Organize your Tools like a PRO! Making foam drawer inserts for Tool Chest / Box

[@MrCarrera28]

Great video and process. I would make two suggestions to improve further: 1) Buy some red cardboard from local stationery store or thin red foam from your local craft store. Put this red layer between the foam and the drawer liner and it will give you good visual management to easily see missing tool through the red showing through when tool is not in its correct place. 2) For layouts like the spanner layout rather then putting individual finger pools on each cutout, a long bar that straddles across the tools about the width of a metal ruler could be added. This will greatly reduce cutting time as you can use this to traverse each individual cutout in the row without having to stop, detach the wire and then reattach the wire for the next cutout and so on.

[@forestfishburne7900]

Great video. Although it may be obvious to some people, though, it is probably worth mentioning that if you’re laying out the tools on the bottom of the foam to hide the layout markings the layout will be reversed when you flip it over.

[@TenebrusI07]

An olfa 7mm boxcutter and craft knife for the corners works even better.

[@johnellison3030]

This video is definitely my "Not happy Jan" moment for today. Very nice work. And I'm jealous.

[@ianbertenshaw4350]

I would be better off making cut outs in the floor - that is where my tools usually end up 😂 Sometimes if tool is being naughty ( not doing what I’m trying to force it to do ) it ends up on the other side of the yard so I might need one of those inserts over there as well 🤣 Cool idea tho ! The proper foam inserts from bunnings for the tool chests are bloody expensive and those floor mats are usually pretty cheap in comparison .

[@doraexplora9046]

Haha. I picked mine up from the tip. Some caravaner threw out his matting. So I picked up about twenty for nothing. So now I have more than enough to do this project, including my stuff ups along the way !

[@drengskap]

You don't need a hot wire cutter for this, you can get great results using a Stanley knife, a scalpel for the tight corners, and a cutting mat. I've made dozens of custom EVA foam inserts for pistol cases like that.

[@georgequalls5043]

Great project for us obsessive compulsive folks.

[@AlexConnor_]

Those mats make a great alternative to Shadow/Kaizen foam, much denser foam and look more like the machined foam trays you get with tools. Don't strictly need a hot wire cutter, the foam cuts well and good results can be obtained with a sharp knife. Some other tips, can layer 2 mats for deeper tools. Also a contrasting color for the lower layer or drawer liner looks great. Personally I don't use foam trays much, they take up a lot of space for the tools stored. Also wrenches or sockets, any set with lots of individual pieces will be very time consuming to make. Better alternatives like plastic plier racks and socket organizers. That said, foam trays can look very good if you can spare the space, I did give in to temptation and make a complete foam drawer liner with these mats for ratchets and torque wrenches. Looks great and there aren't many other good storage solutions for ratchets.

[@patnutoris4054]

And I normally go the other way around. Rip out those mats to fit more tools in the box ;)

[@johncoops6897]

I'd need about 200 tool chests if I wasted that much space in each drawer. I mean really... who owns only one pair of pliers, tin snips, or spanners?

[@CharlieRefvem]

@@johncoops6897 If you always know exactly where the tools are maybe you do only need one of each type? Whereas I have my preferred, alternate, and backup of each tool personally...

[@johncoops6897]

@@CharlieRefvem - if you only have one pair of pliers, then you don't need a $$hundreds tool chest to store them in. Unless you never use them, and you just create a neat "collection" to display to fiends (and online). In most of these KZbin videos, you can easily see that the tools are all brand new and never been used. Real tools used by real makers, mechanics and engineers simply don't look like that.... they have "generations" and a mixture of old and new.

[@spawnandbatman6975]

This is important for a&p mechanics. Can’t afford a tool to go missing for obvious reason.

[@PARAN0IDxGERBIL]

People that don't do work on important things absolutely puzzled about why you'd need to make certain that every tool you take out of a drawer goes back in lol

[@ZERONEINNOVATIONS]

I did this with a design knife and cutter, took me looong time to finish 1 drawer. So I've been thinking about buying a laser engraver/cutter. Never thought about cutting with simple hot wire. Nice idea!

[@jamesspry3294]

Best workshop hack video yet!

[@CorvetteTrev]

I like that you showed the hot wire cutter. A mechanic like me would need side slots /////////// on both pliers and wrenches as I can barely fit them vertically in my biggest tool box drawer

[@johncoops6897]

I'd need a full size garage full of tool chests if I laid the tools out as inefficiently as this guy 😂 . There are much better ways to do it than this. And what happens when you buy an extra tool?

[@TheDefpom]

Lol, loved the hand wiggle at the demo.

[@MarcoPolo-zv1ft]

Magic 😂😂

[@trebushett2079]

Very nice. Though if I did this I'd need about ten times the number of drawers to accommodate them.

[@Elberto71]

Ain't nobody got time for that 😅, looks cool though 👍

[@plunder1956]

How about using a contrasting thin base sheet so the space for a tool stands out.

[@johncoops6897]

Do you *_really_* need a visual guide to work out which of the cutouts don't have a tool in them?

[@MegaFrank1960]

The patience of a saint.......lol

[@adrianwilliams763]

Sometimes the simple ideas are the best ones. Cheers

[@BasedBidoof]

Great tips on designing these. I think this is gonna be my next project. I've been going crazy looking in my dad's punch drawer looking for the right size. Guess I gotta make a hot wire cutter, something I've also wanted to do for a while.

[@paulvale2985]

I've just brought a tool chest so I may give this a go. Thanks, great video.

[@gregwmanning]

I have the same spanners I'll go and watch the cutter build video now

[@dreamcat4]

hey schematix! if you want thicker and bigger eva foam mats (but still affordable) then the products you want to look for are called 'horse mats' or 'stable mats' etc. they are meant for horses, so are bigger and heavier. however still EVA foam and the price can be pretty reasonable

[@toner5709]

Great, cost-effective idea. I have seen these panels in Lidl.

[@APC9906]

Great video

[@gregeconomeier1476]

Looks great. However, I need to put a lot more tools in each drawer.

[@plageran]

Put aka purchase lmao

[@Busabangin]

looks like to much damn work

[@user-hh4sy3kl1y]

The electronic circuit of the scissors or coil in which the squeezed insulator cuts its scheme and the value of the electronic parts

[@thomaskaminski5611]

Very impressive projects and tutorials, Amon. If you are intersted in creating something larger that would address some of our country's social issues, talk to me next time you're in the shop. Thomas

[@Sekhar_Home]

Good job

[@davidsmith7631]

Great video, this was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!!!

[@wagon9082]

Good video

[@boxybaby2192]

Holds moisture, rust tools

[@Mr2Xri]

Amazing and chip organization!!! Many BRAVO!!!

[@lastfirst5154]

Excellent idea. Looks awesome

[@lelandclayton5462]

Pro tip, you don't need a foam cutter. You can use a Router but be advise and connect a shopvac or some sort of dust collection to it. You can also use the same foam used for Vinyl Siding if you don't mind pink or white. My father did this to all of his Tool boxes and when he passed away and I inherited the Tools I removed the foam inserts. Reason being I had more Tools then he did.

[@mr.ranyhomemade2466]

You so amazing your diy I been recommended to my friend here too about showing. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🤛👏

[@fefafafe5059]

Very good done. FR.

[@BenMitro]

I wonder if you could heat the metal only tools in the oven then drop them on the EVA foam. Possibly spray the tools with mould release so you don't get bits of melted EVA on them?

[@anmolkumar6704]

It's possible but takes much more heat , produces toxic smoke , don't give a clean even finish and can't be implemented with tools having rubber handles

[@markgriz]

Did with a socket wrench set, which had a flimsy plastic insert that finally broke apart. Heated sockets in an electric frying pan, and pressed them down into the foam. Worked great.

[@BenMitro]

@@anmolkumar6704 If you heat the metal tools too much it will burn and produce toxic smoke, so you have to experiment and find a temperature between the melting point and the smoking point. I'm actually considering setting up a system using magnets so each tool gets a neodymium magnet or two for each moving part. The magnets are embedded in a ply base board and the tools when placed in their area naturally stay as intended.

[@EricLabelle-cj6bk]

Drawer insert is worth more than the tools

[@landroveraddict2457]

Cool, looks great.

[@Arek_R.]

Did you just use steel wire for this hot wire cutter? Because it doesn't look right. Proper kanthal wire will straighten itself when made glow red.

[@electronic7979]

Very nice

[@trebushett2079]

Exactly my first thoughts - Very nice. Though if I did this I'd need about ten times the number of drawers to accommodate them.

[@rogerpence]

Brilliant!

[@emieldebruijn4804]

Can i ask, why don't you use a table top laser machine from Ortur or something to make inlay's for your tools ?

[@LosProduction2006]

Just seen tour video great job ... but I have a question do u sell the hot wire cutter I know u have a video making it but cud u make another and ill buy 1 from u

[@dndon2007]

great job 🙏👌👍🏻

[@themaximussx875]

I have not seen better! Well Done mate

[@cdyoutoob]

Use of a bright (or alternate) coloured thin EVA foam under the tools helps the space 'pop' when a tool is not in it's place. Orange, Yellow, Bright Green. Any good & cheap source of the 'thin eva foam'?

[@brandonward3998]

Yes, Michaels Carrie’s a multi colored pack of 1-2mm thick Eva foam

[@cdyoutoob]

@@brandonward3998 The coloured options seem only available in small sheets and not rolls.

[@TheMaximussx]

I have followed your advice and bought bright yellow 5mm Eva sheets 60*60 cm so they fit exactly the mats... Awesome idea thank you

[@themaximussx875]

Hi there I'm thinking to build one of the wire cutters how many Watts do you think your machine has?

[@mai_world]

Freakin' Brilliant!!!

[@paultrimble9390]

Nice

[@Sghh-q5j]

Hi

[@clarkso65]

Cool!!!

[@paultrimble9390]

I like it but not for me. Need room can’t afford loose the space. I have small building 10x16 couldn’t add more tool boxes don’t have room or money 💴 but do like it love having my tools protected like that. Great videos still. Keep up great work. Stay safe from ur ole hillbilly buddy.

[@tojannetworks6466]

scalpel works much faster and cost less than a foam cutter.

[@deanslegos1990]

America really should go metric

[@Rowdeegolf]

Seems like a lotta work. Very slow.

[@jasonmcelveen6295]

Great now when you lose a tool you have to start all over hahaha. You gonna lose a tool or two every year or you ain't a real working man hajjajaja