share your turning storage ideas

[Jeff Cremers]

I was reading Doug Young's little space saver idea in the shop section and wanted to see if you guys would share a few pictures of your turning tool storage and other space saver ideas for wood turning.
I'm going to build a lathe cart for turning tools if I don't find a better idea before I get around to building the cart.
Thanks
Jeff

[Allen Schmid]

Jeff,
This is a great idea as I am also looking to put something together, either a small rollaround cart or something attached to the lathe. There have been examples on other threads (some great ones indeed) but it would be nice to have a number of examples for people to show off and in anyone is interested they can contact that person directly. Good thinking.
Allen

[George Clark]

My storage area.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1009813#post1009813 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1009813#post1009813)

George

[Brendan McAreavy]

I am building a tool trolley-thingy right now and should have it finished by the end of the week. It is very cold here (Ireland) so I'm having to clamp the pieces together and bring them into the house for the glue to cure so that is adding a lot of time to the process. However, I hope to be finished by the weekend so I'll post the pics and you can all have a good laugh. The only flat-work I have done is to assemble furniture packs and build shelves so don't be expecting a thing of beauty, functionality is my priority (and my excuse).

[Dewey Torres]

I am staying tuned as well... awaiting the arrival of da bomb!

[john taliaferro]

i use a plastic tool cart from mac tool collects chips,rools ,holds 150 per shelf so its tuff. and i stole it from work so the price was rite for me :D john t

[Allen Neighbors]

I made this one (in link) using an old Ambulance Gurney... Shortened it to the wheels, Lowered it, and built a 2x4 A frame on it, covered with pegboard. Works pretty well. It's been posted here before. Here's the link. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=786598&page=2 (Scroll down).
This other pic is a small rolling table that I have made to fit inside my shower curtain shavings barriers.

[Dave Halter]

I built a set of shelves with tool storage in the top. See thread link below.

Dave

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=94934

[Jeff Nicol]

Jeff, Here is a picture of what I have made for my tools, it is a mess but it is me! Here is the link to where I posted the picture.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=95886

Jeff

[Gary Kvasnicka]

I have been working on this stand with storage off and on for months, I was going to wait until finished to show, but with the lathe sitting on it I usually find a hunk of wood that needs turning and don't cut the boards for the drawer fronts and doors...and to think I used to only go out to the shop to do flatwork.
I wish I could take credit for these ideas, but they came out of the Creek. I stole ideas for many here. By the time I get the drawer full of turning tools(27 slots) I should be good and broke.:rolleyes:
I hope you find some useful ideas.

[ROY DICK]

107711
this is what i have

[Toney Robertson]

I am not an organized person so my storage is the nearest flat surface, usually my router table.

Does that qualify as a system?

Toney

[mike johnston]

Not much just a box on wheels107883

107884

[Brendan McAreavy]

Well, my tool trolley project has taken a bit longer than I planned but that is because I had to clamp everything and then bring the boards into the house to let the glue cure as it is too cold in the workshop (I prefer to work in the cold if I am doing something where I am active). I also lost time because I wasn't working from a plan so I had to do a lot of measuring and trial fitting to make sure things would work.

That brings me to another problem that arose after I glued the sides in place. The carcase wasn't square and it only came to light when I went to fit the shelves. I was completely stumped and just couldn't work out what had gone wrong. I remeasured everything and discovered some tiny discrepancies in the measurements and was annoyed that I had been careless. I decided to stop torturing myself and make the shelves which I could use to square everything up again and it was when I was measuring a shelf to check the width that I noticed a discrepancy of about 1/16" from a previous measurement I had taken a minute before. Once again I was scratching my head and then, in desperation, decided to check the two tapes I was using to see if they were measuring differently - and they were. You know the little thingy on the end of a metal tape that moves to allow inside and outside measurements? Well, one tape was allowing just less than 1/16" more movement on outside measurements than the other. It was a cheapie tape I bought years ago but my other was a new, good quality tape. So, use ONE tape for measuring.

Anyway, the last bit of glueing was done today so tomorrow the undercarriage goes on and there should be pics here tomorrow night.

[Dean Thomas]

Three ideas on storage, tools and otherwise.

Walmart sells a couple of great things for our turning stuff. They have some nifty 6" cubes that look like miniature milk crates that lock together. Great for stacking up to store the hundreds of pen blanks before they get trimmed and tubed.

They also sell a nifty bunch of clear plastic under the bed fully covered bins. Both of these are inexpensive resources.

Lastly, I bought a wire shelved rack of shelves that are about 24" square and 36" high, on wheels. The mesh is 1" square so NOTHING MUCH stays on the shelves. The wire is fine enough that not even dust has a home. :rolleyes: Additionally, if I keep things clear enough, I can use the top shelf for all of my larger tools, protecting me from the pointy sharp ends and still where I can see them. I think the set was maybe $25. Thinking about yet another one.

Other storage ideas are often stacks and stacks. I have a PHD in piled higher and deeper! One favorite, however, is a 3/4" plank of particle board that has blocks underneath and then set on a large, wheeled trash can. A lip on the rim keeps things from getting thrown away accidentally or hitting the floor. The wheels allow some scuffing rolling for modest mobility. The shelf does not COVER the trash can so that I can actually throw things away! Of course, my wife does not believe that feature has ever been used. :o piles and stacks and piles and stacks. I never did get around to joining the procrastinators club.

[Bill Jack]

This is what I use for my tools. I needed something portable as i go to a turning club and thought it best to keep all the tools in one place all the time.
Bill

[Dewey Torres]

This is what I use for my tools. I needed something portable as i go to a turning club and thought it best to keep all the tools in one place all the time.
Bill

Hey Bill,
I like your caddy. I get all of the woodworking and holder part of the construction but where / how do you get the see though tubes with the red tips? Thanks!

[Brendan McAreavy]

OK, the trolley is done. It's approx 48" x 16" x 16". It is fastened to an old television stand so I can rotate it in a small footptint. Not exactly a work of art but it's what I wanted and I'm happy.

I made a little video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRvvH0UW1hE

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I made a cheap carry/storage container with a 5 gallon bucket and a bunch of 1.25" PVC pipe and fittings. Cut the PVC pipe into short lengths, anywhere from 6 to 8 inches or so. Really doesn't matter as long as it's longer than the shaft of the tool. Each pipe gets a cap and coupler. No need to glue. The coupler is needed to keep the tops the same diameter as the bottom caps. I put a newspaper wad at the bottom to save the tool tips. I put my chisels in tip down, I don't like reaching for tools and getting cut by another tool. I taped the pipes together and dropped that into the bucket. I think this is a pretty good idea, and for me, where my shop is my garage and I have to move my lathe to use it, having the tools in the bucket is a great help. I just carry it to the lathe. If you add those commercially available bucket helpers, you'll have places to put your calipers, rulers etc too...
Some of you big tool turners may need bigger/longer tubes. Well, you guys should get the basic idea.

[Allen Schmid]

Some good ideas out there. I am intrigued by Brendan's as I have lots of plywood around, the old tv swivel is a great idea. I might just have to borrow it and run with it. Will post photos as/if I get it done!
Allen

[Brendan McAreavy]

Allen,

The TV stand works great because it is on castors and rotates within it's own footprint. I purposely didn't utilise the area between the brackets and the base of the stand because I have back problems and bending is uncomfortable but that area could easily be used for another shelf or drawer. I had to leave the plastic shelf on because the front castors are attached to it but I'll sort that out later and that will make the footprint a bit smaller.

This project took me a week because everything is glued but it could easily be built in an afternoon if you used screws and glue.

[Steve Mawson]

Mine are all on the wall so no need for a picture. I get what I need when turning and put them back when I am done. Will be moving this summer so perhaps will get a better system them.

[Tony Greenway]

Jeff,
This is what I built for my tool/accessory storage. I have memorized where each tool goes because you can't see the business end on them. Additional storage is under the lift-off lid. It sits on casters which makes it easy to move for floor clean-up. It is 12"deep by 30"long by 24"tall.......Tony

[Bill Jack]

Hey Bill,
I like your caddy. I get all of the woodworking and holder part of the construction but where / how do you get the see though tubes with the red tips? Thanks!

Hi Dewey,
I've bought a few tools from Doug Thompson and he supplies them in those tubes.
I think tubes like those are generally available however from a number of sources, dont know where in US though.
regards, Bill

[Dewey Torres]

Hi Dewey,
I've bought a few tools from Doug Thompson and he supplies them in those tubes.
I think tubes like those are generally available however from a number of sources, dont know where in US though.
regards, Bill

Ok Bill I will search for it. Thanks!

[Brian Effinger]

Ok Bill I will search for it. Thanks!
I've tried looking for these too Dewey, but have been unable to find anything. If you do locate some, please post them.

And watch out for falling bombs, I mean lathes :D

[Steven DeMars]

Yes it looks like a wet bar . . . .but the wife & I built it over a few weekends . . . .

It has plenty of storage, rolls easy & really did not cost a lot to build.

Drawers are wide enough to lay even the longest tools down. Not sure how to line the drawers yet . . .

Top has some notches to be able to lay tools soon to be used. . . .

Steve :D

[Greg Ketell]

TapPlastics carries some "lamp guards" that are Outside diameter = 1 5/8"
Inside diameter = 1 9/16" for $2 each and they come in colors.

Here is another place that has smaller tubes: http://www.jcdanczak.com/our_products/subcat_16.html
No affiliation. Just trying to answer folks' needs.

[alex carey]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=107983&d=1232861136

It's not much but it does the job. I put it on casters. I just put tons of holes in it and stick my tools in there.

It's hard to see but on the edge of the table closest to the camera is a hacksaw blade I nailed to the table. I use this to cut all my sand paper and let me tell you it saves a ton of time, And I stopped dulling my scissors.

[Brian Effinger]

I think you hit the nail on the head, Greg. TAP Plastics seems to have just the product - Tube-Pak, not the lamp guard. http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/category.php?bid=14&