An exercise in off the wall thinking

[Yorkshire Sam]

After many years living in our present home we have decided to move.
So some time in the near future I am going to have to pack up all my tools and equipment from my garage ‘hobby’ shop ready to be moved. Fortunately I tend to work only with hand tools and my machinery is limited to a band saw, grinder and drill press. But I have a large collection of tools, most of which are stored on wall racks of one description or another, built up over the last ten years or so and as such not easily portable. Except for a small cupboard where I store my planes, routers and the like (mainly Record tools as I am also a bit of a collector!). I also have a large bench with two vices and a small set of draws at one end to store small tools. I have also an extensive collection of bits and pieces that I am sure will come in handy some time in the future stored in odd places around the garage!

Ignoring the thought about what a pain this move is going to be, I thought that once I started packing my tools, I am not going to be able to use them for a while either before or after the move … which could be some time, so I began to think of making some sort of storage for my tools which could be used to transport them as well as leaving them available for use. Could it be possible, feasible even?

Bearing in mind that we are still looking for our new place and have included a garage on our extensive wish list, I have no idea what my future hobby shop is going to look like or how big or small it will be. So I began to formulate an idea for a new storage for my presently wall mounted tools, not only to house and transport them but to provide a unit which could be used as a working location to enable me to continue to use them both before and after the move. Perhaps a moveable storage that could be used as a ‘tool wall’ but being able to moved around the present and future location, no matter how large or small that could be….

This is what I worked out for the design brief.

It has to be a place to display the most commonly used hand tools, and to store the lesser used tools in a way they could still be to hand and easily found. It has to be portable and reasonably compact. Self contained and secured. Tools need to be fastened or secured to prevent movement or damage while being moved but still being easily accessible. Needs to be reasonably strong while still being easy and quick to make, and may have to be used for at least a couple of years as a working unit.

My thoughts are working towards a chest, with draws mounted on a trolly with shelves and a some hanging space for clamps and cramps and the like!

So watch this space.

 

[Wildman]

watching with interest.

 

[lurker]

In the meantime: modify your racks so they utilise french cleats
Then the set up in the new place will be extra quick

 

[woodpig]

I just bought some extra tool boxes for our last house move. Any unused boxes have ended up in the loft. The Stanley ones with the rubber gasket are good as they can be stored in a damp environment without the contents going rusty.

 

[Yorkshire Sam]

In the meantime: modify your racks so they utilise french cleats
Then the set up in the new place will be extra quick

main trouble is that I still don't know what space I will have available for wall hanging and I am looking for somewhere I can have and display tools until I get it all set up again... so don't want to waste time I don't have making french cleats.

 

[DTR]

A few years ago I started thinking along the same lines in anticipation of a potential house move. I ended up building a tool chest based on Chris Schwarz's designs (the smaller "travelling" version). I prefer working out of the chest anyway because nearly all my tools are stored in the one place. Having said that, I'm not a collector so my tool kit may be a bit sparser than some. The chest is on casters so I can roll it around wherever I need it.

If you want a chest design that could double as wall storage, maybe the so-called Dutch tool chest could be an option......? My woodworking storage has been solved, but I'm now thinking of building one of these for my metalworking bits......

 

[Yorkshire Sam]

The planning is now complete. I have worked out which tools will go in the tool box, how and where. It will be a mixture of draws, tills and holders and a shelf on the stand. For example some chisels will be in a holder with their handles upright, like a wall rack, some of the other lesser used chisels will be laid down in a till. The tools that I use routinely, such as various gauges, squares, mallet will also be displayed like this. I have worked out the size the box needs to be, how many tills, drawer compartments are needed. How high the stand needs to be to have the box at a working height and what equipment will go under the tool box on the shelf on the stand. All the plans have been drawn, although I have had the wood necessary for some time sat in the rafters of the garage hopefully aclimatising. So its now down to the making. On reflection, this is what I love about my hobby. I love working with wood, seeing my ideas come together and the sense of satisfaction when I try something different. Whether the tool box proves to be as useful as I hope is immaterial, it’s the pleasure I am getting from making it that counts. Like I often tell my wife any hobby cost money and once its spent its gone, having something useful at the end of it is a bonus. Have I cover the design brief? I think so but only the finished article will be the final test.

 

[Yorkshire Sam]

The tool stowage is nearly finished. There is nothing particularly unusual about the construction, so have not done any wip shots. Those here are just to show what the aim was. There are still a couple of additional individual stowages still to be fitted but you can get the idea from these.

While I still have other tools which wont be in here I think I have managed to condense the amount of space need to have my more commonly and regularly used tools to hand and easily accessible and the whole thing can be pushed into a small space when not being used or dragged to the bench and used as a floating tool wall.

While the choice of which tools to store in here and how was very personal (based on my use of tools) it could easily be quickly changed and adapted to suit as I am sure I will discover over the next few months.

 

[memzey]

Bloody hell thats good! I had envisaged some plywood lash-up and then you post a pic of that! Hats off to you mate.