Keeping Track on and Off Job

Here are some tips to help you keep track of your tools, making it easier to carry them to the job and store them in your workshop.

Keep tools organized the tried-and-true way. Mount a sheet of perforated hardboard on a frame of 1-by-2s and screw it to your workshop wall. Then position your tools and put hooks or pegs of the appropriate sizes in place. Paint an outline of each tool on the hardboard to remind you and others where to replace it.

To make a handy rack for screwdrivers, drill a series of three-eighths-inch holes through a 1-by-3. Mount the rack on the wall with angle brackets.

Need a storage receptacle for sharp or pointed tools? Cut a block of plastic styrene foam from the packing material in an appliance carton. Just shove the tools into the block.

Glue lengths of half-round molding to the bottom of the drawer to make divisions to store files and chisels.

Before lending a tool, write your name on a stick-on label and affix it to the handle. Or paint your initials or engrave your name on it. This will remind the borrower to return the tool when the job is done.

If you’re working with a partner on a job and are using similar tools, code them with colored tape so there’ll be no mix-ups at the end of the day. Using reflective tape is an added advantage: A mislaid tool is easier to spot by day and, with a flashlight, at night.

To keep curious small children out of your toolbox, and to avoid carrying another key, secure the lock clasp with a spring-steel key ring rather than a lock. Little hands aren’t strong enough to remove the key ring.

Use magnets to hold your favorite flat tools, such as wrenches and pliers, against the inside lid of your toolbox. Buy magnets of various sizes and of sufficient strength to hold the tools. Hot-glue the magnets to the inside lid.

Line the bottom of your toolbox with felt or scrap carpeting. The padding will protect the tools and reduce noise when you handle them.

One way to keep air in your toolbox dry and avoid rust on your tools is to drop in some packets of silica gel, sold at hardware stores and craft shops. It’s also available free in the packing of many new products. Once the silica gel becomes saturated, renew the packets by placing them near a lighted 60-watt bulb for 15 minutes.

Keep a duplicate set of your favorite and most-used hand tools in an old lunch box, in a place other than your workshop. Having the right tools close at hand may keep you from putting off needed repairs.

Use small empty cans or short lengths of 2-inch plastic pipe to transform the deep, wide pockets of a nail pouch apron into a convenient tote for tools. Remove the tops and bottoms from cans. Glue or tape the cylinders together to keep them from shifting around and slip them into the pouches to create dividers.

Turn an empty 5-gallon plastic bucket into a handy tool hauler by fitting it with a sturdy nylon boot belt specially designed to fit these buckets. The belts are available at hardware stores and home centers, and most come in either a 10-pocket wraparound model or a 14-pocket fold-over style. Even when filled, both versions leave plenty of room in the bucket for storing larger tools.