Mobile tool storage

[Night Train]

I am taking advantage of the Easter break to spring clean and reorganise my workshop. It has sort of evolved on an as needed basis and drawers and boxes have been added to cope with the increasing amount of stuff and tools in there (I'm sure they are breding!)
I also work on site for clients and so have a selection of assorted plastic B&Q tool boxes also crammed with tools and stuff.

I am now thinking of building/buying a new contraption to hold all my most commonly used kit.
I figured that it might be prudent to have some kind of mobile workshop tool cabinet that I could also take on site easily in the boot of my car. I have 1000mm x 800mm x 450mm space to play with.

So, while I have the proverbial envelope flipped over and pencil at the ready what tool storage solutions have you lot made/bought.

 

[Wildcard]

I'd recommend having at look at the Toolbox Book by Jim Tolpin. I borrowed a copy from my local library and it had a good chapter on mobile toolcarts and toolboxes. There were some impressive designs in there and it should give you some inspiration.

 

[Night Train]

Thanks Wildcard, I'll see if I can find a copy.

I think my problem will be deciding what I want in the box without making the box as big and as heavy as my workshop!

 

[Calpol]

Have a search about here http://books.google.co.uk/bkshp?hl=en&tab=wp for a look inside any book before you buy it... Quite handy 8) [/url]

 

[head clansman]

Hi

is your tool box meant to be Mobile as well or just in the boot :?: if it just in the boot with the size you quoted and it's full up that a lot of weight to be hauling around in your car (poor car) also will your vehicle be alarmed sound like the tool value could be quite a large amount , better check the insurance as well before you start making anything, could be better to remove all tools on site and when you get home every night , there expensive item nowadays a thief's delight , there are always eyes watching and waiting.hc

 

[Night Train]

It is meant to be mobile so I can wheel it about the workshop and also drop it in the car to take onto site where I can wheel it about in the client's house. It will also mean that I keep all my tools together and reduce the instances of having left the vital tool in the workbench drawer.

I have been using three plastic tool boxes and a couple of power tool cases and occasionally laser level and thodolite and mitre saw. The thing that worries me is that in some areas I can't always park close to the client and I then have to do several trips back and forth to the car to unload. This could leave me showing the local yobs what is still in the boot as I run back and forth.

One big trolley case that leaves the boot empty might be easier to transport in one go and will make me rationalise my tool use instead of doubling up on many of the essentials.

 

[Maverick.uk]

The thing that springs to mind for me is a mobile tool chest much like the traditional garage mechanics but with a twist.

The bottom unit houses a couple of draws and the wheels, further units sit on top of the base unit and attach via locking metal hasps. Ive seen this type of things used for travelling gigs (music). Collectively very heavy but can be split up to make each individual item portable, well demountable into the transport. When you unpack you do it at the vehicle and move on once all parts have been put back together and can be pushed.

Cheers

Mav

 

[head clansman]

Hi night train

i take your point about local yobs, but remember you have now placed all three into one , and it's you who has to lift in and out . bear in mind as you add more tools it gets even heavier. hc

 

[Night Train]

I was thinking along Mavarick's lines of interlocking two or three units. I used to Roadie so I know about the stuff used for gigs (and the weight).

I know I can use something similar from B&Q but they don't have the type of storage I want.

I'm pondering between making lots of little light drawers to put hand tools in or compartmented doors with hand tools hung up.

I want to be able to have the unit standing up in use and lying flat on its back in the car without the tools falling out of holders and bashing about.

At the moment I keep my edge tools in leather tool rolls and plane socks. Not sure if I want to store them as they are or lose the leather work for dedicated compartments.

 

[Mr Ed]

I notice the other day that all metal storage cabinets at Halfords are 40% off, which makes for some pretty cheap storage in my book;

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... =ClickInfo

Cheers, Ed

 

[Night Train]

Good link. I've always been weary of putting wood tools in metal boxes though, Ed. I'd end up getting very anal about lining all the drawers in leather. I may pop over to Halfords and have a look anyway and see if there is anything adaptable. Must defeat my prejudices.

 

[chippy1970]

What about systainers have you thought of using them. They clip together so you can wheel them around.

 

[forrestdale]

I second the idea of getting some Festool Systainers and Sortainers. These are rectangular plastic boxes, most of which have the same footprint but come in five varying heights, which stack and clip together:

The video from Tanos, the makers of Systainers, at http://www.tanos.de/cms/img/vid_player.swf should demonstrate the concept. If you can't see it, go to http://www.tanos.de/cms/front_content.p ... cat_new=10

The footprint (the external size of the base) of a standard-size Systainer is 400mm x 300mm, and there are five external heights from 105mm to 395mm. See http://www.tanos.de/cms/front_content.p ... rtlang=553 for a list of sizes.

Sortainers have the same 400mm x 300mm footprint as a standard Systainer, and the Festool ones are 210mm in external height. However, instead of having a lid, they have drawers for screws, accessories and tools. There are three sizes of drawers, and they can be bought configured with 4, 6, 9 or 12 drawers.

Because the Sortainers/Systainers are rectangular and stackable, they are extremely space-efficient when it comes to loading them in a vehicle or stored in a workshop. When moving them from A to B, you can clip a number of them together and carry them as a single unit by the robust top handle. You can easily load a stack of them onto a sack cart or a dolly, and specially-designed Festool/Tanos dollies and carts are available so that you can move a stack of them from vehicle to jobsite at one time.

For a workshop, you can buy Systainer Ports in two sizes, the largest of which can store up to 8 Systainers. These are wheeled metal-bodied cabinets which sliding shelves upon which the Systainers/Sortainers sit:

Like most Festool kit, Systainers, Sortainers and Systainer Ports are pretty expensive, but depending on your budget, they may be the perfect solution!

See www.festool.uk for their full collection, or a Festool dealer like www.axminster.co.uk or http://www.rutlands.co.uk/

Forrest

 

[p111dom]

Was just going to say the same thing as Chippy1970. I think Tom has posted a link before to a site doing them unbranded and cheaper than you can get them from Festool. You can get a wheel kit which just clips to the bottom and the whole lot can clip to the top of on of their extractors. One of the discontinued Alto extractors was visiually identical to one of the Festool ones but was a lot cheaper so I've been on the look out for one of them. The only slight down side is that if someone broke into your workshop it's all much simpler and easier to steal.

 

[p111dom]

Beaten to a post again!!! Anyway some of the Festool one's aren't too bad on price really see here.

 

[forrestdale]

Beaten to a post again!!!

Sorry about that! Same thing happened when I wrote mine - I was nearly finished when I found Chippy has posted, so I had to amend my post slightly. Just goes to show that a lot of people think a collection of Systainers might be the way to go!

Anyway some of the Festool one's aren't too bad on price really see here.

Thanks for the link - I may go to Anglia to add to my ever-growing Systainer collection!

Forrest

 

[Night Train]

Ha!
Just been out to Halfords measuring their tool chests. The nice ones are still very expensive.

I like the systainer idea. I can certainly make my own for less I think using the off cuts of board I have lying around. I will work on a 600mm x 400mm or 450mm footprint and have stackable sections. The bottom section will incorporate the two trolley wheels I have and also a handle for pulling along.

I still want to be able to access all the tools without having to unstack everything so I think it will be drawers and maybe cupboard doors for the bigger sections.

Using a given footprint will determine how I lay out each storage section.