Tool box labeling...what do you use?

[Hghgrad]

I've never labeled the tool box. It wasn't hard to remember where stuff was at.

I find myself opening a few drawers to find stuff in the new box, figured I might as well label it and get it over with.

What do you use?

 

[pepi]

My memory.

 

[NHBandit]

Nothing. It always takes a little while finding stuff when you switch boxes but it will become second nature in no time which drawer to open when you need something. I have 3 large boxes and I know where everything is. Labels just make it easy for your wife to borrow your stuff and lose it. If it's too overwhelming for them they have to ask you for it...

 

[Kevin54]

I need to take the wife's "Brother Labelmaker" out to the garage and spend a day labeling. Once I brought my work box home and rearranged things, I can't find anything now. That will be a job when it's too crappy to be outside.

 

[Ign]

Same thread
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86964

 

[jeremy v]

I use electrical tape and a sharpie. It is cheap, easy, and as long as you use a colored electrical tape there won't be any residue left if you have to remove the tape later to change things around. I have used p-touch type labelers many times in the past and they seem to always start falling off after a few years or else they leave a residue. I also like to be able to change around individual drawers every so often as tool inventories change, so ease of application and flexibility is important to me.

I use white, but gray looks a bit more subtle. Red tape on a red tool chest almost disappears visually, so all you see is the black sharpie writing. It is probably not going to work for you if you are one of the people here that think your shop is an operating room, but people that care more about function than looks should find electrical tape more than adequate without having to buy a labeler etc.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

I've never labeled the tool box. It wasn't hard to remember where stuff was at.

I find myself opening a few drawers to find stuff in the new box, figured I might as well label it and get it over with.

What do you use?

Don't bother with it. Get your layout figured out, and after awhile you'll remember where everything is.

 

[jeremy v]

Don't bother with it. Get your layout figured out, and after awhile you'll remember where everything is.

I agree with this in many ways as long as there is some way to visually differentiate the drawers from each other. I don't bother labeling the top 2-3 drawers or the bottom 2-3 drawers of my tool chest, because they are easy to just remember and visually grab the right one. When you get into the middle of a tool chest where you have 4-6 drawers that are all thin in height and all look the same it is too easy to accidentally grab the wrong drawer on a regular basis even when you "know" where the drawer is.

I think the fastest identification technique for that type of a situation is to use different colored electrical tapes to differentiate the drawers. Put a small strip of red tape on one, green tape on the next, yellow, etc. Don't bother writing anything on them. Within a couple weeks you will easily make the association between the color and the type of tools inside. That way is also faster to identify once established because you don't have to do any reading, it is just quick color identification.

For those that have mentioned it as an issue, the color technique also allows you to easily identify your drawers without also making it easier for the spouse to find what they are looking for.

 

[Alexbn921]

Brother Label maker on magnetic labels. You can move them around if you need to. Some I stick to the box if I know they are not moving. I took pictures of the draws and made all the labels by looking at the pictures.

 

[quadrcr87]

I labled mine with the tags for bulk storage bins. It allows you to print on a pre perforated sheet and slide into the plastic sleeve. I then put them on magnets to allow fast changing. Sorry pics are BIG.

 

[allinon72]

I shuffle stuff around too much for labeling. Plus I know exactly where everything is.

 

[SteveCh]

I don't label anything. I think it looks too cheesy and just isn't necessary.

 

[rlitman]

Don't bother with it. Get your layout figured out, and after awhile you'll remember where everything is.

That works for a 14 drawer toolbox. Not so good when you've got over 100 drawers in the shop.

I have a 48 drawer wooden storage cabinet. Each has a brass frame that holds a paper card with a label. At least half are labeled. The rest either should be, or don't hold as important stuff.

Things with steel drawer fronts that get magnetic labels:
(1) 11 drawer Kennedy 52611 machinists box
(1) 8 drawer Kennedy 526 machinists box
(2) 7 drawer Kennedy 520 machinists boxes
(1) 10 drawer SnapOn top/bottom box
(1) 5 drawer Homak cabinet
(2) Sears workbenches with 9 drawers in total
(1) 3 drawer Waterloo bottom cabinet
(1) 3 drawer Kennedy bottom cabinet
(1) 11 drawer Huot top cabinet
(1) 5 drawer wall cabinet
(1) 10 drawer hospital cart
ok, I count 89 steel drawers here, but I know I'm missing some (and I'm not counting cabinet doors, or tool boxes that are not in active use)

Then there's the dentist's cabinet with something like 20 wood front drawers, and the two plastic storage cabinets (4 drawers in one, 5 in the other).
These get labels printed on clear tape.

My count comes up to 166. Again, this is all off the top of my head. I'm not in the shop, and not looking at any pictures, so I'm sure there are more than that. And yes, I do know what is in each and every one, but if my wife needs to find a pair of mini-pliers, the labels sure do help when she's looking, and they help me too.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

That works for a 14 drawer toolbox. Not so good when you've got over 100 drawers in the shop.

That's not exactly what the OP was talking about. He's referring to one toolbox.

 

[kippieland]

I labeled mine because my friends would bring their bikes over and couldn't find anything. I kept it simple.....some white electrical tape and a sharpie.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Currently this:

But . . .

 

[thebeekeeper1]

I use the Brother label maker thingie for everything. It sure keeps the reloading room nice too!

 

[ChevyEFI]

But . . .

Months ago when I read through the whole thread, this suggestion of label vs. drawer color stuck in my mind: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2660317&postcount=790

 

[Steevo]

My old setup, I had memorized, after 26 years with the same boxes.
Now that I have 52 drawers in my "main tool storage", I am always searching for what drawer I put what stuff into.
I may break down and label them, but for now, it is a brain test.

 

[MN4x4]

X-whatever on the P-touch Labeler.

I use Black print on clear tape, and put it on the handle rather than the drawer. The tape disappears, and only the Letters remain, leaving a very neat, clean look. I can post a picture of anyone wants to see it.

 

[PugetDude]

Mine aren't labeled... with over a hundred drawers it's like playing the old game show "Concentration"- except the prize isn't cash- it's a #10 x 3" sheet metal screw or a single edge razor blade...

 

[ZRX61]

I labeled one of my toolboxes (Hammerhead 41in). After less than a month I took them all off as I didn't need them. I have 7 rollaways & numerous top chests etc. No idea how many drawers in total (4 of just hammers alone). I get by just fine without the labels.

 

[cburnscrx]

X-whatever on the P-touch Labeler.

I use Black print on clear tape, and put it on the handle rather than the drawer. The tape disappears, and only the Letters remain, leaving a very neat, clean look. I can post a picture of anyone wants to see it.

x-whatever +1. This is exactly what I did, and I think it looks like it came that way.

 

[Evan(CA)]

You will know within a couple weeks where everything is. That being said Snap On does sell drawer labels. We had them at school on all the boxes.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

There is one box that should be labeled for sure..... Grab a large magic marker, and label that cardboard box "loaner tools"

 

[spacedoutbob]

I don't, I have no problem remembering what drawer has which tools in it. I figure the labeling is for those people who you let use your tools.

Bob

 

[PCO6]

I don't label my tool box drawers or other storage areas (cabinets, shelves, etc.) but I do have an Excel sheet filed in my computer that gives me some clues as to where some of my less commonly used things are. It's basically an alphabetic tool list on the left and the cabinet, drawer, shelf, box, etc. on the right. It saves a lot of time and frustration.

 

[scaron]

my dad has a bunch of pre-manufactured magnetic stick-on drawer labels he picked up from somewhere, probably HF or menards or somewhere like that, they cover most of the common categories of tools, but i suppose it wouldn't work so well if you have less common stuff in some of your drawers, or you want more specificity than the pre-made labels can provide.

 

[awdblazer]

p touch

 

[Monte]

 

[Jack Olsen]

I have a little Brother thermal label printer. Printing white on black means you can just stick it to a black drawer face of even black masking tape. I have mostly Lista-type drawers, so it goes on a black insert.

I used to have it all memorized. But once you add more storage and rearrange everything, it gets harder. Labels are great.

 

[Rider_996]

I think the trick is to set things up exactly the way you think it should be. So if somehow there were any question about where something was, just ask yourself "where would I have put that tool?" and then open the drawer and there it is. Also Don't pile tools on top of other tools, combine like tools into a drawer, use holders and organizers, and order things chronologically. Place the most used tools in the drawers that are easiest to reach. essentially make it make sense to you and then there is no need to label.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...0-p?navigationPath=L1*14919|L2*14991|L3*15467

 

[RBailey]

I use a thermal brother printer and then stick the labels onto electrical tape which goes on the box. The electrical tape makes the brother labels stick better and moving cleaner.

(I know where all my tools go but my buddies don't and as my tools are the track kit all the team needs to know where things are.)

 

[tribbles]

I use the plastic LetraTape rolls. They're more expensive than the white paper ones, but spattered brake cleaner tends to spot the paper labels.

 

[spotco2]

I'd never be able to find anything with those labels

I don't label tool boxes as mine have been set up the same way for over 20 years. I DO label ammo cans with magnetic business cards and a Sharpie®

 

[thundermug]

I recently doubled my storage, so I'm always opening the wrong drawers. It will take a while to get used to the new layout. But for nuts & bolts I use this:

https://scontent-a-ord.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/76686_605665545052_1169552817_n.jpg

 

[92GreenYJ]

I can never seem to find a set of pre made magnetic labels that I like. Either for looks or the fact that they just name the uber basic tools. So I bought like three sets of the pre made ones they sell at sears. Used the ones that I needed. Then broke out my trusty Dymo label maker and made labels to go over the extra ones reflecting what's actually in the drawer. This way it's a magnetic base so I can easily move them around if I re organize, no residue from the labels themselves on the boxes, and it's quick and easy to change or make new labels

 

[rollscanhardly]

If you have to label, then you either have alzheimers, are a chronic pot user or suffer from some other short term memory loss

nothing says tool polisher more than labels

you don't know what tools are in your drawers? then you don't use your tools do ya!

 

[Farmall450]

I too use my head.