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Your box layout

Sticky

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 28, 2008
Messages
97
So today at lunch I was talking with some dude about his new toolbox. We ended up arguing :lol_hitti over the best way to organize them. Of course we both agreed sockets and impact wrenches in top drawer of the bottom cabinet, then I said in the drawers above them, I have one drawer for Metric wrenches and one for SAE. Screwdrivers and nutdrivers go in the bottom box. He said I was crazy that screwdrivers and nutdrivers should go in the top box. Of course it was all good natured, but it led me to wonder how most folks have their boxes laid out.
 
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engnerdan

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
316
Location
Minnesota
From the top down
*Top Box*
Screwdrivers and nut drivers (sorry) /Measuring Tools
SAE Wrenches /Empty
Metric Wrenches /Electrical Tools
Junk /Electrical Meters
Air Tools /Hammers

*Bottom Box*
Sockets and extensions
Pliers /Ratchets
Specialized Tools (picks,pickups ect) /Drill Bits
More Specialized Tools /Taps
Empty /Thread Chases
House Tools /Safety Glasses
Boxed Tools /Junk


Does anybody else have their tools boxes memorized like I do? I can find my tools with eyes closed if I ever needed to, another sign I am addicted.

-Dan
 

paramudduck

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
1,758
Location
ohio
You mean to tell me not everyone can lay under a car and give the exact location of a 18mm deepwell socket to someone?
 

Pink Taco

New member
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
Messages
1
*tool box on the bench*
top to bottom
flip top - pliers and c-clamps
screw drivers
metric wrenches
SAE wrenches

side box top to bottom
flip top - hammers / measuring devices
three drawer top l-r
metric nut drivers
punches
allen wrenches / picks / mirror / magnetic grabber
ratchets and extensions
metric sockets
SAE sockets
air tools
junk

extra plastic craftsman tool box holds all electrical tools, i.e. ohm meter, wire cutters, wire strippers, zip ties, connectors, etc.
 

lauver

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
1,433
Location
Belton, TX
Here's a slightly different organizational approach, in top to bottom order.

Top Chest:

Top Bin - 1/4", 3/8," 1/2", 3/4" sockets, std & deep, metric & SAE, & assorted bit drivers

Drawer 1a (half drawer) - Punches, chisels, drifts, letter & number punches

Drawer 1b (half drawer) - Tweezers, small picks, insp. mirrors, pick up tools, small flashlights, scrapers, & assorted hose/line plugs

Drawer 2 - Bike specialty tools, tire guages, small bike parts, lubes, & fasteners

Drawer 3 - Nut drivers, Torx drivers, Hex drivers, & Clutch Head drivers

Drawer 4 - Regular screw drivers, small screw drivers, micro screw drivers

Drawer 5 - Files, files, & more files of all shapes, sizes, and cuts

Drawer 6 - Ball peens, mallets, brass hammers, & dead-blow hammers


Bottom Cabinet:

Drawer 1 - 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4" drive tools and accessories of all types, & torque wrenches

Drawer 2 - Fixed size wrenches of all types, metric and SAE (i'm running out of space here, need another drawer to separate metric and SAE wrenches)

Drawer 3 - Pliers, cutters, vice grips, & adjustable wrenches

Drawer 4 - Hack saws, metal snips, riveters, nibblers, & chassis punches

Drawer 5 - Body hammers, dollies, files, picks, sheet metal vice grips, sureforms & sanding blocks

Drawer 6 - Brake tools, battery tools, a/c tools, tune-up equipment, guages, meters, & test lamps


That's the basic hand-tool organization. All powered tools are kept separate on my equipment bench with drill press, arbor press, and two bench grinders mounted. Smaller power tools including drills, drill-drivers, grinders, sanders, soldering irons, etc, are stored on a peg board above the equipment bench.

Machinest tools are stored in a small machinest tool chest on my work bench. These include drill bits, screw extractors, taps, dies, reamers, micrometers, calipers, dial guages, depth guages, squares, angle guages, rules, feeler guages, allen wrenches, ignition wrenches, and assorted sharpening stones and rubs.

Shop equipment is organized under the two benches on shelves or on the floor. Larger shop equipment like compressor, welders, ramps, floor jacks, etc are kept in a small "L" off the main garage floor space.

Then there's the household debris like bikes, trikes, skateboards, roller skates, and hula hoops scattered randomly all over. I don't even try to organize this stuff.

That pretty much covers it, nuff said.

Sticky -- I almost forgot, you are crazy; screw drivers always go in the top box.
 
Last edited:

mrsleeve

Banned
Joined
Jan 27, 2008
Messages
2,278
Location
NW Mt
in the top just a bunch of **** and flash lights

top box
top row has 3 small drawers
L papers recipes an service log books for all the stuff I work on
C junk, extra nuts bolts wire conectors and other useful stuff.
R allen Keys small wrenches an picks an calipers

Met stuff is always in the L frac is always on the R

1st full length, screw, nut drivers an measuring tapes
2 Pliers(all including snap ring) tin snips vise grips, chanell Locks,
3 full width left side of center all 1/4 drive stuff met on the left frac in the center. On the right side of center 3/8 drive met. at center an frac on the right.
4th and last for the top box. 1/2 drive met on left an frac on the right in the front an all the 3/4 drive at the back, with all the drive tool an extensions in the center.

bottom box
all full length an mostly narrow.
1 all end wrenches with ratcheting on their respective sides but toward the center, adjustiables in the very center.
2 line wrenches, stubbies crows feet double deep offset box ends, odd balls and spare combo wrenches
3 strap wrenches, filter wrenches, tubing cutters benders an flaring tools, int. trim tools, punches chisels an other odd ball stuff
4 hammers 12 different varties of them, pry bars, clamps and some older air tools
5 torque wrenches in cases, all good air tools, some special testing equipment
6 drill bit sets tap an die sets, more dignostic stuff and custom made tools
7 is 3 deep drawers an just full of junk an spare parts.
 

Jared

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2005
Messages
911
Location
Victoria B.C
Top Chest

Sae sockets
ratchets
allen keys,soapstone flints etc and punches/chisels
drill bits
ratcheting screw driver,mini screw driver and impact screwdrivers
Measuring tools

Bottom Box
Screw drivers/nut drivers
Sae wrenches
metric wrenches
3/4drive stuff
air tools
electrical
hammers

Other top chest
Metric sockets
thread chasers feeler gauges flare nut wrenchs
Specialty tools
same as above
 
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mikeyr

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 16, 2005
Messages
1,971
Location
Santa Barbara, CA
in order of most used...
top drawer all BSF wrenches and sockets
2nd screwdrivers, pliers, things like that
3rd metric stuff
4th SAE
5th junk like VOM and timing light
6th all the other tools
 

dxdexter

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
1,923
You mean to tell me not everyone can lay under a car and give the exact location of a 18mm deepwell socket to someone?

I can tell someone the exact location of every tool in my both of my boxes which would total 39 drawers.
Its just something you get use to.

Most used tools are between 3' and 4.5' high. Power and air tools near the bottom. Just due to larger drawers.
 

Mike83

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2008
Messages
2,156
Location
Wisconsin
Every time I buy a new tool, I end up having to rearrange my toolbox to fit everything right. It really screws me up when I'm looking for a tool I don't normally use. Bottom line: I need a bigger toolbox so I have empty space to fill!
 

DavidtheDuke

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Messages
559
Every time I buy a new tool, I end up having to rearrange my toolbox to fit everything right. It really screws me up when I'm looking for a tool I don't normally use. Bottom line: I need a bigger toolbox so I have empty space to fill!

I'm adding 2 drawers to my KRSC31PC roll cart.. It'll give me one extra drawer to store special tools @ the bottom. Anyone looking for a KRSC31 4" black drawer? :)
 

Rickster

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 26, 2005
Messages
6,218
Location
SE PA
Reorganizing my main box, so far I put all my 3/8 and 1/2 drive sockets in the top of the upper box. Plan to put the 1/4 in drive in the top drawer of the upper box followed by screwdrivers and then not sure yet. Top of the bottom box are 1/2 & 3/8 drive tools then std wrenches, metric wrenches, and still deciding. The new (old Snapon) main box is wider than the rest hence its elevation to new main box, but it doesn't have a top deep drawer for sockets.
 

l_bilyk

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 11, 2005
Messages
1,773
Location
Ontario, Canada
This is how mine is

Top box
Top - gloves, shop towels, etc.
1 - electrical stuff, multimiter, test light, code reader, digital calipers, etc.
2 - brake tools and fuel line tools
3 & 4 - pliers and vice grips
5 - specialty ratchets, extensions, bit sockets, flex sockets, torx, etc.

bottom
1 - rarely used air tools such as sander, hammer, grinders, drill
2 - wrenches
3 - junk drawer of fittings, tape, nuts and bolts, wire brushes, collets, bits, adhesives, etc.
4 - hammers
5 & 6 - stuff in kit boxes like axle nut sockets, u-joint tool, electric grinder, hydraulic puller.. basically anything bulky and heavy

then i have a service cart
top - impact wrench and impact sockets, and a magnetic parts tray
drawer - all my sockets, 3 favorite ratchets
screwdrivers and prybars are in a magnetic thing clipped to the side of the cart
bottom shelf - parts that i happen to be installing
 

paramudduck

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
1,758
Location
ohio
I used to drive people crazy doing that. I could even tell them the brand name most of the time.

Which is hard since I'm not a lover of any one brand. I buy more along the lines of I need it who has it now!

As for tool box layout mine would mess everyone else up. I am fully amberdextrous so it is totally strange to most people.
 
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