F5 Dave's tool storage dilemmas

[F5 Dave]

OK crew, the debate may rage on about tool chests vs shadow boards (or not, it's obvious).

But we're now talking about clever storage solutions for tricky items that just seem to take up way too much space.

Emery paper

Heatshrink


Thoughts?

[Tokerau boy]

I’ve been using 4 drawer filing cabinet 🗄 for might be handys and bulky items, excellent for storing power tools

[Grumph]

I’ve been using 4 drawer filing cabinet 🗄 for might be handys and bulky items, excellent for storing power tools

I found the drawers came off the guiderails too easily. Very difficult to open with a heavy lump in and it won't slide.

If you've got wall space the clip into racks plastic bins are good. Different sizes helps too.

[Tokerau boy]

Buy the cabinets with metal slides Precision is a good brand , and it doesn’t have the cheap plastic wheels

[F5 Dave]

Big garage, but not enough to put a filing cabinet in. Power tools are either hung on wall baskets or hung up on inside of wooden cubbyhole (about 16 400x500mm squares).

Maybe I just need to reorg that and find some boxes. Thing is all that stuff was in an open basket in there to start with.

Hmm maybe a divider and two baskets.

[Gremlin]

Old kitchen cabinets and units for the bulkier power tools with the deeper draws. Some even near the power points so you can leave the draw open, open the case, and plug in the battery charger for the cordless ones. Everything 2nd hand, so no one eco-system for all the tools...

Heatshrink is either in the compartment case it came in, or organisers, I have several of each of these two (bought on special of course):
https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/sca-sca-plastic-organiser-21-compartment/363032.html?cgid=SCN011511#start=1
https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/toolpro-toolpro-plastic-organiser-15-compartment/519479.html?cgid=SCN011511#start=7

[BMWST?]

Big garage, but not enough to put a filing cabinet in. Power tools are either hung on wall baskets or hung up on inside of wooden cubbyhole (about 16 400x500mm squares).

Maybe I just need to reorg that and find some boxes. Thing is all that stuff was in an open basket in there to start with.

Hmm maybe a divider and two baskets.
look n you tube for french cleats ..that will yeild a whole lot of ways to organise tools too

[F5 Dave]

Under the side of my bench I have a 60s hard edged suitcase. I jam heatshrink in there as it kinda balloons every direction as it straightens out.

Maybe should rationalise it and get rid of the ultra big stuff I've come across when workplaces were throwing it out.

In fact that whole area. A shelf of spares for bikes I no longer race, the drawer with unused cylinders and misc and the suitcase, then to the side a bucket of old calipers and master cylinders. That should be rationalised. Maybe I can make that the electrical area freeing up space on 2 of the 4 shelves currently jammed with connectors etc.

Thanks, had become a bit of a dead area in blind sight.

Cleats look interesting but I hang stuff up, so would need to consider if I need to move.

Keep ideas coming.

[F5 Dave]

My bike bench improved my life considerably. It was bought from a mate who was upgrading to a fancy hydraulic bench and made from an old church door with some galv sheet lining it. I added some beefy wood bolted right angle. Then some enormous right angle steel with straps welded. This became the front (or rear) wheel lock once the captive ratchet tie-down is secured.

Yes you need a ramp, stored under and garage door open to run it up there, but once up it does everything that a hydraulic one does. I can fit a rear wheel stand or tie the other end to rafters or base.

My main clean bench was vastly improved when someone suggested a stainless cover bent up for it by commercial kitchen construction factory. I even got a bevel riser at the front like a sink to stop bits rolling off.

[pete376403]

My main clean bench was vastly improved when someone suggested a stainless cover bent up for it by commercial kitchen construction factory. I even got a bevel riser at the front like a sink to stop bits rolling off.

I have an old stainless kitchen benchtop about two metres long with all the above attribute plus what will be a cleaning basin, waiting for the day when my shed has a suitable bench (which is waiting for the day when I have a suitable shed)

[F5 Dave]

I considered a parts washer but often people say they don't use them or smell of cleaner.

You can make a cover for 95% of the time.

[husaberg]

I used to get these when i worked at a SOE that was shutting offices .
I should have got them for myself rather than my office. It was always my intention to keep accumulating them until they shut my office. then i would get the lot.
One here is a 11 they do others a 15 i think they come in 7 and 13 as well.
You can still buy them new but the older ones are better made
AHI perecision. You can even get modern inserts for the drawers.
Pretty Sure Neil worked at AHI or one of its subsidiaries.

https://www.office2u.co.nz/store/37/80/Precision-Stationary-Cabinet-11-Drawer
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i did however score a massive steel cubby wall box we had when mail and paper work were a thing.
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pvc pipes are great for storing stuff mounted under cabinets or bench.
not just for drills
354163


Old kitchen cabinets and units for the bulkier power tools with the deeper draws. Some even near the power points so you can leave the draw open, open the case, and plug in the battery charger for the cordless ones. Everything 2nd hand, so no one eco-system for all the tools...

Heatshrink is either in the compartment case it came in, or organisers, I have several of each of these two (bought on special of course):
https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/sca-sca-plastic-organiser-21-compartment/363032.html?cgid=SCN011511#start=1
https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/toolpro-toolpro-plastic-organiser-15-compartment/519479.html?cgid=SCN011511#start=7

Mitre 10 had the 380mm version of these on sale for ages i ended up with about 10 of them they fit perfect standng up n the 40 liter fish crates the warehouse used to sell for 12 each. the 40 liter crates fromed the basis of my under bench storage with the shelfs sized to suit.
each one organiser has different stuff in it bollts nuts screw drill bits zip ties tac etc. aAl th fiddly stuff that gets lost this way i use throw in the full crate when we go racing.

[F5 Dave]

Yeah one of the first cabinets at work. We keep special tools in it.
The cubby holes I have in wood I can screw to.

But the last idea is genius.

[husaberg]

Yeah one of the first cabinets at work. We keep special tools in it.
The cubby holes I have in wood I can screw to.

But the last idea is genius.

You need to watch this video hes a bit ocd but still neat ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFYJFgOIRCM


Also Adam is crazy on storage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2jKajS7pNc&t=14s

i do f all woodwork but i just got my tanner buzzer/table saw combo i had been looking for for about 3 years.
its cast iron and will outlast my children.
my last table saw (a bunnings cheapy) has locked its blade height twice now and its less than 2 years old. probably used less then 50 times
i bought it solely to rip plysheets in half with a new top made especially to serve as a jig and top extender.

[Gremlin]

I want to build this one day...

https://www.instructables.com/Multi-Tool-Flip-Top-Table/

[HenryDorsetCase]

pvc pipes are great for storing stuff mounted under cabinets or bench.
not just for drills
354163



That is brilliant.

I have been following this thread avidly because I have been thinking of reorganising my garage/bench storage.

[F5 Dave]

I want to build this one day...

https://www.instructables.com/Multi-Tool-Flip-Top-Table/
Hmm, bit too woodworky for me.

I have to face the reality that my clean bench gets filled up with stuff. Every mimi fixit means more on the bench with micro cleans to get space back the macro clean every so often.


But the good news is I used to have a giant bin bag at the end of the bench. I've worked out I can extend the bench and block off the unusable corner then put bin under bench.



Actually I spent a bit of time classifying my brake stuff, stripped what I could and dumped a bunch. Same with scraps of old race stuff.

Heatshrink went into 2 boxes. Stupidly large stuff I can't throw away at the back.

Sandpaper sorted to sheet metal, belt, finger belt and machine fitting, then stored in 3 baskets in cubbyhole.

About 3 cubbyhole freed up. More to come.

[husaberg]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9QaFTI2F9c
Studley tool box.

one insired by it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zilaABlbhng

[F5 Dave]

You need to watch this video hes a bit ocd but still neat ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFYJFgOIRCM


Also Adam is crazy on storage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2jKajS7pNc&t=14s

i do f all woodwork but i just got my tanner buzzer/table saw combo i had been looking for for about 3 years.
its cast iron and will outlast my children.
my last table saw (a bunnings cheapy) has locked its blade height twice now and its less than 2 years old. probably used less then 50 times
i bought it solely to rip plysheets in half with a new top made especially to serve as a jig and top extender.


Slowly looking. First one is obsessed with vacuum and swinging bench grinders. He's a woodworker I see. Guess that explains it.
I have a dirty bench in the thinner end of the garage (other side from clean bench) which has vice, 2 grinders, a std grinder, then another one with wire wheel (most used) polisher (rarely used) and drill press. Welder and compressor live under bench. Turn around and it's the lathe.
Couldn't be doing all that bending over everything you wanted to tickle something up. Plus metal doesn't vacuum up like wood.


Hmm, Adam's constantly creaking camera got to me, but it does show how different hobbies require different approaches.

Do want his R2D2 though.

[husaberg]

This will make you feel better Dave.
At one stage 1-4 were 4 different manufacturers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB2leD6BGN0

[F5 Dave]

You're right, I enjoyed that, good old digger.

Sports video photography has surely come on somewhat though.

[F5 Dave]

Well I went out for first roadride in 6 months. 20 min was pretty much my limit.

So when recovered I went into the garage and made a bench extension from scrap. Pretty happy with that. Ahh silly thing is on its side, cant becarsed.
Exhausted me so rest time.

But not before I laid eyes on some muffler skins, ally with carbon like look. Too good the throw away (really)! Next installment some other day.

[husaberg]

You're right, I enjoyed that, good old digger.

Sports video photography has surely come on somewhat though.

I think it's more an indictment f the US video feed.
this one id one the aussies did the year before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XcEtf-WM74
Notice how easy they are to throw side to side.

[husaberg]

That is brilliant.

I have been following this thread avidly because I have been thinking of reorganising my garage/bench storage.

This was where i first seen them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALn9zyUp3_o
<iframe width="681" height="383" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ALn9zyUp3_o" title="Drill/Driver Hanging Station" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[F5 Dave]

Ahh OK I know what I'm going to do and it won't involve pvc pipe. It will be some wood stuck to the bottom of my new extension with some angled risers (droppers?) Screwed from the top. The hanging shelf will have cutouts for my 3 tools. Much easier and need less fancy woodwork tools.

[F5 Dave]

And with just a holesaw bit and a saw . . .

And just some angled bits of wood and 4 screws to go. Much simpler. Biker woodwork. Holesaw was a extravagance, but had it for fitting a lockset.

But lunch was beckoning so it will have to wait.

[F5 Dave]

OK finished. Of course I dropped it and broke a support off, but dowel saved the day. Then my ad lib spacers were too narrow but some shim wood saved that. Not YouTube ready and I don't care.

Looks a bit on the piss but it isn't.

[neels]

Heatshrink went into 2 boxes. Stupidly large stuff I can't throw away at the back.
I have a pile of various heatshrinks lying around and stuffed in drawers, have started tidying the garage (again) so think I'll get one of these to hang under one of the higher shelves to keep it off the floor and so I can see it.

Occurred to me the other day when looking up at some mesh cable tray, the longer bits can poke through and hang out the ends.....

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https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/under-shelf-storage-caddy/p/182702

[HenryDorsetCase]

Heatshrink saves the day - I was fettling one of the pushbikes and got the V-brakes sorted but couldnt find a cable ferrule anywhere. I hate the sticky outy cut cable ends (only because I fucking stabbed myself with one and it really fucking hurt and got infected) so I always cover them and cable tie them out of the way. Aaanyway no ferrules to be had but a bit of heatshrink and a cable tie and job's a good 'un.

[F5 Dave]

Good idea. Infection is bad.
Been out of garage for a couple of days since they cut the end of my finger off as indirect and direct result.

[Kickaha]

since they cut the end of my finger off as indirect and direct result.

Couldn't you have just done that yourself and disinfected it with a bit of Brakekleen ?

[F5 Dave]

Funnily enough I considered cutting through the nail with a dremel and cut off disc so the black dead part would eject like the other fingers. But the bone was fukd so I'm glad I didn't try. That's why surgeons are smarter than dumb fucks like me. Was tempted though.