Maybe I’m just over thinking / engineering this, but I have a number of accessories that I rely on staying in spec as far as accuracy goes; TSO guide rail square, Starrett combination square, digital calipers, etc. I’d rather not just chuck them in a bag or box and let them rattle around. Any suggestions or clever ways to safely store and transport these?
Safely storing precision accessories?
- Thread starter camhabib
- Start date
luvmytoolz
Member
For my woodworking stuff I just hang the rules and squares and try not to mistreat them, for my metalworking stuff however the measurement gear are all safely stored in their cases in drawers for the best protection from the elements, abuse, accidents, etc.
onocoffee
Member
I do similar to luv - most of the rules, triangles and squares hang from hooks on a pegboard wall. If they came from a bag or packaging that can be resealed, they hang in those. The nicer stuff that came in cases, like the Mitutoyo digital calipers or Grok square set, they stay in their cases and in their own "home" location.
But I've seen others who will use Kaizen foam to line drawers and have custom cutouts for their measuring tools.
But I've seen others who will use Kaizen foam to line drawers and have custom cutouts for their measuring tools.
woodferret
Member
Kaizen foam. Or if you want something even sturdier you can get cross-linked polyethylene from foam suppliers like
Unless we're talking really heavy things like 321 blocks, kaizen should be more than enough.
edit: removed the tanos bit, since XLPE was direct sale and I don't think generally available.
Cross-Linked Polyethylene Foam | Foam Factory, Inc.
With our cross-linked polyethylene foam, get a lasting solution that is durable. It is even resistant to mold and mildew.
www.foambymail.com
Unless we're talking really heavy things like 321 blocks, kaizen should be more than enough.
edit: removed the tanos bit, since XLPE was direct sale and I don't think generally available.
Crazyraceguy
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- Oct 16, 2015
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I store some things "sort of" foam style, pocketed into MDF. My calipers, several metric brad-point drills, a few driver tips, etc. are in these fitted trays. These are things I reach for constantly, so specific spaces keep them handy/readily available. Most of them were done at the time of need, so could be improved, after some experience with them.
Doing this with MDF is a bit more involved than cutting foam though, since it takes more to cut it.
However, if you can get by with scrap-sized pieces, it is essentially free.
Doing this with MDF is a bit more involved than cutting foam though, since it takes more to cut it.
However, if you can get by with scrap-sized pieces, it is essentially free.
Cheese
Member
I think the word you need to focus on is "precision". The TSO guide rail is not "precision" while the Starrett and the calipers would be considered "precision". Precision items need to be kept in a protective drawer that has cushioning and is "relatively water vapor free" and that is also relatively dust free.
I would suggest a Sortainer Sort/3 with foam inserts.
I think the Sortainers are perfect for everything, which is low height (less than 66 mm). One Sortainer is cheaper than three Sys3 M 112, and you can easily get access to the drawers, also when the sortainer is at the bottom of a stack.
In the photo below I have used 50mm thick inserts from Shadow Foam UK. I bought a box of 3 plates 50x400x600 mm, enough for 6 drawer inserts.
I first use a bread knife to cut them to fit the drawers. Then I cut with a scalpel around the outline of each tool. The foam is layered, so I can peel off one or more layers to get the depth I want.
I also have a box of 5 plates 30x400x600 mm, enough for 10 drawer inserts. 30 mm is thin enough to fit two in a drawer and still have 6 mm left for a protection sheet for transport. I plan to use those for my measurement tools, putting the most rarely used at the bottom.
My total cost for 16 inserts, cutting tools, cut protection gloves, extra scalpel blades and transport was around 110 Euro. So one insert is around 7 Euro + my own labor.
This foam is polyethylene with rather large cells. Don't expect it to feel like a luxury item. It feels like someone turned plastic water bottles into foam (which could very well be true). But it is still much nicer than the foam you see in some tool cases where you pluck out precut cubes to fit your tools.
If you want something better, you could look into EVA foam. But I think you need to route the pockets in that, so it will be a more elaborate job.
I think the Sortainers are perfect for everything, which is low height (less than 66 mm). One Sortainer is cheaper than three Sys3 M 112, and you can easily get access to the drawers, also when the sortainer is at the bottom of a stack.
In the photo below I have used 50mm thick inserts from Shadow Foam UK. I bought a box of 3 plates 50x400x600 mm, enough for 6 drawer inserts.
I first use a bread knife to cut them to fit the drawers. Then I cut with a scalpel around the outline of each tool. The foam is layered, so I can peel off one or more layers to get the depth I want.
I also have a box of 5 plates 30x400x600 mm, enough for 10 drawer inserts. 30 mm is thin enough to fit two in a drawer and still have 6 mm left for a protection sheet for transport. I plan to use those for my measurement tools, putting the most rarely used at the bottom.
My total cost for 16 inserts, cutting tools, cut protection gloves, extra scalpel blades and transport was around 110 Euro. So one insert is around 7 Euro + my own labor.
This foam is polyethylene with rather large cells. Don't expect it to feel like a luxury item. It feels like someone turned plastic water bottles into foam (which could very well be true). But it is still much nicer than the foam you see in some tool cases where you pluck out precut cubes to fit your tools.
If you want something better, you could look into EVA foam. But I think you need to route the pockets in that, so it will be a more elaborate job.
WillAdams
Member
I made a small fiitted box:
This is actually perfect. I have access to a commercial laser cutter, wondering if that could do the job.
Sorry, it was sloppy wording on my part. Really meant to indicate things I wouldn’t want to get too banged up. I realize the TSO isn’t on the same level as a Starrett.
Packard
Member
I built large, shallow, full-extension drawers for that purpose, but ended up hanging most of the larger pieces on wooden pegs. I avoid metal peg board hooks because over time they can deform the aluminum that the larger pieces are typically made from. When I feel I need more strength than the wood pegs will provide, I use fiberglass pultrusions.
A cheap source for the pultrusions is your big box store: The 4 foot long snow markers. They are typically done with reflective hi-visibility orange tape. They end up costing about $1.00 per foot. Also available on Amazon.
Smaller pieces, like vernier calipers and micrometers still rest comfortably in those shallow drawers, typically in the plastic cases that they arrived in. Also pencils, pens and small scales (rulers).
A cheap source for the pultrusions is your big box store: The 4 foot long snow markers. They are typically done with reflective hi-visibility orange tape. They end up costing about $1.00 per foot. Also available on Amazon.
Smaller pieces, like vernier calipers and micrometers still rest comfortably in those shallow drawers, typically in the plastic cases that they arrived in. Also pencils, pens and small scales (rulers).
I don't know how well you can control the cutting depth with a laser. You don't want to cut all the way through. The bottom layer should be kept intact. I usually cut 5-10 mm deeper than the intended pocket depth.
Next problem is time consumption for creating a file for the laser. I have a feeling that this will be a lot more time consuming than cutting with a scalpel. It took me less than 2 hours to create the insert in my photo. Can you create a file in that time?
Picktool
Member
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2014
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- 171
Even if you did cut all the way, you can recut a separate piece/shape (diff color?) to fit within at what ever depth you need to cut and friction fit in.
Color is already different. Top layer is one color. Layers beneath it are another color.
I see some value in keeping the bottom layer intact. That way you can lift the inserts out of the systainer and use them as mobile trays.
Packard
Member
Use 2 layers of foam. Cut all the way through the thick, top layer and glue it to a thin (about 1/2” thick) bottom layer. E6000 glue, a clear and flexible styrene based adheres to most “unglue-able” foams. Much stronger adhesive than silicone-based ones, but remains clear and flexible. Available at most hobby shops, Lowes and Home Depot and from Amazon.com.
In any case, this is an easy workaround using a laser cutter.
I don't really see the advantage. You are introducing glue and additional steps, and at the end, all your pockets now have the same depth, not the needed depth.
But I can certainly see that some people seem hellbent on laser cutting these inlays. I wonder if any of you have even tried doing it with a scalpel-
Packard
Member
In the late 1960s, I added dividers to an attache case to house my Nikon cameras and accessories. I used sheet aluminum to make the dividers and pop rivets to join them. And then I glued a sheet of black felt to cover the aluminum and prevent scratches.
The aluminum was just flashing and I cut the sheets by scoring with a utility knife and folding. The pieces snapped clean and only square cuts were required.
At that time “pluck” foam was available, but you cannot pack with the same density with pluck foam or the laser cut foam. I will add a photo as I still have all the cameras, though they have not been used in over 50 years.
The aluminum sheet metal dividers would still be my divider of choice if I wanted product density in the case or drawer. I carried the equipment regularly for many years and the construction has proven to be quite durable, as has the felt covering. And none of the equipment has gotten damaged during that time.
The aluminum was just flashing and I cut the sheets by scoring with a utility knife and folding. The pieces snapped clean and only square cuts were required.
At that time “pluck” foam was available, but you cannot pack with the same density with pluck foam or the laser cut foam. I will add a photo as I still have all the cameras, though they have not been used in over 50 years.
The aluminum sheet metal dividers would still be my divider of choice if I wanted product density in the case or drawer. I carried the equipment regularly for many years and the construction has proven to be quite durable, as has the felt covering. And none of the equipment has gotten damaged during that time.
Packard
Member
As promised, the photo:
The partitions were created in 1967 - 1968 after I got the second Nikon F body. It has provided excellent protection for my cameras, but I have never dropped the case from an airplane nor tossed it out of a moving car.
I would note that the dense foam used in those cut-outs would not offer much (or any) protection from those major drops. Only some sort of crushable foam would absorb the energy from a crash. The dense foam only delays the transmission of impact by some small fraction of a second. That was the major learned fact that crash helmet manufacturers got from experimental destruction testing of helmets starting in the late 1960s and continuing today.
I have dropped the camera case into the trunk of my car(s) hundreds of times. So good protection. The cameras are strictly mechanical and require more protection than modern digital counterparts.
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