{"id":39451,"date":"2021-11-25T09:00:05","date_gmt":"2021-11-25T16:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=39451"},"modified":"2021-11-23T11:49:19","modified_gmt":"2021-11-23T18:49:19","slug":"making-a-simple-storage-case-rack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/making-a-simple-storage-case-rack\/","title":{"rendered":"Making a Simple Storage Case Rack"},"content":{"rendered":"

What was your favorite tool this year? Why? It doesn\u2019t have to be a new tool just one that comes to mind when asked this question.\u00a0Send me your answers<\/a>\u00a0(with a pic, if possible). I want to do a round-up of readers favorites for 2021. I\u2019ll pick one of the respondents and send them a copy of\u00a0my tips book<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Making a Simple Storage Case Rack<\/strong>
\n\"storagecaserack\"
\nOn the\u00a0Shop Hacks FB group<\/a>, member\u00a0Riley Schatz<\/strong>\u00a0posted a pic of his simple solution for a rack to hold his plastic storage cases. Many of us have these plastic cases and there are numerous projects online and on\u00a0YouTube<\/em>\u00a0for building more elaborate racks. This is the simplest to date, little more than some scrap 2x4s and plywood hung below a workbench.<\/p>\n

Review: Amazon Removable Compartment Professional Organizers<\/strong>
\n\"amazon\"
\nSpeaking of multi-compartment storage cases, Amazon just recently (I think) began offering cases under their Amazon Basics brand. Being something of a collector of these cases, I decided to get one and try it out. I got the smaller\u00a015-compartment case<\/a>\u00a0(8.3″ L x 13.3″ W x 2.4″ H). They also carry a 19-compartment case (16.5 x 13.2 x 2.4). The 15 case is $17.80, the 19 case is $20. The case I got is much small than the Stanley, Harbor Freight, and other cases that I have (which are closer to the 19-compartment case). I purposely went for the smaller case because I want to use it to house game components and didn\u2019t need the larger size. In terms of features, the removable trays are a must-have for me. They have a nice compliment of small, medium, and large trays. In terms of quality, these cases are on par with the\u00a0Harbor Freight ones<\/a>. Like the Harbor Freight cases, they are made of heavy-duty polypropylene. The latches are the weak spot on the both brands, with the Amazon ones being nearly identical to the HF closures. Even with medium use, I\u2019ve had the latches on two HF cases fail. The Amazon cases are comparable, but HF still has them beat on price. Their (full-size) 20-bin case is only $10 (as low as $8 on sale) and their deeper 8-bin case is $15 (as low as $11). The only reason to recommend the Amazon cases is if you want the smaller size.<\/p>\n

Using Wire Ferrules<\/strong>
\n\"wireferrules\"<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an electronic component I\u2019ve never even heard of: the\u00a0wire ferrule<\/a>. In this brief\u00a0Collin\u2019s Lab Notes<\/a>, Collin Cunningham introduces us to these stranded wire-end connectors and how to use them.<\/div>\n

Flat Panel Speakers Made from Foamboard<\/strong>
\n\"flatpanelspeakers\"
\nThis is more of a project recommendation than a shop tip. On the\u00a0AmplifyDIY<\/em>\u00a0channel,\u00a0they build these cheap<\/a>\u00a0(a few hundred bucks) and easy-to-make flat panel speakers using little more than\u00a0insulation foamboard<\/a>, a pair of\u00a0exciters<\/a>, and a\u00a0mini power amp<\/a>. They results are very impressive. Also: Be sure to check out the\u00a0follow-up video<\/a>. In it, he tests out different shapes, panel treatments, adding a second exciter to each panel, and other tweaks.<\/p>\n

Why You Need a Vise in Your Workshop<\/strong>
\n\"vise\"
\nIn\u00a0this<\/a>\u00a0Essential Craftsman<\/em>\u00a0video, Scott explains the virtues of a vise and why you need one in your workshop. In our new house, there\u2019s a big gaping hole in the wooden workbench in the garage where the vise appears to have been unceremoniously ripped out. I\u2019ve already spotted a sweet small bench vise with an anvil at a local antique store. I\u2019m looking forward to buying and restoring it soon.<\/p>\n

Making a Spray Can Shaker<\/strong>
\n\"spraycan\"
\nIn a\u00a0recent Adam Savage video<\/a>, he extolled the virtues of a drill-powered paint mixer. The one he linked to on Amazon can be found\u00a0here<\/a>. You can also\u00a0easily make your own<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How to Tune Up a Cheap Chisel<\/strong>
\n\"cheapchisel\"
\nIn\u00a0this video<\/a>,\u00a0Anne of All Trades<\/em>\u00a0shows how to properly sharpen chisels, especially how you can sharpen cheap ones and get them closer in sharpness to more expensive tools. I especially appreciate that she demonstrates how to hold and use your body to get the right angle and pressure on the blade as you sharpen<\/p>\n

Switchplate Identifiers<\/strong>
\n\"switchplateidentifies\"
\nWe just moved into a house that has these crazy 4-switch light and fan panels in the bathrooms. Unlabeled, a newbie can do a lot of speculative switching before finding the one you want. So, not surprisingly, these\u00a03D printed switchplate symbols<\/a>\u00a0have caught my eye. As soon as I get my 3D printer set up, I might be printing some of these.<\/p>\n

Maker’s Muse<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Wait

Wait for it…<\/p><\/div>\n

Shop Talk<\/strong>
\nIn the response to my \u201cPut the Dang Tools Back!\u201d in\u00a0the last issue<\/a>, reader\u00a0John M<\/strong>\u00a0writes:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been working on the “put the dang tools back\u201d for years now. Coming up on three years since the last shop move, the problem that looms the largest is that there is no \u201cback\u201d to put things until you create one. The last move went from 3,000 sf to 1,600 sf, so it\u2019s been tricky. Making the job harder is the need to be functional over the need to be organized. Yes, taking the time to organize will make the work easier, but that job needs to get finished NOW so we can pay the rent! Needless to say, instead of spending my limited time pursuing personal projects, I tend to spend it cleaning and organizing. Somewhat satisfying, but not as much as other projects.\u201c<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Also in response to “Put the Dang Tools Back!,\u201d Cool Tools reader LarryA2010<\/strong> writes:<\/p>\n

\u201cGood advice. Easier said than done. I have projects at varying stages, piles of tools and materials, and other stuff strewn about my workshop and I hate putting things back. I do keep some tools and materials organized though. I have a worktable made from a solid core door on top of two wood filing cabinets which hold folders of sandpaper and other useful items. Most-used tools are in a simple tool caddy on the floor. Two old bureaus hold sets of wrenches and other large tools. Plastic totes hold unfinished projects. Solvent cans are in a row on the floor next to my chair with a strap wrench on top to tighten them so they don\u2019t evaporate. I still have tools and small materials covering much of my table, and tools and materials spread all over the floor. I can\u2019t get myself to organize them.\u00a0One thing I do have that I keep in order is this really useful\u00a0Alvin, Spin-O-Tray, Rotating Desktop Organizer<\/a>\u00a0on top of the desk. It makes it easy to replace often-used small tools after I use them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gareth’s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales – Issue #103<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[2371],"tags":[2372],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39451"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39451"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39461,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39451\/revisions\/39461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}