Top Boxes: what's in your top tray?

[Bessy]

I was thinking about this today while walking through the shop, but for those of us with top chests (on the bench or otherwise) what's your very top tray/area look like?

We have four (three 26" boxes, and a 20-22"ish carry box that was used as a top on a 26" cab) throughout the shop right now, and it's funny to see that my old one that I swapped for Dad's powr-kraft is already cluttered up top after about two weeks:

My other 26" craftsman has various canned fluids, a few pieces of hardware for a project and screwdrivers mounted on the side,

And the newly swapped powr-kraft, I have yet to really figure out what I'm going to do to make it work best for me.

So with that, I understand that for some it's a place for sockets, others for frequently grabbed tools, some keep it organized, others a mess.
Let's see what you've got!

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[bert1913]

this is top of my box

 

[Coopduc]

Mine looks much like your first picture. Mainly disorganized junk

 

[Farmall 1066]

My shop impact sockets, duct tape roll, mechanics gloves, welding sleeves, wasted Carhartt pullover. K-frame S&W.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Bert, I like your socket assortment.

 

[ambenz]

My top General cabinet is too tall to put anything small in as it just gets lost in the top of the box.
So I keep my Multi meter, cordless drill, cased torque wrench...stuff like that.

 

[FigureItOut]

Mine's a top and bottom HF 44", and I'm not tall, so sockets and stuff are not an option. I've got mostly safety stuff in the top, hearing protection, dust masks, gloves etc. The top stays open, so where the lid is a vertical surface I have hanging various respirators and full face shields.

 

[becker_atc]

My shop impact sockets, duct tape roll, mechanics gloves, welding sleeves, wasted Carhartt pullover. K-frame S&W.

K frame or my suppressed 22 pistol I'm in town kinda and been having an armadillo problem...don't wish to wake and explain to the neighbors lol
Otherwise a couple of random tools or parts that don't really have a home

 

[vettex2]

Sockets, They are what I use most

 

[winlinmac]

Very meticulous

this is top of my box

 

[bcradio]

Nothing up there except my 40 inch breaker bar. I use it as workspace when I have projects going

 

[slip knot]

half a dozen tape measures, several note pads, some fencing pliers a bunch of keys to equipment and a .38SW airweight.

 

[pescados666]

I've since moved the goggles and safety glasses so now it's just the secateurs and the plastic boxes for the flaring kit, tap and die set and blind rivet kit. I grabbed some of those plastic portionette cups from work to use for small part storage during disassembly. Also have a metric snap-on drill gauge and a general tools drill gauge, straight edge, magnetic pickup tool, streamlight reach, and a conversion chart held up by some neat magnets. My harbor freight magnetic parts trays go on the back of the lid.

 

[drink]

I put my 3/4" drive tools up there with some other stuff.

 

[Bessy]

My top General cabinet is too tall to put anything small in as it just gets lost in the top of the box.
So I keep my Multi meter, cordless drill, cased torque wrench...stuff like that.

Torque Wrenches... that's a good idea! I have been shuffling those from drawer to drawer trying to find a good spot for them!

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

That top tray can collect a bunch of **** but mostly I just keep 1/2" sockets and drive tools up there. Several tape measures and a few other items as well. Sometimes I need to stand on a stool to see it all. Ed.

 

[geartow]

long tools that dont fot in drawers sledge hammer

 

[Billy Jack]

Mine has the things I reach for most often, 3/8 ratchets, sockets & extensions.

Left half is metrics, right half standards.

Bill

 

[camd64]

Mine at home. Most of my sockets, ratchets, etc. are all up top and laid out in order of most to least used.

 

[Cope]

I have my 1/2" sockets and handles in the top of my home box.

 

[vettex2]

You can tell who actually works on things here in this thread

 

[crewchief888]

most of my 3/8" and 1/2" drive sockets in my service truck.

have a few others stashed elsewhere in the truck

in the garage it's mostly **** that fills the tops of the boxes.

 

[gdocktor3]

I have 3 top trays in my garage. The one with notebook is over my head and I'm 6'1".

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[speed bump]

Paint guns, loose sockets, and anything else that gets thrown up there.

 

[SweetD]

Nothing too special, but I know where everything is...





Dave

 

[Advan]

Now I'm sure "they" intended for the space to be for your most-used tools, but for me it seems to be a junk space save for a couple of popular items. I swear the rest of my space is better organized!

 

[Bessy]

Advan,

I hear ya there! I try to keep the rest of my box(es) relatively organized (within reason), but the tops are so easily accessible that tossing stuff up there seems to be the thing to do.

Before I made the switch with Dad, I had a ton of junk in the top of that craftsman I gave him. Trying not to do the same to the Ward's box this time around.

Keep 'em coming folks!

 

[Rick B.]

Simply sockets and such.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Machinist box on my bench - aerosol sprays, hammer, screwdrivers, lockpicks and tools, box of key rings, some paperwork etc.


Craftsman 26" top box - more aerosol sprays, oil/grease, glue/epoxy, tape, drill bits and taps, Snap-on 12 piece mini hook/pick set etc.

 

[Johnny chaos]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=659&pictureid=5677

 

[Sine Swept]

Jeff Moss - Is that a Proto nut driver in the first picture?

 

[Rickster]

Got rid of my top box, tired of the clutter and wasted space. Replaced it with a mid box.

 

[crackit]

I used to fill mine with junk, kept it open too, but now I store breaker bars and pry bars there. (And I keep it closed.)

 

[bobcatdan]

Sockets as God intended.

 

[bobcatdan]

most of my 3/8" and 1/2" drive sockets in my service truck.

have a few others stashed elsewhere in the truck

in the garage it's mostly **** that fills the tops of the boxes.

I was just the opposite when I was in service truck. 1/4" and 3/8" in the top with 1/2" sets in their cases in the side compartment. Outside of wheels and Bob tach pivot pin bolts, hardly used 1/2" on the road.

 

[Cope]

Sockets as God intended.

Amen to that!

 

[unslow1]

I had never thought about it but I have no consistency at all. Between home, trailer and shop I have seven top boxes. Trailer has electrical wiring stuff. One has T allens, measuring tapes, gloves,two kings of paper towels and manuals. One has nothing but all types of lights. One is Lisle funnel kit and sockets. One all kinds of pickup tools and magnetic bowls. The other two have sockets, razor knives and markers, pens and pencils.

My stuff is pretty overloaded right now. I'm still trying to condense from getting rid of three garages. Everything went from being spread out to lots of boxes to go through.

 

[Brad54]

I've got two boxes:
In the top of one is all my 1/2-inch drive sockets, drive tools and extensions.

The top of the other is all my 3/8 and 1/4-drive stuff.

-Brad

 

[faiee]

Mine at home. Most of my sockets, ratchets, etc. are all up top and laid out in order of most to least used.

Hi, that makita drill, is it one of those specifically made for driving in screws? I see a few of them on the makita website but there is nothing on there that differentiates the few that are similar. Thanks.

 

[jshillin]

The tray in my top box is 6 foot high, so it doesn't have things I used daily. Tape measure, holesaw bits, paddle bits, miscellaneous items.