How do you organize your tools in tool boxes? need suggestions

[newbury]

The Bench Top makes a good spot for the most used tools. In sight, easy to reach and no hassle putting them back in the proper space in the proper drawer.

For about 40 years I didn't have a bench top, I used my tablesaw top in my 225 sq ft workshop in my basement in Alexandria, Va.

I have about 8 drawer boxes & shelf cabinets and 6 top chests for tools accumulated of the years. I keep an eye out for bargains as these boxes while on rollers, never get moved anymore, so cheap drawer boxes work fine for me. If I ever do it over, first I organized each box as to general job duties. As it is, I have my cabinet, drawer box & top chests I used to have when I was working sitting against the back wall of my little shop after I retired and my other home boxes & chests on the right wall, so there are many duplicate tools in both areas. I do designate each drawer separated by tool description; such as pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, meters, files, gauges, clamps, metric, SAE, etc. I keep most of my sockets in the top of 2 top chest boxes installed on the metal socket rails riveted to the inside of each top box. I can look at a glance and see if something is missing as rearrange metal socket holders as needed. I used plastic wrench dividers in my drawers to also be able to tell when a wrench or screwdriver is missing. I never labeled my drawers as I used them enough to know where everything was, until recently. My wife could never find something that I asked for (wishful thinking on my part as my Tool Time assistant) so I labeled them for her, but it still did not help her much, as I usually had to stop and go find it myself. A habit I picked up when I worked for a living is, the job is not done until I have wiped off and returned my tools to their boxes and cleaned up where I was working. It does not take but a couple of small jobs to turn my small space into a nightmare of a mess. Finding work bench space is a premium around here; stuff just keeps accumulating with no where to store it. I am getting to the age/health now that I need to downsize and get rid of stuff I will never use again.

Well, like I've written elsewhere on here, I'm not short on "workbench top" space any more. I went from about 10 sq ft to about 300 sq ft. when I went fro 225 sq ft of shop to 5,500 sq ft. I've presently about 10 sections of 8.5 foot long x 44" deep pallet racking (with 2 to 4 shelves above) set up as "workbench top" scattered over 3 buildings. That's one reason I invested in the rolling toolboxes, so I could roll an entire set of tools to a project instead of walking back and forth.
I'm trying to maintain as much of the "original packaging" as possible, such as the boxes tool kits come in, the handy carrying wrench holders I get when buying a set of wrenches at Harbor Freight. But otherwise I haven't settled on a "within drawer" storage system.

But thanks guys for all the hints.

And for you "pegboard aficionados" how do you keep the pegs from falling out when you pull a tool off? I've tried the little clips and they pull off also. I've got about 40 feet x 4 feet of pegboard storage. Some of it here:

 

[CalG]

This thread will run for ever. Do men ever tire of showing their tools? ;-)

 

[Big Barn]

To the OP, newberry.

I use these style hooks, but in my slat wall. They
should solve your pegboard problem.




edit: they are available in single and double STRAIGHT also.

Terry

 

[MossRoad]

This foam is specifically made for things like this. It's multi-layered, easy to cut to depth of tools, and peel out in layers. It's also pretty darn inexpensive.

Kaizen Foam - FastCap - Woodworking Tools

Here's my results....

 

[Al 2]

As for peg board hooks, the better ones have another small pin on the back that goes into the hole below the top hole. They work very well and don't pull out easily. These are the only ones I use but sometimes are hard to find.
Al

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have only 3 tool boxes. One I keep in my house garage and only contains a few simple tools that I may need to fix something in the house.
My other two are in my shop, I have one Craftsman and one red General from Harbor Freight. The General has miscellaneous stuff like tape, digital calipers, small steel brushes, digital electrical test meters etc. basically stuff that cant be segregated into a drawer of its own.
The top left drawer is for screwdrivers, under that is my pliers, to the left is my wrenches for my grinders, some tip cleaners and a small socket set that I can remove and take with me to a remote location.
The large drawer under those contains my small combination wrenches in both SAE and Metric and my impact socket set.
The bottom drawer has all my grinding disc and air tools. The bottom shelf has my 5 electric 4.5" grinder, my 7" electric grinder, shop hammers and a couple of half round files. The side shelf is where I keep my chipping hammer and wire brushes.

The second tool box also has miscellaneous stuff on top that I rarely use but is visible and easy to find should I need some to it.
The small drawer on top left has my marking pencils, soap stone, abrasive stone for knife sharpening. Next to it is my digital air gauge and pen light, plus a couple of spring type air gauges that I use to check the tires with water in them. The last small drawer has some of my small center punches, chisels and a few thread taps in the sizes needed to tap out grease zerk holes and other small stuff.
The next large drawer has my large combination SAE wrenches up to 2" size, the drawer under it has the Metric set of the same sizes.
Below that is larger chisels, scrapers, oil filter wrenches and pliers.
The large bottom drawer I where I keep my shop towels which is mostly old T shirts and some micro fiber towels. You can never have enough cleaning rags.

It really makes no difference how you set up your tool box as long as you put everything back in exactly the same place after using it. You don't even need to label the drawers if you keep everything in its place. There is lots of truth in the old saying "a place for everything and everything in its place".

Now my 3 plastic bins that have about 20 drawers each are very hard to keep track of even though I try to keep like items near each other. With that many drawers and mostly containing small screws, bits, bolts, nuts etc. it is impossible for me to keep those straight nor remember where all of it is. Those usually take some searching.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

This thread will run for ever. Do men ever tire of showing their tools? ;-)

I have far too many tools to show. I figured this was about hand tools like wrenches and screwdrivers. I have lots of electric power tools, air tools, and tools that are just too big to fit in a box like my steel post puller or high lift jack. The anvil, bench grinder, drill press, welder, lathe, etc. take up their own floor space. The anvil has a steel base with space for hammers, hardy tools, tongs and such. One bench is nothing but reloading tools. Another bench is for electronics projects, with a nice fluorescent ring light magnifying work light. Let's talk about hand tools and leave the propane bud out of it. I have 16 tool boxes (rough count) plus a 10 drawer roll-around tool cabinet, tool shelves under two work benches, and still have tools looking for a home. I go to auctions. Still looking for a 6" jointer, if you have a line on a good one.

 

[JRobyn]

For about 40 years I didn't have a bench top, I used my tablesaw top in my 225 sq ft workshop in my basement in Alexandria, Va.....

And for you "pegboard aficionados" how do you keep the pegs from falling out when you pull a tool off? I've tried the little clips and they pull off also. ....

Ha! I've now got a nice huge benchtop and the top of the tablesaw is STILL constantly covered with crap!

Make certain to get 1/4" dia. "heavy duty" peg hooks, and get the kind with the "stub". The best/cheapest "sets" I have found are at Walmart. Lowes are just a little more. I have also bought bulk packs at Amazon - Amazon.com: Stanley National N18-612 1.5" Heavy Duty Angled Hook (8 Pack): NATIONAL HARDWARE: Home Improvement

I use a LOT of this size/style, but also many of the "double hook" ones like Big Barn shows. The Stanley ones are also made in different shapes. I was also blessed many years ago with a bucketful of double hook LONG hooks in several lengths with a removable plastic hook part. Those are very handy for up near the ceiling where the hook would ordinarily hit the ceiling before it could be raised vertically enough to insert. Mine came from a store that was going out of business. These are made almost identical - Amazon.com: Southern Imperial R23-6 1 Pack Single Stem Hook - 6 in.: Home Improvement

 

[Gary Fowler]

This foam is specifically made for things like this. It's multi-layered, easy to cut to depth of tools, and peel out in layers. It's also pretty darn inexpensive.

Kaizen Foam - FastCap - Woodworking Tools

Here's my results....

That is just too neat to work with, but it sure looks good.

 

[KubotainNH]

I built a revolving peg board rack for my welding related hand tools such as numerous vice grips, clamps, squares, and whatever. It's 2 ft square x 7 ft tall. This stands at the side of my wellding bench so I have direct access to 56 sq ft of tools . I made the frame using 3/4" x 3/4" angle iron and covered with peg board. For the swivel part I used a self contained wheel bearing that came off the rear axle of a front wheel drive GM car . Don't know what model and other manufactures may use something similar. The bearing has bolt holes on the flange for easy mounting and I got a used one at the wrecking yard for free. You have to mount the bearing to some kind of heavy base. I made a 2' sq base out of angle iron and then welded a large brake drum to this to add weight and then attached the bearing and peg board. You could use patio stones for weight on the base if needed. I also welded 1/2 " nuts on each corner of the base and use 1/2 ' bolts as leveling screws. Paint your favorite colour. Hope all this makes sense. Getting back to the tool box tools I'm also in the process of building a smaller version of the above that will sit on my other bench to basically hold wrenches and maybe screwdrivers. Still going to be 2' sq. One side will be for metric and another for imperial sizes. As some others here, I have just to many wrenches in one drawer and it's time to make life easier.
Al

AI, can you post a picture of this?