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Shop Tool Box Tour

Shop
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Some pics of how I have things. The offset wrenches and adjustable wrenches are a pain in the butt. Same with the long prybar on the top cabinet. One of my skinny wrenches next to an Olfa knife for comparison. Roughly same size box, I think mines 56”x24”

There’s always random tools that never fit in with the rest of the drawer
 
Good video, saw it earlier this morning. Everybody has a different idea on how they keep tools.
 
SomeGuy said:
If you have any suggestions on better organizational techniques, I'd love to hear them!
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The best way to fill a box like that is to forget organizing and just throw the stuff in. Three tool boxes worth of stuff will all fit in one tool box that way....... No point organizing things that are not delicate. If you throw it on the floor while you use it, you can throw it in the drawer to store it too.

Mostly just kidding but with a serious side. ;)

Maybe I'll take some photos later today to demonstrate.
 
Susquatch said:
The best way to fill a box like that is to forget organizing and just throw the stuff in. Three tool boxes worth of stuff will all fit in one tool box that way....... No point organizing things that are not delicate. If you throw it on the floor while you use it, you can throw it in the drawer to store it too.

Mostly just kidding but with a serious side. ;)

Maybe I'll take some photos later today to demonstrate.
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Describes my shop to the biggest capital T imaginal .
 
I don't know if I should be in awe and worship the ground on which you walk, or hate you for your organization and neatness as well as high grade tools.

I liked a line from a BMW airhead mechanic I met on a bike trip a few years ago in Virginia. "I have at least three of everything. When I can't find what I need I shut down for a day to clean up and put everything away." He made my garage/shop look uncluttered and organized and your toolbox positively OCD by comparison.
 
SomeGuy said:
If you have any suggestions on better organizational techniques, I'd love to hear them!
Click to expand...

I suggested I'd make a few photos but after others on here, I'm in awe. About all I can say in my own defense is that I only have 4 big tool cabinets and there is no room for everything to be well organized. With that, appology, here are a few examples:

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I try to keep like things together in same tool drawer. But even that is difficult. For one thing I have several cases of larger sockets that won't even go in a regular drawer. I'm a farmer so I have some huge sockets - all the way up to 4-1/2".

Then there is 4ft Johnson Bars, 3ft pipe wrenches, wrecking bars, etc etc.

The main problem though is that I just don't have enough cabinet drawers for everything. I'd need at least 3x as many more cabinets as I have! 16 might make it. Hence what you see in the photos above.

Yes, some things like wrenches could be stacked on edge to fit more in the drawer. But the truth is that they all fit anyway. About all I do is keep the size ranges in one general place - typically small on the right and biggest on the left with medium sizes in the middle.

Of course, some drawers are actually fairly well organized.

Lastly, I don't like to throw away tools. I lose enough tools lending them out. My wife says I could give away half what I have and prolly never know the difference. I dunno about that! I also have a lot of old favorites. That's 60 years of tools in those drawers.

The best way to describe my tool storage practices is.... Organized Chaos. It works just fine with my chaotic mind.
 
PaulL said:
That kind of organization is why I keep thinking of buying a 3D printer...
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Nah, @chickenlights is all talk!

He is as disorganized as the rest of us.

What the heck is that lonely crescent wrench doing in his combination wrench drawer?

No way I buy that he only has one crescent wrench......

Just pulling your chicken leg.... Chicken lights! Lord knows I've been waiting for the opportunity to get you back!

But please don't let anyone else know that I'm as impressed with your tool drawers as they are! It's just that I have my chaotic reputation to protect you know!
 
6.5 Fan said:
While we are talking tools, why in hell is there never an 18 mm wrench in a set of combination wrenches?
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Or 11 or 9. Just plain stupid is the best answer I have.

Although a lot of my combination wrenches are on the floor beside a job I'm working on, if you look at my combination wrench drawer you will see that there are a few metric ones that are longer or shorter than appropriate. That's because I had to buy them separately. I would have happily paid a bit more for a complete set. But I just couldnt find one at a price I was willing to pay!

Edit - I guess I didn't include that photo. Prolly too embarrassed compared to @Chicken lights. But I'm sure you can picture it.
 
I'm sure one of the metric fan boys will have a good reason for the missing ones. Sae doesn't leave out the 13/16 just because it isn't used as much as 3/4. :)
 
6.5 Fan said:
I'm sure one of the metric fan boys will have a good reason for the missing ones. Sae doesn't leave out the 13/16 just because it isn't used as much as 3/4. :)
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If I go by how often I need the missing ones, even the diehard metric fans are left sitting with the mouths open.

Ya, I'm sticking with stupidity as the explanation.
 
Susquatch said:
What the heck is that lonely crescent wrench doing in his combination wrench drawer?

No way I buy that he only has one crescent wrench......
Click to expand...
You might be due for a vision check up, young man, because I can count two “crescent” wrenches, in the pics of my tool box drawers :p
 
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