Suggestions from your experience organizing metric & english combination box/open end wrench sets?

Sometimes a good idea is only a suggestion away.

I have your typical set of metric and english combination box/open-end wrench sets in various drawers in my toolbox.

But they're all jumbled about such that it takes longer than I'd like to grab a certain size or a sequence of certain sizes.

How do you store your combination wrenches so that they are easy to access?

Reply to
Bill Horn
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A little spray paint to denote metric or standard? I've seen socket sets and wrench sets that came from the factory with different colors to denote English or metric.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

I agree. I have used nail polish for that purpose very successfully. I can instantly tell my metric from my standard wrenches and sockets. Tough and durable as well; I did it twenty years ago, and not one of them had to be redone.

Pierre

Reply to
pierre

I already have the metrics with blue tape and the american with white tape so I can easily tell them apart. Plus I put metric & english in separate drawers.

The problem is in any one drawer, I must have twenty or more wrenches that I'd like to be kept organized better - and I'm still checking out your ideas for doing that. Right now they're all a jumble of sizes.

If only the original Craftsman box was usable for storage, as they were separated when they were bought but there are multiple sets bought by now and that Craftsman box was easily broken plastic.

I'll look for drawer organizers.

Reply to
Bill Horn

Ah. I see many of these $20 wrench wracks.

They seem to hold wrenches on the wall, and not in a drawer.

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They also seem mightly short, only holding from 7 to 15 wrenches.
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If I can find one that is longer (holds about 25 wrenches and fits in a standard garage toolbox cabinet drawer), that would be perfect so I'll keep looking under "wrench wrack".

I was hoping for a home-spun solution though, as I can't imagine all my wrenches, bought over a long period of time, fitting quite so nicely in those wracks in a drawer.

Reply to
Bill Horn

Bill Horn wrote the following:

Separate drawers for SAE and Metric. Lined drawers with wrenches laid out from small to large. Of course, that is only when I have nothing to do and just sort them all out. Usually, they are all jumbled up. Sometimes, it helps if we are a little OCD.

Reply to
willshak

Also plastic ones, comprising a set of knobs on which to 'park' sockets often marked as to size 10mm, 11mm, 12mm etc. But a row of nails/screws in wooden board prob just as good!

Reply to
terry

First I keep the metrics separate from the SAE including sockets and hex keys. In my case, a separate drawer. Next I stack 2 together with the largest in the rear and smallest in the front. Lastly, don't slam the drawer. Eventually a tool box needs to be tidied up once in a while. A rubber mat in the bottom of the tool drawer helps to keep them from sliding around. I found that the rubber mats for kitchen cabinets with the holes in it to work good in a tool box. You can even glue them in. If you hang your tools then it's a no brainer.

Reply to
LSMFT

First I keep the metrics separate from the SAE including sockets and hex keys. In my case, a separate drawer. Next I stack 2 together with the largest in the rear and smallest in the front. Lastly, don't slam the drawer. Eventually a tool box needs to be tidied up once in a while. A rubber mat in the bottom of the tool drawer helps to keep them from sliding around. I found that the rubber mats for kitchen cabinets with the holes in it to work good in a tool box. You can even glue them in. If you hang your tools then it's a no brainer.

Reply to
LSMFT

These are the kind of intelligent American home-spun ideas I was looking for (the europeans & asians can never come up with this kind of stuff!)

I've given up on the plastic non-adjustable "wrench holders" as they are too limiting (they only hold a small number of wrenches and these have to all be sequentially similar in size. Mine are from many sets bought over the years so there is duplication and different types (combination, box, open end, etc.).

But if they make an adjustable "knob type" wrench holder where we get to adjust where the knobs go and which size each knob is to fit in the end of the wrench, that would be the perfect wrench older for drawers.

Alas, I couldn't find anything like that (maybe time to invent it); but I think I like the idea of just buying a thin board and lining up the existing wrenches and then screwing in screws to hold them flat in the drawer.

Don't see anything on the market for that though.

Reply to
Bill Horn

I have separate tool boxes since I have sockets, allen wrenches, and other tools in in both English and Metric.

Reply to
Paul

Many years ago when I worked as an electrician, I would scribe an "+" or "-" in the plastic end of my Klien screwdrivers so I could tell the difference between a flat blade or Phillips. Now Klien is doing it at the factory with a little white paint in the groves. Somebody told on me.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

I do believe you can get large flexible magnetic mat material to line the drawers of your toolbox. That would keep things in place.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

In article , winelovrs1968@Use-Author-Supplied- Address.invalid says...

You gotta be kidding. You can't figure out to keep your wrenches straight and think Asians and Europeans suffer from the same? Hanging things on boards probably dates to the Stone Age. Maybe they used a tree limb with branch stubs as pegs. That was before America was even discovered. Keep inch and metric in separate drawers. Different types. Keep types in a separate drawer, like combos, double box end, etc. But I've always kept a double offset box 1/2-9/16 with my combos because it's often used. Wrench sizes don't have to be in order, as the eye picks the right size. If your eye told you it's a 5/8 nut, it'll spot the 5/8 wrench. An inch set from 7/16 to 1" is only a 10 wrenches. You can toss a set of SAE ignition wrenches in there and still have no problem grabbing the right wrench as fast as extracting it from a holder, then having to re-insert it instead of just tossing it in a drawer. Do that, and you won't waste time putting wrenches back in their own special slot. Sockets need holders because they can roll around and hide themselves if not held upright. Toss all duplicates in a box and put them away. Having 2 or 3 of every size just clouds everything. As others have said you can hang them separately. Nails have been mentioned, and I use that for some heavy tools in the garage. Pegboard is better though because it's easier to adjust layouts. I don't recommend hanging wrenches unless you only do bench work. Or you like looking at them hanging there. Never found hanging necessary for wrenches, as toolbox drawers work better. Shop mechs almost universally prefer a box with drawers to bring the tools right up to the work. I've got 4 x 4' x 8' pegboard on walls in my basement and garage, half of it 1/4" and half 1/8". Never had a wrench hanging, just special or power tools. And a lot of tapes, parts packages, etc. Everybody organizes things differently, according to their inclinations and experience and needs. I don't want rolling boxes, so I keep my boxes light enough to carry. Rather have 3 separate boxes and make 2 trips to get them to the work site or truck bed than one box I can't move. So everywhere I said "drawer" you can substiture "box" if it fits. Whether wrenches or boxes, divide and conquer is what counts. I don't keep wrench sets in toolbox drawers. Mostly files sets, punch sets, chisels, razor tools, etc. Best box I ever had and used for years was a small metal Craftman box I bought empty. About 20" long, 6" wide and 4" high. Had a short - maybe 1/2" high - thin wall inside running lengthwise, starting wide enough to hold a 1" spocket and tapering down to about

1/2" wide at the other end. That box held a full set of combos, and full sets of 3/8 and 1/2 drive ratchets, sockets and extensions. Besides that I could dump in a torque wrench, and all the pliers, visegrips, and screwdrivers I needed for most jobs on top of the wrenches/sockets. Nice box. The short socket wall made it work. Painted it twice over the years, but somebody ran over it and killed it.
Reply to
Bob Cooper

How about your metric saw blades?

Reply to
LSMFT

That's a great idea! Depending on the cost.

I would just put the wrenches down on the magnetic mat, in the order I want them in, and they'd be in order whenever I opened the drawer.

I'll check out the prices on a set of mats for the drawers ... I hadn't thought of this and it's a GREAT idea.

Reply to
Bill Horn

I'm in Texas, USA. We don't have metric saws here.

Reply to
Paul

I use a set of plastic wrench organizers that I bought from Sears for use inside a large rolling Sears Toolbox set. They are just fitted into the drawer by friction and I slanted the pieces so that I can accomodate the biggest to the smallest combination wrenches: SAE on the left and metric on the right. It works fine and cost very little.

Go to Sears.com and search for toolbox organizers.

Jay

Reply to
Jay Hanig

Make your own. I made up one out of light plywood. I used a scroll saw to cut a sawtooth profile than laid the pieces down with some glue and small nails.

Used a wood burner to mark each wing with the size.

Reply to
Steve W.

I spray painted my metrics. It makes things a little bit simpler.

Reply to
HeyBub

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