I have a wrench organization problem

[thunderskunk]

Like everyone, I’ve got too many wrenches. When I bought a steam engine, I realized I need big ones and got a whole set from a hardware store closing:




Looks fancy. I hate it. They rattle every time I close the door. They’re stores way far away from where I need them, and I use them often. They’re not next to the rest of my wrenches.

I’m drooling over the “gridfinity” system as a concept; sacrifice space in the name of accessibility and recognition. I hate wrench racks because they **** at those two things. I hate the foam inserts for many reasons, all from experience. Anyone have a good system for wall, floor, or bench storage of big wrenches?

 

[cgrutt]

What about using one or more magnetic tool bars?

 

[Model A Fan]

Gridfinity is the way.

I'm slowly doing my toolboxes in Gridfinity and, yes, there is some wasted space, but the organization it yields is amazing. The "wasted space" puts all the tools you have in order and you have a less cluttered toolbox and know where stuff is.

If you have a 3D printer, I'd recommend Gridfinity. Buy the cheap filament off Amazon and use that for the grids and then use whatever colors you want for the tool holders. I'll post photos of mine soon for you. I started printing wrench organizations...there is a user who has created a great system and has labels for them that are great too.

 

[thunderskunk]

Gridfinity is the way.

I'm slowly doing my toolboxes in Gridfinity and, yes, there is some wasted space, but the organization it yields is amazing. The "wasted space" puts all the tools you have in order and you have a less cluttered toolbox and know where stuff is.

If you have a 3D printer, I'd recommend Gridfinity. Buy the cheap filament off Amazon and use that for the grids and then use whatever colors you want for the tool holders. I'll post photos of mine soon for you. I started printing wrench organizations...there is a user who has created a great system and has labels for them that are great too.

I have a 3D printer and all the know how and experience to do it… but I hate 3D printing. I would rather pay someone else to print my **** than do it myself. That was a great plan until I found no one makes the… what the heck is it called… Greatly Over Engineered Wall Storage System? It’s mini Milwaukee pack out wall grids sized for gridfinity. I don’t see anyone just printing that stuff readily for sale like gridfinity.

What about using one or more magnetic tool bars?

I have not had luck with it. Either the magnet is strong enough to hold up said wrench but really difficult to pull it back off, or too weak to hold it up at all. And the dang things are expensive. I don’t mind paying if it works, but $30 just to find out there’s a sweet spot is a bit obnoxious.

 

[cgrutt]

IDK, don't like hooks, magnets,, foam, wrench racks. 3D printing too time consuming or expensive. Not many options left. What about making a cart from plywood modeled after a wrench rack but where its stand alone and you can roll it to where you need it and store it off to side someplace when not in use? I've been thinking about making something similar for my woodworking clamps.

 

[thunderskunk]

IDK, don't like hooks, magnets,, foam, wrench racks. 3D printing too time consuming or expensive. Not many options left. What about making a cart from plywood modeled after a wrench rack but where its stand alone and you can roll it to where you need it and store it off to side someplace when not in use? I've been thinking about making something similar for my woodworking clamps.

Ooh… you’re onto something there.

 

[LeeG]

My in-laws use something similar to this in the farm shop. One side for wrenches and such, the other for common supplies. Works fine in their large shop. Not so practical in my small garage.

Lee

 

[thunderskunk]

My in-laws use something similar to this in the farm shop. One side for wrenches and such, the other for common supplies. Works fine in their large shop. Not so practical in my small garage.

Lee

I *almost* liked peg boards. I had a wooden one that grew mold, and I’ve got a few metal ones on the wall now. I change things around a lot, and while it would seem like they’re easy to change, they’re more of a picture frame deal; you put it up, look at it, once in a while it’s crooked and you straighten it out, but otherwise it’s just there to look pretty. Same issue with things moving when the door closes. Also, kind of expensive for what it is, but isn’t that all tool storage…

 

[carlaisle]

A piece of foam/rubber between the wall and the wrenches would probably take care of the rattling when the door moves. If you have the wall space, screws/bolts make excellent box end wrench hangers - vastly easier to remove and replace the wrenches. Those hooks you have I would have fired in about 5 minutes. Presumably it would be easy enough to relocate the wrenches from their current home to some location nearer where they are needed? I built my own version of gridfinity wrench storage out of wood decades ago. It's still working great.

 

[Ohio Andy]

Like everyone, I’ve got too many wrenches. When I bought a steam engine, I realized I need big ones and got a whole set from a hardware store closing:




Looks fancy. I hate it. They rattle every time I close the door. They’re stores way far away from where I need them, and I use them often. They’re not next to the rest of my wrenches.

I’m drooling over the “gridfinity” system as a concept; sacrifice space in the name of accessibility and recognition. I hate wrench racks because they **** at those two things. I hate the foam inserts for many reasons, all from experience. Anyone have a good system for wall, floor, or bench storage of big wrenches?

If you want to keep them on the wall, consider something like this

13-Piece Long Flex Ratcheting Box End Wrench Set with Holder | TEKTON

Set Includes 1/4 - 13/16 inch (SAE), 6 - 19 mm (metric) long flex head 12-point ratcheting double box end wrenches. No skipped sizes. WRB96202.

www.tekton.com

Not as easy to grab a single, but not too difficult, takes less space, and easy to grab and go.

 

[no704]

How often are you using them? A hunk of all thread a couple fender washers and wing nuts will keep them together.

 

[bmwrd0]

Maybe in the top of a tool cart?

 

[Joe Reed]

Here's what I did to make for compact storage for mine that still makes them easy to find and access. I just 2D printed rails with slots to hold each wrench on edge. The space between each slot was just wide enough for my Epson labelmaker tape.

Laying them flat instead of on edge takes up way more space. These label are very visible, even to my lousy eyesight. I haven seen any better method to store this many in a limited space.

 

[Model A Fan]

Have you seen the Ikea Skadis wall organization setups?

 

[Joe Reed]

Those I did would be simple to make using some 1x2 and a table saw for someone without a 3D printer....and a Sharpie could be used instead of a label maker. Total cost would be a couple of bucks....

I don't see the appeal of the IKEA Skadis stuff. It's just pegboard with slots instead of round holes. I suppose you have to use their accessories with it.....instead of the gazillion option designed for normal pegboard.

 

[Mike65]

Organization is overrated, I have all of SAE small wrenches in one drawer, all my large SAE wrenches in a large drawer & all of my Metric wrenches in another drawer.

 

[CraigStu]

The first thing I would do is get rid of those hook assemblies and replace w/ 1.5" screws in the wall to hang the box ends from. Otherwise these work well for me in the short drawers in my toolbox.

Magnetic Wrench Rack, 4-Piece

Amazing deals on this 4Pc Magnetic Wrench Rack at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

These can be hung on a wall and then carried wherever you need them

15 Slot Wrench Organizer, 2 Piece

Amazing deals on this 15 Slot Wrench Organizer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

When I worked as an auto tech we all had these plastic carts.

https://www.harborfreight.com/36-in-x-24-in-2-shelf-utility-cart-black-73333.html

Mine had a top that could be locked on w/ a padlock. Since it was at a Lexus dealer in the cart permanently I kept 10,12,14,17,and 19mm combination wrench and same size sockets, 3/8 ratchet and a couple of extensions, 1/2dr impact, 14,17, and 19 impact flex sockets. This cart wheeled wherever I went to work on a car. You can also get metal carts and some w/ a drawer or two. But the plastic cart would be difficult to scrape the paint off of a fender where the metal cart it was too easy. Since it was so handy that cart was with me even when working in my own work bay. Saved me an 8-15ft walk to my main toolbox.

 

[dura eagle]

Here’s the tool cart I built love it.

 

[Codyboy]

Here’s the tool cart I built love it.

Very nice! I like it , a lot.

 

[HogDude]

Here’s the tool cart I built love it.

The last line, "I love it". If you enjoy it then you're doing it right.

 

[dura eagle]

The thing about it is that my tools get put away easily I can walk over with a hand full and just set t down. No drawers to fool with For common use tools.

 

[zimman]

My buddy made this tool board in 1958. He's still working there because he's a man. LOL
Zim

 

[atch]

I doubt that these will be of use to you, but they are dirt cheap and readily available. The red one is mine at a secondary bench which saves me steps to the tool roll-arounds (which are near the main bench) and the second pic I probably lifted from the GJ.

 

[yhprum]

I plan on exploring this idea, once I build a new cabinet full of drawers.

 

[DrinkMan]

Organization is overrated, I have all of SAE small wrenches in one drawer, all my large SAE wrenches in a large drawer & all of my Metric wrenches in another drawer.

Same method I use (except I have so many Metric wrenches, they get 2 drawers as well). I feel good that I've kept the habit of throwing them back in the right drawer with smaller wrenches on 1 side and larger wrenches towards the other. So left to right = small to large. Every now and then, I'll actually take the time to group them by their sizes properly but I won't get upset if there is a blend of 11mm, 12mm, 13mm mixed up as long as they are all towards the right side of the small metric drawer.

 

[BurtEggley]

would be great if I either gave up about 1/2 my tools, or went to a 10' long set of tool cabinets. My tools are stacked in places in the drawers because there are too many. To go to a wider tool cabinet the workbench or press would have to be abandoned. Wall space is used up already. Mechanic tools, electronic tools, machinist tools, plumbing tools, and the shelves are full of battery and air tools, saws, router etc.. If someone finds a solution for something like that I am all ears.

 

[atch]

My system exactly. I don't have enough metric wrenches to take up an entire drawer though, so my metric sockets are in that drawer also.

My SAE sockets, on the other hand, take up two drawers.

 

[bigredcornhead]

Keep it simple buy a big enough wrench roll and then hang the roll!

 

[Ohio Andy]

Keep it simple buy a big enough wrench roll and then hang the roll!

Wright Tools has rolls for they're tools with hanger eyelets. I don't remember about Proto

Atlas46 wrench rolls have a hanger strap. Wow, pretty sure they do. I should go take a look when I get home. It looks like their tool rolls will also hang

 

[badmatt]

Ernst

 

[thunderskunk]

This thread took off while I wasn’t looking, haha.

I bought a Bambu labs and got started:



We made socket organizers too, but I’ll be reprinting them shorter. I’m a degreed engineer with CAD, but boy it’s nice to just use someone else’s work and hit print.

 

[Smilodon]

Here’s the tool cart I built love it.

I don't like it. No more excuses in taking forever to get something done (because I couldn't find the tool)! They are all right there!

I do notice a couple of sockets missing from the socket collection (10 MM?). So maybe there is hope for it after all.

Seriously, that's pretty cool. Shows that you don't need a fancy whatever to organize. Unless you consider plywood "fancy". Then again, considering the price...

 

[atch]

I'm sorta jealous of these 3-D printed organizers. I don't do the 3-D printing thing but have friends who do. Are there files available to use in printing these or does each individual have to create his/her own file? If I had the correct file(s) my kids/grandkids or friends could print some of these for me. I have no idea what brand of printers they have. Does each brand of printer require proprietary files?

 

[alinc100]

Some #10 or #12 solid electrical wire wrapped around a 5/8" or 3/4" dowel rod, or broomstick ,make as many coils as you need. can use different colors metric /sae etc.