How I’m using my 3D printer to better organize my tools

My primary toolbox was a mess, to the point that I was constantly browsing Facebook Marketplace and looking through Harbor Freight coupons while thinking of moving to a bigger box.

But the reality was my box wasn’t too small; it was just too messy. Wrenches tossed in drawers, sockets rolling loose or on mismatched racks. It all just needed a …

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So, while pulling my 3/4 sockets this weekend to torque the Mustang’s lugs, I was thinking, Hey, JG....

I really need to replace the blown molded case my sockets came in. Its was great until I got a tool cart and now that's near at hand and the case only fits 90 degrees off what I want and isn't super efficient space wise. Getting a part that is 100% exactly what you want is amazing.

It was a busy little nubber this weekend. I also threw my own (metaphoric) wrench in the works when a like-new tool cart (the Harbor Freight one that was the next size up from my existing one) showed up on Marketplace this weekend five minutes away from me for a killer price. I couldn't resist, and that's turned my reorganization into a transfer and reorganization. And ultimately I think that's going to be a huge upgrade because the big thing this box needed was a downsizing. 

So now I'm moving stuff over to the new box as fast as I can print organizers to hold it. Anything that doen't make the transfer (and there will be plenty, since a lot of stuff was getting jammed in that black box that didn't earn the right to be there) gets moved to one of the big boxes for deeper storage, or goes in the yard sale pile.

In reply to theruleslawyer :

The plastic holders that came with my nut driver sets are falling apart, so I feel your pain. 

So JG, how much do I need to pay you to print me some of these? 

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

Hold up, sketchup 2025 can export STL's?  I haven't touched skethup in 10 years, when did that happen?

Rufledt said:

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

Hold up, sketchup 2025 can export STL's?  I haven't touched skethup in 10 years, when did that happen?

Yep. No sweat. I think even the free version can do them.

I'm not going to get into the SketchUp vs Fusion debate because both have their strengths. I mostly went with SketchUp because I have some prior experience and because it works a lot like the Adobe stuff I'm used to. That alone was worth the $279 (with a coupon) for the first year of SketchUp Pro. It really flattened my comfort curve and allowed me to design functional parts from the first time I opened the program. 

The challenge with T-handles is for efficient storage they need to be vertical. Here's a combo inch/metric holder with a slide tray for the loose L-wrenches or combo sets. 

In reply to carlc :

I've never seen a storage for T-handles that is so compact and clean. Did you design it yourself or did you find a print pattern? 

I designed it, which has advantages and disadvantages. It will only fit this wrench set correctly.

In reply to carlc :

The cart may be leading the horse on that set then. Where's a purchase link and print file for the storage??

Still a few custom holders to design but happy with what I've got. 

I'm really digging everyone's storage solutions.

(I'm totally taking notes for future reference.)

carlc said:

The challenge with T-handles is for efficient storage they need to be vertical. Here's a combo inch/metric holder with a slide tray for the loose L-wrenches or combo sets. 

Yeah I'm digging this a lot. I kind of wanted to do something vertical to minimize footprint, but the darn things are so tall that by the time you stabilize them you need a big footprint anyway. This seems really efficient to nest them like that.

In reply to Abt12 :

Dang, nice job. Very nice job. 

Dang, there is some good stuff in here. I was cleaning up my workbench last night and thinking how nice some more organization for my toolbox would be. Time to fire up the 3d printer and get to printing some stuff. 

In reply to Abt12 :

Wera and Knipex. A man of taste! But also HF, so a man of the people.

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

JG, I really like the wrench organizer you show. Is that your design or did it come from one of the sites? The staggered layout would fit my box perfectly.

Any suggestions on how to obtain the STL file

Paul Proefrock

brandonsmash said:

In reply to Abt12 :

Wera and Knipex. A man of taste! But also HF, so a man of the people.

 

I'm all about getting the best tool for my use. I'm a home gamer so I don't need the best, but if I wear out a tool or it's going to see heavy use I go up the scale.

Except for safety stuff... No harbor freight there. 

PaulProe said:

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

JG, I really like the wrench organizer you show. Is that your design or did it come from one of the sites? The staggered layout would fit my box perfectly.

Any suggestions on how to obtain the STL file

 

Paul Proefrock

These?

Yeah that's something i did in SketchUp. My wrenches have some various brands mixed in since I broke/lost stuff over the years and replaced them piecemiel, so I needed something with some length flexxibility.

Shoot me an email and I can send you the .stl or .skp

The issue is what happens when "just one more" tool is added, or a tool is replaced by one with a different form factor. It can affect not only the set holder it's supposed to go in, but also those all around it, which can cascade into affecting many holders. Yes, the answer is always, "well just modify or make another holder." Meanwhile, real projects aren't getting done, and it seems a little like rearranging a sock drawer to get it "just right", which seems borderline OCD, but that's just me. FWIW, the YTer Clough42 has very nice drawer organizers but, same thing, he doesn't discuss what happens when just one more tool is added. Oh, and yes, I am available to rain on parades all this week.

kb58 said:

The issue is what happens when "just one more" tool is added, or a tool is replaced by one with a different form factor. It can affect not only the set holder it's supposed to go in, but also those all around it, which can cascade into affecting many holders. Yes, the answer is always, "well just modify or make another holder." Meanwhile, real projects aren't getting done, and it seems a little like rearranging a sock drawer to get it "just right", which seems borderline OCD, but that's just me. FWIW, the YTer Clough42 has very nice drawer organizers but, same thing, he doesn't discuss what happens when just one more tool is added. Oh, and yes, I am available to rain on parades all this week.

Yeah the whole process is a recipe for analysis paralysis. I'm trying my best to stay away from die cut solutions and stick with generic racks that can hold stuff of various sizes. Most of what I've been printing the last couple days have just been rectangular bins and I think that will make up a good chunk of the storage in my box.

You can do the gridfinity stuff so it's easy to mix, match, and rearrange. 

Yeah, share the files or it didn't happen