socket rails keep falling

[mikeselky85]

ive been looking around and can find anything.
i recently bought some snap-on metal socket rails, i really injoy them, but the only problem is that the topple over and move alot.
i was wondering what some of you guys are doing to keep metal rails to stay up, i know snap-on sells something that says its like a holder but i cant emagine how they work exatly...i was thinking either a few strong magnets or legs...thing is i only have a craftsman box at the moment so i cant have them too high

 

[Case IH]

Mine are just riveted down

 

[AdamtheMillwright]

Check out these Nepros rails
http://www.nepros.net/?p=2&s=24&t=0&tt=Tool

Some very very high end tools iv never been disappointed with there products

 

[ZRX61]

I just lay em flat anyway...

 

[mikeselky85]

i prefer them standing up...just not sure about rivits in my box though. standing up is just so much easier to grab sockets when at work

 

[TheGrooveking]

I just took a piece of aluminum sheet, cut it to fit in one of my drawers and the placed the socket rails, and using a automatic center punch I marked where to drill. Then mounted them using 10/32 button head cap screws and nylok nuts.

TheGrooveking

 

[expatriated]

If you want them to stand up so that you can grab them fast, why not just get Hansen trays for all of them?

 

[mikeselky85]

i like that idea, i was thinking something similar but just doing a 1 1/4 wide thin peice of aluminum rivited to them to allow them to not roll over. but maybe a really strong magnet would be better cause they wont move either

im not a fan of hansen trays, they are not good with the available space they use...also its not a matter of quickness its the socket trays are better organized and use less space

 

[jethro29]

i lay mine down, because it's rare that i need just one socket and i like to just take the whole rail with me to the vehiclein the service cart.

 

[Biomed]

There is another thread here on GJ where they are discussing Ernst products for organizing tools. Although the discussion mainly centers around the Ernst web site and delivery issues, it reminded me of another product you might consider for socket organization.

Link to the GJ thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98710

 

[diggerrick]

I like the look of the Hansen trays, but are they marked with size & 6pt or 12pt?

I have a couple cheap trays I bought from HF years ago for about $5 each with holes and labels for about every size 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive, metric & SAE, 6pt & 12pt, u-joints, and drive adapters. I love the things, but I had to buy the second one to have a place for deep sockets.

 

[Unearthed]

ive been looking around and can find anything.
i recently bought some snap-on metal socket rails, i really injoy them, but the only problem is that the topple over and move alot.
i was wondering what some of you guys are doing to keep metal rails to stay up, i know snap-on sells something that says its like a holder but i cant emagine how they work exatly...i was thinking either a few strong magnets or legs...thing is i only have a craftsman box at the moment so i cant have them too high

I bought a strip of aluminum at tractor supply the same width as the rails and slid the clips from the socket rails on it. Works well to keep the whole works standing up as long as you stay about the same length as a regular rail.

 

[Zrexxer]

Just pack the drawer full and they can't fall over...

 

[mikeselky85]

haha, i like they way your thinking...more tools always solves the problem

 

[Fedwrench]

hansen racks lack flexibility and take up too much space. Vim magrail TL is the way to go. Not for the cheap as they retail for $2 an inch but, they are super strong.

http://www.vimtools.com/store/page30.html

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

At this point mine is screwed down on wood boards

 

[rsanter]

attach the rail to a strip of sheetmetal. the strip can be tapered to match the sizes of the sockets so you have max standing support
you could also do plastic also

there are plastic rails you can get from the dollar store that are the same as the craftsman ones. I have coneverted to using those. they stand up really well

I like mine standing but able to grab them and walk away

bob

 

[TDITS]

I like the CTA socket rails. They have a wider footprint and don't tip over as easy. http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=ct...w=tonka&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

 

[kc-steve]

. . . I like mine standing but able to grab them and walk away

bob

I agree with you. I always thought socket rails were intended to be mobile, as with the handle on the Craftsman rails. That's so you can grab the whole set and take it to the task at hand. Sometimes I just store them hanging on a pegboard when not in use.

Steve

 

[bchee]

i was wondering what some of you guys are doing to keep metal rails to stay up...thing is i only have a craftsman box at the moment so i cant have them too high

 

[mikeselky85]

That seems like a really good design there. I have the basic metal ones with no handles. I actually am not the type to need to remove them from the drawer as a whole. I just dont want to make some holder for all of them just to add more socket rails with larger sockets and not have a place to put them.

 

[bchee]

design.

 

[A29]

I made some little feet for mine.

 

[jeffk14]

hansen racks lack flexibility and take up too much space. Vim magrail TL is the way to go. Not for the cheap as they retail for $2 an inch but, they are super strong.

http://www.vimtools.com/store/page30.html

Those are really nice. Now I'm waiting with baited breath for HF to come out with their knock-off version.

 

[PCO6]

Here are the ones that I use. They are stable and I can lift them out of the drawer if I need to. They're available at Princess Auto (and I'm sure other places too).

http://www.princessauto.com/worksho...tool-holders/8002252-80-socket-organizer-tray

 

[wreckercologist]

I'd post pics, but photobucket is down for maintainence............

My idea is just a slightly different spin on a few already posted here. Snap-on socket rails spot welded through the mounting holes onto a sheet of 18 ga. After that, I sprayed some cheap red paint on it. Might not work for everyone, but works well for me. They don't fall over, and I don't need two hands to grab a socket........the weight of all the other socket sets holds everything down. Besides, after 12 years at the same job, I rarely grab the wrong tool so there really isn't any need for me to drag around a whole rail of sockets.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

My cornwell deep set had a nice metal box or rack type of deal. then a handle slide up so you can carry it.
This new set I got I dont like the regular racks as well that came with it.
Plus they shorted me one of the socket holders.
No big deal.
Yeah, I have a bunch of hammers and stuff in that bottom drawer that holds the racks up.

 

[Steevo]

Here are the ones that I use. They are stable and I can lift them out of the drawer if I need to. They're available at Princess Auto (and I'm sure other places too).

http://www.princessauto.com/worksho...tool-holders/8002252-80-socket-organizer-tray

I really like those Princess auto units. Does anyone know of a USA location that sells them?

 

[mrbreezeet1]

I'd post pics, but photobucket is down for maintainence............

Host them here, Sooooooooooo much easier.
Just use the attachment option and upload from your hard drive.
Saves having to up load to the resource hog, oh I mean photo bucket ,
then posting the image code here.
Dont worry about size limits either, GJ will normally resize them too.

Now, if you open the attachment in a new tab, it will open larger than just clicking on it.
Thanks,
Tony

 

[hitekrednek]

I really like those Princess auto units. Does anyone know of a USA location that sells them?

Why cant you make your own? As already mentioned, rivet or screw regular rails to aluminum plate. That way you can custom make them so the fit your box perfectly.

 

[PCO6]

I really like those Princess auto units. Does anyone know of a USA location that sells them?

Princess Auto and Harbor Freight carry a lot of common items so you might be able to find them there. You could make them fairly easily but for $20 (for the large ones) it's hard to beat.

 

[ptab01]

I wish I had a camera phone- I crafted a few socket holders out of the kneeling cushions and them hot glued them down to 3/8 hard plastic.
space savings in the box and money saved for real tools not pseudo peripheral stuff.

got the plastic remnants from bro in law sign shop
got the kneeling cushions in a dollar store