My "cordless tool storage" Solution

[FTWingRiders]

Like many here, I've been struggling with how to store and organize my growing cordless addiction. I started out with the Craftsman 19.2, then Milwaukee M12 came along, and now I've got the M18 bug.. Where does it stop!?!?! It probably won't, but I've got enough that they've taken over the shop, and totally out of control. I'm just a homeowner that likes to mess around with wood, and am lucky to have a dedicated shop, but its been 3 years since I've built, and I've come to the realization that I need a lot better organizational skills than I've got. Theres a lot I need to do, but first I needed to tackle the tool storage dilemma..

I started out with a shelf over a box that quickly became too small..



So the drills, and what would fit, went into a drawer of the HF 44"..



Of course some wouldn't fit, the jigsaw, vac etc.. but I made work for a while.. But then the M18 started to arrive, Hammer drill/impact with free circular saw was too much to pass up, but then I started seeing a few other that I couldn't live with out.. but with nowhere else to put them, they ended up on the bench behind the fence.. yeah... thats when I realized I needed to address this..



So looking around I just didn't see a solution.. empty out more shelves? maybe but not convenient. I gave serious thought of a wheeled rack like my clamp rack..



But besides the issue of making it work vertically, everything would be out getting sawdust all over it, and not being as conveniently located as I wanted, Decided to just pass on it.. A side note is that I AM going to make a rack like this but make it for the HF small parts bins like I've seen a lot here do.. perfect.. I also gave great thought to a large metal cabinet, which will find its way here for other storage help, but decided that that also isn't really the best to store, and easily access a bunch of random cordless tools. So then I got an idea..

When My wife and I bought the house, we remodeled the kitchen and baths.. cheap white cabinets were not on the plan and had to go quick, but I refused to throw them out knowing they would work for a shop someday.. wasn't sure when that would be, and my wife gave me **** for holding on to them, but hold on to them I did, so when the Barn and shop got built I teased her right back about how awesome I was to save them!! Well, yes and no.. worked great, but I had to use one that was an inside corner, no door or drawer, but it was what I had. So I've had to look at this for a while..



Which finally got my brain in gear to devise a roll out cordless tool storage cabinet! So first I cut and hacked..



Took measurements and started cutting up some left over plywood I had..





Took a while to figure out the tetris puzzle, but I think it will work.. ordered some roll out glides and mounted them.. of course being cheap cabinets, the floors were a bit weak, so I used some different hardware to mount them.



And this is what I came up with..







I've ordered some raised panel bits to make a drawer front, hopefully will be here soon. I plan on building a second one for the left side to house the M18 box vac and some other stuff. I also plan on a charger station right above the drawer, under the parts bins..



Something to help support the bins, and angle the chargers to make them easy to grab. Its only a start on getting things under control, but feel its a good start.

 

[rzims]

that came out really nice!

 

[cgrutt]

That's great, thanks for posting. I'm struggling with same thing and looking for ideas.

 

[joeysh03]

Looks great. I’m getting ready to build some cabinets for my garage and I’m going to use this idea.

Question on the miter saw bench. Do you find that the stop track is too small or not long enough. I am wanting to build one with 8ft to the left of the blade but that takes up a lot of garage space. Any recommendations. My depth of garage is only about 20ft and don’t know how deep I should go on both sides of the blade

 

[Caddis295]

That is some great work! It has definitely started some wheels turning in my mind! Might have to use this as inspiration!

Thanks!

 

[DJL1967]

Great job! I really like it.

 

[PNWguy]

Nice solution - thanks for sharing.

 

[FTWingRiders]

Looks great. I’m getting ready to build some cabinets for my garage and I’m going to use this idea.

Question on the miter saw bench. Do you find that the stop track is too small or not long enough. I am wanting to build one with 8ft to the left of the blade but that takes up a lot of garage space. Any recommendations. My depth of garage is only about 20ft and don’t know how deep I should go on both sides of the blade

Thanks! I have about five and a half feet of fence to the left of the blade, with a total of almost nine feet to the wall. I've never felt I needed more fence, per se..it has been sufficient to hold everything square. I also have about ten feet to the right with my RAS at the other end, which I only use for specific jobs.

Obviously the longer the fence the better, depending on your needs, but at least leaving space either side, having the ability to use sawhorses when you have longer stock, is nice.. All depends on what you're thinking you'll be looking to cut.

My workshop is 24x24.. its nice having the long bench.. yeah sometimes it becomes a catch-all and need to clean it up, but the storage it provides is nice. I do need to utilize the space behind the fence better, as a previous pic showed, I tend to just throw stuff back there to get it out of my way.. It hasn't looked this clean since I don't know when..

 

[FTWingRiders]

Sorry I was out of town, but thanks for all the replies! Looking forward to using it regularly and seeing how it works in real life. I also am going to tackle some more organizing these week. I hope to make some progress with my small parts container rack.

 

[cgrutt]

Thanks! I have about five and a half feet of fence to the left of the blade, with a total of almost nine feet to the wall. I've never felt I needed more fence, per se..it has been sufficient to hold everything square. I also have about ten feet to the right with my RAS at the other end, which I only use for specific jobs.

Obviously the longer the fence the better, depending on your needs, but at least leaving space either side, having the ability to use sawhorses when you have longer stock, is nice.. All depends on what you're thinking you'll be looking to cut.

My workshop is 24x24.. its nice having the long bench.. yeah sometimes it becomes a catch-all and need to clean it up, but the storage it provides is nice. I do need to utilize the space behind the fence better, as a previous pic showed, I tend to just throw stuff back there to get it out of my way.. It hasn't looked this clean since I don't know when..

That bench looks awesome.

I had a bench (without cabinets) set up like that for my chop saw at a vacation house I used to own. Bench was about 15' long and I had the saw all the way to the right side (with about 3' of bench on right). It worked fine for most of my needs. If I had to cut longer boards I opened the garage door and ran the boards outside.

 

[freddybaker]

Wow, lookin good. Top effort mate!

 

[metty]

Very nice! i did something similar for my cordless stuff but it is much more homely than that

 

[Mark in Baltimore]

Love your solution.

 

[FTWingRiders]

Thanks!! I got a little further in my quest for more organization!!

3/4" shell and 1/2" shelves out of birch plywood. Man, routing all those dados made a lot of sawdust.. had to vacuum the whole shop!



I left the back side shelves removable as I don't have need for that many boxes yet, I'll adjust them to store random cases of hardware and the like..

 

[Bear]

Not nearly as elagant but serves my purpose.

 

[SuperCat]

Wow, nicely done on the cabinet and cart, FTWingRiders.

(And Bear, too. I also have recently been hit by the Ryobi 18V bug.)

FTWingRiders are you putting any kind of finish on your projects?

 

[southalabama]

What are the dimensions on the clamp and storage carts?

Top heavy or balanced?

What casters you use??

Looks good. Saved pics for future reference.

 

[BobLon]

Nice work. Am building out up my 'retirement' shop space now and am always looking for ideas for when it comes time to move my tools in.

Can you post a few pics of your shop. I find it interesting and helpful to see how others have organized they're layout and tool placement.

Thanks for posting this.
BobL.

 

[Maddog10]

Great use of storage. Very efficient. I have tool envy of your cordless collection. I don't have near as many tools to store, but last year I built a small system somewhat similar to yours. I love having a dedicated place for everything drill/impact related in one spot. Tool, batteries, bits, charger, it's all right there and handy.

View media item 81910

 

[4 FN 27]

Mine is a little simpler. Custom Aluminum Pegboard and Pegboard Hammer Hooks. Works great.

Also mounted the Charges to the Pegboard.

 

[adrenalinejeeper]

I like the aluminum pegboard look! Very nicely done!

 

[FTWingRiders]

Thanks!!

Definitely some great alternatives there! I seriously thought about the PVC, but no upper cabinets that were convenient to where I wanted them, and I really like that SS pegboard.. Might grab some of that for something else.. looks sharp!

Maddog, Thats a great little unit too, it is really nice having everything close by and easy to grab. My lack of wall space made me look for another solution.

Supercat, haven't decided on a finished yet, but I'm leaning towards just leaving the bin storage bare, I never did anything with the clamp rack either.... I might paint the cordless holder white to match the cabinets, still need to make the front panel, and as I'm painting that, I might as well paint the holder too..

I'm now motivated to figure out some more solutions for areas that are cluttered, or just don't work the way they are now. I'll tackle some more next week!

 

[FTWingRiders]

What are the dimensions on the clamp and storage carts?

Top heavy or balanced?

What casters you use??

Looks good. Saved pics for future reference.

thanks.. I haven't found either of them too top heavy yet, tho I am prudent moving them around just in case.. The clamp rack pretty much stays where it is.

I just have some cheap HF casters on them, as they really don't go far. I am going to replace two on the bin storage rack, as two of them are fixed, and I now realize having four swivels will make getting to the back much easier.

I tried to utilize a sheet of plywood, and scraps as much as I could, but roughly..

the clamp rack is 14"x26"x 48" high
the parts rack is 25"x18"x47" high.. 47 because that what it worked out with 5' spacing for the deep bins and 3" spacing for the shallows..

 

[FTWingRiders]

Nice work. Am building out up my 'retirement' shop space now and am always looking for ideas for when it comes time to move my tools in.

Can you post a few pics of your shop. I find it interesting and helpful to see how others have organized they're layout and tool placement.

Thanks for posting this.
BobL.

Hey Bob,

I had my barn built a few years ago, and was able to put the workshop, about 24'x24', together shortly after.. yeah theres a lot of Grizzly in there, I felt it was the best bang for the buck.. most of my plan has worked out well with the big machines; outfeeder table, chop saw bench, dust collector... Its my organizing skills that I didn't really address, and as much more stuff gets into my shop, the more disorganized it has become. I really want to find good homes for it all.. I'm a bit OCD about having a place for everything so I can find it.. I HATE having to search for something I know I put somewhere.. Maybe its a result of my childhood, 190 acre farm and my father never put anything away.. he just dropped it where he was finished with it and I swear most of my time was spent with my Dad saying " Bud, go find the Goddamn hammer..." sigh... LOL!!

Here are a few pics, but if you bored and want a dull read, the link at the bottom takes you to my build with a bunch more pictures..









It hasn't looked this good since then.. Sadly this was the low point while I was in the middle of too many projects.. LOL! Usually its somewhere in between..



Best of luck with your retirement shop!! I'm just a few year away myself, and wanted to have a place to finally do things for fun, hang out with my grown boys, and keep out of my wife's hair!!

 

[evercl92]

The shop is so clean. I'm rather envious. That and all the other fun toys you have.

 

[intillzah]

Here's my temporary solution, going to be redoing it later on...

 

[heffneil]

Thanks!! I got a little further in my quest for more organization!!

3/4" shell and 1/2" shelves out of birch plywood. Man, routing all those dados made a lot of sawdust.. had to vacuum the whole shop!



I left the back side shelves removable as I don't have need for that many boxes yet, I'll adjust them to store random cases of hardware and the like..

Did you pin and glue the shelves? Just wondering if you let them slide after assembly? Looks good. I need to build something like that pretty soon!

 

[BobLon]

FT, thanks for the pics. I checked out your build thread. What a fantastic place you have. I was admiring your shop, but dang, that is the least of it. Good on you and I hope you and your family enjoy it in health for many years to come.

I do have a question or two for you though.
I believe you said you used 5" piping from your dust collector, which I am also thinking of doing.

How many horsepower is your DC?

Also, you have a fair amount of piping around the shop (I believe you said it was 24x24).

How effective is your DC system with all that piping? I looks like your planer is a fair distance from your DC and those can REALLY throw out the waste.

I'm trying to work up placement for my tools so I can tell the guy doing the electrical where I want what and really wondering how much I really need to consider trying to get the big dust makers closer to the DC.

Thanks, and you did an outstanding job on your place.
BobL.

 

[tapered-pin]

great idea..
nice looking shop you've got there..

 

[FTWingRiders]

FT, thanks for the pics. I checked out your build thread. What a fantastic place you have. I was admiring your shop, but dang, that is the least of it. Good on you and I hope you and your family enjoy it in health for many years to come.

I do have a question or two for you though.
I believe you said you used 5" piping from your dust collector, which I am also thinking of doing.

How many horsepower is your DC?

Also, you have a fair amount of piping around the shop (I believe you said it was 24x24).

How effective is your DC system with all that piping? I looks like your planer is a fair distance from your DC and those can REALLY throw out the waste.

I'm trying to work up placement for my tools so I can tell the guy doing the electrical where I want what and really wondering how much I really need to consider trying to get the big dust makers closer to the DC.

Thanks, and you did an outstanding job on your place.
BobL.

Hey Bob..
I have the grizzly 0443 1.5 hp collector.. works great. My only complaint is the smallish 35 gallon drum will fill up quick with the planer. I do see they now offer an extension for the drum I might pick up.. like you said, the planer is a sawdust maker!! I have blast gates on every machine, which helps keep the material flowing. I have no lack of suction even at the furthest machine. Tho admittedly, those are all my sanders.. I work solo in my shop, so I never have more than one gate open at a time.. It took a while to remember to close the gate after I was finished, but having to keep going back to shut it has finally drilled a routine into my thick skull..lol I would like to invest in automatic gates someday.

I bought the pipe from here:

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/premium-ductwork.html

They had a service where you gave them your shop layout and they would help spec out the ductwork for you.

I also used the grizzly shop planner:

http://www.grizzly.com/workshopplanner

A great tool to help see how it will all fit and get a sense of flow.

Thanks, Forrest

 

[BobLon]

Thanks for the info Forrest. Glad to hear the DC system is working fairly effectively. Makes planning my layout a little easier.

Yeah, I know about remembering to close the gates after use. I usually remember to close it after I'm done using a machine but every so often I'll leave one open because 'I'm going right back to that machine in a minute'. Of course for whatever reason I don't and then have to chase down the open gate, lol.

I have used the Grizzly workshop planner for a while, good tip though for those that don't know about it.

Thanks for the info on where you got your ductwork. Haven't visited Penn State in a long time, forgot about them. Thanks for the reminder.

Thanks for you time.
BobL.

 

[slodat]

My M18 tool storage.

 

[jonshonda]

Nice work OP. I have resorted to keeping my limited amount of cordless tools in the house or basement, as I am trying to maximize the battery life and don't feel as if my garage (which lacks climate control) is the best place for them. But I will follow your lead on some cabinets we have and organize my mess.

 

[FTWingRiders]

My M18 tool storage.

Nicely done! I like how everything is easy to see and find.. the one drawback I’m finding is that it’s not easy to identify which is which when I’m grabbing them. I’m thinking a label, plus making sure I put them back in the same spot, will help me be able to quickly grab what I’m looking for. I also tend to buy kit only and as such only have 4 18 batteries... I like how everyone’s ready to go on your setup.

 

[FTWingRiders]

Nice work OP. I have resorted to keeping my limited amount of cordless tools in the house or basement, as I am trying to maximize the battery life and don't feel as if my garage (which lacks climate control) is the best place for them. But I will follow your lead on some cabinets we have and organize my mess.

Thank you! My wife really gave me a hard time about saving the old cabinets.. especially since I had to move them a few times, but in the end, I’m glad I saved and recycled them into the shop!