Nesting Mechanic's tools with Kaizen question

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Has anyone mechanic-ing on a daily basis that used Kaizen in their tool boxes still happy that they used foam for tool nesting? I am wondering how the foam has held up next to oily tools over time. Not sure if it is even a problem but it would seem the foam would become dingy over time. Thoughts?

 

[snyder]

We use this at work. It makes the boss feel good because it looks like we are well equipped. The mechanics hate it , because the box contains so few tools. We bought `sonic' brand boxes that came prefilled.

 

[Stuart in MN]

There's been some discussion recently about Kaizen foam in this thread (jump forward to th get to the most recent pages.) https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=381487 One thing that was discussed was using the foam only in certain drawers, for key items that need to be quickly accessed and/or for precision tools that need the extra protection. It may not be worth the effort for every tool in your box.

 

[moparfreak]

I looked at Kaizen but couldn't justify the price for what it would take to cover a lot of drawers. I went the route of using 2" rigid foam (insulation stuff used on houses). Use a dremel w/ small mill cutter. It's a patient process but very happy w/ the result. Main thing is getting over the color...

I've done four 18" x 3' drawers and still haven't finished up the 1 sheet that I bought (for $25).

 

[cvairwerks]

Our boxes were done with some kind of high density three layer foam. Two contrasting colors to see tools out easily. The big problem is that our tool inventory isn’t static. Whole drawer has to be redone every time it changes.

 

[f121]

Has anyone tried using a couple of layers of foam, cutting silhouettes out of the top layer then spray glueing it onto a lower layer? Seems like an easier approach than tearing out and smoothing with a hot knife

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

I looked at Kaizen but couldn't justify the price for what it would take to cover a lot of drawers. I went the route of using 2" rigid foam (insulation stuff used on houses). Use a dremel w/ small mill cutter. It's a patient process but very happy w/ the result. Main thing is getting over the color...

I've done four 18" x 3' drawers and still haven't finished up the 1 sheet that I bought (for $25).

That really is not a bad idea using the styrene sheeting, and it could likely be painted with some Tractor Supply enamel paint, -or maybe some mis-tinted paint from one of the big box stores to seal it from oils and hide the color.

FWIW, I am not looking to do this for every drawer in my box, but in certain ones that hold random tools such as brake spring pliers, door panel clip remover, test light, etc. etc. that typically just fill a drawer and slide around every time it pull the drawer open.

 

[zmotorsports]

I routinely perform 5S activities in my shop for organizing but I've found that the foam drawer liners/cutouts don't work for me due to the amount of space they eat up. We have a few things at work that we have laid out that way but in my home shop I keep my drawers organized but just can't afford to give up the space cutouts require and often times have tools stacked on top of one another. It doesn't mean that they are not organized and can't be grabbed quickly and accurately, but just that they are tightly squeezed into drawers.

A guy I used to work with came from being and A&P mechanic and his box was laid out in foam cutout fashion but he also had several boxes in which to store what could fit into one easily.

 

[moparfreak]

That really is not a bad idea using the styrene sheeting, and it could likely be painted with some Tractor Supply enamel paint, -or maybe some mis-tinted paint from one of the big box stores to seal it from oils and hide the color.

FWIW, I am not looking to do this for every drawer in my box, but in certain ones that hold random tools such as brake spring pliers, door panel clip remover, test light, etc. etc. that typically just fill a drawer and slide around every time it pull the drawer open.

FWIW I did an experiment of spraying an offcut of foam to see how it took paint and it was a bit weird. It soaks it in sorta strange, it just didn't quite look right. But, to give it a fair shake it probably takes a better spray product (I just used some cheapo rattle can stuff I had around), and a couple coats of it.

I've also seen one or two posts or videos where guys have used plastidip spray on it, which I could see working out OK.

 

[bradpac]

I've become a fan of the magnetic mats to hold tools in place. I realize it won't help with non-steel tools, but the rubberized magnetic mats really hold stuff in place well. I don't have a problem with knowing what's gone or keeping things organized since I'm a one-man operation, but quelling the movement of tools when opening drawers has been a battle with just rubber mats and I hate the rigidity and waste of space that hard organizers and foam cause.

 

[PWC Repair]

Has anyone tried using a couple of layers of foam, cutting silhouettes out of the top layer then spray glueing it onto a lower layer? Seems like an easier approach than tearing out and smoothing with a hot knife

Yes, I've just done a few and will be doing more. Saw it on Youtube. Using contrasting shelf liner in the drawer then foam mat from Harbor Freight. A drill bit in the dremel works great to nicely cut out the foam.

 

[Firebrick43]

I personally hate the "kaizen" foam. It's layered and cut and peel the layers. It's consistantcy is wrong and looks ratty in short order with daily use. Occasional use would be fine. The two color tool control foam is harder and more durable but is harder to cut if you want depths that are not full depth. I have found using a very sharp hand router works well however to cut it. Thicker tools cut full depths are easy to cut with fresh xacto blades. We have some at work that has daily use for 11 years with Gage's and still looks OK. You can clean it somewhat with a waterless hand wipe.

 

[Kevin54]

Kaizen *****. Get rid of tools you use on a daily basis, so the bosses can see that you have a "pretty" box. Our shop made everyone do it, and was trying to push the toolmakers to do it which we fought and won. The Punch Press department had to do it, and in just a couple of months their boxes looked like ****. Oil and grease soaked foam....not a pretty sight.

 

[bullnerd]

I worked for Trumpf in the ultra precision machining dept. We used the two tone foam. Black over blue. The benches all had the upper shelf, like lista style benches. Actually they were lista. It worked good for what we used it for. You could see at a glance if the tool was there or not. I kept mine very tidy and it looked great. Some of the guys just threw the tools back onto the shelf or piled more tools than required and it looked pretty crappy. Then, one of the micro managers (never held a tool in his life) decided he didnt like the foam and made us install plastic peg board with little screws to hold the tools. What a cluster f!@k! Never worked, tools constantly falling or sliding out.

Foam in a clean shop (ours was more like a lab for cnc equipment) it worked great. Foam in a mechanic garage...no thanks.

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Yes, your comment above seems very believable. Ironically, my screwdrivers, some wrenches, and my micrometers are a few examples of tools that are nested in plastic trays. These plastic trays are easy to clean when they get dirty, and they work well on quickly seeing which tool is missing.

I have been 'brainstorming' since seeing the Styrofoam drawer liners above, and I am thinking that using a small tub filled with a couple of inches of water-based enamel paint might just be the ticket to dunk the Styrofoam drawer liners into to seal it and change the color to something more "manly". That way at a later date, I can either wipe down the Styrofoam or repaint it. I don't know if chipping of the Styrofoam is a problem, but the paint may actually give it additional rigidity??

 

[moparfreak]

I've had the styrofoam for a couple months now, but so far it's very durable. No chipping, breaking at all. But, I haven't made it for a high traffic drawer such as screwdrivers or pliers. Maybe the light blue stuff at Lowes would be a better color to start with? I had a HD by my work so that's what I got, didn't think too much of it until I was done, lol.

 

[nanan00]

At work we did Kaizan tool holders for all tool stations, foam mats for the tool boxes and shadow boards for bigger workstation tools.

The best foam we found thus far that has held up is the puzzle piece floor foam mats you can get at walmart for like $2 a piece. We stacked them up two deep and glue with 3M Super 77 and milled the profiles on a cnc machine, if the profile needs to change we can just update the program and mill out another mat.

 

[rburke65]

Wow.....I would think that for precision tools it would be ok, but for everyday ....my common tools....I’d vote NO.