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DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

familyhandyman.com

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Re: DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

#41

Post by frosted-flakes »

brk wrote: post #9

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/

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.

Re: DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

#42

Post by fr0sty »

showerst wrote: post #25
terom wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 th…

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.

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.

Re: DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

#43

Post by fr0sty »

showerst wrote: post #24
JKCalhoun wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

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.

Re: DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

#44

Post by ghostbrainalpha »

sent-hil wrote: post #40

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.

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.

Re: DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

#45

Post by showerst »

fr0sty wrote: post #43
showerst wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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/d6/43f8d64f96ae537…

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.

Re: DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

#46

Post by ksherlock »

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.

Re: DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

#47

Post by camtarn »

evan_ wrote: post #15

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

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.

Re: DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

#48

Post by jjeaff »

ethbr0 wrote: post #39
walterbell wrote: post #4

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.

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.

Re: DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

#49

Post by ethbr0 »

jjeaff wrote: post #48
ethbr0 wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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...

Re: DIY Tool Storage Ideas (2017)

#50

Post by sent-hil »

ghostbrainalpha wrote: post #44
sent-hil wrote: post #40

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.

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.

Ha, thank you! Please do show him.
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