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A messy toolbox can add frustration to that already irritating DIY project - it's a story we know all too well. You really need that 1/2" crescent wrench but can't find it anywhere, so you reluctantly buy a new one to finish the project, only to come home and find the old one sitting right in the toolbox!
We think that magnets can help! Follow along as we show a few ways of using magnets to organize your tools.
A quick, simple solution would be to just stick some magnets to your toolbox, assuming it's made out of steel. A common area of disorganization is the wrench drawer. Let's use some magnets to clean it up.
After removing the 1/8" thick drawer liner, we added a row of DX01 and BY081 for the wrenches to stick to. We found that through the 1/8" thick liner, these magnets had a pull that felt just right. The wrenches were held securely, but weren't too hard to remove.
The magnets hold the wrenches securely.If you have a thinner liner, or no liner at all, these magnets might feel a bit strong. Instead, you could try something like the DX001 or BX0801.
Next we wanted a way of organizing our tools on a wall. We glued some BZX082 to a piece of plywood, and also added some RC22CS-N, RX033CS-N and a RMB-B-X8. The strip of BZX082 work well for wrenches and screwdrivers, while the RC22CS-N worked well for pliers.
For heavier items, like a hammer or large adjustable wrench, the RX033CS-N worked well. Our Rectangular Mounting Magnets could also be a good option for tools like this.
BZX082, RC22CS-N, RX033CS-N and RMB-B-X8
For a really heavy tool, like a steel mallet, we needed the RMB-B-X8. The rubber coating adds friction, which helps prevent the tool from sliding off. Consider our Rubber Mounting Magnets when mounting heavy tools on a wall. We also used 4 RMB-B-Y0 to hold this organizer to a painted steel door.
Check out this video we made several years ago for another wall-mount design:
Circling back to organizing our toolbox drawers, we wanted to make something that would hold tools in a neat, unique way. We'll focus on the wrench drawer again.
Looking at various tool holder products online, we picked a design that would allow the wrench size to be easier to see. We were able to make 30 of these organizers using a 10" long 2x4. The pictures below show the basic steps for how we made these holders, though there are probably many different ways to make a similar thing.
We found that a DC2 or DC2E adhered to the bottom of the holder held it firmly in place through the 1/8" thick drawer liner. We stuck the DC2E to the wood using our ADC adhesive dots, but you could also glue the magnets with epoxy. For most wrenches a D61AD-P was sufficient in holding it up, but for some larger sizes, a D81AD-P or D8H1 might be needed.
If you have a thinner drawer liner, you could probably use the DC1AD-P or DC1 on the bottom of the holder.
If these tool holders were going to be used for smaller tools, like drill bits, hex keys or screwdrivers, you might not need something as strong as what we used for the wrenches. We offer a huge variety of magnets, so there is a nearly endless set of combinations that could be used.
Back to the story, you really need that 1/2" crescent wrench, so you open your magnetically organized toolbox and there it is! Project complete! Time to sit back and email us a picture of how you use magnets to organize your tools.
We'd love to see your project and share them here in this article.
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