Whip your workshop and garage into shape

• The magic of magnets

Given a magnet’s powerful hold over metal, it’s no wonder that so many DIY fans feel such a strong attraction to magnets. They come in handy for a multitude of tasks around the workshop — everything from organizing a workbench to cleaning up spills. Here are half a dozen fantastic ways that you can put them to work for you:

• Fix a large round magnet to the wall next to your workspace (or suspend it from the ceiling, if necessary) to keep small metal parts and tools from getting lost in the middle of repair work.

1. Before using steel wool, wrap a small bar magnet inside the pad to catch any loose steel strands or particles and keep them from messing up your work area.
2. Place small, round magnets inside jars or boxes of screws and nails to prevent or contain spillage if they are accidentally knocked over.
3. Put a bar magnet inside a plastic sandwich bag to pick up spilled nails, nuts or washers — or even to clean up metal filings. The objects will stick to the outside of the bag, which you can then turn inside out to contain them.
4. Magnetize the head of a screwdriver by rubbing it several times with a small horseshoe magnet. You won’t lose nearly so many screws in future.
5. Hot-glue several magnetic strips inside your toolbox or workbench drawer to keep frequently used flat tools at the ready.

• Cords as clamps

Don’t throw away old bungee cords; when wrapped around furniture, appliances and other household items, they make excellent band clamps when you are tackling a range of repairs. Although the cords aren’t adjustable, they can be combined to create almost any length desired or, in the case of long cords, easily shortened by multiple wrappings.

• Keep supplies in the gutter

Who says guttering has to be attached to the roof? Not the clever DIYer. Mount a couple of pieces of plastic guttering around your work area for an inexpensive yet sturdy way to store lengths of moulding, timber, pipes and dowels. Simply screw the mounting brackets into the wall studs and snap in the gutters. You could also use the bare gutter brackets to hold wire coils, extension cords and hoses.

• Make the cut

Here’s a sharp idea: remove the serrated cutting strip from a box of aluminium foil or plastic wrap, cut it in half with a metal cutter or shears and tack or nail one of the sections to the least-used side of your workbench — well away from where you put your hands. Make sure the teeth are positioned slightly above the top of the surface and you should never have to search again for a knife or scissors to cut a piece of tape, rope or sandpaper.

• A place for parts

Make your own parts bins out of recycled plastic milk cartons. Leave the caps on the cartons (seal them with a bit of glue, if needed), and cut off about a third of the side panel with a utility knife or scissors. Fill the cartons with nails, screws, nuts and other small items, and then place them on a small bookshelf or cabinet. You can also stand the cartons upright, of course, and the handles make for easy transport.

• Prevent rust on tools

If your garage tends to be damp and you store tools there, prevent rusting by lightly coating them with petroleum jelly or car wax. If you are storing tools that you don’t often use, spray them with a silicone lubricant and wrap them in aluminium foil. The next time you use the tools, just wipe them with a soft cloth.