Tool box organization ??

[Hal]

I have been halfheartedly looking for a bigger box for a couple of years. my current setup includes a Craftsman ten drawer top box, four drawer Craftsman mid box, and a five drawer bottom. This holds most of my tools, with the exception of my metric stuff, and odds and ends, which are in a four drawer Powercraft (looks like a Remline) top, on a Craftsman three drawer bottom, which also holds some odds and ends of duplicate tools and general junk.

I also have a Craftsman machinists chest, probably made by Kennedy, with my micrometers etc. That sits on a generic rolling cabinet, which houses my collection of pullers, in three hand boxes, and also thrown in loose. I usually have to empty it to find the exact combination I am looking for.

So. with that background, I just bought a MAC MB 1700 off craigslist, and am trying to figure out how to organize it. This thing is huge. It is really too tall to just set my top boxes on, although I could get away with the Powercraft, the Craftsman would wind up just as high as it is now, step stool required to see into the top till.

My current thought is to rearrange the drawers in the MAC, putting one of the deeper drawers at the top, so I could just set the top trays from my current boxes in it, with the idea of using Hansen socket trays in the future.

Beyond that, I am just befuddled, do I set up the next drawer down with wrenches, or should they go into the narrow drawers at the side? Same with screwdrivers, punches and chisels. Do I move my pry bars over, hanging rack and all, or ditch the rack and put the bars in a drawer?
I would like to get this half right the first time, and not spend the whole summer doing it.

I have poked around on this site for a little, not really found anything useful, maybe didn't look in the right places.

No pictures of the new box yet, as it is all apart being cleaned up, and waiting for some paint inside the drawers.

 

[ZRX61]

I use the narrow side drawers for:
chisels, punches, files,

electrical gubbins,

pry doodads for removing door trim etc,

a bunch of brushes
Edit:
Slip joint, crescents & spanner wrenches

 

[pi_guy]

Your never gonna get this right on the first try.
You will find it is more of a development and evolution as your job tasks grow and your tool inventory increases.

 

[texasprd]

Just my preference, but I wouldn't take up drawer space with prybars - especially if you have a bar that won't fit in a drawer. I'm just a DIYer with a 42" top/bottom in my garage and my drawer space is too limited for prybars- but if you have drawer space to spare, go ahead. I see you already have a rack for bars - I would just stay with that. It doesn't take drawer space, and since it's perpendicular to the building wall it doesn't take much wall-space.

 

[oldwino]

Just my preference, but I wouldn't take up drawer space with prybars - especially if you have a bar that won't fit in a drawer. My drawer space is too limited for that - but if you have excess drawer space, go ahead.
.... That's the route I will go with my prybars - I have a design in mind for making my own rack that will let me use some leftover 16-ga steel sheet.

Even simpler is a piece of uni-strut screwed to the wall (or side of box). 10 minute project if you need to cut strut to length. Fits Mayhew bars like a sock on a chicken

 

[CJseven]

Your never gonna get this right on the first try.
You will find it is more of a development and evolution as your job tasks grow and your tool inventory increases.

I agree. You may see a idea that looks good from pics but once you start using the layout it doesn’t work out for you. It’s a trial and error some times.

 

[JeffBama]

Last year I got a new tool chest. I kept all my ratchets, hammers, screwdrivers, pliers, power tools etc., but all the tools inside the new chest are metric. I keep my old standard wrenches, sockets, etc. in my old box. I almost never use standard size sockets or wrenches anymore, so why clutter up the new box with them? It has made my work more efficient.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Too much stuff in my boxes to truly organize them. A drawer for screwdrivers. A drawer for standard wrenches. A drawer for metric wrenches...You get the idea.

All full, no room for dividers or racks.

Tommy

 

[Trapps]

For me it's evolution. A starting point, usually based on something I've read or seen here on GJ, then revision as use and experience 'teach' me a better way over time. The one concept I keep coming back to is 'ease' and 'frequency' of access. Those things I use most are at or near a zone between waist and elbow height. The things I use least are on the bottom or lowest point.