Please help me organize my battery chargers!

[Rich Gunderson]

Hi all,

I am new to the Sawmill Creek forum, at least from a posting perspective, but I have watched and enjoyed the discussions for a while. I finally have a topic that I think might have some value for everyone out there, so here goes...

I am looking for some advice. I am trying to clean up and organize my shop, which desperately needs it. :) I am stuck right now with trying to come up with a create way to manage all of the battery chargers that I have for my cordless tools. I know one solution is to sell them all and buy a set with a universal pack, but I have invested enough that I don't really want to change that now.

So please, tell me how all you faithful Sawmill Creek contributors have handled the situation in your own shops. Teach me the way oh wise one :D

Thanks,

Rich

[Dewey Torres]

Rich,
You will get better suggestions if you took a pic of what you have and maybe where/how you like to store them.

I have an idea sort of like a cabinet that might work.

Also check out the woodwhisperer sight and watch this video (link below). It is not exactly for drill charger but IMO easy modified to one and since he is having a contest right now, you can keep checking back to see what others have done for even more ideas and inspiration.

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/

Episode #57 gadget station part 1

Dewey

[Rick Potter]

Mine was nothing fancy, but I had three different chargers mounted to a piece of plywood. Some had mounts for screws, one I held on with plumbers tape. Mounted a six outlet extension cord with a switch and circuit breaker ($5), screwed the whole shebang to the wall near an outlet. Took up about 12" X 18" of wall space.

Rick Potter

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Shop notes - in the most recent issue (#100) - has a pretty simple setup.
http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/100/
Last picture.

[Rich Gunderson]

Hi guys.

Thanks for the inputs! I should have posted some pictures; sorry that I never got around to it.

The ShopNotes cordless tool station looks like it will meet my charging needs and more! I think a trip to the bookstore is in order to pick up a copy. I will send some pictures when I get it built.

Thanks again!

[Brad Noble]

Well, my design is just flat ugly. After all, its just a shelf. BUT, one thing I have done that I think is correct is plug ALL the chargers into a power strip that is controlled by a timer. It comes on two times a day for about 30 minutes each time. I never liked the idea of leaving a charger on for any long period of time.

[Rich Gunderson]

Well, my design is just flat ugly. After all, its just a shelf. BUT, one thing I have done that I think is correct is plug ALL the chargers into a power strip that is controlled by a timer. It comes on two times a day for about 30 minutes each time. I never liked the idea of leaving a charger on for any long period of time.

That's a great idea. I also don't like leaving the chargers plugged in all the time, but I hate discovering a dead battery even more!

I took a look at the ShopNotes cordless tool station, and it started a flurry of thoughts. I think that I am going to modify it for the bit set that I have, and know I think I might make room for a timer.

Has anybody had luck with mounting the chargers with a good Velcro tape? I was thinking about using Velcro, just in case I need to take the charger with me at some point in time.

Cheers,

Rich

[Jim Watts]

Hello,
Shop notes - in the most recent issue (#100) - has a pretty simple setup.
http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/100/
Last picture.

Sandor Nagyszalanczy has a real nice one in this book (http://tinyurl.com/5n7l5l - Amazon link). It uses tambour doors, and is more furniture-like than the Shop Notes plan - and perhaps a little less functional. And all in all, not a bad book for $13.50.

[Jim Watts]

http://www.skillspublish.com.au/BK08-126.htm

Left side of the page, 5 down from the top...

[Peter Quadarella]

I screwed this wacky looking thing together, 4 2x4s as legs, with the back 2 legs taller than the front 2. I hang power strips on the back 2 legs, and I have 2 shelves of plywood - I have another power strip on the bottom shelf. And I just plug everything in there.

[cecil dean]

I would suggest that you place them in a metal box of some type with a lid that would make them fire proof. I had a major fire 2 years ago and the insurance company investigator said it looked as if it started in the area that I had my charger plugged in for my drill. The way he talked they had had a problem with some of the older models that DeWalt used. He could not say for sure that that was the cause do to the damage to the charger but it was the only thing plugged in near the source of the fire. I now have mine in an small foot locker. I drilled a couple of air holes at the base of the locker and one to run the electric in for the chargers.
Cecil

[James Jackson]

"So please, tell me how all you faithful Sawmill Creek contributors have handled the situation in your own shops. Teach me the way oh wise one :D

Thanks,

Rich"

I have lurked this board for the last two years, time for me to pay back a bit.

I had a similar problem with my collection of cordless power tools, about three years ago I got fed up and decided I would fix this problem. I sat down and thought and looked at the collection of dream and idea shops presented over the last few years as well as the options presented on the Internet. I did not find a “That will work!” solution, so I asked my self what did I need?
A place to plug in the chargers, the convince of just grabbing a drill, control of the power feed when not charging something, and access to my “Working Pile” of drill and apex bits.
The pictures show what I ended up with; its made of MDF rounded the edges with a router and panted. Power strip on the back, the cords all hang behind the tool bench out of the way, a magnetic knife bar on the front to hold the bits I grab all the time, and the chargers and spare batteries clustered underneath out of the way. The wide base the chargers sit on makes it very stable has no tipping issues. To charge a battery just reach behind on the right hand side and turn on the power strip and socket the battery in the charger. It has seen the conversion of going from yellow tools to orange tools with no adjustments the holes at the top are 2in across and seem to accept anything.

May not be the exact answer to your storage needs, but it is serving me very well.

Jrj