| I make jewelry from exotic wood and dyed veneer. | | | | the bench. All of the hand and power tools that I use |
| Some pieces have as many as 800 bits of wood in | | | | regularly are kept in my main chest. |
| them, combining the colors and textures of various | | | | The chest is 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. In the |
| rare woods with brightly hued veneers. Being able to | | | | upper section, I store everything from hammers and |
| find some offbeat screw or fastener when I need it, | | | | one set of chisels in the left hand door to files, |
| or knowing where to retrieve that wonderful small | | | | screwdrivers, and planes in the right hand section. |
| chunk of rosewood that I've been saving for 10 | | | | The five drawers in the center are filled with |
| years isn't a luxury; it's a necessity. Through the | | | | wrenches and bits of all kinds spurs, twists, and |
| years, I have learned that the strength of a | | | | Forstners. I assembled the drawers with dovetail |
| workshop depends on proper organization and | | | | joints, a satisfying effort that only adds to the |
| storage. | | | | pleasure of putting things away. |
| I have four distinct "storage areas" in my shop. The | | | | The left hand door in the bottom section of the |
| infeed and outfeed tables of my radial arm saw hold | | | | chest holds all my measuring and marking tools; the |
| scrap wood and less frequently used tools. My | | | | right hand door houses a set of pliers along with my |
| jewelry storage bench holds all the machined and | | | | handsaws. The cubbyholes are home to my portable |
| milled exotic woods and dyed veneers. The 4-by-8 | | | | power tools circular saws, saber saws, router, |
| outfeed table on the table saw houses a variety of | | | | sander, cordless drills, pneumatic tools, and so on. |
| items; work in progress, exotic lumber, furniture | | | | The tools in my chest have changed over the years. |
| pads, and leftovers from the jewelry-making process. | | | | Fifteen years ago I had only one cordless drill; now I |
| The most important storage area is in the main | | | | have three. But my chest has been able to adapt and |
| workbench and tool chest area. This is the heart of | | | | accommodate all the new tools-each with its own |
| my shop. I keep everything from screws and | | | | specific place. |
| screwdrivers to planes and hinges in cabinets close to | | | | |