Tool storage and organizers

[mark.dziamski]

I haven't seen a thread for this yet but figured I'd start one. Mostly cause I'm always looking to improve organization in my tool box to make room.

Like for sockets I love the Hansen trays only issue is there are spots or rare or unheard of sockets because there is no use for them.

I also like some of the Ernst trays like the screw driver tray but sadly they won't fit my snappy soft grip screw drivers so I'm looking for something else.

So if you know any good brands or custom organizers post away.

Here are some of mine

Hanson Trays


Torin Bit Holder


Ernst Tray for 1/2" Sockets


Ernst Tray for 3/4" Sockets


Ernst Wrench Trays


Unknown for my Stubby's


Ernst for screwdrivers. But the soft grip snappys won't fit


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[Dmoen]

Got these magnetic socket holders from my snap on dealer. Mts is the brand. I like them, not sure if.I will completely switch from my Hanson units or not yet. Just got a few to.try out a few weeks back. Otherwise there's a company that has some aluminum ones that are nice! Bit no supplier locally, and I'm not a huge online shopper unless it's needed


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[boosteddsm92]

I haven't seen a thread for this yet but figured I'd start one.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=23805617

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=23805662

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=23805675

 

[dodge610]

Torrin makes a good plier organizer and its even magnetic so it doesnt move around in the drawer. You could use them for screwdrivers even just have to put the blades in the slots and not the handle. Just an idea

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

I'll start out by saying I'm OCD. I really wanted to like the Hansen trays or the Craftsman drawer organizers, but I had an issue with the empty spots. At a glance I wanted to be able to see if I was missing a socket. Labeling was also important to me, so just about every commercially available solution wouldn't work.

My solution isn't perfect, but it is easily expandable if I pick up another socket set or a random socket. These rails do take up more space, but again, expandable, customizable, and labeled. Space in the tool box was not a major concern for me at this point.

I used 2 1/4" tongue and grove oak flooring and the $0.99 socket rails from Harbor Freight with a groove cut for the rail to sit in (not necessary). This could be made more compact and cheaply by using narrower boards without labels or mounting to a sheet of plywood:

 

[colin39]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=23805617

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=23805662

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=23805675

A little over 20mins from original post, spose that was better than USE THE SEARCH BAR!!!!!!!!!!!! Lmfao

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

A little over 20mins from original post, spose that was better than USE THE SEARCH BAR!!!!!!!!!!!! Lmfao

A number of threads like this exist, but none of the links provided work...

 

[cheechi]

I'll start out by saying I'm OCD. I really wanted to like the Hansen trays or the Craftsman drawer organizers, but I had an issue with the empty spots. At a glance I wanted to be able to see if I was missing a socket. Labeling was also important to me, so just about every commercially available solution wouldn't work.

My solution isn't perfect, but it is easily expandable if I pick up another socket set or a random socket. These rails do take up more space, but again, expandable, customizable, and labeled. Space in the tool box was not a major concern for me at this point.

I used 2 1/4" tongue and grove oak flooring and the $0.99 socket rails from Harbor Freight with a groove cut for the rail to sit in (not necessary). This could be made more compact and cheaply by using narrower boards without labels or mounting to a sheet of plywood:

I very much like that idea with the flooring and it is now stolen. Thanks!

What I'd do with that setup, put 2 rails on one floorboard, with the label inbetween, and a colour difference in the label if one set doesn't have/need that size. For example most of my sets don't have a 9mm and I don't miss it anyway. Maybe that would be red instead of black.

For now though I am getting by with a combination of HF and Westling trays. I know there's room for improvement on mine but for me to really do what I want I will have to do fully custom, similar but not exactly what you have done.

I also like the horizontal layout of the HF/Hansen/etc ones and my stealing of your ideal will likely involve routing t/g to stick up the markers instead of flat.

 

[crewchief888]

IMHO

hansen type socket trays are a huge waste of available space.

i use a combination of socket storage, most of my "working" sockets in my service truck, are in the original stamped metal trays, others are in MTS magnetic trays, flat lisle type trays, and a few on metal rails that i can cut/modify to fit where they are needed.

at home i have a couple of hansens,(bought when i didnt have much available for socket storage), a few stamped metal trays, some metal rails and a couple plastic rails.

i scrounge flea mkts and pawn shops for the metal trays and MTS type magnetic trays.

i have enough 3/8" & 1/2" dr sockets crammed into the top of my box, they really dont move anywhere. 1/4" & 3/4" dr sockets are stored elsewhere in the truck.

 

[maddawg1952]

I'm with Crewchief I like the stamped metal trays,you can grab the whole tray and take it to the truck or project your working on. Saves leg work.

 

[crewchief888]

mine are jammed in so tight, it's not easy to pull out a set of anything.

i've had them organized this way for so long, i ran reach in a grab what i need without looking.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

To the OP; Smaller pics would be easier for us to see....(not 1,968px × 2,624px) J/s

 

[lilredex]

Those three links did initially work...I looked at them.

But, I find Google offers the best results, like this:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=gara...ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIz4SRx8bgxwIVg1CSCh2BOwJD

And, smaller pictures would be a big plus.

 

[90zcar]

Besides the normal Hansen trays for sockets I use an Ernst 3 section plastic tray for my extensions which I stenciled sizes on and a smaller 5 rail aluminum socket holder for my oddball stuff which I hand built




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[mark.dziamski]

Those three links did initially work...I looked at them.

But, I find Google offers the best results, like this:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=gara...ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIz4SRx8bgxwIVg1CSCh2BOwJD

And, smaller pictures would be a big plus.

I post and read from the tapatalk app which auto resizes when they load. Thanks for letting me know. Whats a good size to resize images to and I resize and reload

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[mark.dziamski]

Besides the normal Hansen trays for sockets I use an Ernst 3 section plastic tray for my extensions which I stenciled sizes on and a smaller 5 rail aluminum socket holder for my oddball stuff which I hand built




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I like your stenciled tray idea for the extensions and odd ball stuff.

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[90zcar]

Thank you. It's not like I need it to know what the hell im looking for but I have the stencils so why the hell not!


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[JettaGetUpandGo]

I very much like that idea with the flooring and it is now stolen. Thanks!

What I'd do with that setup, put 2 rails on one floorboard, with the label inbetween, and a colour difference in the label if one set doesn't have/need that size. For example most of my sets don't have a 9mm and I don't miss it anyway. Maybe that would be red instead of black.

For now though I am getting by with a combination of HF and Westling trays. I know there's room for improvement on mine but for me to really do what I want I will have to do fully custom, similar but not exactly what you have done.

I also like the horizontal layout of the HF/Hansen/etc ones and my stealing of your ideal will likely involve routing t/g to stick up the markers instead of flat.

Thanks!

For consistency, I placed my largest socket on a rail (36mm) and measured from the edge of the board to the center of the socket. That's where I placed the rail on every board. If I wasn't using hardwood flooring I would cut each board to exactly the width of the socket + label to save space.

If I had multiple similar sets (ie. 3/8 6-point, 12-point, and deep) I tried to line up the sizes so once they're in the drawer all of the same sized sockets lined up from side to side. This method would allow just one label for up to 3 rows of sockets. If I didn't have a socket, I left the clip off the rail in that spot and the size on the label. I still don't like seeing gaps, but if the clip isn't there I know I'm not missing the socket.

I've been playing around with other ideas to make this more compact. I don't need the space now, but if I do in the future I've thought about a sheet of plywood for each socket type (ie. all 3/8 metric) with the rails as close together as possible and one label for that grouping of sockets as described above.

Through all of this I learned that no system is perfect and what works well for some people doesn't work at all for others.