[GreenKeys] TTY Tool Storage (Slightly OT, but pertinent)

[Randy and Sherry Guttery]

  On 9/22/2010 12:08 PM, Dave Hunter wrote:
> Just a suggestion. When I was young, it was drummed into me
> that if you take care of your tools, that they will take
> care of you when you need them. Another thing that helps
> with tools made of iron or steel is to wipe them with light
> oil once a year. We take great care of our teletypes - why
> not do the same for our tools!
We have nine different storage "chests / tool boxes / totes" 
for storing "tools" depending on use/specialty, etc.  - but 
I won't bore with the "other" stuff (automotive; 
handi-craft/leather tooling/painting/sewing/etc.; music 
(piano, hammond organ, pipe organ, etc.); Alarm and 
Telephone systems, etc.). Of interest here is what we wound 
up doing with the "precision" electronics / 
electo-mechanical tools, etc.  Over the years - we came to 
identify three issues with this particular tool "set"...  
not only how to store them - but making them "handy" for 
use: storage itself is pretty obvious; "handy for use" is 
really two issues - "at hand" or easy to reach - and getting 
them where they are needed.

I think most people agree - one of the larger chest type 
boxes with several drawers is a good solution as far as 
storage goes - each tool "type" can occupy a drawer - making 
finding the right tool easier. In our case - we decided our 
drawers would be: 1) Measuring devices - tapes, rulers, 
calipers, feeler gauges, etc.  2) marking & writing. 3) 
fragile small tools 4) drivers. 5) wrenches 6) Dremel & 
accessories 7) Soldering / wire / wire ties, etc. 8 "sets" 
(drill indexes, taps dies, etc.); 8) larger tools - (vague - 
not well thought out).

basically an 8 drawer unit. Looking at the "stuff" for each 
drawer - obviously some drawers would be much fuller than 
others.. drivers (screw drivers: slot, phillips, prince 
reed, torx, jewelers; nut drivers;  1/4" socket drive "kit"; 
allen, etc.); wrenches (pliers, dikes, needle nose, 
strippers, crimpers, open and box wrenches, etc) would each 
consume a large drawer easily - as would the Dremel and it's 
"stuff" (actually - we have two - but Sherry keeps the 
"other" in her large two-cabinet roll-around tool chest). 
Most of the other stuff wasn't well thought out - but we 
figured that smaller drawers would accommodate them - and we 
could "distribute" things as needed. So we settled on a 
seven or eight drawer model- with 3 or 4 "small" drawers - 
but at least four full-sized ones.

Looking on the internet - Sears was having a sale - and one 
of the things on sale was one of their larger medium sized 
chest and roll around cabinet to put it on. We went down and 
looked at it - the chest was OK - but we really didn't want  
nor need the cabinet.  While looking, though - we spotted 
another Chest - which was an un-advertised special:  it was 
one of their larger "medium sized' chests - four large 
drawers with three smaller drawers across the top row - 
seven in all. Plus it was a "quiet glide" which I much 
prefer to ball bearing, etc.  At $99 for a $199 chest - I 
couldn't get my wallet out fast enough.

But that left the other two issues still to be solved:  
Handy - and getting it there. Something that has always 
bothered me about using tools from a large chest like that 
is that with it on top of it's usual cabinet (which has the 
wheels to make it portable) it's too high to see / reach the 
tools in the drawers while seated at the bench / table. You 
get up, set down. UP down. UP down. Always to get a tool, 
too much trouble to put them back. So pretty soon you're 
tired to UP down, and the bench is more tools than project. 
Setting the chest on the floor solved the "handy" issue 
(sort of - now it's almost the opposite problem - esp. for 
the bottom drawers) - but now it's a royal PITA to get where 
it's needed (we have three work areas in here - not counting 
the garage - besides - it has it's own 5ft high 3ft wide 
tool chest at some 1800 pounds!).

So we set out to solve those issues. At first - the 
"obvious" solution was to put casters under the thing.  That 
proved to be not so easy.  First - good quality heavy duty 
casters are not inexpensive (!!!); and second - attaching 
them to that chest - the way it's made - not ineterferring 
with the bottom drawer, etc. is also not "easy".  While 
looking around Lowes (and I'm sure other similar stores will 
have something similar) - we came across a furniture dolly.  
The right size - plenty of "capacity", no issues with 
modifying the chest; and it can be used as intended any time 
by just setting the chest aside. And at around $25 - hard to 
buy just casters for that! Perfect!

The result is a tool box that holds all of our electronic / 
electro-mechanical tools; easy to use while seated at the 
bench or table, easily rolls about the house to where needed 
(even over the carpet with ease). It's just tall enough to 
make reaching the tools quite easy - even the bottom drawer 
while standing; yet short enough to slide under a table. 
Move it next to you while working - then it glides into a 
corner out of the way when not needed.  It was very "handy" 
recently when we were moving a bunch of pipe organ "stuff" 
from a friend's garage into his workshop.

A picture of it in use (working on a model 28, as a matter 
of fact (and on topic <grin!>) is here: 10th picture down 
the page (just scroll down - you'll see it): 
http://comcents.com/tty/tty5.html

We did use the "sticky" liner material. It's cushy, so 
"tossing" a tool into a drawer doesn't damage anything; and 
the small fragile tools "stay put" when it's rolled from 
place to place - even over carpet.

just our "solution" to the tool storage - and usage - 
problem...
best regards...

-- 
randy guttery

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