Cheap toolbox project

Since the Civic is "finished" I've been cleaning the basement. Part of that is better tool organization / populating the bigger tool box. I've had a pretty good socket set for the past 15 years or so, but it came in one of those blow molded plastic cases and it gave up the ghost long ago. I hate all of the drawer organizers I've seen, so I decided to make my own.

Ingredients:

2' x 2' sheet of 1/4" plywood. I got a nice piece of cabinet grade stuff for $7.

1/4" x 36" dowel

3/8" x 36" dowel

1/2" x 36" dowel

Varnish

A few hours organizing, drilling, gluing, and staining later and we have this -

I like it better than store bought options and have maybe $20 in it.

organization for the anal retentive toolbox!

i leave all my sockets on rails so i can bring the set to what i'm working on.

patgizz wrote: i leave all my sockets on rails so i can bring the set to what i'm working on.

I do the same thing. A rail of metric's, a rail of SAE. A rail of 1/2" drives.....

Although your board looks really nice. Great job.

I like that Idea...I may have to steal it :)

I have something like 4,000 sockets I got at an estate sale.

I've seen the same thing in plastic. Yours is MUCH nicer. Also, I think the one I saw was about the same price.

DILYSI Dave wrote: Since the Civic is "finished" I've been cleaning the basement. Part of that is better tool organization / populating the bigger tool box. I've had a pretty good socket set for the past 15 years or so, but it came in one of those blow molded plastic cases and it gave up the ghost long ago. I hate all of the drawer organizers I've seen, so I decided to make my own. Ingredients: 2' x 2' sheet of 1/4" plywood. I got a nice piece of cabinet grade stuff for $7. 1/4" x 36" dowel 3/8" x 36" dowel 1/2" x 36" dowel Varnish A few hours organizing, drilling, gluing, and staining later and we have this - I like it better than store bought options and have maybe $20 in it.

Grtechguy wrote: I like that Idea...I may have to steal it :) I have something like 4,000 sockets I got at an estate sale.

that is a lot

pete240z wrote:

patgizz wrote: i leave all my sockets on rails so i can bring the set to what i'm working on.

I do the same thing. A rail of metric's, a rail of SAE. A rail of 1/2" drives..... Although your board looks really nice. Great job.

I've tried the rails. Don't like them. They are a lot more transportable than this, though this box pretty much lives in the workshop. I've got a traveling box with a separate small set that goes to events, junkyards, etc.

Dave, that's great. Looks incredible. (much nicer than the plastic alternatives.)

I use socket rails for now, but don't like them. I might make use of this idea if I'm finding myself unable to focus on a project at hand. Thanks for sharing!

I have a 2"x1/4"x48" magnet that I throw my sockets at ;)

SECKS. Even the color combination is hawt. Maybe one day your kids can hire my kids to frame the display in a shadowbox.

Looks great, Dave!

I leave my stuff in those plastic snap in things Craftsman uses so I can carry a selection to my project. That way I don't spend all my time wandering back and forth to the tool box.

My 'travel box' is, in short, a bloody mess. Everything just gets thrown into the bottom.

4cylndrfury wrote:

Grtechguy wrote: I like that Idea...I may have to steal it :) I have something like 4,000 sockets I got at an estate sale.

that is a lot

gets worse.....only paid $12 for the lot

When what you make for your toolbox looks better then what most people make with their tools, you know you've made it.

Cool! What are you going to do for the screw drivers and wrenches?

I likey!! Good job.

Carson wrote: Cool! What are you going to do for the screw drivers and wrenches?

Throw them in a drawer!

One of the advantages of the new box is more drawers though, so I can seperate flat head and phillips, metric and english, etc.

Dave you puss.

Build a nice matching "L" bracket that holds the drivers and locks in when the top closes.

Grtechguy wrote:

4cylndrfury wrote:

Grtechguy wrote: I like that Idea...I may have to steal it :) I have something like 4,000 sockets I got at an estate sale.

that is a lot

gets worse.....only paid $12 for the lot

Sell them to me for $60 +shipping. Not every day that you get a ROI like that.

super cool ,, we get junk car tool socket sets and have to banish them as not to contaminate our regular box. Nice idea just counted 18 3/8 socket wrenchs

I have to bump this..... presenting my newly organized drawer.

Gotta love having a retired dad looking for woodworking projects

Pretty work, not for me. I also am a rail guy.

Walking back and forth between the car and the box for a socket change drives me nuts.