Tool Pantry

Brent Dowell

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Latest little shop organizer project. I don't use these tools everyday, so they don't need to have bench space, or floor space dedicated to them. I had the buffer (lower right) on a roll around stand and that was it. So this uses up the same amount of floor space, but gives me a roll around pantry to store them all in the same space of the single roll arounder.

I got this idea from the October 2007 Wood Magazine. I made mine a little narrower, and did not make the cart to put the tools on.

I'm still working out in my head how to use this, and I'm leaning towards a cleat that can be used to fasten it to one of the work mate tool stands...

The one thing I'm really liking is the pegboard on the sides to hold all my little hand clamps.

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That is a great idea. It would work for a lot of people I know. Unfortunately my type "A" personality wants the tool right now. If I had to get the tool out of the pantry and fasten it to a bench, one of two things would happen: I would find another way to do the job or the tool would come down out of the pantry and get clamped down and never get back to the pantry again.

After having said that, I will repeat, "That is a great idea." It would, for sure, help keep my shop neat and orderly.

Enjoy,

JimB
 
I agree. The jury is still out on this one, but I don't really have the room for all of them to be out at the same time. So we'll see how this works!
 
Looks good and the more I see peg board, the more I am intrigued in using it. I had done something similar at my old house with just using a metal shelf and my chop saw cart. I have 3 different tools mounted on 5/8" mdf cut to the same dimensions. Can swap each between that cart and store the items on the metal shelf. It did take up a bigger footprint than that though.
 
Better make that flight stop in Mi first. I know of a fuzzy bugger there that might be of some use building it.:thumb::thumb::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
One of these days! I might just do it. :thumb:

At least I'm getting to the point I can see the garage door from the far end of the shop...
 
Man, everyone is getting organized lately. I gotta get with the program :rofl:

I like it. It's way too tall for my shop but I can see cutting it in half and making 2 shorter ones. Nice job Brent :thumb:
 
Jim makes good point, i will add a few more.

Its a great idea but......

I am moving from the grinder being ignored or used occassionally to having a mobile sharpening station. Sharp tools are essential for woodworking and if effort is involved in sharpening then it gets passed over and a price is paid in the project.

Arthritis. My recent hyper activity doing all sorts of little house fixes has raised this concern. I feel for those among us that have health or physical issues causing havoc with their woodworking.
Lifting machines each time aint in my future program.

It would be great if the unit had some sort of crank and rotating platforms something like a huge chicken rotisserie or what i have seen used in parts storage or the wire storage at Home Depot.
But for me the machine has to be able to be brought to the height of the mobile work surface so it can slide into its slot and out.

Short term its a clever idea and great use of space, looking long term at woodworking when i am say 65 no ways by then its gonna do it. :)




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Brent, when I used that method I just ran a cleat along the front of the ply that the tool was mounted to. I would place the tool on the bench so that the cleat was in the vise. Tighten the vise and use the tool.
 
Brent, when I used that method I just ran a cleat along the front of the ply that the tool was mounted to. I would place the tool on the bench so that the cleat was in the vise. Tighten the vise and use the tool.

Great idea. That gives me a few options on where to put the tools. Either on my workbench, or a workmate, depending on the height I need.

Rob,
I might be making a dedicated sharpening center with the variable speed delta grinder, but haven't gotten that far in the thought process yet. I would like one little cab to hold all my stones and jigs, as well as that grinder.
 
Looks good and the more I see peg board, the more I am intrigued in using it.

Try before you commit, Darren. I had an approx 4x8 wall of pegboard at my last house and I hated it. #1 was that the clips would come loose and #2 is just that I hate how dusty the stuff out in the open gets. In my shop I am trying to move to getting as much as possible in drawers or behind doors.

Different Strokes for Different Folks, in other words! :thumb:

Brent, looks great, and it's a great way to conserve space!
 
Try before you commit, Darren. I had an approx 4x8 wall of pegboard at my last house and I hated it. #1 was that the clips would come loose and #2 is just that I hate how dusty the stuff out in the open gets. In my shop I am trying to move to getting as much as possible in drawers or behind doors.

What the pegboard brings to the table in convenience, it lacks in security. I've found in the past that once you figure out where you want the hooks to go, a litttle (or a lot) of hot glue can be a big help to keep the hooks from falling off.

I'm not 100% sure this is a permanent solution, but I needed to do something with these tools other than letting the hog up bench space.
 
One thing I learned in a small shop is that doors on cabinets may not work so good all the time...sometimes you lean plywood up in front of the cabinet & leaning the plywood forward far enough & then getting the cabinet door open wasn't possible...so you would have to shuffle things around to get the cabinet door open, a real pain. For this reason open shelves worked better. Lean the plywood forward reach in & get what you want.

"Still don't beat a 40 x 60 shop. So what ya say fly me out and well start on that next week?" Sounds great but cost prohibitive for a hobby shop + I'd end up a track star running from place to place. My shop was 13'5" x 24'5" with a shop 24'x30' with exception of the table-saw, jointer & planer all the other tools could set around the perimeter walls & the open floor space would be for assembly. Which is what I lacked in the old shop.
 
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