First Garage Project. Tool Cleanup and Organization

[R-Savage]

First Home Machine Shop Project. Tool Organization

Well My First Project is Toolbox cleanup and organization. For my Home Machine Shop. I found another toolbox for a good price, I will need it. The toolbox I have is overloaded and needs to be cleaned out and organized.

The toolbox was my Fathers, he has passed away over 16 years ago. I have done a little here and there to it, nothing real serious. It's time to get it organized.

My Father bought a Snap-on Rick Mears Chest and Cabinet back in 83, He got Laid off as a Heavy Duty Mechanic in 1990, The Tool Box has been hibernating in a garage since then. It is in Beautiful Condition. Just overloaded with tools. I'm going to need some help in identifying what some of the tools are, as there are some that I have NO IDEA in what they are. I will post some pics when I can get them in an upload location.

Cheers GJ. I'll get some pics up soon. I promise.

 

[R-Savage]

Pics of the Rick Mears Toolbox. These pictures were taken yesterday on Jan 30 2016. she is a beaut. Yes?

 

[jherb10]

Nice looking tool box!

 

[John in OH]

This should be an interesting thread! I'll look forward for more postings.

 

[R-Savage]

Thanks jherb, Thanks John. I will be opening the toolbox today. And taking some general pics of each drawer.

 

[Richard Cranium]

waiting to see pictures.

 

[R-Savage]

I'm going to pull out the toolbox, clean the exterior and dive in when it warms up a bit later today.

 

[R-Savage]

I am looking for the mid cabinet for this toolbox if anyone knows of one that is in the same condition as mine, please let me know.

 

[crewchief888]

I am looking for the mid cabinet for this toolbox if anyone knows of one that is in the same condition as mine, please let me know.

Good luck finding a mid box. They are kinda rare, and usually not cheap. Adding the mid box makes the stack very tall as well. I'm 6 ft tall, seeing into the top compartment isn't easy.

As soon as I get back to my desktop, I'll post a pic.

 

[R-Savage]

Good luck finding a mid box. They are kinda rare, and usually not cheap. Adding the mid box makes the stack very tall as well. I'm 6 ft tall, seeing into the top compartment isn't easy.

As soon as I get back to my desktop, I'll post a pic.

Great thank you. I am 6 feet tall. so no worries in that department. LOL

 

[R-Savage]

Here is a pic of the top part of the chest nothing really exciting here just sockets and a Vernier caliper. they will be cleaned thoroughly when it warms up a bit. and there is a tasty shot of the cab cover.

 

[crewchief888]

as promised
a side by side with and without the mid box...

 

[Algoma56]

Nice box, and great that it was your Dad's. My dad didn't have much in the way of tools when he passed, but every time I use one of them, I'm reminded of him.

 

[R-Savage]

Nice box, and great that it was your Dad's. My dad didn't have much in the way of tools when he passed, but every time I use one of them, I'm reminded of him.

Yup I hear ya. There is a ton of tools in there . Once I get through the drawers , the tools get interesting.

 

[R-Savage]

And in the top ... I've got an ice cream pail full of sockets , those are just the loose ones and not in the sets still in the toolbox. I've washed off the mats inside the first two tool holders, just waiting for them to dry. Once the weather warms up. The cleaning of sockets begin. I just may bring them inside the house, and clean them in the basement or something.

 

[rburke65]

And for us dummies, what is an ice cream pail?

 

[Stuart in MN]

And for us dummies, what is an ice cream pail?

You can buy 5 quarts of ice cream and it comes in a plastic pail. The pails are good for all sorts of things after the ice cream is gone.

 

[R-Savage]

You can buy 5 quarts of ice cream and it comes in a plastic pail. The pails are good for all sorts of things after the ice cream is gone.

Yup that's about the size, and it's full of loose sockets.

 

[fastbike02]

I like the red plastic coffee cans, they are the perfect size and have an easy to open lid

 

[egnorant]

I feel for ya! Still have not figured out my organization on sockets yet. The only thing worse than a bucket (or 4) of unsorted sockets is a few piles of sorted sockets. I'm about 1/3 of the way through 1/4 inch socket stuff and gaps are making me a bit OCD.

Have fun!

Bruce

 

[R-Savage]

Now down to the down and dirty. Last week I pulled all of the sockets from the top shelf and organized them according to brand, SAE, Metric, Whitworth. (This is British Imperial Standard) main tool brand is Brit tools. I just completed the 1/4 inch drive, not including the adapters, uni-sockets etc. I created a workspace to organize the sockets and place them in the toolbox accordingly. I need socket rails. now I know I need 4 quarter inch SAE socket holders 1 quarter inch for metric, 1 for Whitworth. There is a Snapon 1/4 inch SAE, Craftsman 1/4 SAE, Westward 1/4 SAE, Williams, Gillard, Craftsman, Korea 6/12point Misc SAE Set for 1/4 drive, and a craftsman Metric set and a Brit tools Whitworth 1/4 drive set. Ill Post pics once they are resized for this site.

Cheers GJ!

 

[R-Savage]

Pics from the first part. The 1/4 " Sockets Metric, SAE, Whitworth.

Later on will be the 3/8 1/2 3/4 drive sets. The third pic is a Snap on Carb adjuster set from the mid 80's. Still operates as smooth as the day it was purchased. the Carb Set is a 1/4 inch Drive

 

[R-Savage]

I feel for ya! Still have not figured out my organization on sockets yet. The only thing worse than a bucket (or 4) of unsorted sockets is a few piles of sorted sockets. I'm about 1/3 of the way through 1/4 inch socket stuff and gaps are making me a bit OCD.

Have fun!

Bruce

Thanks Bruce. It will take time and patience.. Its CDO because the letters are in alphabetical order... As they should be.

 

[boomer12831]

R-Savage It's sad to be doing that being your father is no longer here to show you what the tools are and their history. I just lost my father a year ago and I only got a couple of small hand tools that I remember him having when I was a little kid. They are kind of odd little wrenches and I keep them in a draw in my box. I have some tools that came from my grandfather that died before I was born that I still use and mean the world to me. Good luck with your project, Ed.

 

[R-Savage]

Thanks boomer.

This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. Its going to be hard to throw out anything in this box. However I will need to know what some of these things are. I thank you for your post. if you can offer any feedback to what some of these tools are, it would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Rob

 

[R-Savage]

For those who don't know BSW Standards. Here is a wiki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Standard_Whitworth

 

[R-Savage]

Wrenches are all done, 3/8 sockets are almost complete, ratchets are all done. I'm going to be reorganizing the drawers to different ones. so far so good. I need socket rails though. next payday I will get a couple from Canadian tire or something. Will post some pics later.

 

[North Run Grader]

Check out Princess Auto for a selection of different socket rails. The aluminum/plastic rails work great if you carry your sockets in tool bags occasionally.

 

[R-Savage]

Check out Princess Auto for a selection of different socket rails. The aluminum/plastic rails work great if you carry your sockets in tool bags occasionally.

Thanks for the heads up. I checked out some organizers for sockets at Canadian tire. Wow! Too rich for me.

 

[R-Savage]

Well Here is what was done today.
Sockets and more sockets the box that has not been cleaned out is the Britool box. that set is over 40 years old. that will be nice once it is cleaned up.

 

[Rod N]

A father's tools are very important. I have all of my father's and there was quite a bit.

 

[R-Savage]

A father's tools are very important. I have all of my father's and there was quite a bit.

I couldn't agree more. I'm very proud that I have them. One thing my dad always loved the do is panic the boss and have a transmission in pieces. Fix Fix problem and then rebuild it.

 

[boomer12831]

R-S. I forgot to mention that I was always a big Rick Mears fan. He was and still is Roger Penske's golden boy and a real great guy. 4 time Indy 500 champ, and 3 time Indy car world champ. Was your dad a Rick Mears fan? If he was then give that tool box a hug for me. Thanks,Ed

 

[R-Savage]

Yeah I'm pretty sure he was a Rick Mears Fan. Also his little craftsman toolbox that he had at the time was way too small. He talked to the snap on rep. His magnet is still on the box. I also have the snap on key chain that he got with the box. It's quite cool.

 

[R-Savage]

Well ... Here is an update on the project. weather is starting to get a little warmer. The toolbox is coming along. I was scratching my head on a few things on where they should go. Wrenches, wrenches , wrenches and Sockets. Still trying to find a place for the impact set and a few 3/4 and 1 inch drive sockets.

Here are some pics of the organization. I found some old Williams wrenches, britool and The Big Craftsman and metric set is all USA Craftman from what I can see.Along with some Gray tools and Snap-on, as well as Westward. I will get a pic that didn't come through on the 1 5/8 and 1 1/4 Wrenches along with some 1 3/4 stuff

Enjoy

 

[R-Savage]

and another pic that was lost in the upload. The Big Wrenches

 

[R-Savage]

Just posted in the What did you do in your garage today. I will be restoring a tool or two today. Its an old Williams USA Open end Wrench 1/2, 5/8. This thing is a beast of a wrench. If anyone has any more information on these, that would be great. When were these wrenches made?

 

[R-Savage]

Here are a few snaps of the wrenches that had to be cleaned up. I got quite a bit done today.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Hey R, Nice looking box. I had one exactly like it years ago, and it was a great box. Brings back memories. Thanks for posting.

 

[smalltown]

R-Savage how did you clean them up?
My sons got a set of inexpensive Stanley wrenches that he had in storage that all have rust on them. I would like to clean them up for him.
I was thinking of eclectrolysis or just wiping them down with motor oil?