Alright, let me tell you about this thing I tried out recently, something folks were calling the ‘Owen Steen’ method, or maybe that was just the guy who came up with it, I don’t know. My workshop was getting outta hand, seriously. You couldn’t see the workbench for all the junk.
Finding the right tool felt like a treasure hunt every single time. Wasted so much time just looking. I stumbled across this Owen Steen idea somewhere online, probably some old forum thread. Didn’t sound like much, almost too basic, but I figured, what the heck, gotta try something.
Getting Started with the Steen Thing
So, one Saturday morning, I just went for it. First step was brutal: cleared absolutely everything off the workbench, the shelves above it, even emptied the pegboard. You should’ve seen the pile on the floor. Looked like a tool store exploded.
Then came the actual ‘method’ part. The main idea I got was this: forget organizing tools by type, like all screwdrivers in one place, all hammers in another. Instead, you group them by the task you use them for. It felt real weird splitting things up.
I started making little zones or kits. Like:
- A box for ‘quick fixes around the house’: had a multi-bit screwdriver, pliers, adjustable wrench, measuring tape, that kinda stuff.
- A drawer dedicated to ‘precise cutting and marking’: marking gauges, my good chisels, sharpening stone, small hand plane, dovetail saw.
- Another area for ‘assembly’: cordless drill, impact driver, common bits, box of assorted screws I use all the time, glue.
It took basically the whole weekend. A lot of standing around, scratching my head. Where does this specific file go? Is it for ‘metal work’ or ‘tool sharpening’? Had to just make a decision and move on. Separating my full socket set felt like breaking up a family, honestly.
How It’s Working Out
So, fast forward a couple of months. How’s it going? It’s… interesting. Definitely not a magic bullet. Sometimes, yeah, I’m like, “Where’s the medium Phillips head?” because it’s not with the other screwdrivers, it’s in the ‘electrical tinkering’ kit. That’s annoying sometimes.
But, and this is a big but, when I’m actually working on a project? It does feel smoother. If I’m building a small box, I grab the ‘precise cutting’ drawer and the ‘assembly’ bin, and most of what I need is right there. Less running back and forth. I think I’m actually finishing steps faster, spending less time searching.
It kinda makes me think about other stuff I organized. Tried doing my computer files by ‘project urgency’ once – total mess. This physical tool thing, though, the Owen Steen way… it seems to have legs. Still adjusting things here and there, moving a tool from one task bin to another if it makes more sense. Found an old wrench I thought I’d lost forever during the big clean-out too, so that was a win!
