Tool Storage Foam

[scarrylarry]

Hi Fellas
Any of you guy's know if there is a foam that you can get that you could place sockets,ratchets wrenches or any smaller hand tools in too and it would make an impression of them so you could store them that way?
Thanks
scarrylarry

 

[O RLY]

http://milo.com/craftsman-universal-tool-divider-system-

 

[DaleK]

You can do it with expanding foam insulation, put the tools face down on a flat surface and put some saran wrap or something overtop to protect the surfaces then you need a box overtop to form the shape you want and spray the foam in from the sides. Takes some 'sperimenting.

 

[AustinRoepke]

I haven't seen it for tools, but lower density foam should work in theory. Generally, the memory foam becomes pliable at a higher temperature, then sets when it cools. I would aim for a higher density than what's used for beds, get a 1 or 2 inch thick sheet of it and cut it up.

 

[srmofo]

I had a buddy get some foam from the fabric store. The same look and feel that kits come with. The only problem was cutting it for the tools. He tried a razor blade and it worked but looked like ****. I recently got a soldering torch with a hot knife attachment and it cut through some foam I had laying around like butter. It looked great too.

 

[Abbott]

An electric meat carving knife will cut foam.

 

[nate379]

The foam is nice but it's a TON of work and if you every get new stuff or break something and the replacement isn't the same exact thing... ARGH!

I deal with it all the time because our work boxes have to have it.

Oh, not to mention you need 2x the toolbox to fit all the tools.

I use a Dremel and Rotozip along with razor blades.

 

[foul_ball]

My tool box at work is required to have all the tools shadowed and as much as it can be a pain, it is useful to be able to lock up at the end of shift and know for sure whether or not your "buddy" returned that tool they borrowed. The process my coworkers and I use goes like this-
-cut out a piece of 1" thick polyethylene foam to fit the drawer (we use a low density type, like 3 or 4 lb per cubic foot)
-arrange the tools for that drawer so they fit into some kind of logical fashion, then draw outlines around the tools with a fine tip sharpie and start cutting away with a razor knife.

I have the foam for each drawer cut in half, so if anything needs to be rearranged, I don't have to re shadow the whole drawer.

 

[mrholeshot]

One of my guys bought that 3/4(?) inch hard foam board from lowes and did each drawer in his box. It looked good and kept things in order. For the wrench drawers and several others he just laid the foam out on the floor (after cutting it to drawer size) and pressed the wrench into the foam and it made the indentation. It was pretty cool but ate up a lot of room

 

[scarrylarry]

Thanks Heeps Fellas,all good advice.I will think on this for a bit, as I can now see some drawbacks.
scarrylarry

 

[Walterchang]

I second the electric knife, it works great. I bet a hot knife would work to but I would not want to breathe any fumes coming from the foam.

 

[spartyon8]

I used that interlocking foam flooring stuff and it worked really well. It was just a lot of cutting and the razors dulled quickly from the rubberized foam.

 

[tonydanzah]

that looks really good

 

[colt zantop]

wow...floor mat foam...never thought of that....nice job!

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

I used that interlocking foam flooring stuff and it worked really well. It was just a lot of cutting and the razors dulled quickly from the rubberized foam.

it looks nice, but it takes alot of space.....

 

[AR15Texan]

One of my guys bought that 3/4(?) inch hard foam board from lowes and did each drawer in his box. It looked good and kept things in order. For the wrench drawers and several others he just laid the foam out on the floor (after cutting it to drawer size) and pressed the wrench into the foam and it made the indentation. It was pretty cool but ate up a lot of room

Be careful with this type of foam as I used some and it reacted with the rubber handles of my hammers and both turned to goo.

 

[Vinko]

For those who are required to have the tool foam at work, why? Aviation? Insurance? Your own tools or the employer's?

 

[terabyte]

For those who are required to have the tool foam at work, why? Aviation? Insurance? Your own tools or the employer's?

*Normally* its an aviation thing to prevent Foreign object damage.
Here is an example

 

[AR15Texan]

Just picked up a 4' x 9' x 1-1/2" plank of foam from a local packaging supply company. Out the door $36.00

 

[atari]

Its is part of our 5s system at work. everything must be labeled and put in an outlined home. In drawers everything is put into foam. We use a roto-zip to cut it and it turns out nice. PTA though if somthing changes but it looks nice.

 

[xroad]

All the oil and grease on the tool will deteriorate the foam rubber after some time.

I wanted to secure my motorcycle carry tool set from rattling. I am thinking of using thin gauge Lexan. Don't know if it will work but here goes ......

Lay out the tools on a cookie sheet, lay a sheet of Lexan over the tools. Stick it in the oven till the Lexan softens and "melts" over the tools. Let cool and harden. Voila, custom tool holder. Tool and Lexan holder goes into a same size flat thin hard box of the same thickness so the tools won't pop out while the box is bouncing around the motorcycle's bags.

My concern is that the tools may be difficult to take out of their "cells". Maybe use a dremel to cut some finger tip holes next to the tools?

 

[Ghostrider]

I would wonder if the lexan would stick to the tools?

 

[alberto]

What would you do for scew drivers and pliers with handles?

 

[Shredwagon]

Hey Guys - First post - awesome forum!

I've been researching foam solutions for a Pelican 0450 I'm setting up. The best foam solution I've found so far is the same oil resistant PE type the military uses here:
http://www.unitedcase.com/case-fit-drawer-liner-foam-insert.html
It's not a bad price for the 0450, if you cut it yourself. I'm sure you can get larger sheets for chests.

For cutting foam, who knows better than all the snipers who have fancy pelican gun cases? Hot wire foam cutter. Really cool home-brew tool here:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=292695&page=2
Check out pg1 of the post also......

This is the route I plan on going when I get the 0450. Can't wait!

 

[Teken]

Hey Guys - First post - awesome forum!

I've been researching foam solutions for a Pelican 0450 I'm setting up. The best foam solution I've found so far is the same oil resistant PE type the military uses here:
http://www.unitedcase.com/case-fit-drawer-liner-foam-insert.html
It's not a bad price for the 0450, if you cut it yourself. I'm sure you can get larger sheets for chests.

For cutting foam, who knows better than all the snipers who have fancy pelican gun cases? Hot wire foam cutter. Really cool home-brew tool here:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=292695&page=2
Check out pg1 of the post also......

This is the route I plan on going when I get the 0450. Can't wait!

Outstanding . . . Welcome to the GJ forum, and many thanks for providing the link regarding the how too.

This is the way I am going to do mine . . . None of this Ghetto style kiddy stuff I have seen thus far.

Many thanks Sir . . .

 

[foul_ball]

Hey Guys - First post - awesome forum!

I've been researching foam solutions for a Pelican 0450 I'm setting up. The best foam solution I've found so far is the same oil resistant PE type the military uses here:
http://www.unitedcase.com/case-fit-drawer-liner-foam-insert.html
It's not a bad price for the 0450, if you cut it yourself. I'm sure you can get larger sheets for chests.

For cutting foam, who knows better than all the snipers who have fancy pelican gun cases? Hot wire foam cutter. Really cool home-brew tool here:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=292695&page=2
Check out pg1 of the post also......

This is the route I plan on going when I get the 0450. Can't wait!

good call on using the hot wire- that foam is super dense and dulls a razor blade FAST. I shadowed a drawer of bucking bars in my vidmar at work with that foam using a utility knife- went through a few blades...it was tedious to say the least.

 

[epiphany]

For cutting foam, who knows better than all the snipers who have fancy pelican gun cases? Hot wire foam cutter. Really cool home-brew tool here:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=292695&page=2
Check out pg1 of the post also......

My eyes can't get enough of custom made foam. Want to made some. too.

 

[AR15Texan]

Some people use a doorbell transformer and some thin music wire to make their own hot-wire cutter. The only thing with a hot-wire cutter over a knife is you must cut all the way through the foam while a knife will let you dig out foam at the depth for your tool. Now you can save the cutout piece of foam from the hot-wire cutter and then cut some of the thickness off and glue it back into the cutout space.

When I cut foam for my firearms I trace them onto some thin cardboard (similar to the back of a notepad) and then place it on the foam and cutout with an X-Acto knife. This method would be tedious with a bunch of tools but it lets you plan layouts easier than having all the tools piled up on the foam.

 

[scarrylarry]

Hey Guys - First post - awesome forum!

I've been researching foam solutions for a Pelican 0450 I'm setting up. The best foam solution I've found so far is the same oil resistant PE type the military uses here:
http://www.unitedcase.com/case-fit-drawer-liner-foam-insert.html
It's not a bad price for the 0450, if you cut it yourself. I'm sure you can get larger sheets for chests.

For cutting foam, who knows better than all the snipers who have fancy pelican gun cases? Hot wire foam cutter. Really cool home-brew tool here:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=292695&page=2
Check out pg1 of the post also......

This is the route I plan on going when I get the 0450. Can't wait!

this seems like an excellent way to go!
I have just had another idea,not sure about it totally but some fellas use that Kydex stuff to make gun holsters and the like.Wonder if you could use that stuff for this tool holder application.It would act like a blow moulded idea,but stronger.I will ask and report back here.
scarrylarry