DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)(familyhandyman.com)
familyhandyman.com
DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)
https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/clever-tool-storage-ideas/
59 comments
I scored a (picked over) English chest off Craigslist a while back --- unfortunately, it was left open for a long while and the front bowed out, and it had some strange design choices:
- too narrow to accommodate a full-sized framing square, the back of the lid was cut open allowing it to stick out (which makes it dangerous to move)
- only one open till which is fixed, w/ an odd saw till underneath
I put it on a small wheeled moving base from Harbor Freight, and tried storing all my traditional hand woodworking tools in it, but while they all fit, the organization is lacking and usage is problematic --- can't bring myself to get rid of it though.
- too narrow to accommodate a full-sized framing square, the back of the lid was cut open allowing it to stick out (which makes it dangerous to move)
- only one open till which is fixed, w/ an odd saw till underneath
I put it on a small wheeled moving base from Harbor Freight, and tried storing all my traditional hand woodworking tools in it, but while they all fit, the organization is lacking and usage is problematic --- can't bring myself to get rid of it though.
It is clearly an example from which you will build your own correctly formatted tool chest! Then convert it into a little library on a post, or mount a cooler in it for shop beers!
Thinking on it a bit more, I think that it will become my liquor storage cabinet.
For the "correctly formatted tool chest" my current plan is to see what will fit into fittings connected to an Apache 5800 (from Harbor Freight) --- if that doesn't work out, I'll probably break down and go full-on Systainer w/ a Tanos MW-1000.
For the "correctly formatted tool chest" my current plan is to see what will fit into fittings connected to an Apache 5800 (from Harbor Freight) --- if that doesn't work out, I'll probably break down and go full-on Systainer w/ a Tanos MW-1000.
The best examination of tool storage concepts I've seen is this blog post:
https://bridgerberdel.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/thoughts-on-t...
which sums the various strategies and their pros and cons up nicely.
Three books on this which I would recommend to any one interested in woodworking are:
- _The Toolbox Book_ by Tolpin --- a bit dated, but still full of good information _and_ measured drawings for making some of the tool chests - _Choosing & Using Hand Tools_ by Andy Rae --- his wonderful toolchest is features in the book above, and further photos and information are included in this book - _Virtuoso: The Tool Cabinet and Workbench of Henry O. Studley_ --- I love and hate this book --- it's an important text, and the content is great, the problem is the presentation (pedestrian micro-typography which uses uni-directional double quotes instead of double primes, x instead of a multiplication symbol, &c.) and the typos (Studley's name is mis-spelled on this dustjacket)
I'm at a point in my life where I pretty much have all the tools I need, and the struggle is remembering where they are/that I have them, so working towards making fitted tool chests/cabinets so that everything has a place, and so that each chest/cabinet/box is applicable to a particular purpose.
https://bridgerberdel.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/thoughts-on-t...
which sums the various strategies and their pros and cons up nicely.
Three books on this which I would recommend to any one interested in woodworking are:
- _The Toolbox Book_ by Tolpin --- a bit dated, but still full of good information _and_ measured drawings for making some of the tool chests - _Choosing & Using Hand Tools_ by Andy Rae --- his wonderful toolchest is features in the book above, and further photos and information are included in this book - _Virtuoso: The Tool Cabinet and Workbench of Henry O. Studley_ --- I love and hate this book --- it's an important text, and the content is great, the problem is the presentation (pedestrian micro-typography which uses uni-directional double quotes instead of double primes, x instead of a multiplication symbol, &c.) and the typos (Studley's name is mis-spelled on this dustjacket)
I'm at a point in my life where I pretty much have all the tools I need, and the struggle is remembering where they are/that I have them, so working towards making fitted tool chests/cabinets so that everything has a place, and so that each chest/cabinet/box is applicable to a particular purpose.
On this general topic, I'll mention the Milwaukee Packout system. I've been converting most of my storage containers and portable items to Packout.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Storage-Solutions/PAC...
https://www.pelicanzero.com/packout-nation/
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Storage-Solutions/PAC...
https://www.pelicanzero.com/packout-nation/
I don't like how the handles are on the side for most of the packout boxes, and they're very bulky (what are those aluminum bars on the corners for?) and generally too big for almost all of my tools. Waterproof is nice, but completely unnecessary for me.
I prefer the Tanos Systainer stacking boxes. They're small enough that each box can have a single purpose. For example, I have a drill, impact driver, charger, spare battery, and all of my drill bits inside one medium box (very heavy). In an XL box I have a track saw with its accessories, in a small box I have a jig saw, and in a medium box I made some wooden dividers for all my glue, wood fillers, and caulking.
Makita makes some of the older-style boxes with 4 latches that often go on sale for very cheap on Amazon, but I prefer the newer T-lock boxes because you can open a box even if it's in a stack. But the T-lock boxes are insanely expensive, so I mostly have the Makita boxes. Both styles are compatible with each other.
I prefer the Tanos Systainer stacking boxes. They're small enough that each box can have a single purpose. For example, I have a drill, impact driver, charger, spare battery, and all of my drill bits inside one medium box (very heavy). In an XL box I have a track saw with its accessories, in a small box I have a jig saw, and in a medium box I made some wooden dividers for all my glue, wood fillers, and caulking.
Makita makes some of the older-style boxes with 4 latches that often go on sale for very cheap on Amazon, but I prefer the newer T-lock boxes because you can open a box even if it's in a stack. But the T-lock boxes are insanely expensive, so I mostly have the Makita boxes. Both styles are compatible with each other.
I considered standardizing on Packout, but they seem to only offer one two drawer units, all of which are deeper than I'd like (I really want a single layer of tools per drawer).
I just bought a large rolling toolchest for my garage. I had looked extensively at Packout (and similar competing solutions) but couldn't justify going with such a system as my main use is to keep all my tools in my garage, so portability isn't critical, and the Packout system seems to have very limited offerings right now for tool drawers which don't require disassembling a stack of things.
But for mobile tool transportation, it does seem like a great solution! My HVAC guy has a ton of Packout boxes in his truck.
But for mobile tool transportation, it does seem like a great solution! My HVAC guy has a ton of Packout boxes in his truck.
They’re actively developing the lineup (having said they were surprised at the success thereof).
Some very good ideas in there that I haven't come across. Another great DIY idea I didn't see there was gluing top of mason jar to bottom of a wood plank so you can screw/unscrew the jar. I use this for storing screws and other small things.
If you're interested in this sort of thing and don't want to build your own, I'm working on https://toolwallhq.com that exactly solves this.
If you're interested in this sort of thing and don't want to build your own, I'm working on https://toolwallhq.com that exactly solves this.
Your website is the nerdiest shit I have ever seen.... and I'm loving it.
My dad has OCD and a little shop, if I show him your planner we not see him again for days.
My dad has OCD and a little shop, if I show him your planner we not see him again for days.
Ha, thank you! Please do show him.
My dad just nailed them in place, which was fine until a jar broke.
HD has a dual-sided compartment case with transparent lids. One side can be used to store instruments/tools in PE foam (after removing the dividers with flush cutters), leaving the other side for small parts. 10 x 12 x 1.5 inches per side. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-34-Compartment-Plastic-Dou...
I can't say enough nice things about the Ridgid small bins organizer. Especially for the price.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-Pro-System-Gear-10-Compar...
My favorite use? Dedicating one to a go-tote of assorted fastener (nails, screws, etc), divided into the different cups.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-Pro-System-Gear-10-Compar...
My favorite use? Dedicating one to a go-tote of assorted fastener (nails, screws, etc), divided into the different cups.
My go to are the storage totes from Harbor Freight. There are a few sizes and it has removable bins like the Ridgid ones. Usually $16 for the larger ones like in the Ridgid one. But I often get them for around $10 on sale. My guess from the image is that the harbor freight aren't quite as high quality though.
Yeah, the Ridgid ones are somewhat watertight (have a gasket and clamps) and built fairly stoutly. Overkill for what I use them for.
The critical feature for me is the cups fit flush with the lid. So anything bigger than micro parts can't migrate across the box, when in transit.
I'm guessing you're talking about these? https://www.harborfreight.com/8-bin-portable-parts-storage-c...
The critical feature for me is the cups fit flush with the lid. So anything bigger than micro parts can't migrate across the box, when in transit.
I'm guessing you're talking about these? https://www.harborfreight.com/8-bin-portable-parts-storage-c...
Yes, and there is a thinner model as well with smaller trays.
I have a similar, smaller case which I used for tools and parts for a while, but found flipping it constantly really annoying.
Currently it's overflow storage for things associated w/ my CNC machines which I'm not likely to need.
Currently it's overflow storage for things associated w/ my CNC machines which I'm not likely to need.
My favorite thing that I lucked on for part storage as some of the other commenters here have been discussing, was the local TrueValue signed a new contract with Hillman and had all of their screw and bolt cabinets replaced so they could fit in some actual quantity of metric stuff. I bought a hardware store wall worth of bins for like $250. It was and is glorious. I'm in the process of building a proper workshop after moving for more space and the rebuilding of that wall is very exciting for me.
My favorite storage hack recently has been using a bun rack (https://www.webstaurantstore.com/regency-10-pan-end-load-hal...) to store the Harbor Freight plastic storage bins.
It’s the correct length and height already, you just need to trim the width of the cross supports and tap the ends again.
The HF bins are cheap and have removable inserts that index in the lid, so you can remove one, close the lid, and your parts stay in place.
For pliers and similar tools, I’m a big fan of Adam Savage’s pliers cart: https://youtu.be/TWQAYfGxsPE
It’s the correct length and height already, you just need to trim the width of the cross supports and tap the ends again.
The HF bins are cheap and have removable inserts that index in the lid, so you can remove one, close the lid, and your parts stay in place.
For pliers and similar tools, I’m a big fan of Adam Savage’s pliers cart: https://youtu.be/TWQAYfGxsPE
[deleted]
Do you have a photo?
Similar approach with lunch trays, https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R282SPN2EU416K/
If you need to store a lot of small parts, go to a Cabela's (or bass pro shop) and look at the fishing section, plastic boxes with anywhere from 6 to 40 small compartments. Often a far better selection than what you'd find at a home Depot or similar.
For really small SMD (electronics) parts, you need something with a completely sealed compartment. Anything with removable separators or a gap between the dividers and the lid is a no-go, or you'll be tossing a couple hundred unmarked 0805 MLCCs in the trash because your 100nF and 1uF parts got mixed up together.
The cheap SMD parts containers on AliExpress [1] are reasonably good, although the lid springs some of them will inevitably break. There's probably some professional model with better quality plastics by a reputable brand as well.
[1] https://a.aliexpress.com/_msqygpo
The cheap SMD parts containers on AliExpress [1] are reasonably good, although the lid springs some of them will inevitably break. There's probably some professional model with better quality plastics by a reputable brand as well.
[1] https://a.aliexpress.com/_msqygpo
For through-hole and other misc small stuff, I bought some mini plastic baggies and store them in a binder filled with baseball-card storage pages.
A little fiddly to assemble, but now it's really easy to jump to section and clearly see the parts, and takes up less space than a parts bin if you have a few of a lot of parts.
A little fiddly to assemble, but now it's really easy to jump to section and clearly see the parts, and takes up less space than a parts bin if you have a few of a lot of parts.
little plastic bags are a bit too flimsy and difficult to handle/organize for my taste.
I settled for small "coin envelopes" labelled with pen and placed on end in a deep shelf bin.
I settled for small "coin envelopes" labelled with pen and placed on end in a deep shelf bin.
I lucked [0] into being around for an office move of a company that had gone from building physical devices to pure software, and got ~24 parts drawer units [1] for free. For the utility I get out of them, I would have bought them new, but it's hard to know that beforehand - they're expensive for what they are, and to do it right you really need a lot of them to make a uniform wall. I built custom shelves to hold them without the weight adding up, in three vertical columns floor to ceiling.
I'll occasionally see deep sales (~50%) on similar items throughout the year, since presumably the cost basis isn't that high. If I somehow lost mine or needed to expand my storage, I'd plan out some shelves for whatever size the new ones were, and buy enough to fill a few more vertical columns.
[0] They also came with a bunch of assorted stainless machine screw hardware. And this was a month or so after Radio Shack closed and I had spent a week going from store to store buying buying all the switches and lights I longed for in my childhood.
[1] https://www.homedepot.com/p/Akro-Mils-24-Compartment-Small-P...
I'll occasionally see deep sales (~50%) on similar items throughout the year, since presumably the cost basis isn't that high. If I somehow lost mine or needed to expand my storage, I'd plan out some shelves for whatever size the new ones were, and buy enough to fill a few more vertical columns.
[0] They also came with a bunch of assorted stainless machine screw hardware. And this was a month or so after Radio Shack closed and I had spent a week going from store to store buying buying all the switches and lights I longed for in my childhood.
[1] https://www.homedepot.com/p/Akro-Mils-24-Compartment-Small-P...
> all the switches and lights I longed for in my childhood.
The wonders of the Radio Shack catalog to a child's imagination :)
The wonders of the Radio Shack catalog to a child's imagination :)
I prefer these storage bins made by Stanley. They are fairly inexpensive and the small bins are removable so that you can easily grab the whole bin of screws or whatever. This also makes them easy to re-arrange your small parts. If you look around you can find them in two sizes — a thick and thin version.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-25-Compartment-Shallow-P...
Also, a cabinet for storing the organizers is an easy build for a new woodworker:
https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/164002
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-25-Compartment-Shallow-P...
Also, a cabinet for storing the organizers is an easy build for a new woodworker:
https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/164002
The harbor freight knockoffs of those stanley containers are serviceable too, at half the price. https://www.harborfreight.com/20-bin-medium-portable-parts-s...
I considered the Stanley and HF options and opted for the Stanleys. The HF lid is polyethylene, a little milky, and a little bendy while the Stanley lids are polycarbonate, clear and somewhat stiffer. Neither option will do a good job of preventing small parts from migrating between compartments so I never 'briefcase' carry.
I built a few units similar to this (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/43/f8/d6/43f8d64f96ae537698a4...) to hold all of them.
I built a few units similar to this (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/43/f8/d6/43f8d64f96ae537698a4...) to hold all of them.
Nice! That's my exact plan if I ever get a real garage. I labelled mine on colored masking tape which is a nice way to quickly get to the right contents.
If you buy the right size boxes it works out so that a given multiple of them fits in a paper sized space you can use free filing cabinets for storage.
An alternative is to put things into Ziplock bags and then store in a filing cabinet ---works quite well, esp. for computer cables.
I picked up my storage cabinet with small drawers from a family shop wood store. It's made of wood instead of being plastic, so I placed labels to each drawer to signal the resistors, inductors, capacitors, chips and so on.
If anyone is working in a tight space, I recently found that wall control makes pegboard that are only 8in wide. [1].
They're made to be horizontal so if you flip them some of the fancy accessories that rely on the horizontal slats won't work, but the pegs are still fine, and it's a good way use otherwise wasted space on really narrow walls and corners.
https://www.wallcontrol.com/8in-x-32in-horizontal-galvanized...
They're made to be horizontal so if you flip them some of the fancy accessories that rely on the horizontal slats won't work, but the pegs are still fine, and it's a good way use otherwise wasted space on really narrow walls and corners.
https://www.wallcontrol.com/8in-x-32in-horizontal-galvanized...
14" Ikea pegboard fits on the side of Kallax shelves, https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/skadis-pegboard-white-50320805/
Seville has a 24W x 18D x 66H metal cabinet with pegboard sides, https://www.sevilleclassics.com/collections/cabinets-1/produ...
Seville has a 24W x 18D x 66H metal cabinet with pegboard sides, https://www.sevilleclassics.com/collections/cabinets-1/produ...
The hooks are hard to find (or were when I bought mines), but it is super easy make with wire of a sufficient gauge. If you want to make a lot you can even make a jig with a piece of wood and some nails.
[deleted]
The magnetic drill bit rack might cause the swarf to cling to the drill bits.
I use plastic picture/poster hanging grips to cover saw blades, and lengths of 4" plastic waste pipe to store dowel and metal rod.
I use plastic picture/poster hanging grips to cover saw blades, and lengths of 4" plastic waste pipe to store dowel and metal rod.
Yeah, I avoid magnetic solutions to holding tools. I hate magnetic tools.
Not to mention those drill bits will not be nearly as nicely organized once you turn the drill press on…
I 3D printed a bunch of these[0] hangers for my cordless power tools and screwed them to the underside of a shelf. This model is for DeWalt but there’s a variation for every battery platform. Seems to work pretty well.
[0]: https://www.printables.com/model/203909-dewalt-tool-mounts
[0]: https://www.printables.com/model/203909-dewalt-tool-mounts
They're all stored without their batteries? So now you need a battery storage solution as well as needing to remove the batteries to store the tool?
Ah, that’s what this model is for:
https://www.printables.com/model/157265-dewalt-battery-hange...
I’ve never liked storing tools with batteries, but I’m just a weekend DIYer so YMMV.
https://www.printables.com/model/157265-dewalt-battery-hange...
I’ve never liked storing tools with batteries, but I’m just a weekend DIYer so YMMV.
That looks nice. Good for storing extra batteries for people who keep one battery in the tool.
I've always stored my cordless tools with the batteries disconnected from the tools and I don't have a fancy way of storing either (yet). I believe most cordless tool instruction manuals recommend this.
Hah, using the built in battery latches is a genius idea!
I just wish I had enough battery power tools that I needed to store them in such a fashion ;) Sadly most of my tools are still mains powered.
I just wish I had enough battery power tools that I needed to store them in such a fashion ;) Sadly most of my tools are still mains powered.
I feel like I have carried over some bad habits from programming to my woodworking hobby. This is a hobby that hasn't taken off because I seem to enjoy finding new ways of organising my tools. The result is I have yet to make anything of significance. It feels like I am trying to find the perfect development stack.
There are some good ideas here - I especially like the magnetic bit rack. Not a fan of peg boards and general wall hangers or an insulation foam wall hanger (seems fragile and messy) but they probably work for some people.
Cool to see this on HN
3/4 inch plywood offcut for a circular blade tote.
/me checks plywood prices in UK...
Nope.
/me checks plywood prices in UK...
Nope.
Laminating corrugated cardboard would give plenty of rigidity for this tote.
Hmmm I like the creativity but think I'd rather just keep my wrenches in their compact carrying case so I can take them wherever I need them easily...
the other day I saw a variation of the PVC tool holder used for holding drills. The notch didn't go all the way through, and rotated 90 degrees, perhaps less so it would be angled up slightly (so the pipe was hanging under the supporting 2x4) although it would also work fine upright.
Why is the phrase "Pointy-tool pincushion" so satisfying?
https://www.lumberjocks.com/BrandonW/blog/35335
Another excellent way to store and organize your tools is in an English tool chest. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2020/04/06/anarchists-tool-che...