Keeping turning tools handy?

[Carole Valentine]

What is your solution? I used to keep them on a bench, but they tended to roll around or get covered up with other stuff (especially those little tommy bars!) Then I thought about building some sort of cabinet to surround my Jet Mini stand, but that seemed like a big hassle. Out of desperation, I finally threw together a caddy out of a few odd scraps I had laying around. The blocks are attached with double sided tape so I could rearrange if need be. Not a very elegant soultion, but functional for the time being. Am interested in getting some ideas on what everyone else does to organize their tools and stuff within easy reach.http://www.esva.net/%7Epchousecalls/tooltray_opt.jpg

[John Weber]

Carole,

Looks great! I thought the Performax extension table were for tool storage :) If I had the room, I'd love a set-up like yours.

John

[Carole Valentine]

Mine is very small, John, and light so I can move it around easily. That was one of my requirements since shop space is getting tight!

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Looks like that will work, Carole. I am trying to come up with a plan as well, but I want to include more than just the basic tools. I am thinking about a top of the lathe table arrangement, but things just haven't jelled into a workable arrangement. I think I will need a bigger table.(-:

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Carole, that looks like it will work perfectly. Mine are stored in a stand up holder for the chisels and the rest is just thrown around on the bench. Yours looks much better!

[Matthew Clarke]

Hi Carole,

My lathe is full sized so some of this might not work for you. The caddy that you built for your turning tools is similar to one that I built and attached to the stand for my lathe. That way, the tools I plan to use are only a step away.

As for those little tommy bars, hex keys, etc., a magnetic strip or rare earth magnets (from Lee Valley Tools) worked wonders for preventing them from getting lost. In addition, I purchased a strip of velcro (less than $5) and stuck to my lathe. Now, my most frequently used sanding materials are always close at hand. Hope this helps,

Matt

[Carole Valentine]

Magnets! How could I have forgotten about my Lee Valley rare earth magnets??? Duh! Thanks, Matthew.

[Stefan Antwarg]

Although I still don't have any decent solution for this, I will eventually get magnetic bars.

Stefan

[Ken Salisbury]

Here is what I have:

[Jim Dunn]

See I toldya she was a pro!! Just kidding Carol. That's a pretty nifty way to keep your tools handy. By the way the pic police are demanding more pics of your shop;)

[Jim Becker]

Very nice solution, Carole. Many folks use either a caddy as you've move to or a wall rack like Ken's. While I store my tools on a wall rack, the ones "in use" tend to be on my lathe somewhere or on the table (Festool MFT) which just happens to normally live to the right of my Stubby. I've also used my router table for this in the past. Whatever works!! ;)

[Tom Morton]

The ferrous metal pieces go in a magnetic bowl that sits on the head stock. Gouges etc are placed vertically in a shelf sharp end down in a hole drilled to accept the tool. Calipers etc hang from hooks. This stuff that doesn't fit any of the foregoing rolls around/gets buried on a table.

[Bill Esposito]

That is just way too neat.

[Bill Esposito]

Here is what I have:
Ken,

What's that big bar?

[Ted Shrader]

Carole -

That looks like it will work just fine. Built my wife a rack just about like that. She puts it on the ways of the lathe to hold the tools currently in use. There is a cabinet below the lathe with drawers for the rest of the tools (not being used) and accessories.

Ted

[Ken Salisbury]

Ken,

What's that big bar?

It is a home made scraper, see this thread
Mutha of all Scrapers (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=17426#post17426)

[lou sansone]

I use the top 3 drawers of a roll-away for all of my turning tools. Obvioulsy I do not need all of them for what ever I am working on at the time. What I do is pull out the tools that I will be using for the job and keep them on the bed of my lathe. This works pretty good for me. Because I use a pattern-makers lathe it has a very wide bed ( over 12" wide ) that allows the tools to stay put. Prior to this lathe I had a more conventional lathe that you really could not do that with. With that smaller lathe I had a space under the bed where I could put the tools that I was using.

[Ernie Kuhn]

Carole,
If you search on "Turning Tool Holder" you will see what I use. It was in a previous posting.
Ernie

[Steve Plunkett]

Carole,
Here's what I came up with. I like to be able to move it around and get it out of the way when I'm not using it so I put it on casters.

[Steve Plunkett]

OOPS. Didn't realize it didn't attach. This might help.

[Carole Valentine]

That looks good, Steve. I am thinking about a lazy susan type thing on a pedestal. I have already outgrown the one I made and it's only been a week! (I got two more turning tools the other day)

[Kent Cori]

Nice solutions by both Carole and Steve. Thanks for sharing your ideas folks. I learn more on this forum than I could reading a dozen books.