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How do you store and arrange your sockets?

B

Bluehinder

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Joined
Apr 22, 2008
Messages
15
How do you guys store your sockets? Magnetic holder, Hansen, Ernst, etc?

Do you keep all sockets in one drawer, or metrics in one, fractional in another, etc? 3/8 in one drawer, 1/2 in another, etc?

I'l love to see some photos of how professionals arrange their boxes.

Thanks.
 
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H

hamburglar

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Joined
Mar 10, 2008
Messages
523
Bluehinder said:
How do you guys store your sockets? Magnetic holder, Hansen, Ernst, etc?

Do you keep all sockets in one drawer, or metrics in one, fractional in another, etc? 3/8 in one drawer, 1/2 in another, etc?

I'l love to see some photos of how professionals arrange their boxes.

Thanks.
Click to expand...


This isn't what you're looking for at all, but I'm 100% into cased socket sets. Everything fits like a bunch of books on an open shelf.
 
N

nissan_crawler

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Jan 12, 2008
Messages
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Location
Wichita, KS
DSC00717.jpg


Sears plastic rails.
 
R

RJS

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Nov 25, 2007
Messages
37
Not the best solution for everyone, grabing a whole rack/tray of sockets isn't that important to me, and it takes a fair amount of effort to make, but you can't beat it for maximizing on a small space without using those cheap metal rails you have to wrestle the sockets off, and it cost less to make than buying enough Hanson trays or Ernst rails (which wouldn't fit in this space) to hold this many sockets (113 with room to spare).
empty.jpg

box.jpg
 
R

rsanter

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Dec 22, 2007
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18,492
Location
visalia ca
most sockets are on rails and lined up in the top drawer of the bottom box.
duplicate sockets are kept in hansen trays.

if you need one socket take it from the tray
if doing work and needing several sockets then you grab the rail of them

bob
 
L

lauver

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Nov 11, 2007
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1,433
Location
Belton, TX
MAD said:
This was posted by someone in another thread
Click to expand...

MAD,

Thanks for the unusual video. After watching that, even I feel organized!

PS- The guy who made the video needs some serious organizational help.
 
S

SpiderGearsMan

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Jul 29, 2007
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Now Leaving , NJ
S5030441.jpg

I bought one of those snap on aluminum trays , large dollars , I would like to get more , but since I have not bought much anything in 8 years . it will have to wait
 
M

MarkH

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Dec 19, 2005
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1,353
Location
Kansas
Now that video may say more than most think. In each town, I have lived at there is a repair shop that is in a building that looks like it should be bulldozed since it surely had been through condemnation years ago. Tools stored helter - skelter in old Craftsman and Kennedy boxes. No rhyme or reason for brand or storage. Floor if you could find it could even be dirt.

You then go to the back room and under tarps are two or three of the nicest trophy winners your can find for the time they were built and you notice they cover a few years of winning.

You look in the parking lot at the cars there to be worked on and you recognize them. They mainly belong to other mechanics in the area who have them there to be worked on, since the person or persons there always get it right. Damm glad, I did not judge on appearances and tools.
 
S

Stanger

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Oct 25, 2006
Messages
1,298
Location
Alton, IL
Hansen trays. Merkava, I don't see a spec of dirt in any of those sockets. How do you use them and keep them that clean? They look brand new. Maybe that was a pic before you started using them?
 
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nissan_crawler

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Wichita, KS
Stanger said:
Hansen trays. Merkava, I don't see a spec of dirt in any of those sockets. How do you use them and keep them that clean? They look brand new. Maybe that was a pic before you started using them?
Click to expand...

I'll take somebody that missed Merkava's thread on washing and polishing tools for $1,000 Alex.:lol_hitti
 
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bigjon

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Apr 21, 2007
Messages
499
Location
NSW Australia
I love those Hansen socket holders. Might put on my wish list when my mum goes to the States this September. Anyone got some cheap ones to sell?

I use those Craftsman metal socket holders for my Craftsmans and my Kincrome sockets have there own plastic tray that fits the top drawer of my toolbox.
 
K

Kevin54

MEMBER EMERITUS
Joined
Jan 12, 2005
Messages
29,341
Location
Urbana, Ohio
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1x4 poplar and cheap socket rails. Worked out great for minimal cost. I think three rails was like $5 and a 1x4 piece of poplar was like $5.
 
W

wilbilt

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Aug 17, 2006
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NorCal
Kevin54 said:
1x4 poplar and cheap socket rails. Worked out great for minimal cost. I think three rails was like $5 and a 1x4 piece of poplar was like $5.
Click to expand...

I used to store mine similarly, except I just pop-riveted the rails to the drawer bottom through the liner.

Now, they are all in the top of a 26" tool chest except for the ones that are in cardboard boxes :lol_hitti
 
D

DavidtheDuke

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Jan 6, 2008
Messages
559
P4070006.jpg

Just some cheap particle wood and some screws. Sometimes I wish I could quick-disconnect the rails, but meh
 
U

Uncle Buck

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Mar 7, 2005
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Kansas
I try to keep everything I can in either metal trays, some on socket rails the cheapies and a bit of stuff in either metal socket set boxes or decent blow molded cases.
 
M

musgofasta

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Aug 28, 2006
Messages
802
Location
Corona CA
I've got the Hanson knockoffs from HF. 9.99 for a 1/2, 3/8, and 1/2 tray. Great trays.

I love them, except for the need to make my own size labels to go over their crappy metric numbering.

Sorry no pic.
 
E

Elroy

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Oct 15, 2005
Messages
3,467
Location
kentucky
wrenchr said:
99% is being kind!! I would say he has bought every junk used tool he has ever seen!!
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There is probably one or two good wrenches in that pile of ****. The problem is finding it when you need it.

Elroy bets that whole house is as much a mess as that so called "tool box"

Rephrase that

Elroy bets their whole life is as much a mess as that so called "tool box"
 
J

Jason_D

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Jan 9, 2008
Messages
161
Location
The Salt City
musgofasta said:
I've got the Hanson knockoffs from HF. 9.99 for a 1/2, 3/8, and 1/2 tray. Great trays.

I love them, except for the need to make my own size labels to go over their crappy metric numbering.

Sorry no pic.
Click to expand...


I had to do the same thing. It wasn't hard, just irritating that I had to do it. I like the trays though,,,,,
 
M

Merkava_4

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Dec 26, 2007
Messages
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Clovis, CA.
I'll admit that I have a problem about keeping my tools clean; you can call it tool OCD if you like; I just can't bring myself to put my tools away dirty. If I'm too tired to clean my tools up after working on the car, I'll set them in a cardboard box for cleaning the next day.

There's all kinds of different ways to clean sockets. If they're real gritty, I'll dip them in a WD-40 bath and poke the insides with an acid brush; otherwise if they're not too bad, I'll wipe the insides out with a paper towel. What I'd like to do is get a whole set of tube cleaning brushes; a guy like me would enjoy those. :spit:
 
W

wilbilt

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Messages
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If you are ever in NorCal, you can come over and OCD my tools clean if you want.

I'd probably have to pull a HAZMAT permit to dispose of the runoff, but I'm willing to do it in the name of therapy...
 
J

joshboogie

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2008
Messages
138
Location
SC
New pics

The Bluepoint socket tray is nice. I think I need another one though. lol It was $71.96 after tax.

DSC00144.jpg


DSC00145.jpg


DSC00147.jpg


and this beauty is a leftover piece of ABS and fist full of 1 1/2 inch screws. lol

DSC00146.jpg
 
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