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Custom Socket Tray

Altec

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Jun 17, 2011
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SoCo, MD
After laying out the top of my Dayton box for sockets, I ran into two issues. I had a blank space that no normal options would fit in, and I don't have a spot for singles, and special sockets. Stuff like spark plug sockets, and O2 sockets... So I decided to take a sheet of 1/8" Delrin I had, and use some $0.99 HF rails and make something to fit. :thumbup:


I started by taking some measurements of the space. I took the measurement I got, and undersized everything by roughly a 1/8" to allow room to get it in, and out.

The spot...
IMAG0622.jpg


The supplies...
IMAG0623.jpg


I started by taking a cheap square, and using some vice grips clamped it down where it roughly looked right. Then used a tape to get it perfect.

I then took a carpet knife, and scored the ever living hell out of the Delrin. Until I was roughly half way through the material.

After this I took the clamps off, and put the Delrin in the vice clamping it along the seem. With a sharp push, the score broke perfectly!

IMAG0624.jpg


Ta-Da!
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Next step was to cut the short side. I was having trouble scoring it, so I took the light score I had, and using a fine tooth hack saw to it. That glided through the Delrin like butter!

The final piece after hitting it with a file.
IMAG0626.jpg


It fits!
IMAG0627.jpg


The hard part was the rails themselves... After figuring out the length I want, I marked, and cut one of the rails. Then I laid it on top of the other half I had left lining up the end holes, and marked it. Making sure to compensate for where the mark was compared to the first mark I did... To help imagine, I basically cut a 1" out of the middle when all was said, and done...

Then I had to drill the two holes to mirror the original end holes. To do this, I stacked the rails on top of each other, but turned 180*. So the top ones hole, is overlapping the side of the bottom one without a hole. If that makes sense... Then I took the vice grips, and clamped them together. After this, it was a simple matter of drilling, and cleaning the holes.

Then I laid the rails on the Delrin, and after position them where I wanted, I drilled the holes.

Drilling...
IMAG0628.jpg


The final step was to drill and tap the holes to bolt the rails down. Not sure if 10-32 screws will do a great job of holding in 1/8" of Delrin, but we are gonna find out!

Finished, minus a trip to the hardware store for screws! A a better picture...
IMAG0629.jpg
 
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Altec

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Update! Haha.

I'm impatient, so I cut down some screws I had...

IMAG0631.jpg


How does it fit? Well, I could feel is displacing air when I sat it down in the spot! :rocker:

IMAG0633.jpg


Hopefully this has inspired at least one person, and showed that organizing doesn't have to be expensive. :)
 

c/o say

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Mar 8, 2011
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322
Location
Indiana
I did the same thing to a s/k tool box I had. I also screwed down my wrench racks to a piece of 1/4 in ply wood covered with liner to keep them from moving around.
 
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Altec

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I did the same thing to a s/k tool box I had. I also screwed down my wrench racks to a piece of 1/4 in ply wood covered with liner to keep them from moving around.

Sounds cool! I'be got some magnet strips I'm going to update my wrench drawers with to hold wrenches.

sweet looks good but you could of used some thin plywood or mdf

Not my thing. Plus, I already had the Delrin. Also, I would have had a lot more finishing work in wood. Not to mention I couldn't have threaded it... if I did anything else, Id probably get some fancy tinted acrylic. Or maybe dig into that 4x8 sheet of aluminum diamond plate I have tucked away.
 
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balane

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That's really cool. I'm all about home-made tool organization. Nothing beats custom.
 

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balane

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I cut them from a 3/4" sheet of Polyethylene. I used a combination of table saw, band saw and drill press with flat/spade drill bits. Then I used epoxy to place a cut-to-fit magnetic sheet along the bottom covering the holes. Planning on making a thread about it one day, should have left this one for altec. Sorry, wasn't thinking.
 
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Altec

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Jun 17, 2011
Messages
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Location
SoCo, MD
I cut them from a 3/4" sheet of Polyethylene. I used a combination of table saw, band saw and drill press with flat/spade drill bits. Then I used epoxy to place a cut-to-fit magnetic sheet along the bottom covering the holes. Planning on making a thread about it one day, should have left this one for altec. Sorry, wasn't thinking.

No apologies needed. Sweet tray! That is a great idea adding in the Allen set with your sockets. :beer:
 
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