How to Organize a Tool Chest and Why: Guide from Expert

A storage case for your tools is undoubtedly very important for any working craftsmen. Hence, keeping them organized comes hand in hand with maintenance and effectiveness. However, keeping your tool chest clean and well prepared for work can be quite challenging. That is why today, we will help you do just that.

In this article, you will find out some of the easiest ways to organize your work chest without breaking a sweat.

Necessary Steps and Setup for Organize a Tool Chest Like a Pro

Begin the Sorting

There are a few generalized ways of putting your tools together. Starting with the most basic; keeping them in certain sizes. However, this is not the best way to get the most out of an organized toolbox. You will obviously want to avoid stacking all the tools together just by size. This can be detrimental to your toolbox.

You will most definitely want to follow some easy methods. Hence, let us look into an easy step by step process of organizing your toolbox.

Take Everything Out of the Box

You will want to begin by opening each and every drawer in your toolbox. If you don’t have any drawers, simply open the compartments and take out the tools inside.

Lay them down, preferably on your workstation in a neat and orderly manner. However, if your tools are noticeably dirty, place them on a large piece of fabric before you proceed.

Identify Each Tool

In this part of the process, a bit of professional advice would be to put your tools in groups before you place them in the chest. Like if you have machinery for heavy-duty work like drill machine, saw, screwdriver, wrench, and many others keep them aside in one group. Then accessories like drill bits, hex key, multi-use cutter, screws for different purpose and any kind of tools accessories in another group.

Having a large workspace for this process can make your task much easier. However, make sure that you are very attentive; try to avoid mismatching the tools.

Give Everything a Good Wipe

You will want to take a handkerchief and dab each tool individually before you begin sorting them. Additionally, you can also use tool wipes to make this process much easier.

These wipes can be found online and are only a click away. After you are done cleaning all the tools, you will also want to give the box a gentle wipe, as well. Make sure to take apart your tool chest and get behind every crack and crevice.

Dispose of the Broken Tools

In any case, you will most definitely end up finding faulty tools in your set when cleaning them. Make sure to dispose of them in an eco-friendly manner before you continue to organize your toolset. However, make sure to be very careful when disposing of items like nails and masonry items.

Place a Set of the Same Tool Together

Undoubtedly, you will want to keep all sizes of one tool in one compartment to make it easier for you. For example, you will want a compartment for each screwdriver and wrench as well. If possible, find a way to organize each size accordingly. You can also use accessories to aid you in this process.

Have a Compartment for Smaller Items

This is obviously a no-brainer. Regardless, you will want to find a way to keep your washers, nails, and screws in one designated area. They can be easily misplaced and hence need to be sorted carefully.

Label Everything

This will not only make your life easier but also make your work environment more efficient.

You can use pieces of paper and tape them to the compartment lids and label them. This will not only make sure you have everything in place but also help anyone looking for one specific tool quickly.

Sort Each Drawer Individually

The importance of understanding which drawer the tools should reside in is absolutely critical. For those looking to organize larger sets of tool chests, you will want to differentiate each tool for each drawer.

You should place your heaviest sets of tools on the upper drawers to help you reach them with ease. Whereas, you will want to place the lighter tools at the bottom.

Accessories You May Need

There are a few sets of items that will greatly help your organizing experience. Most of which you will find in the market with relative ease. However, you will also want to understand which will be perfect for your toolset.

Foam

The use of accessories can greatly help boost your sorting process. For example, cutting foam adequately to the size of your toolbox and placing them as padding for your tools. For this, you will want to buy a few sets of average foam. Cut them according to your toolbox and tools, and fit them snugly into the storage case.

Differentiate each compartment accordingly. This will boost your effectiveness of work and enhance your productivity as well. You will want to keep the heavier tools on top with larger padding of foam. Additionally, you will also want to make a detailed layout plan beforehand to make this process easier.

Pegs

The use of this accessory, in particular, is a lifesaver for most situations. Simply place these pegs inside and hang your tools inside the box to keep them in place. There are also many different sorts of pegs in different sizes for your added benefit.

However, this can also be somewhat ineffective if the pegs aren’t placed properly, which can cause you to have a wonky toolbox. You will need to make sure that the pegs placed inside are drilled, or manually set properly to your needs.

 

Stack Ons

These plastic add-ons for your toolbox or drawer can be a great lifesaver. The products give you the ability to make more compartments within your drawer. Which can be great for sorting out larger tool kits.

They can also be great for carrying nuts if your work requires you to do so. Having smaller compartments, also have the added benefit of carrying smaller equipment with relative ease.

 

 

Conclusion

Carrying your tools around in an unorganized toolset can be quite irritating. Not to mention, it can also ruin your performance in the work environment, as well. Hopefully, our article today has helped you understand some of the basic ways to attain the perfect organized tool chest.