Tool Organizers?

[Lawrence]

For small hand tools that are made from ferrous metals, have you considered self adhesive magnetic strips?

[chadbag]

23 hours ago, gavino200 said:

Actually, this drawer set seems like a decent offer. 

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-26-in-W-4-Drawer-Rolling-Cabinet-Tool-Box-Chest-in-Gloss-Black-HKST98066BK/309580736

 

 

 

Notice that this one is not very tall...

 

I have a Craftsman one that is much larger that I bought in the late 90s.  I bolted a 2x8 to it and mounted a Dillon loading press on one end.   The drawers worked well for storing various tools and components.    Back then they were good and heavy duty.   Make sure the construction and function of it work for you.  HD usually has that sort of stuff out to try (?)

 

I'd be wary of a short one -- make sure it fits into what you are wanting.

 

The IKEA thing I was talking about earlier is something like this: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/sektion-maximera-base-cabinet-w-2-doors-3-drawers-white-veddinge-white-s49360251/

 

However, you can build these from parts at IKEA (buy the base cabinet box, the drawers, and the doors/front) separately if you want and so could make something like this with 5 or 6 not so tall drawers.   They make "low", "medium", and "high" drawers that fit inside and you could probably fit 5-7 of the low or low/med mix in.     This is a full kitchen cabinet high (this one is only 15" deep total -- drawers would be less -- they also make it in 24" deep).  

 

(When playing around with their various cabinets, realize that the "Front" chosen can have a huge effect on the price -- the same one I linked above with the "wrong" front can increase the price by $200 or more

[gavino200]

4 hours ago, chadbag said:

 

 

Notice that this one is not very tall...

 

I have a Craftsman one that is much larger that I bought in the late 90s.  I bolted a 2x8 to it and mounted a Dillon loading press on one end.   The drawers worked well for storing various tools and components.    Back then they were good and heavy duty.   Make sure the construction and function of it work for you.  HD usually has that sort of stuff out to try (?)

 

I'd be wary of a short one -- make sure it fits into what you are wanting.

 

I'm not convinced I even want one of these things. I'd buy one for cheap from a closing garage, or something. But I'm a little bemused by this whole style of super expensive/super tough drawer cabinets. I have zero need for a drawer cabinet that can withstand having someone try to beat the crap out of it. I think it may be like those giant pickup trucks that people buy, that can haul much more than any of the owners ever haul. I'm sure a pretty feeble drawer cabinet would be fine for me. I'll just have to avoid the temptation to beat the crap out of it. I think I can handle that, honestly. 

 

I'm also not sure that I'd like using drawers. It could work if they were shallow, few, and well labelled. Otherwise I'd forget what was in there and it would become a mess. So I'm not going to shell out big dollars for something that would be a total experiment. 

 

Something wood with thin drawers, would work just as well. Like the cabinets they use in museums to hold tons of tiny artifacts, like butterflies, beatles, or coins. Just a thought. Also, I looked at the video for the Harbor freight drawers and wasn't too impressed. And not all of the drawers are shallow. The deep drawers wouldn't suit me any better than the transparent plastic tubs that I currently use. 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, chadbag said:

 

The IKEA thing I was talking about earlier is something like this: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/sektion-maximera-base-cabinet-w-2-doors-3-drawers-white-veddinge-white-s49360251/

 

However, you can build these from parts at IKEA (buy the base cabinet box, the drawers, and the doors/front) separately if you want and so could make something like this with 5 or 6 not so tall drawers.   They make "low", "medium", and "high" drawers that fit inside and you could probably fit 5-7 of the low or low/med mix in.     This is a full kitchen cabinet high (this one is only 15" deep total -- drawers would be less -- they also make it in 24" deep).  

 

(When playing around with their various cabinets, realize that the "Front" chosen can have a huge effect on the price -- the same one I linked above with the "wrong" front can increase the price by $200 or more

 

Yes, I wouldn't have guessed that about pricing and color until you explained it to me with regard to the tables. I want to order a few of those tables, but the Ikea site is still FUBARed. This cabinet here is far from cheap. I'm guessing not cheap even when assembled from parts. It's also fancier than what I need in my basement. For example I don't need nice flush doors to hide the drawers. 

 

So the plan of attack is as follows. 

I ordered for of the Amazon wire frame five shelf units last night

I'm gonna order a couple of Ikea tables when they deCovid themselves.

I'll get a couple of sheets of pegboard for above my workbench

 

After that I'll see how things stand and think about getting some drawer units. But likely not one of these garage-guy fashion items made out of titanium and diamond dust. 

[cteno4]

Craftsman had a few varieties, the more inexpensive home ones that were smaller like this, a mid priced, nicer quality line that were slightly wider and taller and then the expensive pro line, that went into really big sizes. they also had center and top drawer chests you can stack on top of the bases to go vertical.
 

I expect yours is one of the mid level models. I almost bought one of those around that time but my wood shop was in a tiny one car garage that I shared with storage for a landscaper friend and I opted for a couple of the smaller ones with chests And went vertical to better fit into the space I had and the budge at the time.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

28 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

 

I expect yours is one of the mid level models. I almost bought one of those around that time but my wood shop was in a tiny one car garage that I shared with storage for a landscaper friend and I opted for a couple of the smaller ones with chests And went vertical to better fit into the space I had and the budge at the time.

 

 

It's not really mine. I just found it on a quick google search. 😜 I think I'll get the rest of the stuff installed before I decide if I need drawers. If I decide I do, I'll probably look for second hand and ask engineer/mechanic friends if they know any places closing. If I love them, who knows, I may buy more. 

 

My next tool organizer idea will be to spray everything metric one color and everything dinosaur a different color. I hate when these things get mixed up. It'll also be my first airbrush job in a long time. 

[cteno4]

1 hour ago, gavino200 said:

After that I'll see how things stand and think about getting some drawer units. But likely not one of these garage-guy fashion items made out of titanium and diamond dust. 

I agree the get sick expensive really fast! That’s why I love the harbor freight one as it had a nice mix of drawers for the stuff I use 90% of the time. Larger drawers at the bottom are perfect for the dozen or so cordless and corded power bench tools (drills, impact driver, trim router, brad nailers, sanders, etc. medium drawers have small plastic boxes of the most commonly used screws and fasteners and brads, and top shallow ones the general smattering of hand tools I mostly use. I love it. I would not love it if it’s drawers slid like the cheap craftsman/husky ones do now. They bind sometime and just a lot of force to close them and something tells me it will only get worse with time.

 

1 hour ago, gavino200 said:

It's not really mine. I just found it on a quick google search. 😜 I think I'll get the rest of the stuff installed before I decide if I need drawers. If I decide I do, I'll probably look for second hand and ask engineer/mechanic friends if they know any places closing. If I love them, who knows, I may buy more. 

Sorry that should have been at chad, I think his is the next mid level line, the husky is the cheapest line.

 

1 hour ago, gavino200 said:

My next tool organizer idea will be to spray everything metric one color and everything dinosaur a different color. I hate when these things get mixed up. It'll also be my first airbrush job in a long time. 

yep, I use heat shrink for this a lot! Like Allen wrenches. Nail polish sticks to chrome pretty well, my dad use to paint the tops of the English Sockets ones with red nail polish. I still have a handful with chipped up bright red nail polish on them and always know it’s an english and brings a smile to my face remembering dad sitting there painting his socket tops red! He also dipped his odd set of screwdriver handles in the rubber liquid grip in blue (slotted) or yellow (Phillips) as they were in a big rack (actually one of my first control panels did my layout as a kid that I built a bit too small and he salvaged it and drilled a bunch of holes in it and attached it to the peg board for screwdrivers or sit in, may have been to remind me to plan things out better!) hanging off the peg board. Hard to see the tips that wya and like 30 screwdrivers living there and they never stayed organized well. But at least a lot faster to spot with the colored handles! At least the craftsman now are red and blue handled.
 

many years ago a friend in Monterey had a relative that was on a race team and got is vip pit passes and a tour of their whole operation. They had one semi that had the very top of the line snap on carts (these are the ones Made out of diamonds) lining the walls on both sides floor to ceiling. My jaw hit the ground! The bottom sets were like 5’ high and on wheels and could be wheeled out into their temp garage. The ones above were mounted into the trailer and full of just parts. they had those Little library ladders on tracks so they could climb up and pull parts fast. Very top was a shelf with custom roadie cases for equipment and larger parts that they pulled down with a cute baby’s first Scissor Lift! The center isle was in transit taken up by a pile of custom roadie boxes with the really big gear in it. I remember commented on how much just the storage must cost and the reply was really not much compared to the car costs and crucial to keep good while on the circuit and how they need a complete garage with them and has to be set up and taken down in less than a day all the time! It really was the ultimate in storage, space economy and organization! And the tools sets they had, woaaaa! 
 

jeff

[tossedman]

I use a magnet bar for many tools and a wooden toolbox on my bench with small drawers. Knives, files, tweezers, and lots of small tools are in the toolbox. 

Edited May 28, 2020 by tossedman

[cteno4]

Nice tool box!

 

jeff

[chadbag]

Once I get moved into the new house I am going to have to step up my game!

 

I'll have 4 rooms to outfit for tool storage and organization:

 

The woodworking room (which is mostly [bass] guitar building)

The R/C room, which is for planes and "drones"

The reloading / things that go bank room

The train room

 

The last room is not near the other three.  But each has its own set of tools with very little overlap besides basics like screwdrivers and pliers etc.  (and a soldering station)

 

[cteno4]

Lol you sound like me! I’ve got the woodshop in the garage, the build or fix in my lap in front of the tv station, my office train workbench and the basement mini/winter and height of summer shop!

 

jeff