Adam Savage Reorganizes His Workshop's Material Storage!

It's a task we all put off doing in our workshops, but it's about time for Adam to inventory, resupply, and reorganize his shop's material storage wall! Just as his tool storage reflects his build philosophy and workflows, material storage is just as important and needs the same attention to detail. And in this cleanup and organization process, Adam reflects on how his builds have evolved and what materials he's gravitated more towards over the past year. Let's hang out in this shop infrastructure day and please share how you keep your build materials organized in your own shops!
Shot by Adam Savage and edited by Norman Chan
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Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!

[@aitchpea6011]

There's an editor somewhere who's very happy all you commenters noticed their work in syncing the music to the swiss army knife and timing the coughs and sneezes perfectly.

[@killerbreadsticks]

Sounds like a thing Norman would do lol

[@Draw54]

You mean nose blows? Ew

[@nicko4785]

The knife isn’t in time with the music. It’s very close though.

[@-MrFozzy-]

I missed everything Adam was doing! Just eye locked on that happy little knife daaaancin! Mesmerising

[@fauxgt]

I like how the Swiss army-knife in the background is dancing and moving with the beat

[@BriceDeegann]

That's all I could focus on lmao 🤣

[@Ylriell]

Actually it is of by a tiny amount. And it's driving me crazy 😂

[@curtismeskus504]

How come it seems to move smoothly and Adam does not

[@marleenhoncoop4188]

I thought that it was doing a great exercise. I really had to unfocus on the knife.

[@libertyauto]

@Michael Vogt Right on man, came here to celebrate the dancing Swiss army-knife myself. grin.

[@loucatozzi7656]

"Workshop organization is not a problem to be solved. It is a paradox to be managed." A. Savage A sign with those words is going up in my shop very soon.

[@Duckless23]

My shop sign said “artists flourish in an atmosphere of studied chaos, it’s taken me years to achieve this mess”

[@tantamounted]

And mine.

[@jasonlib1996]

why is it so therapeutic and relaxing watching a man tidy and sort his material storage?

[@kgchrome]

there are three things one can watch forever... fire burning, water flowing, and other people working

[@brankin421]

Because it's easier than tidying your own space bit gives you the satisfaction of yours being cleaned?

[@TheHandOfFear]

My dad used to say, "Some day I'll get around to it. But at the moment I only have square ones."

[@mashphat]

@Pinnacle Weirdo A friend of mine had one of those stuck to the fridge in the kitchen. Whenever someone in the house put something off for too long, they'd be handed the Round Tuit as kind of a "just drop everything and get it farking done already" message, highlighting the priority above anything else in the home at that moment. A good method of avoiding pointless conflict about a subject because being handed the Round Tuit was a last resort and was taken very seriously by everyone - saved a lot of arguments. I'd forgotten about it until now, might get one for my house!

[@drewhunt9205]

Murphy's law #43. No matter how many pieces of scrap you keep. You will never have the piece you actually need.

[@WilliamGreen]

I'm solidly trying to disprove that theory, however, I'm quickly running out of room on my boat.

[@aitchpea6011]

#43 addendum 1 - ...untl you realise you threw it out yesterday.

[@WilliamGreen]

😂😂😂

[@caodesignworks2407]

@@aitchpea6011 You always discard that one weird thing you've had for 10 years, but could never find a use for, the day before you need it, which always happens to be the day after garbage day.

[@michaelyackovich155]

Or a inch too short

[@pinkcupcake4717]

I moved into a larger apartment, and we’re converting a room into my first crafting space! I’m so excited to have it put together and have a dedicated spot to be creative. Watching Adam in his space is getting me hyped for my own!!

[@tchevrier]

"you can't save everything..." As he takes a deep breath and his blood pressure and anxiety levels rise.

[@mintylikethecandy7881]

Yes you can!

[@westrim]

As he puts his hand on the control of the trolley.

[@crappymeal]

i hate throwing things away :(

[@melissaforget8831]

I don't know why I find organizing videos so therapeutic but this was GREAT! I got my fix for today.

[@OriginalMomo]

Shop materials storage is a never ending process. What if you think you finally have it figured out, and suddenly you’re into projects with materials you’ve never had reason to save before? This is why I love the shop infrastructure videos as much as the builds. Makes me look back on my own lack of organizing lol.

[@ThomasWachter]

and the Oscar for best editing in a timelapse ever goes to...

[@billfromcanmore]

I couldn’t keep my eyes off the Swiss Army knife. Perfectly synchronized with the music for the first third of the video.

[@rebirth5195]

us musicians, we call that happiness

[@deany5709]

Me too. Had to watch a second time to see what Adam was doing.

[@grivinex5990]

"Marie Kondo-ing" as a phrase, has got to be one of the most entertaining implications of an action I've ever heard of.

[@peteman-ur9gi]

Thank you scrap of wood for the service the rest of your board gave to me.

[@pinkcupcake4717]

Marie Kondo is a verb and a Cryptid in the US, and it amuses me to no end.

[@jbrown4424]

I love how the timeline is synced to the Swiss Army knife

[@YagiChanDan]

Thank fek I'm not the only one that noticed!👊👍🍻

[@muntedgraham]

I had trouble watching the video because I was mesmerized by it being so well synced

[@muntedgraham]

Although not so well synched later on in the video

[@spiedermensch3582]

Not so much synced as much as how slow he swiss army knife moves

[@djhakase]

I'm pretty sure Veritasium has a video about our irrepressible desire for synchronisation

[@michaelscott2789]

Ah, reorganization. Done it many a time with my work van. Every summer and winter. Everything comes out gets cleaned sorted and put back in. It's amazing the junk you tend to keep for that "what if" moment that never comes UNTIL you've thrown it out. Probably happen here but that's one of the joys of reorganization.😁👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Darkbirdy]

Your infrastructure videos are often my favorites. I have a very small workspace, and making it function at all within the space I have is a constant challenge. Understanding how others - especially those for whom it is a profession - approach theirs is invaluable. One of my favorite things to do has been to load up Tested VR and pause after each of the different artisans' segments has a cut, then just look around their shops and see how they approach things.

[@patricksanders858]

This is why lumber prices are so high! Its the Savage Effect! Whenever Adam does something or uses something, the item (or in this case plywood) ALWAYS SELLS OUT or goes up in price cause everyone else is inspired to do that same thing or buy that tool! Its real! The Savage Effect!

[@MichaelKloepfer68]

I did my scrap Purge a couple weeks ago and it made a ton more room in my storage shed and now I can actually see what I have and take out what I need without a huge project

[@t1msguitar]

I love how he's not really a woodworker, but he has a nicer table saw than I'll ever be able to afford lol I love that saw. Wish I had that in my shop. Love your vids!

[@katelights]

I think all wood shops should have a wood burning stove for heating. It really drives your scrap threshold because you are deciding if a piece of wood is more useful as material or fuel.

[@Stettafire]

It depends, in some areas city ordinances prevent you from having a wood stove (as is the case with the city next door to me) the rules around wood stoves in my country are quite strict but generally you are allowed them in the countryside so long as you get them inspected.

[@itsnothardev]

My favourite part of this build is knowing all those materials will be used for new builds! What's that great quote? "If you can't see, it it's not there."

[@blackoak4978]

Ok, I'm not one to really notice editing techniques, but I regularly notice the sense of humour in the way these videos are edited. Like the choosing music for the time lapse that matches the pace of the Swiss Army Knife on the wall, or including his blown nose at appropriate times during the music. Shout out to the editors

[@_JG__]

I feel the montage music timed perfectly with the movements of yhe Swiss army knife

[@philipzielinski]

And the award for best sound editing during a time-lapse goes to... Pitched and percussive sneezes, coughs, and re-arranging was outstanding.

[@marcireale]

Intro: Hey! Watch me organize my plywood! Outro: deep philosophical statement. It’s great. 👍

[@shootthemoon6072]

With that crazy hair at the beginning I thought Adam was going to start ranting about flux capacitors and jigawatts.😂

[@theessentialguideforblokes7960]

1.21?

[@MorrisonManor]

Refusing to cut his hair till COVID is in the rearvierw?

[@tantamounted]

@@theessentialguideforblokes7960 Nah, Minecraft's still only up to about 1.17 ;)

[@cirdiam1800]

My take away: “The key is to recognize it’s a paradox to manage vs a problem with a solution”. Useful bit of insight. Thanks.

[@WideAwakeHuman]

Having a shop that's outfitted like a hardware store is the BEST.

[@mpwithad]

Haha. During the first timelapse, I noticed that the Swiss Army knife was doing a kind of dance in time with the music. Literally could not tear my eyes away or stop smiling 😂

[@michaelmcadams6904]

I like how you said "you can't save everything" 😂 my dad was a tinkerer and rebuilder of antiques and other collectibles. When I cleaned out his shop... He saved everything. 🤣

[@log234]

I had a couple ideas for how to manage scrap storage, somewhat inspired by computer science. Would be fun to hear experiences from people who have tried one of the approaches, regarding how well it worked. One option is, whenever you have a scrap piece that you are convinced might be useful sometime, put it to the left of all the other scrap pieces in the stack and get rid of the right-most scrap piece in the stack. Whenever you are looking for a piece of scrap that can suit your need, start looking from the right to the left until you find a suitable piece. Over time, the scrap pieces you add migrate from the left to the right and when they reach the end, the assumption is that if you didn't find a use for it yet, it is probably safe to get rid of. Another option is, keep the scrap storage sorted by size, and whenever you add a new piece, get rid of the smallest piece you currently store. If the piece you considered to add is smaller than all the pieces in storage, then you can just get rid of it. The good thing about this approach is that you can feel pretty safe about that you keep the pieces that are large enough to use. There is a tradeoff between the two approaches, however. The first approach requires very little energy to add new pieces of scrap, which might be nice when you are low on energy and just want to clean up. But it takes more energy to find a suitable piece, and it runs the risk of getting rid of some pieces that could potentially have been usable. However, you can always compare the piece you add to the piece you get rid off and switch them around if you think the old piece was better. The second approach requires more energy when inserting a piece in storage, as you will have to compare the new piece to see where it fits in the stack. It also faces the challenge of two pieces that are roughly the same size but have vastly different shapes, but I guess you would build up experience regarding what shapes are generally more useful. On the other hand, it is very easy to find pieces that are just big enough for a project, as it is always sorted by size.

[@mdaddyw_1323]

That scrap threshold comment is on point. If you don't set a limit, eventually you start looking at more scrap than stock. Because I live in a rural place, once a year or sometimes sooner, there's a clean out and bonfire.

[@Quetzalcoatl999]

Cue Adam needing every piece of scrap he just threw out. Always happens, "Oh I've got the perfect piece for this....oh thats right"

[@crappymeal]

the fear

[@broadstken]

I watched this right after I came home with a new nailer for my arsenal. I have a shelf area for nailers, and adding in the new one means that around half of them need to shift to the left on the shelf for it to fit in where it needs to be. The left end of the shelf has been a catch all space for other things that didn't have a dedicated home of their own and now there will be a little less space so something needs to live somewhere else. This has turned into a decision to build a new shelf, which has turned into a need to rearrange some things to put the shelf where I want it to be, which has become thoughts of fundamentally changing the layout of that part of the shop to make things more efficient..... One tool.... has led me to be sitting here pondering a complete shift of everything. So this video hit home in a very real way

[@bender2430]

I love how the Swiss Army knife is keeping time with the music! :D

[@davidp2888]

It's amazing that Adam's shop is roughly half the size of my condo and he fits all that stuff in the space.

[@BaratheonBC]

As a software engineer, I tend to try to fix problems permanently, as any other engineer. But i realize problems like this, keeping your storage sorted, is a management skill. it can't be permanently fixed, just permanently managed. So i guess all of us are also Managers in a way. :)

[@spasticmuse4262]

I am so grateful for these "shop infrastructure" videos, now more than ever. In the strictest "Cliff's Notes" version of my life - I've neglected, ignored, and not really used my own shop for decades. Come this year now I need to, and in even the most basic of clearing it out and creating usable space: it's rejuvenation has become my own rejuvenation. It's an uplifting, bolstering feeling I haven't had in a very long time, and it is much needed.

[@jakedyer2674]

The Swiss Army knife dancing to the music on the time lapse. Beautiful. That editor is freaking awesome. 👏🏻

[@vikto1994]

I am so happy you are donating what you will not use anymore! I think that makes getting rid of stuff so easier.

[@magreger]

Love the wide angle of the shop. I feel like I'm gazing upon Adams mind in physical form. Everything that is there is there on purpose. It's the narrative Adam is always speaking of. Everything tells a story.

[@aitchpea6011]

Costumes, prop replicas, props and fave tools are all well and good, but what I'm really here for is shop infrastructure videos. Keep 'em coming, Adam, and thanks for seeing us through this weird time in our lives.

[@jaredmulconry]

The free spaces for storage at the end is very satisfying to see

[@efenili]

Looking at it while you were explaining and imagining it cleaned in my head before seeing it ... Was so excited. It's odd, but I love organizing my shop 😁

[@Stettafire]

I do textiles, but me too. Nothing more annoying then having the correct sewing needle and not being able to find it. I've organised my space, I can find all of my wool, fabric, sewing needles, threads etc. Going back a few years all of my wool was packed into a single box all tangled and horrible. Nowadays it sits on a shelf where I can see it.

[@RPRsChannel]

I think this is the first time I see you clean your shop, even if it's just a few square meters, it's a good start.

[@stevendelvecchio3721]

I Love that the big Swiss Army knife in the upper left corner moves in time with the music.

[@barryrott726]

Adam I’ve watched your videos throughout the pandemic and the cave has almost become a second home for me ... it’s been fun to watch it’s continued evolution!

[@lisadaugherty8520]

Wise words re: organization is not a static state, I wish more people took this idea into their homes. It should all change according to need. I was also reminded of the wonderful Jamie-ism “If you can’t find it, you can’t use it.” Thanks so much for all the projects 😀

[@dustincover8678]

GOD, You've remained such an inspiration to my mindset for so long that time just seems to vanish. I'm coming up on my 28th birthday this year, and it seems like every week I've pushed to learn something new with your incredible value for knowledge always in the back of my head. WHY NOT understand fiberglass, and I SHOULD work with masonry this week, and YES I do need to know how everything I encounter works. I truly hope to meet you one day, the things you've created have remained inspirational due to your methodology and amazing outcomes.

[@fleamarketkeanu]

I couldn't help but watch the swiss army knife during the first time lapse. It was matching the beat of the music perfectly!

[@tonyrenouf7898]

...4 minutes in and I'm feeling your struggle Adam...am having a similar clear out at home....all those little bits that "may" come in handy!...thank you for videos...they inspire and entertain....and kill time when I should be cleaning out the shed!....

[@projekt6_official]

So satisfying.... I've been trying to clear out and organize my garage for a while and every time I start to stall in the project, another one of your videos like this comes around and gets me feeling like I need to get back to it again. I'll be working on it again tomorrow night (because hockey tonight).

[@jaylesage8011]

I literally stressed out over the cleansing of material in my garage today. And as nerd hobbyist and a new homeowner, I relate and learned so much from this and all your videos. Adam, you are seriously my hero. I struggle daily with my IT job and look forward to coming home and watching your videos, from lego builds, cosplay creations, or just methods of thinking to make my life as a creator better. I hope this comment make is way you you personally because you really are an inspiration and you bring light, hope and drive to the creative brain I have stuck in an office job. I wish I could afford to be your patron because you really are my hero. Every video you make has a lesson to be learned, regardless of specific subject matter. Never stop. I can only imagine there are many more like me. We need you. Thanks. Jay. Jedi.

[@jimmysgameclips]

The problem is only solved for now... Thanks, I needed to be reminded of this as someone currently organising the scientific stores at work. People are naturally messy, they have places to be and things to do! I've seen managers expecting perfect cleanliness but that won't last, but a good system will help

[@fiveminutewoodworker8443]

Namaste. Thank you for taking us on a part of your shop awakening journey.

[@garthor]

I like the fact that the pocket knife in the background is swinging to the beat of the timelapse music, while adam is dashing around... that's a nice effect... XD

[@marcbarash6045]

excellent evaluation of the issue and ongoing solution. It does feel like a breathe of fresh air when you organize a space, but always some second thoughts on material you discard.

[@drewdane40]

2:08 Adam is always flexing, saying things like "I bought a bunch of plywood."

[@Belboz99]

No joke... I wanted to build some new storage shelves, but not at $60/shelf... just plywood, not including verts and lateral studs.

[@jonmoore1614]

you know Adam is absolutely loaded when he can buy that much new wood... delivered to his door. the Man is just flexing now.

[@SerialHobbit]

Have no idea what Adam did, I was watching the Swiss Army knife

[@theessentialguideforblokes7960]

Strangely I reached this point myself last night, it’s 7am Sunday morning and I’m itching to start tidying up, I can barely get into my shed for offcuts and scraps I might use never... fantastic inspiration for the day!

[@StephenTurnerVlogs]

That gave my head a lot of peace to watch. 😊😊 You're right about not being able to keep everything. I've been going mad holding onto vegetable containers, yogurt tubs, etc. for my garden and seeds. I've piles that aren't in any order and no visible spaces to just stack them into. This is just a kick in the backside to get more work done on that. Great sneezes by the way 👏🤣 when you get full body reactions they're always good. I'm so glad you swept your floor. It was making me feel sneezy too.

[@Jimorian]

For me a big part of organizing is allowing myself to have a pile (or 4) of stuff I literally have no idea what to do with. But it ends up away from the stuff I do know what to do with, and that alone makes everything else easier to handle.

[@GillesSaindon]

You have found your place in the world. Thank you for sharing.

[@Rozewolf]

Storage organization. ugh... However, I love the hidden gems we find. For you, it was a mirror, and all the worbla you found. I went through my wood scrap pile this winter, and while the plywood went in the bin, all the other scraps went into the fireplace. All in all, a good video.

[@jacklougheed4561]

Are you ever planning on updating your google maps tour of your shop? It would be very cool to see what it looks like now.

[@joshuamartin7756]

Does the tour go into the workshop part? I could only go through the museum-y part. Maybe I was missing the path to the workshop?

[@rolithesecond]

Would be a great project to 3d scan the entire shop, and make it able to visit in VR.

[@GusGoosegrease]

@@joshuamartin7756 I'm really curious where that doorway behind Adam at the 17 minute mark goes to.

[@jacklougheed4561]

@@joshuamartin7756 if you google "google street view of Adam Savages cave it comes up in a reddit link. the other option is to go around looking at all the manhole covers in the missions district of San Fransisco

[@stampydragon2739]

Adam your videos are wonderful there helping me get through the days while I’m waiting for my back to heal

[@bobyjoecraft1]

man im glad i found your channel. you brought me good memories. glad to see you keep going.

[@modelcitizen1977]

The synch between the Swiss Army knife and the music during the time lapse is pretty fun.

[@JordanStAndre]

Hey Adam! Looks good! Organizing and Timelapses are pretty satisfying

[@kenmas420]

That swiss army knife is dancing in sync with the music during the time-lapse. Great stuff.

[@RjWolf3000]

I like when the swiss army knife looks like its going for a run.

[@madmack119]

i have been a fan a long time and when i watch a movie or a tv show from when i was a kid i look to see if you had a hand in the making of it. thank you for your hard work and creativity.

[@professionalcommenter]

I have an idea, buy those cheap fabric measuring tapes and cut them and put them on the edges of each compartment. That would help you measure how big each piece is without having to find a tape measure. Just as our needs change with time, so do our surroundings. It's important to update your spaces to fit your current needs, to help you function efficiently.

[@Stettafire]

Good idea you can get ones from Ikea made from paper, they'll probably be easier to stick.

[@beltrandelcampo2474]

During your first time-lapse of the video I noticed a pile of scrapps looking like an artsy modern birdhouse. I would love to see how Adam Savage goes about building a birdhouse!

[@mikewolf8437]

Big fan of your videos and really enjoying your shop upgrade videos a lot. keep up the great work.

[@johnherrmann7464]

I **absolutely love** those time lapse segments that include the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife demo in the frame! It's almost as much fun to watch it as it is to watch Adam doing his thing!

[@fredygump5578]

Thanks Adam! My project this week is finally throwing away all my off-cuts that I have been hanging onto.

[@ScrubsIsee]

... and meanwhile the SAK (Swiss Army Knife) is dancing on the shelf ;-)! Thank you Mr. Savage for this wonderful timelapse. Nice music though.

[@YOUNEEDTOSEETHISNOW]

I could watch you organize your shop for hours....... I on the other hand am slacking in organizing mine... it’s gunner to watch you do it

[@Horror_Hero]

FINALLY! The episode I've been waiting for.

[@DanielWillems1995]

Adam ultimately won that shit fight in the end, while also dropping fascinating shop wisdom as usual.

[@rolandgdean]

REALLY want to see MORE OF YOUR WOODWORKING!!! please :)

[@shaydeinsun]

This is just a humble flex. Look at all that wood! This man rich

[@Riley_Mundt]

Ahh, he's finally addressing "that shelf" that we all have and avoid rectifying.

[@86fifty]

Marie Kondo-ing TIIIME! Yesss, I'm super excited for this! Dude, props for the slow-fade out of the music over the first time lapse happening at around 7 minutes in. That music was pretty interesting, too! I've watched enough of these Tested vids that I know now what all the go-to JinglePunks music is that you guys use regularly - but you mixed it up this time! I notice and appreciate. :)

[@deanaoxo]

Don't fall in love w your materials. Best piece of advice i ever received. . .

[@PhillipDanner]

I really love the shop reorgs/rebuilds. Totally love them. Because I feel the same shitfights with my own shop and I'm always rebuilding lol

[@paulgrieger8182]

To reduce airborne dust and pollen in the shop (and help your allergies) you could make a shop air filter. Box + fan + furnace filter holder. You could even make it aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps you already have one, but you weren't running it because of the noise. If you want to get fancy, you could put it up high and out of the way, and give it a remote control switch.

[@bestarmujaj]

I have been waiting for this moment for so long

[@chemcody5119]

The Swiss Army Knife was dancing to your music during the time lasp shot! Love it!

[@haclodiaz]

I'm increasingly fascinated with Adam's lexicon

[@AndrewChernauskas]

Loved the tidbit of wisdom at the end there. 👍

[@OomPapaMaoMao]

I love the background you guys are using, its so chill!

[@microbuilder]

Ahhhhh thank you...the orderliness is very soothing to my brain. The Swiss Army Knife being slightly out of sync with the music was less soothing lol

[@Sheridantank]

Organising and reorganizing are 2 of my favorite pastimes.

[@plakor6133]

Time lapse. The music is in perfect time with the giant knife. Well done!

[@yobgodababua1862]

It is a set of paradoxes. It is always a set of give and take, this and that, a little more of this. But... Sometimes, a new thing shows up that is "all of this AND most of that" and you just go "YES!"

[@HRConsultant_Jeff]

I love watching your Swiss Army Knife at hyperspeed while you are cleaning up the shop.

[@vintageadventureswithrobert]

Hi Adam, I know what you mean about getting your shop a good tidy once in a while. And I had a lot of electronic stuff for a long while and one day I said to my self I can not be a custodian of this stuff and I had to let go and when I did, I felt a great relief that I did do that. Not only that , but I dumped four bookcases of books with the bookcases and I freed a lot of area so now I have room to put up my stereo center and other things I meant to do but was too lazy to do it. You can not hang on to everything in your shop and it will feel too cluttered after a while, so at least once a year, give your shop a good tidy and you will feel glad because of it. Too much stuff in your shop makes you feel weighed down and you got to let go. Sincerely, Robert

[@nat7278]

I had a dream that I randomly spotted you loading materials into your side shop door from the street. I was so excited! I was like, THAT'S Adam Savage! That means I know where the Cave is!