find anything you need. I tried horizontal triangular racks but they always end up the same over time, just a heap of heavy junk taking up your valuable floor space...

The solution was to go up and use the vertical space of the shop for all the lighter steel material. Look and learn below:

Step 4: Drill Press Stand and Storage

Commercial drill press stands are always flimsy and spindly unless you spend big dollars on them. The solution I used was to convert a kitchen cabinet which has worked great for years. It's all in the image below. (The lamp on the drill press is recycled from an old office lamp that clamped on a desk with a crappy plastic thing that was useless. A metal gear clamp makes it work fine for the shop application. Careful of coolant splashing on a bare bulb as it can explode. Better to use a low voltage bulb or an LED bulb or at least an outdoor bulb etc.)

The last word... Don't be too quick to toss out the old stuff, give it a new life as another purpose and save a ton of money at the same time. This simple shop organization job has saved me lots of floor space and made work much quicker because I don't have to run all over the shop looking for tools and parts to get the job done. I hope you get a few good ideas from my example. Let me know what you come up with and good luck :)