Adam Savage’s One Day Builds: Filing the Files

34 thoughts on “Adam Savage’s One Day Builds: Filing the Files”

1. I so hate to be “that guy” but seeing all those metal files banging and rubbing against one another made me cringe. Very early on in my machinist training, it was drilled into us that files are their own worst enemy and that their teeth were easily dulled and damaged by abrading against one another. Please Adam, rethink this storage method – maybe add some soft lining to the compartments and give each file its own dedicated slot.

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2. Box!

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3. Was thinking that too, but hey, I’m guilty of abusing my files, so I don’t have much room to talk. I have my files and punches each in their own cheap plastic ‘tool rolls’ since I don’t have nearly as many as Adam and still need to keep them in a drawer. When I am working on a file-heavy project, I just roll it open and grab what I need. It takes too long and is annoying, so there may be a box like this in my future!

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4. I’m with ebeatty. Bad idea to have the files rubbing each other. I have a lazy-susan on my bench with horizontal pvc for each file. As I get another file, just glue on another piece of pvc. And it takes less bench space.

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5. I’m guessing that the video Norm teased about on Still Untitled that will be coming on thursday will be the one day build that Adam hinted on this video 😀

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6. I would love a Shop Tips video about the table saw techniques used here. Like using that wooden tray, making slots, etc.

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7. I wonder why he didn’t use/make a suspended board with holes in it, like he uses for screwdrivers?

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8. I wonder why he didn’t use/make a suspended board with holes in it, like he uses for screwdrivers?

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9. Joey you did an excellent job on this video. Great angles, nice sequence of glue, nail, glue nail. One of the most interestingly shot 1 day builds

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10. check out finewoodworking.com for videos on table saw techniques. They also have plans and videos for building crosscutting sleds and other jigs.

    Be warned, the energy in their videos doesn’t quite match Adams 😀

    There is a paywall for some of the videos but they usually have a couple of weeks free.

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11. Given that the files are stored upright, I’m OK with them touching each other. Far better than piled on each other in a drawer. On that note, some of us need to be more concerned about efficient use of space than with first-order retrievability. The most efficient use of space would be to have all of your tools thrown into a big crate. Any higher order of organization will take more space. Drawers are usually the next step up, shelves after that. Adams shop is bigger than my condo so he can afford (literally) to have files in a rack on a work bench. My hobby work space is a corner of my living/dining room so I need to maintain a very high density of tool and material storage and it kind of needs to look presentable. Very few things get the honor of sitting out on top of a workbench. Anyone have ideas along these lines?

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12. So soothing to watch. Nicely shot too!

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13. i cringed as well, but also remembered the amount of agonising i did over storage for files and rasps when i designed my small tool box. in the end, it’s all thanks to not owning a crapton of files/rasps that i figured a flat drawer with individual compartments is the best solution for me: good, bang-resistant storage AND allows easy retrieval.

    funny enough, i did a similar slot and tab subdivision system, except i didn’t slot the drawer walls at all – the dimensions of the inner walls hold them in place, and make the whole thing more easily adaptable for new arrivals, over/undersize tools, etc.

    with the amount of tools adam has, i have no idea how i’d store them that way. probably a two-tier system with extended storage/slower retrievability for the bulk of them, and fast access to the most-used ones.

    speaking of files and rasps: i can strongly vouch for iwasaki carving files. (for wood, that is.) somewhat pricy, but they combine speedy wood removal, good control, and leaving a very clean surface.

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14. I think about that too, I’d really just like more shallow drawers in a toolbox instead of those 3-4″ deep ones. Closest I can find is a nice Kennedy box but they’re *cough* a bit cost prohibitive.

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15. oof, cost prohibitive indeed! O_O

    and except running a bit smoother, i bet they don’t do *that* much more than something you could assemble adam-style from plywood.

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16. Yeah, drawer slide quality doesn’t really get me excited as much as drawer configuration, but you’re totally right. I have a table saw and no other reason not to fab my way out of this organization problem!

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17. please report back when you got something! this sounds way more interesting all of a sudden than some purchased box.

    also, i need ideas on how to improve upon my own tool box. life is in beta, after all.

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18. My favorite episodes of The New Yankee Workshop were the ones where Norm made things for his workshop. This scratches that itch nicely!

    Can’t wait to see what the “actual” one-day build is.

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19. Wonderful editing on this one. Great job!

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20. When Joey Fameli tells me to watch something that’s what I’m goddamn going to do!

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21. They see me knollin’ . . . They hatin’

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22. Blue. Ford Engine Blue. After a few years it will look awesome.

    I collect files, but I don’t have that many. I didn’t know they made that many.

    A separate slot system would be nice, but there are just too many. I suspect many are duplicates. If it were me (because I have some strange OCD issue) I would make a special set just for keeping around the mill. The common use ones. Maybe 10 or so and slot them one each. But I don’t own a mill.

    That same box design would be awesome for brushes. I have dozens of those.

    Another great video.

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23. I got it. This particular video reminded me of the New Yankee Workshop…Adam, are you thinking about something like that in your future aka TESTED style for television? that’s my question.

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24. It seems to me that this box will rip itself apart in time. With all that lateral pressure applied by the tight fitting cross pieces, and nothing but glue on the butt joints, I think this is destined for a blowout.

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25. There are tons of woodworking videos and chanels on youtube, the cross cutting sled that adam uses us as basic as it gets. Try searching table saw jig.

    Woodworking for mere mortals is a good place to start. Steve even matches Adam’s high energy, think overcharged duracell bunny. He’s funny, his stuff is well shot and edited and the projects go from basic to slightly advanced. Also well connected with other high profile woodworking chanels, so a good jumping of point.

    For more eyecandy, in terms of finish, techinque and productin value, might I suggest Frank Howarth. His high concept stop motion videos are gorgeous, as are his turned bowls.

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26. I don’t think making it bullet proof was high on the agenda. It’s a bit of a Kludge.

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27. From watching these Videos I get the feel that Adam has a few tools in there that he loves and futzes over like the mill, lathe and sander, and most of them get used, abused and replaced as needed. He is a ‘get the job done yesterday’ special effects artist, not a considerate maschinist.

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28. I think you would be pretty impressed what titebond and 1″ finishing nails can do on a butt joint. If he had dropped the glue in the slots though, that would have sealed the deal – really stopped any wiggling at the joints. Not really sure this was to be a permanent solution though.

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29. Hey do you recall (longshot) a show with 2 shop guys (possibly a couple) that refinished/rebuilt/built furniture? They might have had Jersey accents.

    I loved that show! They were pretty professional except they always did the most unsafe stuff I would shiver. They did awesome work though and I mean pro-grade refinishing.

    I can’t ever recall what it was called.

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30. sorry, drawing a blank there.

    right on cue, Frank has put out a table saw jig video https://youtu.be/clxeP2UDugQ

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31. Found it

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XDpmfMAAwI&nohtml5=False

    really weird show. But informative

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32. First order retrievability is good. But I like drawers : metal flat ones where you can’t stack stuff on top of each other. Call it pseudo first order retrievability. open drawer-> take tool which is in the place where it should be. If you loose track you have too many tools 🙂

    Compressed air for “cleaning” and woodworking and metal working in the same shop is not a good thing. Abrasives will be blown on your lathe&mill bedways and guides and phuck them up.

    If you want to do that use a downdraft table (That would be a good multi day build) and compressed air.

    At least put a sheet over the mill and lathe.

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33. Yun I have found (or am finding) that keeping tools “non-centralized” is best for me. So, small dedicated drawers if they are part of/close to the work tool or station – but it doesn’t have to be drawers. Adam’s approach with his tool boxes on a stand I have partially adopted in the sense that I am “theme-ing” tools seems to be helping too. It all does make for some redundancy, but the tools get used – and not nearly as much redundancy as buying them again because I forgot I already had them or couldn’t find them because they were stuffed in a random drawer.

    Of course, I do still use a “centralized” system for some tools and will always have to, but it is getting less and less – and that way less chance of things being lost and forgotten. I have also started getting rid of tools I have too many of or have replaced with multi-taskers. Fewer tools means less of a “tool” problem. I am also trying a system of stacked boxes with labels – testing really – for small tools, parts, and supplies. Looks like I am storing wands, but so far it is working.

    I try not to use compressed air because it doesn’t solve the problem – it just moves it. So I like vacuum or air handling – when it is an option. Some folks I know actually upgraded to a baghouse. Overkill for me – but I really like it.

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34. After working for five years in the tool crib of a student machine shop, I find all of Adam’s shop videos give me a strange combination of nostalgic joy and That Guy anguish. I’d be knocking another point off his final exam grade every single time for not wearing his side shields, for instance, and by now he’d have to repeat the course. 🙂

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