EZ-Magnetic Chuck Key Holder

[Paul Jones]

Marv,

I like your coloring suggestion. I also recommend spending some time each month in your shop just "visiting" with your tools. I do this by opening each toolbox drawer and cabinet as a way to remember what I own, labeling all the wooden boxes on the shelves both on the side and top for its contents, and consistently putting the tools back in the same location after use. It is very frustrating wasting time looking for a tool you know you have but can't find it. The same is true about not using the right tool for the job because you forgot you already owned the tool.

Regards,

Paul

[mklotz]

Absolutely! If you have a too small shop (raise your hand if you think your shop is too big), tools and things get put where there is space, not necessarily where logic dictates they should be placed. This makes finding stuff problematic. Tool visiting is a good and fun practice. Keeping a computer file showing the location of stuff stored in "illogical" locations works too. It's easier to search a file than to search a shop although maintaining a computerized record demands a level of discipline often absent in many home machinists.

Color is useful in many ways. If one has an electronics background, labeling wrenches and stock using the resistor color code makes them stand out as well as providing a concise way of displaying size. Spots of color...

http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/h...old-eyes-27754

can make reading sizes from a drill index easier. Coloring to remind you of easily-missed differences between similar tools...

http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/c...s-bronze-54301

is another application.

[Hemi]

-I'm with Marv! My shop is too small.... I mean its manageable because its small and I mostly do semi-miniature machine work as part of my hobby, BUT That said, I have a LOT of small and or micro size tools. Including my Mill & Lathe....

Finding things within the shop as far as tools go, each bench has its own drawer, that holds tools and or small accessories that go to that benches tools, for instance, I have a electrical bench, that contains on top my Soldering station, and then the drawer holds things that go with that soldering station (different tips, extra solder, and wire strippers, etc...)

I'm a model builder so, I have a train bench where my trains are assembled. The same bench right next to the soldering bench or electrical bench, also has a drawer with it, that carries an assortment of exacto handles, LOTS of blade choices, driver quarters, gear/wheel pullers, etc.

Granted what I have failed to mention here is ALL my benches have a wall backing thats got peg board on it as well. so you can find all sorts of tools for each bench hanging too those that are commonly used. As well as the little drawer organizer racks, that have small drawers full of whats used at "that" bench. For instance my electrical bench has one, each drawer of that organizer has diodes, resisitors, light bulbs, LED's, micro electrical plugs, wire etc in it. -Commonly used items that I use on most if not all my train locomotives.

Then you have my machine bench that holds my Unimats, both the lathe & mill and one big cabinet that holds most of the accessories that either of the 2 machines... the bench top right now is a mess as I was in the process of organizing a box of stuff that needed to be emptied, BUT I can as-is still run either machine! That same bench has a drawer too, holds files, extra center drills, lathe bits, etc.....

I too however have to organize even more small tools and such (my Unimat cabinet is slated to be replaced with a larger one. as I got more to put into it and not the space to make it right so. I bought a new cabinet to make that happen that will match the existing one, just bigger!)

Plus, I'm designing yet one more bench thats one that never existed and due to having a different "fridge" in the shop now, I'm going to build a bench that will surround and go over the top of the fridge so I can better utilize the space......

[mklotz]

Magnets are wonderfully useful. Next time you need to disassemble something in the house for repairs drop a magnet in your shirt pocket. As you remove small screws, washers, nuts, etc. stick them to the outside of your shirt pocket. They won't get lost and will be satisfyingly at hand when you need to replace them in the item being repaired.

[Hemi]

Magnets are wonderfully useful. Next time you need to disassemble something in the house for repairs drop a magnet in your shirt pocket. As you remove small screws, washers, nuts, etc. stick them to the outside of your shirt pocket. They won't get lost and will be satisfyingly at hand when you need to replace them in the item being repaired.

Marv,
Thats a GREAT idea! I never thought of that but, it work GREAT when you simply need a 3rd hand to hold things....... NOT to think of what shirts I have that have a shirt pocket on them!

AND your right, it have those said screws at your fingertips!

[mklotz]

AND your right, it have those said screws at your fingertips!

People to whom I've related this hint often ask, "Why not put the screws and washers in your pocket?" While that would undoubtedly work, selecting a single distinct item from a jumble in the pocket would be frustrating. With them stuck to the outside where they're visible, selecting what's needed for the next step is done easily.

[Texf1]

I used to laugh at older men when I was a kid for having pockets on their T-shirts or polo's. Now that I am older, I realize just how handy those pockets are. I still won't use a pocket protector though. I like your ideas. I like that labeling of the drill bits especially. I will also use this idea on sockets and wrenches. Thanks for the tips.

[mklotz]

I used to laugh at older men when I was a kid for having pockets on their T-shirts or polo's. Now that I am older, I realize just how handy those pockets are. I still won't use a pocket protector though. I like your ideas. I like that labeling of the drill bits especially. I will also use this idea on sockets and wrenches. Thanks for the tips.

Most of my shop friends (all of us of early Jurassic age) use the expression, "Handier than a shirt pocket." My wife is aghast that I rate the quality of shirts by their pockets - how many, flaps, flap buttons, and when flap is closed is there a slit to accommodate a pencil clip.

I keep a pocket protector in my tool box to remind me of the good ol' days but my daughters refuse to be seen with me if I should wear it. At Halloween one of my grandsons wanted to dress up as a mad scientist. I was disappointed when he asked to borrow my pocket protector to complete the look.

A further refinement to the drill bit labeling that I made after the article was written... For the numbered drills use two colors, one to label 10, 20, 30, etc. and another to label 5, 15, 25, 35, etc.. This will speed the process of counting to the desired drill.

[tonyfoale]

I keep a pocket protector in my tool box to remind me of the good ol' days .

I'm well into my eighth decade but I can't say that I've heard of a pocket protector before. Its use is obvious from the name and I am guessing that it is a leather slip-in liner. Maybe it is a US term? Do you have a photo?

[mklotz]

I'm well into my eighth decade but I can't say that I've heard of a pocket protector before. Its use is obvious from the name and I am guessing that it is a leather slip-in liner. Maybe it is a US term? Do you have a photo?

Leather !? Be still my heart. We could only dream of such luxury.

Type "pocket protector" into Google images and you'll get plenty of pictures of the device itself and genuine nerds modeling them.

I do believe they're a Usonian invention, probably originated as give-aways at tool shows.

Back in the 70s if you had a pocket protector, black frame glasses taped with white surgical tape and a white shirt that advertised everything you'd eaten for the last four days you could repel girls from distances as great as 150 yards.