Can we talk tool storage?

[Jeff in W.C.]

I recently purchased a narrow (29” wide) rolling tool chest with five drawers, but I’m trying to figure the best way to store my screwdriver's, wrenches, sockets, etc. in the drawers. Any suggestions?

[enigmaT120]

I keep my screwdrivers and pliers and stuff in one of those red plastic holders that attach to the wall. My main socket sets are also hanging from peg board right above that. My metric and avoirdupois (been wanting to use that word for a long time!) wrenches also hang from the peg board by the box end. My rolling tool box is more full of random stuff, though I keep my half inch drive ratchets and sockets in one of the drawers.

[melville]

I have a four-drawer box on top of a two drawer rolling cabinet with a big open space below the drawers:



From the top:

There's stuff in the top of the box under the hinged lid, but it's stuff I don't access all that much--witness the crap on the lid. Mostly stuff that goes with my tiny air compressor.

Drawers:

Top--metric wrenches from 6mm to 19mm. Some duplicates, like 12mm for Airhead valve adjustments or things with different length handles

Second--metric wrenches over 19mm and a limited selection of random inch wrenches. Even my GMC truck is metric these days

Third--Screwdrivers

Fourth--Allen wrenches, nutdrivers, and Y wrenches

Lower cab:

Top drawer--sockets and ratchet and other handles. Sockets are on rails, red for metric and black for inch

Second drawer--specific auto and moto tools, like feeler gauges, Airhead exhaust nut wrench, Shortmeisters, carb sync tools (VW), stuff like that

Open cabinet--big weird stuff, or stuff in boxes. Some power tools.

The red box you see in the background has my bicycle-specific stuff. Too much weirdness to describe here........

[enigmaT120]

I don't have that much bicycle specific stuff!

[melville]

I don't have that much bicycle specific stuff!

It's what came of doing it for a living in the city. I'm finally starting to put my parts inventory on EBay as after nearly 25 years away from it I don't think I'm going back.

[Jeff in W.C.]

Thanks again for everyone's help. I think I have things at a starting point which I can live with. I feel that this is something that will always continue to evolve.

Once I started organizing all my tools into the rolling chest, I realized I had more tools than I thought and if I was going to organize things in a chest--I really wanted to organize it. So, the conclusion was to purchase the five-drawer tool chest that's designed to sit on top of the rolling chest. Yeah, this might be a bit of an overkill, but I also figure this will give me additional space for those tools I know I will end up buying in the future and everything will be centralized.

My next project is to get socket organizers and move the sockets out of the plastic organizer it came with. This worked up to now, but with tool chest I want the sockets easier to get to. After seeing that some people have removed the top of the plastic tool case the set came and placed it in a drawer. I think I’m going to go that route initially.

I didn't like the cheap metal socket rails, since I couldn't read the size of the socket. I found socket rails where each socket can be rotated. I can now rotate each socket so I can read its size easily. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZMJNT6S?ps ... ct_details The ends also removable, so you can make a rail of mixed type (1/4, 3/8, etc.). I now have a rail for all of my torx sockets which are comprised of 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 sockets. I'm currently using my rolls for my open-end wrenches rather than get different organizers for them.

If you'd like to see pictures, you can see them here (go to post 18).
https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.ph ... rage/page2

[SuperDave]

Two thoughts…
There are the less common tools hiding in drawers that can be placed on a cart…

IMG_2016.jpeg (1.43 MiB) Viewed 963 times

IMG_2018.jpeg (1.41 MiB) Viewed 963 times

…and the common ones hanging behind the work bench for quick and easy grab.

IMG_2019.jpeg (1.09 MiB) Viewed 963 times

Note: The Magic Eight Ball (Technical Support) is probably the most valuable tool up there.