Tool Organisation Show Off Thread

[PeteMoore]

My engineering began fairly young, but I joined the RAF when i was 18 to become an airframe engineer. i succeeded, did my time and unfortunately was medically discharged due to quite a severe back injury.

The one thing i did take with me, apart from **** retentiveness, is tool control.

I was wondering how all you guys have laid out your kits so at the end of the day a quick glance is all you need to know all your tools are home safe.

Mine is in daily use and so isnt 100% neat or perfect, but to check each drawer is a 2 second glance before shutting up shop for the night.

Pics would be great.

I will upload mine when it isnt 2:30am and i dont want to wake the missus by heading out to the garage to take pics.

 

[MalibuLX3]

Here is a thread you might consider checking out.
Organized List of Organization

 

[PeteMoore]

thank you

But i was hoping to see what people were actually using in their day-to-day kits

Mine is all foam, cut to suit each tool, its bright orange and the cut outs show black, making it obvious whats missing.

I am now away to peruse that thread without touching myself

 

[Bull]

These aren't all of my boards, and a few more spaces have been filled in since taking the pic, but it will give you an idea of my strategy. When I complete the set, I will have just about every hand tool I need, without losing an inch of floor space and organized in such a way that everything is easily accessible and immediately noticeable if it is missing.

 

[ramtuff]

That's a darn nice collection of tool boards, Bull!

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

If tool companies had half a brain, they would sell these BOARDS cheap to the masses...

Nobody likes to have an empty board.

If I were the Snap on CEO. I would make these boards available for $20 to $30... with the Snap on name on them...

Sell the sizzle not the steak....

People will want to fill them... After all what does a tool board really cost? The newer ones are just a poster attached to a piece of plywood with nails that hold the tools up...

This would Cost Snap on Corporate about $3.00 for each toolboard... They would get so much in return.

King Gillette http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Camp_Gillette knew the same thing about razors. Sell The Handle cheap and make the razors disposable and the main cost....

 

[zer0cell]

yeah that board is definitely attractive. I kind of try to follow the same strategy when it comes to placing hand tools in an open tote tool box... its easier to notice if something it missing. The only problem with your idea is that it shows everyone what you have so if they like it they might try to break in to take it whereas a tool box leaves more to the imagination and its not as eye catching. I'd probably only want to do something like that in my own personal space where it won't be seen by anyone other than family and trusted friends. I know that may sound weird... Anyway it looks great.

 

[zer0cell]

@Blacknwhitepit:

I agree, it would be a very smart Idea.

 

[PeteMoore]

Ive just sneaked out to snap some shots of mine

In fairness, seeing them now it looks a bit amateur, but it was done for a cost of about £5 so ive no problem as it has served me well for a couple of years.

Time is upon me though to update and change the layout to suit my needs a bit better








Oh and i do a bit of striping too on the slow days

 

[Bull]

After all what does a tool board really cost? The newer ones are just a poster attached to a piece of plywood with nails that hold the tools up...

I can tell you that brand new Blackhawk display boards are available, for the current line of tools. I have found them at one industrial supplier. The cost for the boards, empty, is over $100 each. Yes, $100 each.

 

[PeteMoore]

I dont think i like the idea of boards, purely because i like the portability and of course the subliminal secure feeling you get of having everything in a lockable cabinet

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

I dont think i like the idea of boards, purely because i like the portability and of course the subliminal secure feeling you get of having everything in a lockable cabinet

I understand you completely.

Here is what I am saying.


Snap on is now being bought as a boutique brand by Homeowners.....

For people who have a SHOWCASE garage, the tool boards show off all in a nice shiny dazzling arrangement.

I am not saying tool boards are for Professional users (Like in a working garage) which requires security.

But tool boards can be sold to the glitz and glam that are the expensive garages....

Snap on is, after all in the business of making money... and selling cheap tool boards is a way to make more....

JMHO...

 

[PeteMoore]

Got to agree whole heartedly there.

I prefer all mine hidden

And of course, pinstriping a board is never gonna be as "old-skool cool" as a good box

 

[Bull]

I don't think the boards would work well in a shop, unless you owned the shop.

Also, my garage is a barn, and about as glitzy as a barn built on a budget can be.

I like the boards for a lot of reasons, some visual, some practical. With a 24x32 footprint, and at least two cars parked inside at any time, plus equipment, I am not exactly swimming in available floor space. The boards allow me to avoid having to buy a large (and terribly, terribly expensive) tool box.

Also, just as an aside: a locked box, if portable, is portable enough for any determined thief to simply wheel it out of your life forever.

 

[PeteMoore]

I think im gonna use two colours of foam, an exacto knife and spray glue for my next effort. Money is tight, so have to somehow make a lot more room in the same box as it is being outgrown very rapidly with ebay and gumtree purchases

 

[dirtrider]

Hey Bull that's a nice collection of Blackhawk tools. I personally prefer a box over board in my garage, but I think a board has it's advantages. Tool boards work really well where Foreign Object Damage is a problem because everyone can clearly see what tool's are missing. And they probably work well for showcasing tools as well.

 

[Bull]

Well, and just to be clear: I am just a hobbyist. Pros and really ******** amateurs might have entirely different storage needs than I do.

 

[Sick Puppy]

Pete, are those Koken screwdrivers, or Draper copies? And what make are the files please?

 

[PeteMoore]

Sorry to dissappoint, but they are Draper.

When i built the kit it was done in a hurry for a job I was starting so didnt have time to start sourcing the real nice stuff - plus i was gonna work in an environment where tools were regularly stolen to order. Typical private aerospace industry tbh.

The files are all F L Grobet Swiss, I have smooth and second cut of each you see there plus a smooth and ******* of the large 12" files

 

[NJHandyGuy]

i know noone will be drooling over this but



these are my everyday work tools the term "organized mess" comes to mind

everything has a place my wrenches are in line by size my screrwdrivers and pics are too and my sockets are inplacee so i know whats missing

my drill bag has nuttsetters in bacl metal bits in front masony then wood followed by driver bits and impact again organized mess

fwiw i know how many pliers are in my box

 

[scott37300]

Wow Bull I have read some of your blackhawk tool board threads before but never seen a picture. That sure looks nice on the wall. I think for a homeshop they would be great as long as theft isn't a big problem.

Those will be super nice when they are filled!!

 

[jessemac]

njhandyguy your plier drawer looks like mine I was thinking about making one of those racks out of some spare wire shelves we have at our house. They sell a plier rack to fit in a tool box drawer but with shipping and cost I thought I'd just make one. I don't want to buy something I can make. I guess it's genetic, I told my dad I wanted a skateboard when I was a kid and got a 2x4 with a skate bottom cut in half and screwed on to it because he didn't want to buy something he could make. I still have the scars I'll let you know how the rack turns out

 

[NJHandyGuy]

i would love one too problem is pointless in such a shallow drawer
if you look in the bottom let corner you can see EXACTLY how shallow the drawer is and yet i get 23 pairs in the drawer

 

[fordbroncodave]

I can tell you that brand new Blackhawk display boards are available, for the current line of tools. I have found them at one industrial supplier. The cost for the boards, empty, is over $100 each. Yes, $100 each.

thats nothing compared to the nose bleed snap on asks for the puller set board. its like $250

 

[Chris_PT]

I keep mine organized.

 

[jessemac]

hey chris did you paint you box ??

 

[Chris_PT]

hey chris did you paint you box ??

Yes, I had a friend of mine repaint it.

 

[Sick Puppy]

Sorry to dissappoint, but they are Draper.

When i built the kit it was done in a hurry for a job I was starting so didnt have time to start sourcing the real nice stuff - plus i was gonna work in an environment where tools were regularly stolen to order. Typical private aerospace industry tbh.

The files are all F L Grobet Swiss, I have smooth and second cut of each you see there plus a smooth and ******* of the large 12" files

lol no worries, from what I can see, Koken isn't exactly common in the UK! I was quite surprised to see Lancer had copies of Koken drivers that were non-VDE, but it's nice to see some Koken designs are getting out there

What are the files like to use [wonders what the prices are like and if they are available in NZ].

 

[nkachur]

Here is what we have at work.

 

[Mstrfxit12]

Nkachur, that is very cool.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

Nkachur, that is very cool.

I agree...And you can lock it all up at the end of the day with ease...I don't see any pliers though...I'm sure they are in a drawer, but I would want them to be on top...

 

[Bull]

nkachur, I love love love that setup. What is the work surface material?

 

[KCarGuy]

Just when I thought I have seen about every idea that I like....

....Nice set-up nkachur!
Its clean, simple and makes sense! Great Job! Thanks!

 

[UncleJoe]

Like a lot of other guys on here I really like this and it pulls together a lot of the design features I have been thinking about. Is the lid heavy? Do you have a system for opening it like pulleys and how does it stay up.

Any details you can show will be appreciated.

I work in my own shop as a hobby so theft is not a big concern but I like the feature of closing the tools up at the end of the day to keep dust to a minimum or when I am sanding something.

 

[Call me the Breeze]

Nkachur, that is very cool. I also like the fact that when the lid is closed, the angle prevents stuff from being thrown on top of it as a shelf. That is one of the things I have tried harder to do ( keep the work bench cleared off) but some how my wife thinks it's a nice place to put stuff.

 

[78Staff]

Yeah the top is nice, but I am really diggin the bottom, with the drawers built into the workbench. I would love to do something like that, I have 3 bottoms also and a slightly sloping garage floor (for drainage, I assume?) so each one is a bit wonky. Leveling a solid bench like that would do wonders and also would solve my crappy workbench problem too. Might want to take some out of the front angle upright also to make room for a vise.

I'm going to have to start taking some measurements...

 

[Interex]

Wow! Great setup, nkachur!

 

[PeteMoore]

lol no worries, from what I can see, Koken isn't exactly common in the UK! I was quite surprised to see Lancer had copies of Koken drivers that were non-VDE, but it's nice to see some Koken designs are getting out there

What are the files like to use [wonders what the prices are like and if they are available in NZ].

The files are lovely to be fair.

My only concern with them is they clog up very easily. I have a wire brush for the files, but i use them across all materials (within reason) and have never required to go and spend more money on anything fancier. even when i was working on aircraft with sheet ally all day long.

 

[nkachur]

I agree...And you can lock it all up at the end of the day with ease...I don't see any pliers though...I'm sure they are in a drawer, but I would want them to be on top...

yes the pliers are in a couple drawers... we have to get some cut outs made for the drawers though.

 

[nkachur]

nkachur, I love love love that setup. What is the work surface material?

the counter material is a cloth backed rubber material... will post pictures tomorrow.