ATAF : All Tools Accounted For

[Edward Ramirez]

Over the years I've lost tools, "let people borrow tools", left tools on cars and never saw them again. I recently decided that will never happen again.

I've started a new collection of tools that I'll never lose as long as I live.

When it comes to hand tools, I'm brand loyal to Craftsman. I know Snap-on, Cornwell, Matco are really great tools but I've chosen Craftsman for the fact they are easy to exchange for new ones. The other companies, you have to track down a truck and the cost can be 2 times as much as craftsman or more.

Below is my starting collection of tools.

 

[kams1973]

Looks good, thanks for sharing.

 

[zkling]

Very nice. That is common in the aviation and other mission critical industries. Typically referred to as shadowing.

 

[innealtoir]

NOW FOR THE REAL QUESTION! Did you use a different colored foam underneath your cut outs? That is the key to a well shadowed CTK! Also you shall need a good sign in and sign out sheet for the box so you can mitigate Foreign Object Debris (FOD) damage . It is all about accountability, you have to know who's fingers you need to accidentally slam in the drawer if your wrench doesn't go back to its home after each use. (FYI, if you aren't familiar with the type of high density foam that some of the .mil uses for their CTK's to shadow in their tools you'd probably choke at the price. IT IS INSANE!)

I like the shadowing, btw!

 

[Playwme]

You need more hammers.

 

[zip94]

Very nice! I really like the Craftsman Easy Read sockets as well. I need to add some silica gel packs to mine to help with the humidity (I'm about 20 miles south of Katy). Innealtoir is right about the foam, the prices are CRAZY especially for the 26"x37" size i need. The best I found is the Harbor Freight Anti-Fatigue Foam Mat Set (Item#94635). What type of foam did you use? Heres a photo of one of my socket drawer.

 

[bczygan]

Very pretty!

But I don't like full sets of tools, except at my base. By base, I mean my roller cabinet in the garage. That is where full sets of sockets and wrenches and such reside.

Everywhere else, tool sets are specific to the job. Car, motorcycle, bicycle, airplane, electrical, plumbing etc. all get kits with just the sizes and types of tools needed for that application.

For instance, the airplane needs 3/8" and 1/2" and 7/16" combo wrenches. And here is the thing, it needs pairs of them along with a socket/ratchet. And sometimes a slim combo or even one ground down in some way, to fit a particular spot. So those bags and boxes get an eclectic hodgepodge of specific tools.

Instead of buying sets, and pulling tools from them, leaving the sets incomplete, I like to buy tools at garage sales to make up these use specific sets.

Instead of shadowing them, which takes up too much space, I like to pack them so they are easily accessible in boxes with trays and bags with custom wraps. I use totes as well.

This method keeps just the tools you need, always at hand, right at the location you need them.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

NOW FOR THE REAL QUESTION! Did you use a different colored foam underneath your cut outs? That is the key to a well shadowed CTK! Also you shall need a good sign in and sign out sheet for the box so you can mitigate Foreign Object Debris (FOD) damage . It is all about accountability, you have to know who's fingers you need to accidentally slam in the drawer if your wrench doesn't go back to its home after each use. (FYI, if you aren't familiar with the type of high density foam that some of the .mil uses for their CTK's to shadow in their tools you'd probably choke at the price. IT IS INSANE!)

I like the shadowing, btw!

Good point! Yes, I have Black/White foam. If you enlarge the the pictures with screwdrivers, look in the lower right. You can see the white foam through the clear handles.

 

[pepi]

You need more hammers.

Yup needs more screwdrivers a little light in that area also.

 

[fnieto]

Reminds me of my USAF days. We used the black top foam that was glued to blue foam.
You could see a tool missing from a quick glance.
I remember having to open up a s**t ton of backbone (fuel) panels on a F-16 because some idiot (night-shift) borrowed a small 1/4" PEX driver without telling day-shift. The aircraft remained RED-X (grounded) until the bit was recovered.

Looks great, BTW you can buy packs of desiccant on ebay for a reasonable price. Or keep your tools lightly coated with WD-40 for those black oxide tools.
Peace, firestopper

 

[e30bradley]

those drawers look nice but thats not really an efficient way to store tools.

 

[justanengineer]

(FYI, if you aren't familiar with the type of high density foam that some of the .mil uses for their CTK's to shadow in their tools you'd probably choke at the price. IT IS INSANE!)

If youve ever had cheap foam tho youd realize the high end stuff is well worth the price, especially if its a shared box. Having the ability to thoroughly wash the foam and/or have it get wet or see extremes in temperature or humidity but not break down, get moldy, or rot for years on end is priceless. Personally, for me its high end foam or no foam. ATM its none bc I can fit more without it.

Regarding ATAF specifically, when I bought my house the PO had a clipboard and signout sheet in his basement shop area, but unfortunately very few tools were left due to his death/relative vultures.

 

[jmm]

NOW FOR THE REAL QUESTION! Did you use a different colored foam underneath your cut outs? That is the key to a well shadowed CTK! Also you shall need a good sign in and sign out sheet for the box so you can mitigate Foreign Object Debris (FOD) damage . It is all about accountability...

Besides different color foam and a sign-out system, you're going to need to assign every tool an inventory number and engrave it. Likewise, assign the slot in the foam it fits in with it's own designation.

In industries that have to consider FOD, they take this very seriously.

those drawers look nice but thats not really an efficient way to store tools.

They've been doing it this way for years in the industry. If longevity isn't a sign of efficiency, I don't know what is.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

those drawers look nice but thats not really an efficient way to store tools.

The system may not use the space efficiently. Sure you could just throw a bunch more screwdrivers or sockets in a drawer and get more in there, but you find exactly what you're looking for in a matter of seconds? I'd rather be working than shuffling through a drawer of a bunch of sockets.

Time efficiency and accountability.

And no one is allowed to use my tools. No one.

 

[Gmonkee]

Some workplaces demand tool accountability.

Aviation, military, factory tool carts and kits, high tech/sensitive processes and probably a slew of other facets of industry I know nothing of.

Shadowing does work for that when you have a set dedicated tools that are rarely changed out or added to. Dealer techs, shadetree mechs, millwrights and Joe Homeowner seem to have things coming and going, getting wrecked, borrowed or lost all the time.

It is not always possible or required to replace a missing item with an identical unit that fits the shadowing. Holes and patches kill the effect somewhat. Rampant hoarders, yah, forget that foam totally.

It sure does look nice when it is still clean and all the tools are in place though.

 

[innealtoir]

Besides different color foam and a sign-out system, you're going to need to assign every tool an inventory number and engrave it. Likewise, assign the slot in the foam it fits in with it's own designation.

In industries that have to consider FOD, they take this very seriously.



They've been doing it this way for years in the industry. If longevity isn't a sign of efficiency, I don't know what is.

While we did have to etch the tools and eventually when I was getting out we were moving towards most things being bar coded, so that if you misplaced a ratchet in Germany they could scan it and see it belonged to a CTK in Indiana (or wherever), I have never heard of assigning a designation to the shadowed spot in the box. I suppose this would be efficient to let you know EXACTLY what tool was misplaced without inventorying everything by name / etching to see what has not made it back to its home. Specially for those shapes in the foam that are not always indicative of what lived there.

So the next question is WHERE IS THE PICTURE OF YOUR FOD BUCKET?!

 

[innealtoir]

Some workplaces demand tool accountability.

Aviation, military, factory tool carts and kits, high tech/sensitive processes and probably a slew of other facets of industry I know nothing of.

Shadowing does work for that when you have a set dedicated tools that are rarely changed out or added to. Dealer techs, shadetree mechs, millwrights and Joe Homeowner seem to have things coming and going, getting wrecked, borrowed or lost all the time.

It is not always possible or required to replace a missing item with an identical unit that fits the shadowing. Holes and patches kill the effect somewhat. Rampant hoarders, yah, forget that foam totally.

It sure does look nice when it is still clean and all the tools are in place though.

I've worked with a lot of millwrights that could stand to take some training in organizing ... Piling all of your tools into a gang box on top of each other in random buckets does not equal organizing it equals a scrap pile!

 

[Catamount]

Nice work, but I'm constantly adding tools to my collection and that looks very inflexible.

 

[crewchief888]

Nice work, but I'm constantly adding tools to my collection and that looks very inflexible.

yea me too...

plus my tool storage would have to double, triple, or quadruple in size if i shadowed everything.

 

[Edward Ramirez]

Very nice! I really like the Craftsman Easy Read sockets as well. I need to add some silica gel packs to mine to help with the humidity (I'm about 20 miles south of Katy). Innealtoir is right about the foam, the prices are CRAZY especially for the 26"x37" size i need. The best I found is the Harbor Freight Anti-Fatigue Foam Mat Set (Item#94635). What type of foam did you use? Heres a photo of one of my socket drawer.

Zip94, used KAIZEN FOAM. Here's link. It's not military grade but Pelican is using the same product in their cases now.

http://www.fastcap.com/estore/pc/Kaizen-Foam-p13435.htm

For about $50 I was able to complete my 42" HF tool box.