Organising tools in a box

[draft]

Imagine you have something like this:



Or this:



How do you actually organise tools inside contrary to just tossing them inside and allowing instruments to bump against each other?

Some things I'm thinking of:

1. Drill-down the socket rails
2. Cut EVA foam for various tools
3. 3D-print screwdrivers mount on the underside of the top cover

Any other ideas?

 

[msharley]

Magnetic sheets? Magnetic racks?

 

[draft]

Magnetic sheets? Magnetic racks?

Hmm.... Any particular recommendations?

 

[Zewnten]

Have a cantilever box for most used tools. Socket rails mounted to the bottom and everything else is put into the trays, their bumping into each other is a lot less wear than my using them is my philosophy but if that bothers you there is a picture on this website where a guy used your first box with magnetic rails to organize every surface of his box.

 

[WWheeler]

if that bothers you there is a picture on this website where a guy used your first box with magnetic rails to organize every surface of his box.

I think you might be referring to magtl, the inventor of VIM Magrail who posted his box. Magrails are awesome AF but they are pricy. That said, there really is no other cheaper tool organization product like them that can do what they can....

This is a snap-on box. No holes drilled. Every tool held in place with Magrail TL's.

 

[msharley]

Hmm.... Any particular recommendations?

They make a magnetic "place mat"? thingy for gun cleaning...

Does a nice job of keeping metal parts from sliding off the work bench.

Am sure if one trimmed one to suit one's "shelves" & such in your box...it would be great.

Amazon.com

Then there are the screwdriver/pliers organizers at your favorite parts store...with a magnet on the back...will hold 4 or 5 pair of pliers or about a half dozen screwdrivers...

I think?? Lisle makes them??? I have had those in the past and hung screwdrivers & pliers on the side of the tool box (when I ran out of space in the tool box) LOL

Hope this helps...??

Later, Mark

 

[kbuhagiar]

Never heard of the Magrail stuff until today. Looks pretty impressive.
It may be a tad spendy but it appears to be worth it.

Definitely going to look into it after I settle in to my new garage.

 

[WWheeler]

Never heard of the Magrail stuff until today. Looks pretty impressive.
It may be a tad spendy but it appears to be worth it.

Definitely going to look into it after I settle in to my new garage.

They definitely have a cost. Another impressive thing about Magrails is that he designed them so that they won't magnetize your tools like other magnetic tool organizers do. It's not very convenient to have your sockets sticking to stuff and picking up metal shavings and such.

For those who use magnetic holders do you ever think it's a pain in the **** to have your sockets etc magnetized? For instance trying to get the tool on a fastener only to have it keep getting stuck on the frame of what your working on.

The Magrail TL does not magnetize your sockets. Its design allows each socket to contact two magnets. One magnet north up one magnet south up allowing the flux lines to flow through the socket from one magnet to the other. This arrangement reverses every two inches the length of the Magrail TL. This should be kept in mind if you remove the magnets from your Magrail TL so they can be reinstalled properly.

I like that you can put your magrails anywhere, not just in the bottom or side of a drawer or under the lid but to the sides or back of your cart or on anything metal. They really expand how many tools you can fit in/on any box or cart or whatever.

I just wish I could afford them. Every time I've tried seriously considering them and started adding up how many I needed I got sticker shock and wound up going with something else. The only magrail I ever did get for myself came included with a small set of VIM stubby triple square sockets.

 

[Dave455]

Have you considered making your own wooden trays?

Not much carpentry skill is needed, simple **** joints work fine, but you get exactly what you want. The wood doesn’t damage the tools, and you can make partitions as close fitting as you like.

Rather than spending silly money on boxes, I tend to buy “mid price” boxes (in this case Facom) and invest a little effort fitting them out.

 

[JradM]

I use open top "electrician" tool bags personally- way easier to be very organized. They have pockets, slots, loops and clips built-in.

However, I have organized various styles of boxes in the past. Dave455's idea is a good one - I'm doing one drawer at a time in my tool chest like that using hobbyboard.

Riveting socket rails in place works very well - and those metal rails and clips are dirt cheap.

The big bottom area tends to just be large storage - not much point hyper organizing it if you only keep large things there that are easy to find and retrieve.

Another thing to consider is those organizers designed to be carried. E.g. Ernst gripper racks.

 

[richfinn]

Mechanics time saver style socket blocks in the top trays, and a tool roll in the large compartment for wrenches worked for me.

I've switched to Veto propac style bags now for screwdrivers and pliers and keep my sockets on an organiser tray with ratchets and extensions

 

[redwrench60]

What kind of tools are we talking about? Facility maintenance? Machinist measurement tools? HVAC tech? Electrician? Cable dude?

 

[ZRX61]

 

[billconner]

Studley figured it for carpentry.

https://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Studley-Toolbox-3.gif

 

[Jacobs976]

For sockets use rails mounted to a base. Something like normal rails riveted to a thin piece of sheet metal. Or no rails and use little boxes to keep them in place but loose. Have a snap on 3/8 deep well set that's in an old tin in one of my boxes because it's organized but lower profile than an upright rail and quicker to access than storing the rail on it's side. Plus it looks like it's a cheap 90s Chinese set unless you open it so nobody thinks about walking off with it.

Screwdrivers go back and forth so the tips only hit the handles. Wrenches don't have much beyond leaning them against a wall.

 

[draft]

What kind of tools are we talking about? Facility maintenance? Machinist measurement tools? HVAC tech? Electrician? Cable dude?

Automotive. From sensitive equipment - only torque wrenches and multimeter.

 

[draft]

invest a little effort fitting them out

What you've done is ****** awesome!

 

[littlebean]

Have you considered making your own wooden trays?

Not much carpentry skill is needed, simple **** joints work fine, but you get exactly what you want. The wood doesn’t damage the tools, and you can make partitions as close fitting as you like.

Rather than spending silly money on boxes, I tend to buy “mid price” boxes (in this case Facom) and invest a little effort fitting them out.

that looks really good Dave

 

[magtl]

Imagine you have something like this:



Or this:



How do you actually organise tools inside contrary to just tossing them inside and allowing instruments to bump against each other?

Some things I'm thinking of:

1. Drill-down the socket rails
2. Cut EVA foam for various tools
3. 3D-print screwdrivers mount on the underside of the top cover

Any other ideas?

Maybe this will give you a few ideas. This is an aviation technicians setup with a little help from some Vim Magrails. The tools are what will be going into this Snap On tote tray. The tray measures 20 1/4 x 8 x 3 1/4". It will go in a Snap On 21G box and the lid will close. I will post the finished project shortly.
Ron

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I think you might be referring to magtl, the inventor of VIM Magrail who posted his box. Magrails are awesome AF but they are pricy. That said, there really is no other cheaper tool organization product like them that can do what they can....

LOVE this arrangement. Keeping this picture and I'll make a try at duplicating it in my travel box. I doubt I'll be entirely successful but I'll make run at it.

 

[jsaw]

I like this way. Just My opinion, organizers and foam All waste too much space. I would rather pack every inch of space with tools instead

 

[magtl]

Maybe this will give you a few ideas. This is an aviation technicians setup with a little help from some Vim Magrails. The tools are what will be going into this Snap On tote tray. The tray measures 20 1/4 x 8 x 3 1/4". It will go in a Snap On 21G box and the lid will close. I will post the finished project shortly.
Ron

Update on the tool tray. No holes drilled in the tool tray. Everything held in place with Vim Magrails. The speed handle is the handle now. It is attached to a 20" double wide Magrail. Tray with tools 38 pounds.

 

[scooby074]

Update on the tool tray. No holes drilled in the tool tray. Everything held in place with Vim Magrails. The speed handle is the handle now. It is attached to a 20" double wide Magrail. Tray with tools 38 pounds.

I think you win for most dense toolbox storage ever! Nicely done.

 

[richfinn]

Update on the tool tray. No holes drilled in the tool tray. Everything held in place with Vim Magrails. The speed handle is the handle now. It is attached to a 20" double wide Magrail. Tray with tools 38 pounds.

That's really cool , I'm guessing with the lock wire and level of cleanliness you work on an aircraft or a race car?

I can only imagine how many hours it to took put it together, I've spent a full day organising my Veto pro pac roadside kit

 

[Chumly]

Automotive. From sensitive equipment - only torque wrenches and multimeter.

That's what I was thinking when you said "instruments", not just general tools! Multimeter do take some bashing around as they're not mechanical. I'll drop a $5K fluke from over my head and it's not going to adjust it's scale or accuracy, but I'd rather not even do that for show. They do break!

Amazon, sigh, has bags for multimeters, sensors, and all sorts of things to sort through. Every single meter/source tool I have is in a padded bag that they either came with or I found off-brand. Fluke have their own and have a rubber surround, but I've used stuff like this for specialty tools for decades. It's electrons, they just flow through pipes and aren't as fragile as you'd think. The only things I've replace over the years are the battery terminals. I wouldn't drop a click-type torque wrench though without tears though.

Not sure what you mean by sensors, but I also store my-use sensors in pool noddles I cut to size. Pipe insulation works, I just found pool noodles are cheaper. They're probably $1 for 4ft at Dollar General.

 

[magtl]

That's really cool , I'm guessing with the lock wire and level of cleanliness you work on an aircraft or a race car?

I can only imagine how many hours it to took put it together, I've spent a full day organising my Veto pro pac roadside kit

Yes its set up for an Aviation technician.. I know a young man in school getting his A & P license and will give this to him.

 

[gMaxx]

If you´ve got time, some Cad skills as well as a 3d-printer, you could also build something along the lines of this:
Especially for smaller things, this printed inlay works really well. Also nice if you like mixing between manufacturers, but still want a clean set.

 

[littlebean]

f you´ve got time, some Cad skills as well as a 3d-printer, you could also build something along the lines of this:
Especially for smaller things, this printed inlay works really well. Also nice if you like mixing between manufacturers, but still want a clean set.

that's really cool, guessing Stahlwille (bit obvious), Koken and PB Swiss?

 

[gMaxx]

@littlebean almost correct, while the bit Adapter is indeed Koken, the sockets are made by KTC. Very affordable, made in Japan, nicely made. They are however on the shallower side.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I bet a 3D printer might be a good way to make some dividers, etc.

 

[nightnday]

Update on the tool tray. No holes drilled in the tool tray. Everything held in place with Vim Magrails. The speed handle is the handle now. It is attached to a 20" double wide Magrail. Tray with tools 38 pounds.

What did you use to make that pivot arm thing for the bits and wrenches. This is awesome