Now that we’ve been settled into our new home in Saint Louis for nearly a year, I’m finally getting around to building out my new woodworking shop. It’s a small space, but I tend to thrive on constraints. While more room would be nice, I’ve never been one to need expensive tools to complete projects I enjoy.

To that end, I recently became obsessed with the “Sorta Sortimo” projects on YouTube, inspired by Adam Savage’s impressive array of small part organizer trays. Why “sorta?” Because instead of the pricey organizer trays that Adam uses, many YouTubers have opted for the decidedly cheaper Harbor Freight parts storage cases with removable bins.

After picking up several of the medium and large cases from my nearest Harbor Freight, along with some four-inch casters they had on sale, I put together my first Sorta Sortimo using mostly scrap plywood. I’m really happy with the results!

I’m not really into video recording myself doing projects, so here are a few notes if you’re interested in building this for yourself:

• Do a little math to determine the rough height of your rack. Assume 2.75 inches for medium organizers, 4.5 inches for large, and 3/4 inches for each runner. Making a quick spreadsheet to help me compare different configurations helped!
• Use spacers to add runners from the top-down. I figured that by going top-down, I didn’t need to be super-accurate on the math–a quarter-inch or two of extra space at the bottom wouldn’t stand out as much as it would on the top. I used a 2.75 inch spacer for medium organizers, and a 4.5 inch spacer for large, cut from scrap wood. (I also saved the spacers for future iterations, and stored them in one of the organizers!)
• My rack is 44 inches tall, with casters. This height works well for me because I can pull out an organizer and set it on top for quick access.
• I used wood glue and my finishing nailer to attach the runners to the sides. I think this is plenty for what I’m storing, but you could use dadoes for stronger joins if that’s your thing.
• Finally, if you’re like me and like your shop furniture to be mobile, don’t cheap out on small casters. These days I don’t use anything smaller than three-inch casters.

Like I said, I’m happy with the results, but for my next iteration:

• I erred on the side of more large organizers and fewer small ones, then wound up filling the small ones much more quickly than I thought I would. They really do hold a lot!
• My original thought was to keep the back open, with a few braces on the back for support. But I ran out of 3/4 plywood scraps, and wound up using some 1/4 inch plywood tacked to the back instead of inset. I like this better, and think it’s fine for shop furniture, but it means the rack is almost an inch deeper than needed. Not a big deal, but something I’ll consider next time.

And there’s no reason you need to use Harbor Freight products–most big-name hardware providers offer similar products. Check your favorite box store.

Who knows, maybe someday I’ll start a video series to document my new shop, but in the meantime, I hope you’ve found this interesting!