Storing your Surface Conditioning Tool (SCT)

[tyyost]

Like dozens of of the Garage Journal tribe I bought a surface conditioning tool from Harbor freight during the Bower close out while I really like the tool I’ve been struggling finding a place to put it in the garage. It’s long length makes it difficult to find a home.

If it would’ve fit in the box assembled, I probably would’ve even kept the box and found a home for it on a shelf somewhere. Unfortunately, when you add the handle and the abrasive, its not going to go back in the box. I don’t want to hang it anywhere, as that seems like a poor use of space. Anyone have a good solution for storing an SCT?

 

[bwringer]

Obviously you need to buy a large quantity of mahogany, teak, cocobolo, ebony, spalted curly maple, regular maple, and bubinga and make a bespoke, custom-fitted case with inlays depicting Salvador Dali's "Persistence of Memory", polished brass custom-cast hinges and latches, and a small music box that plays Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" when opened. It's the only way to properly honor such a fine tool.

Or, just knock something together out of hardboard, or stuff it into an old duffel bag.

 

[Gutman]

Sadly, no. Mine's currently on the shelf under my welding table, along with other odds and ends.

I made hangers for 4 grinders of various configurations on one side of my table. But then a fifth grinder, a electric bandfile, a grinder for tungstens, a needle gun, and the SCT have found a home there. But I'm sure there's a better, more compact way to store all that stuff. I'm thinking maybe a rolling hanging rack.

 

[GeoBruin]

The SCT is definitely hard to find a space for. It's big and long, but no bigger than a 7 inch grinder. The real problem is the handle on it makes too to tall to fit in even the deepest of drawers. I went so far as trying to design a folding mechanism so the handle could lay flat when not in use but I got distracted by other projects.

 

[WildBill]

I keep meaning to try and figure out a wall mount for mine and all the extra wheels but it definitely is a pain to store. Its currently somehow using about 700 cubic feet of shelf space and annoying me whenever I look at it. But it is a great tool, so I forgive it.

 

[WildBill]

Here is a wall mount for about $16. https://www.ebay.com/itm/195812712016

 

[LeeG]

I made a box for mine and store it under a bench.





Lee

 

[WildBill]

Eastwood makes this for their mini one, I don't think they have one for the full size. But this is what I was thinking on making. https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-contour-sct-rack.html

 

[Steve_P]

Mine is in the cardboard box. I cut a small section out of one end for the strain relief and cord to stick out and then looped it back into the box.

 

[zendriver]

After playing around with my tool for 10 minutes, I put it (the SCT) in a plastic tub with the other body work tools, and supplies

It remains there in pristine condition to this day

 

[txvwnut]

Mine was seeing regular use for a while so I just hung it on the door of side locker since I never close it. Might buy one of the Eastwood storage racks or make my own one of these days.

 

[tyyost]

Those racks are interesting but overkill for me wanting to store it out of the way. The eBay bracket could be a winner, need to look at the cabinets or sides of cabinets and see if it could be tucked away there. I didn’t consider wall hanging before this thread but it may be the winning solution given the strange form factor of this tool. I like @LeeG‘s box, but seeing a box for it made me realize I don’t have anywhere to slide a box that size right now either.

 

[larry4406]

Thanks for the bracket ideas!

 

[mike93lx]

Tools like this are why I have a couple lateral file cabinets in my garage. Really makes it easy to store oddly shaped stuff

 

[whateg01]

... I don’t want to hang it anywhere, as that seems like a poor use of space. Anyone have a good solution for storing an SCT?

Sorry but that's the best way I found to store mine.

 

[larry4406]

Sorry but that's the best way I found to store mine.

How did you bend that plate?

 

[whateg01]

How did you bend that plate?

Press brake. It's only 16 ga. It could be done in a vise.

 

[NORTON'S SHOP]

Not a Bauer, but I keep mine in the box it came in. Not a daily user, so it's no big deal keeping it there. Wish I had the battery version.
Pic swiped from the interweb.

 

[Damon L.]

I currently have mine in a 24" tool bag, but will probably wall hang it as that looks to be a better solution for my needs.