I was wondering what people do to store tools. I'm going through everything and trying to organize things better.
I'd been considering pegboard, drawers, and overhead cabinets. Watching YouTube (I know, I know), the phrase "drawers are where tools go to die" seems to be prevalent. Pegboards can be a PITA. There seems to be a French cleat mania but they seem to have a pretty low density of tools (large wall space needed). I've also seen Kaizen foam on walls but it would seem to be hard to clean and it's really designed to be horizontal. Ideas?
Depends on the tool. Reciprocating saw in a case that can also hold the blades. Battery drill in a bag that can hold drill, two batteries, charger and a set of bits. Torque wrenches in a drawer to protect them. Blades for the jigsaw hanging in pegboard. Whatever works for your tools and your way of working.
For those tools that can be hung on the wall I use nails. You can nail wood strips or a sheet of plywood to the wall, then put nails in wherever they are needed. If you need to change the pattern you can just take the nails out and put some new ones in wherever you need them. Pegboards are a PITA.
I don't know if they will stay as is but using the long pegboard hooks, I have created a shelf for the boxes of drill bits. The boxes organize the bits by size, and the boxes organize the bits by type.
The pegboard shelf is behind my drill press.
I have all of my commonly used tools, hammers, saws, squares, etc on that peg board. the peg board is behind the drill press and my workbench.
IMHO storing tools on peg board is a waste of valuable storage room. I have 2 large tool chests. I have 2 smaller chests under my TS and my work bench and lastly I have a tower stack of drawers about 5' tall with a fan on top. Drawers can lose things but if you have enough you can organize by types of tools and what they are used for. I have been using this method for 30+ years and I can pretty much go to a drawer and find what I am looking for. All of the above have 40 multi sized drawers. I have a load of small drawers and those are for hardware and fasteners.
I've often thought that a slide-out pegboard cabinet might make good use of space. - good organization and if built with a door it would keep the dust out. I'd have heavy duty drawer slides rather than the cheap rollers often seen in online diy sites. John T.
The nails or screws are good for most things but i still have a section of pegboard. You can buy some specialty type holders that work well for some things. I have screwdrivers in one.
I meant tools in the shop. I don't want to rummage through cases looking for the tool I want. In fact, I've gone through them and thrown away all the blow-mold cases except a few (haven't gotten around to them). I've thrown away the canvas ones as soon as the tool gets home.
Sure, I'd thought about drawers and Kaizen foam - "a place for everything...". My "bench" is on wheels so I can push it up against the wall to get more space around my table saw or move it out so I can get on all sides of the work pieces. This helps with tracks, etc. My track saw is probably the most used tool I own.
I some what agree with the cases, however with some items that are used occasionally I like the plastic cases. They keeps all of the accessories for the device in one place. When I need the item I can open the case and there is everything need. When finished I put everything back in the case and put it into its storage area.
I think moveable benches is the best thing since ice cream. I am not doing production. each project is different and with a moveable bench I can move it to get the best work flow. I use it with my table saw, as and out feed bench. Other times it works best on the left side of the saw other times on the right. If I am working on the car, it can be moved to where it works best. Other times it sits in the center of the garage, especially if I am working on the lawn tractor.
It works a as a painting stand, as it can be moved around to get the bet approach to the piece being painted.
Mine has two storage shelves, and storage enclosed storage areas in both ends, for planes, small clamps, wood working templates, etc.
I have a similar outfeed table and the bench is the same height as the saw. It's too big for an "infeed table" but it's useful for ripping long boards. I think 10' is as long as I can do, _if_ the saw is in the perfect place. ;-)
snipped-for-privacy@notreal.com on Fri, 31 Dec 2021 21:06:52 -0500 typed in rec.woodworking the following:
All true. OTOH, shallow drawers can hold tool "sets". Wrenches here, drill stuff there, and so forth. Chisels, carving tools. Pegboard is one of those "beats nothing" situations. Getting it laid out is always the big PITA, same goes for tool cabinets, tool chests, the shop in general. French Cleat Mania - harumph! I learned about using the rug/linoleum edge pieces (covers the edge going from rug to floor) as 'cleats' working in a shop which installed whiteboard Enameled sheet steel over 5/8 OSB. You did not want those falling on a kid. I've used them to hang a tool cabinet on several walls.
I favor tool bags / rolls, they pack away better, take up less space. Good for corralling spare batteries, accessories, and the like for power tools - or even some hand tools. I have the auger bits for the brace in a tool roll with the braces in a bag.
My situation is that I had to down size, compact is the main issue. Also, getting the various tools in "one spot" to answer the question "I know I have one (two? three?) but where is it / are they?"
As much as I'd like a "wall o' tools", with shelves, holders etc, and all the tools right where I can reach them ... not unless I won the lottery tonight. Oops forgot to by a ticket. Nuts.
Couple Bossims, regardless of what system you settle on: If you haven't got time to put it away, what makes you think you will have time to look for it? Every place with its thing, every thing with its place.
Workspaces are very personal things, what tools are you most likely to need most frequently should be easily accessible. On a hook, set of pegs, "shelf", hanging from a string / pulley, whatever. "Works for me" is sufficient reason. So is "It made sense at the time." B-)
snipped-for-privacy@notreal.com on Sat, 01 Jan 2022 13:53:55 -0500 typed in rec.woodworking the following:
IMHO, if you are rummaging through cases, you have too many which look alike. Paint names on them. Most modern plastic cases are useless, they hold just The Tool, and the two accessories the Manufacturer knows you will ever need. (Which is one reason I keep the tool bags. I can stuff em full) Cases also keep dust & stuff out/off the tool. I will stack cases on a shelf or in a drawer (depending on size) with the "accessories" (blades, bits, routers, wrenches, tighteners and dohickeys) on or in the same place. And label the shelf / drawer - masking tape works well enough.
Over all, is having tools/accessories in A Spot. I do not want to think how many hours I have shot trying to find the tools I know I have to fix/make "this". Twenty minute project done in an hour and a half will I looked for the tools. Yeah, on plans and programs for this summer was to get the shop organized. Instead I moved.
One wall is all wooden shelves, about a foot apart, built against 2x4s
16" on center, resulting in 12"x12"x16" "cubbies". Each has a different tool pile therein - hand tools, cutting, measuring & marking, glues, tapes, etc. They're piles but I know which pile should have what I'm looking for. Messy but dense.
I also have a few Adeptus rolling cabinets for machine-specific tools that need to be kept clean (one for the mill, one for the lathe, closed drawers don't collect metal chips). I have a third that will take some of the more commonly used tools off the shelves so they're more convenient.
Lastly, I have a half dozen rolling metal wire shelving units. These hold larger portable tools (sawzall, jigsaw, air nailers, etc) and associated stuff (like a whole shelf of drill bits). Some are machine-specific (one for the wood lathe, one for the CNC). Mostly these are just to get stuff off the floor until I have a more permanent place for them - if ever ;-)
Most of my clamps are short enough to clamp to the I-beam in the ceiling.
snipped-for-privacy@notreal.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
The tools that only go to certain tools as much as possible stay near the tool. Preferably on the tool itself but out of the way.
Fasteners go into drawer organizers. Just buy the big ones and if you need to store multiple sizes in a drawer make it really easy to tell by eye like 1/2", 1", and 1 1/2". That's also where you can put your little things like plug adapters and hose washers.
Things like plumbing pipe connectors and electrical fittings can go into plastic "shoe box" size boxes and put up on a shelf. Label them. It's up to you if you want to put 3/4" PVC elbows with 3/4" PVC T's or put all the elbows together and all the T's together. (I prefer to keep the sizes together, I usually am only working on one size pipe.)
Tackle boxes can be ideal for "kitting" where you put related tools together in one box. Kits are IMO better for once in a while tasks, not everyday jobs.
When it comes to drawers, the most important thing to remember is that anything over 1 layer is lost. I store my sockets and wrenches in a drawer, it works great. I have long stopped storing my screwdrivers in the drawer, it worked terribly.
Speaking of socket holders... A lot of holders seem to make the hole for the socket fit snugly. You don't have to--3/4" hole will fit 4-5 sizes of sockets with acceptable slop and if you lose and replace the socket the new one will fit.
I've found these guys to be really nice for the bench top:
formatting link
Screwdrivers of various sizes go in the holes and pliers and other tools go in the slots.
One technique I've embraced is the concept of "overflow". When I have to buy 100 or 1000 of something (like wire nuts), I put some in an easily accessed location and the rest go into an out-of-the-way location for use later.
The problem with storage is that there's so many good solutions that are bad fits for your situation. Drawers are a prime example, it's easy to overload them so you can't find anything.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.