Woodworking hand tool storage

[awdriven]

Guys, I am doing some organization in my garage/shop. I'm in the process of putting up some freestanding wire rack shelving that is working well for holding the tools in cases and systainers. What do you guys like to do for storage of smaller hand tools like hammers, saws, chisels, tapes, etc?

I finally got a decent rolling toolbox that has made an incredible improvement in the organization of my mechanic's tools - I'm really wondering if I could use a similar approach for woodworking tools. I see some okay deals on large industrial drawer cabinets from time to time. ie: Lista, Vidmar.

 

[Tinker]

Why not?
I have a couple of rolling metal cabinets that work fine.
One is in my barn/garage/tool shop.  I have all of my mechanics tools for trucks & equipment in there.
I also have a stationary metal tool chest with the legs rusting away so it no longer sits level. 
But the drawers work fine.  i keep my air and lube tools/equipment in that one.
In my wood working shop, I have a five drawer metal cabinet with my drill press mounted on top and all my drilling tools in side the drawers.
I would like to have the time to build my own cabinets.  they could look so much nicer, but with my day work outside for twelve months of the year, i barely have time for all of the projects i have on my list.  with practically no snow this past winter, I am actually working on some of my Christmas presents for 2012.  That has to be a record.  I am usually about two years behind.

You do what fits your schedules best. For me, it can be metal (cheap) cabinets or rolling wood cabinets made from cheapest (CD grade) plywood and lumber scraps left from other projects.  Some day in the next 100 years or in my next life, i will find the time to make real nice wood cabinets for the shop. [scratch chin]
Tinker

 

[awdriven]

Haha, thanks - I know wall-based storage is popular, but I don't have a lot of uncluttered wall space for that kind of storage. I'll keep my eyes peeled for some cabinets.

 

[fritter63]

I have most of my tools in 3 roll around  "mechanics" tool chests (Craftsman). Works pretty good, just not real mobile outside the shop.

Still having debates over how much stuff I should move over to systainer based storage.

Think carefully about what type of drawers you need (deep vs. shallow) to maximize storage potential, or consider building sliding trays to double
layer the deeper drawers.

 

[Dan C]

I must say that I have most all of my hand tools and hardware in Vidmar cabinets, and they are hard to beat.  Mine are of the ~5' variety, and I found them on CL as a lot of 3.  I spent a little time cleaning them up, and now would never part with them.  There is nothing you could build from wood that would stand up to the use/abuse the Vidmar (Lista, Equipto, Strongold) cabinets can.  There are a number of industrial equipment houses in my area that stock quite a few as well that are usually in good shape. 

Gotta love a cabinet a grown man can stand in the draw of, and have it still slide easily.

 

[Jeff Zanin]

In the shop I use a combination of pegboard over a utility bench and a rolling mechanic type cabinet for most hand tools.  In the garage I have a smaller roller cabinet, mostly for automotive tools.  Obviously there is some overlap / duplicate items (such as screwdrivers) between these. 

Since discovering Systainers I have been using them in several ways in addition to holding the tools they come with:

• Logical groups of tools and related items (Kreg jigs & screws) and I keep a few
• Fasteners, again in logical groups e.g. nails, wood screws, nuts / bolts / washers
• Several in various sizes kept empty, ready to be packed with suitable tools for a specific project or task away from the shop

The last is not ideal because there is some packing / unpacking involved, but when I notice certain combinations are often needed this becomes the basis for another logical group with its own set of tools.

I find the pegboard + roller much handier than Systainers for regular shop and garage use, but really like the Systainers for site and project kits, they are much easier to handle and keep track of than my previous hodge-podge of tool bags, boxes, cases and buckets of assorted sizes and shapes.

Jeff

 

[awdriven]

Thanks guys! I have 1 or 2 tool caddies that I use to load up collections of tools that I'll need for a project away from the shop.

The Lista cabinets have a 400+lb weight rating on individual drawers - definitely keeping my eyes open. You need something that has effeiciently-sized drawers, as someone posted. If the drawers are too tall and too few you're not efficiently loading up the cabinet. (in the case of small hand tools.)

 

[jacko9]

I have a wall system that's way too deep and way too high,  I need to tear it out and start over but, finding the time to unload over 40 years of "collectables" is going to take some energy which I seem to be leaking as I get older [wink]

If I tear it out,  I will build bottom drawers with a work top and narrow over head open cabinets.  I devoted one wall of my shop to a floor to ceiling lumber rack with 3' spars which takes up valuable wall space but I do have my material at hand.