Organized my 3/8" socket drawer

[imagineer]

Here's a fun little project that should prove to be a nice upgrade.

My 3/8" drive socket drawer has been an annoying mess for far too long. There are too many duplicate sockets and handles I don't use. Also, because its been so disorganized, it takes too long to find the needed socket.

I measured all the sockets, ratchets and extensions and laid them out in AutoCAD. I used my laser cutter/engraver to cut 5mm EVA foam (purchased from Hobby Lobby). The footprint of the laser cutter is too small to cut the entire drawer insert as one piece, so I had to cut it in 4 pieces, then glued the 4 segments together using contact cement. Then a layer of 5mm EVA foam was glued to the backside using E6000 adhesive.

I also used the laser to engrave and cut out index strips from some leftover 5mm plywood.

 

[tinmanwpk]

Nice. You have a ton of sockets!!!

 

[Snapped-off]

Great work, looks good.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

My socket drawer is a mess too. Just had to deal with it and it annoyed me. I haven’t the slightest idea where to get/how to use AutoCAD so that ain’t happening for me. Yours looks great, congrats!

 

[BurtEggley]

what you have done is awesome, and sure you will be able to find anything now. The issue I have when trying to think thru solutions like that, is that most things I buy need some speciality tool that I lack. Everytime I try to organize in a hard coded solution like that, months later some new wrench or tool is needed, and there is no room to fit it, so it gets tossed in the most appropriate drawer. A year or two later I have to reorganize all over again. If manufacturers would just all agree to use standard size tools it would be great but every day it seems someone one has invented a new screw head, or socket head,

 

[413dan]

looks fantastic. I need to rearrange my main box and side boxes. Stuff not consolidated well enough or methodically laid out as well as it could be. When I move next I will do it, once I finally have a place they will reside more permanently that is my own.(renting now)

keep up the energy and good work. your box will look fantastic.

 

[imagineer]

what you have done is awesome, and sure you will be able to find anything now. The issue I have when trying to think thru solutions like that, is that most things I buy need some speciality tool that I lack. Everytime I try to organize in a hard coded solution like that, months later some new wrench or tool is needed, and there is no room to fit it, so it gets tossed in the most appropriate drawer. A year or two later I have to reorganize all over again. If manufacturers would just all agree to use standard size tools it would be great but every day it seems someone one has invented a new screw head, or socket head,

Thanks for the compliments. I'm not too worried about if/when I add new tools. The drawer insert is only about $6 in materials, and I'm a CAD guy, so I enjoy doing stuff like this. I might have 3 hours between measuring, CAD layout and running the laser.

I've got the drawing done for an insert organizer for managing the 1/4" drive sockets I hope to get to this week.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

I wonder if there is software that will optimize for this kind of situation. Just spread your tools out on a large piece of graph paper or grid board. Then submit a picture of the tools. Shouldn't even need to organize them. Then the software "recommends" what the end result would look like. Once the recommendation is accepted the robot cutter does the rest.
Is someone out there going to tell me that has been around since 2007?

 

[imagineer]

I wonder if there is software that will optimize for this kind of situation. Just spread your tools out on a large piece of graph paper or grid board. Then submit a picture of the tools. Shouldn't even need to organize them. Then the software "recommends" what the end result would look like. Once the recommendation is accepted the robot cutter does the rest.
Is someone out there going to tell me that has been around since 2007?

The software we use for the waterjets at work (IGEMS) will create efficient nesting of parts, but you have to provide all the CAD files of the separate parts and tell the software what size material you are starting with. Before we got out 1st waterjet, we outsourced locally and I had to manually CAD out all the nestings. It was actually a fun challenge.

For what you're describing, you would have to take pictures of the of tools laid out as you want them in groups so the software can interpret the 'group' as one item. Otherwise it will place various tool where ever is most efficient without any order or logic of placement.

 

[rust in the eye]

I've always been a fan of shadow type tool organizing but don't do it as my tool "set" in always in a state of flux.
You've done a great job of it.