Guys Without Lifts: Orginization of Tools on Floor While Working on Cars

[GoodoleBoy]

Man I got a mess of tools out now spread 360 degrees around the area i been working on the front end of my car..This is not the first time, but always end up hoping "man I hope the kids dont walk off with ball joint nut"..

Any ideas or tips..I have a few small 8x8" magnet trays but they were quickly over whelmed with tools.

 

[franzdom]

Get a carpet remnant for the tools, and put only nuts and bolts in the mag trays.

 

[Outlawmws]

Get a carpet remnant for the tools, and put only nuts and bolts in the mag trays.

This, and lay down some large cardboard for you to slide in and out on, this is actually easier at times than a creeper...

 

[crewchief888]

Man I got a mess of tools out now

Any ideas or tips..I have a few small 8x8" magnet trays but they were quickly over whelmed with tools.

if i'm gonna have a bunch of tools out on the floor, i put down one of my cookie sheet "drain pans"

 

[MoToys]

From a suggestion here a while back I made a "tool creeper". Pretty much a medium baking sheet with castors. Works well to keep tools organized and off the floor.

 

[skeletonizer]

I use a tray out a portable tool box for the tools and a magnetic parts pan for nuts & bolts. If the parts overwhelm the pan I have a big collection of plastic coffee cans.

X2 on the cardboard. I saved all the cabinet and appliance boxes from a kitchen remodel. It is handy to have around.

 

[Honda guy]

Nothing fancy here. I just lay out a bunch of large cookie sheets and muffin tins. Muffin tins are bolted to small pieces of plywood to keep them from getting tipped over. I'm always on the lookout for that kind of stuff at the fleamarket and Goodwill.

The other thing I use, is those short cardboard boxes that soft drinks come in. The ones that are about 10" wide x 15" long.

 

[CAOS]

if i'm gonna have a bunch of tools out on the floor, i put down one of my cookie sheet "drain pans"

Ha! Glad to see I am not the only one that keeps those around to use in the garage!

 

[kapster]

I've often thought of using the bottom shelf on my service cart if I could keep it cleared off. Anyone do this?

 

[MXblur]

From a suggestion here a while back I made a "tool creeper". Pretty much a medium baking sheet with castors. Works well to keep tools organized and off the floor.

Got any pics?

 

[geologist]

From a suggestion here a while back I made a "tool creeper". Pretty much a medium baking sheet with castors. Works well to keep tools organized and off the floor.

Ok, here goes....

Why didn't I think of that?

 

[plung]

Cookie sheet pans and muffin tins are a good idea. I'm going to dig around for some old ones.

 

[el tanque prohibido]

Cardboard trays from Costco.

 

[Crow Horse]

I use the top of a 55 gal. plastic drum I cut off. I might add casters to it but it slides pretty well as is....

 

[Monte]

 

[plung]

I actually have one of this in storage. Gotta pull it out since it'll be good for tools while working on stuff.

http://www.harborfreight.com/pneumatic-adjustable-roller-seat-46319.html

 

[MN Falcon]

Ok, here goes....

Why didn't I think of that?

Don't feel bad, this was actually my second tool related invention. The first one I thought of at work I was setting up a Mayo stand for a surgery and said this would be nice to have when working under the hood. So when cleaning out an old storage room at work we were throwing away an old patient bed table and said that is what I need. Nice solid frame on wheels and can crank up and down to fit the car. Then I found out that they already make something like this:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200397266_200397266

I have seen them without the box as well

But the tool creeper was a couple years ago working on replacing my son's gas tank and getting a little older I thought it was finally a total PITA trying to crawl around under the car trying to grab and move the tools I needed. Laying under the car I looked to my right and there on a shelf at eye level was one of the kid's skate boards. It was the ticket but needed casters so that it would roll every way.

This time I did a really good search and came up with this:

http://www.mktadvisory.com/undercartoolcaddy/mech.htm

I figure eventually I will come up with an idea that someone else hasn't thought of already

I still haven't made mine yet. I found a decent stainless steel tray to make it from but haven't picked up the casters yet.

 

[cderalow]

I bought that uncle sam's retail armstrong kit, and have been using the plastic tray from that to hold most everything. not a bad idea to add casters to it for working on the floor, though I may adapt something to the side of my actual creeper.

 

[keithwvd]

I throw all the parts I take off in a cardboard box, but that's about it. Somehow the ratchet/socket/extension I need always ends up on the complete opposite side of the car 100% of the time

 

[Roots]

I'm a bit OCD about keeping things organized. When I'm working I generally bring a small fold up table to lay my tools on. I also have a roll up work mat from Matco that I use, if don't feel like bringing out the table, assuming the job will be too big to work straight out of my tool bag.

 

[Jagmandave]

My wife bought home a bunch of carpet samples when she was shopping for carpet for our house, some were about 2' square, but others were 2'X3', those work perfectly for lying under the car, it not only cushions the hard concrete but it's warm in the winter too! The small ones really save my knees when locating the jack or just looking under the car.

Once they get oil and **** all over them, I just pitch 'em - they were free. Carpet stores, Depot or Lowes always have some from last year's or discontinued carpets.

She also saves all sorts of plastic tubs that food comes in, whether larger butter containers or whatever and I use those for nuts and bolts and small parts - I figure I'm just helping her recycle them, cause if I didn't use them and throw them away we'd be overrun by them!

I like the cookie tray idea for tools, I have several of those that I use to lay out parts for reassembly and such.

 

[8paintchips]

I use the hub caps, is that not what they are there for?

 

[Drunken Yak inc]

Normally I have a towel I lay down to put the actual tools on. I save those Folger's plastic coffee cans and keep the small bits organized in those.

 

[JMcFly]

I have some plastic trays that peaches ship in. I put a tool box drawer sheet on the bottom and called it a day.

 

[bgott]

Next time you empty an antifreeze bottle, cut one side of it out with a box cutter. They make great undercar tool holders, nut and bolt and small parts trays, small parts washers and just about anything else you can think of.

 

[Scout Driver]

Drawer organizers are great for sorting tools, parts and fasteners when you are on the floor.

Scott

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

I spent most of my impoverished youth lying under my '48 Ford...I say you cannot beat a good sheet of cardboard to lie on and a bit of carpet for your tools. A second piece of carpet can be nice under your head...If there is a lot of hardware, use one of the shallow cardboard trays that are from a cut-away box of cans at the grocery store.
Whenever I found a seriously good big sheet of cardboard, I made a point of folding it in the middle with dirty side out whenever I put it away so I didn't get grease on my tuxedo next time...

 

[rmsg0040]

Cardboard for me. I still am trying to find a milkcrate. They are very strong and versatile. Use as seat, stand, or tool holder.

 

[GoodoleBoy]

Lots of simple straightfoward ideas..Once thing i have to watch for is the air hose which has already knocked over a tap and die set I was using. Anyone have problems with that, i guess an automatic retractable air hose reel close and woundup when not is use the answer..curently I have a hand powered one

 

[crewchief888]

Ha! Glad to see I am not the only one that keeps those around to use in the garage!

i bought them years ago when i was working in the rebuild room at a deere dealer.

made it easy to keep parts seperated from multiple jobs i was doing.
it wasnt unusual to have 3, 4 or more of the same model of pump or valve torn down at the same time.

i keep one under my s-10blazer all the time, she leaks a little form the PS pump.

 

[franzdom]

Cardboard for me. I still am trying to find a milkcrate. They are very strong and versatile. Use as seat, stand, or tool holder.

I love my milkcrates, use them to sit on while doing brake jobs, also to set the hub down on when changing struts.

 

[49tandc]

Instead of laying on cardboard or carpet (been there, done PLENTY of that) - wait until HF puts their rubber "anti-fatigue mats" on sale for $6.99. They are thick enough to keep out the cold and they hook together, so you can use as many as you need. When you're done, they all come apart and are MUCH easier to store than a big piece of carpet.

I'm DEFINATELY doing the cookiesheet on casters.

Thanks,
49T&C

 

[Outlawmws]

Instead of laying on cardboard or carpet (been there, done PLENTY of that) - wait until HF puts their rubber "anti-fatigue mats" on sale for $6.99. They are thick enough to keep out the cold and they hook together, so you can use as many as you need. When you're done, they all come apart and are MUCH easier to store than a big piece of carpet.

I'm DEFINATELY doing the cookiesheet on casters.

Thanks,
49T&C

The problem with those mats under a car, (or carpets for that matter) is that you have to work at it to slide under, back out, or just scoot to the side. This is where wheeled creepers have an advantage unless you have clearance problems. And that is where cardboard is better and you can slide so easily to get to where you need to be.

If cold is an issue, combine the cardboard with the linked mats. You get the advantage of being able to slide easily, and the easy disposal of the soiled cardboard. Cleaning oil/grease off those mats is not a job I want...

 

[Hawk321]

A box like Monte has shown is exactly the solution for your problem.

 

[BB767]

The problem with those mats under a car, (or carpets for that matter) is that you have to work at it to slide under, back out, or just scoot to the side. This is where wheeled creepers have an advantage unless you have clearance problems. And that is where cardboard is better and you can slide so easily to get to where you need to be.

If cold is an issue, combine the cardboard with the linked mats. You get the advantage of being able to slide easily, and the easy disposal of the soiled cardboard. Cleaning oil/grease off those mats is not a job I want...

That's been my experience as well Outlawmws. Even though I have a couple of lifts I think there are still some operations that are better done with the vehicle on the floor, using a floor jack and jack stands.

I get all my cardboard from a local door manufacturer so it's large in size, clean, flat and the best part....free. I store it vertically in a rack in front of 1/8" tempered Masonite so it doesn't take up much floor space. I use a smaller piece of cardboard to place tools on and then it slides easily under the car. I find low tech is sometimes the best.

Thomas from the Restored 1930's Auto Shop

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51567

 

[Crow Horse]

I use a top from a plastic 55 gal. drum I cut off. I left an inch or so for a lip and just ordered casters so I can roll it around instead of sliding it. Cheap and effective....

 

[Outlawmws]

I use the top of a 55 gal. plastic drum I cut off. I might add casters to it but it slides pretty well as is....

I use a top from a plastic 55 gal. drum I cut off. I left an inch or so for a lip and just ordered casters so I can roll it around instead of sliding it. Cheap and effective....

Wow, Deja vue Crow...

 

[ajchien]

I use a tray out a portable tool box for the tools and a magnetic parts pan for nuts & bolts. If the parts overwhelm the pan I have a big collection of plastic coffee cans.

This is what I do.

However, after I'm done, sometimes I'm wondering why I brought out four 3/8" ratchets ....

I really like the cookie sheet "tool creeper" idea. Consider the idea stolen again.

 

[Crow Horse]

Wow, Deja vue Crow...

Geez, another senior moment.......

 

[richfinn]

Roasting pans are cheap/light/non magnetic and you can get them in all sorts of sizes and will last forever.