Lathe tool storage

[Bill Ryall]

Let me start by saying I am not a turner. My homebrew frankenlathe is just used for turning spindles and tool handles and other little round bits as needed.
I recently acquired a 5 gallon bucket of turning chisels that once the rust was cleaned off turned out to be a great find. I now need good storage for these tools. Right now I have a little tray behind the lathe that holds my original few tools, but I have never liked it.
What I am looking for is some form of storage that is on/immediately nearby the lathe, that is easily and safely accessible when using the lathe. Permanently fixed to a wall is not an option as the lathe has a specialized roll around so I can move it around the shop when not in use.
Show me what you have got so I can shamelessly steal your ideas. 😉

Thank you.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I use a 5 gallon pail with lengths of cental vacuum tubing standing up in it. Iwrapped a bungee around the tubes to keep them from pulliing out when I grab the tool and I put a disk of rigid foam insulation on the inside bottom of the pail to soften the bounce when I drop the tools into the tubes. My bucket sits on a piece of 3/4" MDF on wheels, so that I can roll it to each of my two lathes.

[Allan Ferguson]

5 gal shop vac tank from defunct unit. plywood lid with holes to lath tools. rolls around where needed.

[Adam Petersen]

I have a workmate that I stand next to my lathe. It has a large screen on it from some school locker thingamijiggy I found on clearance. I drilled holes in the wood to hold accessories. It works for me.

[Dale Gillaspy]

I found an old stool on casters at a yardsale. Took the cushion off and build a tool rack to on the the stool It consists of 2 round pieces of plywood separated about 10" by 3 wooden dowels. I drilled holes through the top piece to accept the tool shanks. On the bottom piece, I glued pieces of PVC to line up with the holes in the top pieces. These keep the ends of the tools straight. I then screwed the whole thing to the lazy susan on top of the stool that the cushion used to be on. I also put a piece of plywood across the bottom footrest for my chucks and faceplates.

[Wayne Lovell]

I use 12" sections of 1 1/2" pvc pipe standing upright in a milk crate, 36 will fill the crate with very little wiggle room. I had 4 tools with handles that would not fit in 1 1/2 " and I put in 4 pieces of 2" Which along with 30 1 1/2" filled the crate.

[cody michael]

Mine is hung on the wall, so you would have to change it, but just 2x4 frame with holes drill in top, tools go through holes, if you have a bunch of tools maybe do something like theater seats have 3 rows each one getting a little higher, simple, easy and it works

[Randy Red Bemont]

5 gal shop vac tank from defunct unit. plywood lid with holes to lath tools. rolls around where needed.

I like this idea.

Red

[Thom Sturgill]

I built something modeled after a clamp rack. Used an old sheet metal stand, mounted it on a piece of plywood with castors, and made a backward slanting rack on each side from pegboard. Three internal 'shelves' store larger items, while the holes in the pegboard hold my supply of sanding disk holders. a board at the bottom for the tools to set on and a notched board for the tool shaft to set in. Gravity holds them in place, but a bungie cord keeps them from spilling when I have to roll it around. One side has hollowing tools while the other holds bowl gouges. I can move it so that the turning tools are in the right place when turning bowls or move it for when hollowing.

Spindle gouges are in fixed holders at one end of my workbench and scrapers at the other, the workbench is at my back when I turn.