Host Kevin O’Connor and general contractor Tom Silva enlist the help of carpenter Zack Dettmore to better organize a tool storage cabinet.
Take Willpower Out of the Equation
Zack’s biggest tip with toolbox organization is to take willpower out of the equation. He says humans tend to be lazy by nature, so making sure the large, bulky items have a place to go that’s easy to access and put back is key. Also, keeping essential tools in a convenient place ensures that access isn’t an issue. He suggests placing these items at waist height where they’re easy to grab.
Put the Solution Where the Problem Is
One of Zack’s favorite tips is to put the solution where the problem is. For instance, if you always need a pencil by the miter saw, ensure there are enough pencils in a convenient holder by the saw so you’re not spending time looking for one. If you change saw blades often, keep saw blades nearby as well.
Keep Like Tools Together
Like keeping saw blades by the saw, keep other like tools together. Make sure to keep hand tools together, drill bits and drivers together, wrenches and sockets together, and other similar categories. Give each item their own drawers if possible, and establish one drawer as a junk drawer for miscellaneous items.
Create Foam Organizers
Foam organizers allow users to keep their most commonly used tools ultra-organized and help keep items from going missing. To do so:
- Cut a piece of layered foam to the size of the drawer.
- Lay the tools out on the foam sheet in a layout that makes the most of the space and makes sense.
- Trace around the tools with a marker and cut the top layers of form with a utility knife.
- Remove the layers and cut holes for fingers to grab the tools.
- Insert the foam into the drawer and place the tools in their spaces.
Organize Bits and Smaller Items
Smaller driver bits and items can be hard to organize. But a modular system made from u-channel aluminum track and magnetic tape makes it easy.
- Start by assessing all the bits and smaller items that need organizing.
- Use the miter saw to cut small pieces of aluminum to the same size to create dividers.
- Use the miter saw to cut a piece of aluminum to stretch from side to side on the drawer.
- Place the long piece of aluminum into the drawer. Fill in the gaps with the smaller pieces of aluminum.
- Place the smaller bits and pieces in the compartments made by the individual aluminum. Any additional pieces can be placed into the channels.
Resources
To create custom drawer foam inserts, start by laying out tools on the foam board. Once you’ve arranged the tools, neatly trace around them to create a form guide. Follow the tool outlines with a utility knife and scoop out the foam innards until the tool fits snug in the opening.
Use aluminum u-channels and custom cut them to the perfect dimension to divide different drill bits.
To create a U-channel drawer storage
- Use the miter saw with a metal cutting blade installed, measure, mark and cut the u-channel to each desired dimension.
- Smooth the cut edges of the u-channel with a metal file.
- Apply the magnetic tape to the back of the u-channel. The tape is peel-and-stick, so there’s nothing particularly difficult about this step to keep in mind.
- Place the u-channels in the drawer in the desired orientations.
- Place the drill bits in each compartment.