tool organization for mobile box

[59flatbedford]

Hoping to get get some ideas for my new work box. I work at a water treatment plant and I have to be able to pack my tools up and down stairs, between different buildings, and between different locations. Right now I am using tool totes which are a pain becasue organization is terrible. The other day I swiped an old three drawer drop front box ( its a full size box not a small hand carry one) from my dad to restore and use. My plan is to build a hand truck type cart for it to run it up and down stairs etc. This means i need some ideas for organization that will keep my tools in place, even if the box is stood on its end and bouncing down stairs.

I thought about going the cut out foam route because I do like the idea and the look, gets kinda expensive and doesn't leave much option for reorganizing. Been looking into magnetic tool holders. Found some pretty neat ones for sockets that magnetically held the sockets and the holder to the box. Cant seems to find anything similar for wrenches. Thought about leaving wrenches in tool rools, which works except you gotta unroll the whole thing to get one wrench. Don't know what to do for screwdrivers, prybars, punches, hammers, etc. Thought about just custom building small wood boxes with magents in the bottom to hold them to the drawer. Just looking for ideas and products that I might not have stumbled across yet.

Main tools consist of half inch sockets, long handled ratchet and associated drive accesories, double open end wrenches, double box end wrenches, screwdrivers, prybars, pliers, punches, hammers, hex key sets, etc. Your basic industrial maintenance type of stuff.

Thanks for any ideas or inspiration.

 

[KnurledNut]

What about a tool backpack to share the load? A hand truck with a fully loaded box is still going to be cumbersome on steps.

 

[Gummee]

It isn't the exact thing you're looking for, but pro team bicycle mechanics need portable tools: toolbox wars on instagram is a good 1st look.

I've seen guys using buckets with organizers around the top.
I've seen guys using Dewalt or similar rolling carts with drawers in em

I've got a Park Tools blue plastic case I could sell. I'm pretty sure you'd need some of that foam to make cutouts.

M

 

[Robinson1]

Best advice I can give you after working off a truck for years.

Know what you are working on!

Cut out everything that's not absolutely necessary and dont do redundancy. Don't carry 20 screwdrivers when you can get by with a 6 in 1 and a handful of speciality drivers.

Group task specific tools together as sets. I have an electric bag and plumbing bag. I can grab either and wire or plumb an entire house without having to ever go get another handtool.

Dense pack tools like wrenches and sockets. Accept that most factory provided cases are ****. Also accept that most store bought organizers are not designed to be mobile. This doesnt mean dump everything in a box. But you will probably have to make/modify something that will work.

Keep common use tools easy to access. Organize them in a way that matches your work flow.

Make tools multi use. If you carry a 1/4" drive socket set you dont need nut drivers. Just add a spinner handle. Do you really need a 15 inch adjustable wrench and a 18 inch pipe wrench? Do you really need 420, 430, and 440 channel locks?

Finally accept that any system you come up with. Be it bags, boxes, organizers, or even the tools themselves will constantly evolve. Always pay attention and make changes along the way as needed

 

[lardy1]

I was a maintenance carpenter on huge cruise ships. Each carpenter inherited whatever the guy he relieved was using. Basically, wooden boxes attached in various ways to hand trucks. As they aged and changed hands they morphed into some interesting examples of personal ingenuity and tool storage/management. We had to be able to move our setup wherever our work took us.

 

[81turbota]

Best advice I can give you after working off a truck for years.

Know what you are working on!

Cut out everything that's not absolutely necessary and dont do redundancy. Don't carry 20 screwdrivers when you can get by with a 6 in 1 and a handful of speciality drivers.

Group task specific tools together as sets. I have an electric bag and plumbing bag. I can grab either and wire or plumb an entire house without having to ever go get another handtool.

Dense pack tools like wrenches and sockets. Accept that most factory provided cases are ****. Also accept that most store bought organizers are not designed to be mobile. This doesnt mean dump everything in a box. But you will probably have to make/modify something that will work.

Keep common use tools easy to access. Organize them in a way that matches your work flow.

Make tools multi use. If you carry a 1/4" drive socket set you dont need nut drivers. Just add a spinner handle. Do you really need a 15 inch adjustable wrench and a 18 inch pipe wrench? Do you really need 420, 430, and 440 channel locks?

Finally accept that any system you come up with. Be it bags, boxes, organizers, or even the tools themselves will constantly evolve. Always pay attention and make changes along the way as needed

Excellent advice.

 

[Bogie1632]

Foam route: I recommend Kaizen. Available on Amazon. I've used this type foam in countless toolboxes, cabinets, and mobile trucks while in the military. Think visual accountability as a must when working around jet aircraft and active airfields. FOD kills. Easy to cut, nice and dense to protect tools...but...it does add a bit more weight to your portable kit. That's weight you have to move around in addition to your tools versus a quality organizers that works as well in the box as it does out.

For some wrench options have you looked at something like this from Ernst (other manufacuters have similar).

https://www.ernstmfg.com/Wrench-Organizer-Standard-Gripper.aspx

Ernst has some good quality organizers for all sorts of tools. I like they make options for just a few wrenches up to an entire set. Adhere a quality magnet to the back and it will stick to the box or out near your work surface.

When you get your kit together post some picks. GJ members always like to see what someone else comes up with.

V/R
Bogie

 

[59flatbedford]

Best advice I can give you after working off a truck for years.

Know what you are working on!

Cut out everything that's not absolutely necessary and dont do redundancy. Don't carry 20 screwdrivers when you can get by with a 6 in 1 and a handful of speciality drivers.

Group task specific tools together as sets. I have an electric bag and plumbing bag. I can grab either and wire or plumb an entire house without having to ever go get another handtool.

Dense pack tools like wrenches and sockets. Accept that most factory provided cases are ****. Also accept that most store bought organizers are not designed to be mobile. This doesnt mean dump everything in a box. But you will probably have to make/modify something that will work.

Keep common use tools easy to access. Organize them in a way that matches your work flow.

Make tools multi use. If you carry a 1/4" drive socket set you dont need nut drivers. Just add a spinner handle. Do you really need a 15 inch adjustable wrench and a 18 inch pipe wrench? Do you really need 420, 430, and 440 channel locks?

Finally accept that any system you come up with. Be it bags, boxes, organizers, or even the tools themselves will constantly evolve. Always pay attention and make changes along the way as needed

This does seem to be very good advice. A lot of it that I am already trying to follow. I try not to use any more tools than I have too. For instance I don't have any 3/8s drive stuff, most of the stuff I work on is bigger and out in the open so I would rather use my 1/2 inch stuff. I also use a set of open end wrench and a set of box end wrenches, gives me two seperate wrenches (for backing nuts, etc.) in the same size set as a full combination set. I have my belt and pouches for my basic electrical stuff. Probably will end up with another small box for overflow electrical.

The diversity of the plant and the projects does pose some problems. Most projects involve a little bit of electrical, a little bit of plumbing, mechanical teardown etc. One day I might be tearing down a gear box for a big mixer, the next landing wires in tiny terminal blocks in a PLC.

 

[59flatbedford]

Foam route: I recommend Kaizen. Available on Amazon. I've used this type foam in countless toolboxes, cabinets, and mobile trucks while in the military. Think visual accountability as a must when working around jet aircraft and active airfields. FOD kills. Easy to cut, nice and dense to protect tools...but...it does add a bit more weight to your portable kit. That's weight you have to move around in addition to your tools versus a quality organizers that works as well in the box as it does out.

For some wrench options have you looked at something like this from Ernst (other manufacuters have similar).

https://www.ernstmfg.com/Wrench-Organizer-Standard-Gripper.aspx

Ernst has some good quality organizers for all sorts of tools. I like they make options for just a few wrenches up to an entire set. Adhere a quality magnet to the back and it will stick to the box or out near your work surface.

When you get your kit together post some picks. GJ members always like to see what someone else comes up with.

V/R
Bogie

I actually looked at those wrench holders. They look nice but I wasn't sure how well they would hold the wrenches under rough service.

 

[gearhead1]

If you’re doing steps, I’d consider a backpack. I just got one at HomeDepot for $30.

Also, kctyphoon had a post I liked. I asked him for pics because I’m considering doing something similar for when I go to demolition derbies. I like the idea of using a composite box with wheels to keep the rain out. Anyway, the picture posting service didn’t work, so he sent them to me.

“Hope this helps. All i did was use a thin flat piece of metal stock i bought at HD to make a few rails. when i cut the organizer up, I folded the top of the material over the metal, drilled some holes in both (i used a soldering iron to burn holes in the organizer material) and used a few machine screws to hang it on the sides of the Stanley toolbox.

Cut the metal to length to fit the sides of the toolbox, drill holes in the metal, use each of those as a template to transfer the holes to the toolbox, then use the rails again as a template to create the holes in the bucket organizer material. I think the metal i got was like 1/2” or 1” wide by maybe 1/8” or 1/16” thick. It was in the hardware area where HD sells angle iron and threaded rod.“

 

[Aqua-Andy]

The diversity of the plant and the projects does pose some problems. Most projects involve a little bit of electrical, a little bit of plumbing, mechanical teardown etc. One day I might be tearing down a gear box for a big mixer, the next landing wires in tiny terminal blocks in a PLC.

I'm in a similar situation where I work. I do some electrical, plumbing, machining, welding /fab and also general mechanical. I tried to narrow down my tools into a "go bag" that I could just grab when I have to go out on to the floor for a repair. I found myself making more trips back to the maintenance shop to get more tools than I would have liked . I tried it for a couple of weeks and then abandoned the test. Luckley we only have one floor and only a few mezzanines we have to work up on. Now I just push around a double bay Cman box that is stuffed to the gills. I ended up installing hard phenolic wheels with good bearings on the box to aid in moving it around. It actually moves so easy I had to install a brake on it as it would start rolling away if the floor is not perfectly level.

 

[Ohmthis]

I’m in a similar situation. I work in multiple buildings and do multiple jobs. Unlike you, I have a cart to ride from building to building. I use tool bags as my go to storage. Some use mobile boxes, but they are heavy and aren’t the organized. I have my general bag that has pliers (2 pair of 440 channel locks, linesman, diagonal cutters, needle nose, and fuse pulling) screwdrivers (standard flat, Phillips, 2 types of insulated control) and strippers, hex keys, snap ring pliers, ratchet, wrenches, magnetic tool, tape measure, a pry bar, fluke meter and a ball peen hammer. The other has a smaller zip up canvas bag with sockets, hex sockets, and a few ratcheting wrenches. I also have an impact driver and drill with bits and drills in an index. These two will do 98% of what I need. They are easy to grab and go. I’m looking into a backpack as I climb ladders and stairs a lot. My main bag has a shoulder strap and it works well, but it seems a backpack may be more comfortable. Hope this helps!

 

[PhantomEB]

I had one of those mobile stackable things, it was nice at jobs where you based out of one spot the whole day. Pain in the *** for mobile conveyor jobs or where I needed to transport right next to where I working.

Then there’s the Kuny bag with organizer side pouches and room in the middle for the bigger stuff. Gets heavy on one shoulder, constantly stopping to switch shoulders.

I definitely like the backpack idea and I gonna look into this as I tend to use my ‘mobile’ jobs tool kit as my vehicle tool kit.

Definitely go the way of the 6 in 1 screwdriver, learn what pliers you actually need along the way. Build your socket set as to 1/4” for up to 7/16”, 3/8” up to 9/16”, and 1/2” drive for the rest. If metric, maybe bring a rail that contains the equivalent. Crescent wrenches always a good idea, as well clips with your wrenches. Upper medium ball pein hammer and a small one, deadblow to boot. Multimeter. Bailing wire, zip ties and electrical tape. Baggie of various sized baggies. Baggie of grease monkey gloves that fit you.

There you go, the bare essentials of a maintenance backpack that I as a maintenance millwright would carry.