Wood Shop

Quick Tip Suitcase Style Cases

Im working to keep regular postings to The Penultimate Woodshop the norm. Its my goal to post at least once a week. Based on that schedule I should be posting again on Sunday. As life will be getting in the way this weekend with a trip to Pennsylvania and Ive brought home a few hours of work to do tonight, Im squeezing in this quick post now.

One of the regular features I hope to have on The Penultimate Woodshop are Quick Tips. Im hoping that I can share some of my own, point you towards others I find on the web and include some sent in by readers. So here is the first: what Im calling "Suitcase Style Cases." They are plastic cases with clear plastic lids and multiple compartments on the inside. Some have fixed compartments, some have adjustable compartments and some have removable compartments. The two featured here are of the fixed and removable compartment variety. I use the fixed one to hold and organize all of my screw gun bits. Its more than big enough to house them and is small enough to fit in my tool bag when I need to take it with me. The one with removable compartments pictured is for my Kreg screws. When I pull out my Kreg jig it lets me have quick easy access to any screw I might want. Ive even written a chart on the side that tells what length Kreg screw to use for what thickness of wood (not pictured). I also have "Suitcase Style Cases" for: DeckMate screws, framing nails, co-axial cable splicing tools, pan head stainless steel screws and flat head stainless steel screws.

The universal advantage I find to "Suitcase Style Cases" is that they keep all of a particular category of tool or supply easily grouped together, portable and dust free. In the future I plan to build a rack with drawers to house the cases. The drawers will be plywood bottoms with small lips around the sides. A "Suitcase Style Case" will fit on each drawer. When the cabinet is closed it will let me store them when not in use. Ill be able to pull out an individual drawer and flip up the lid of the case to access the contents without having to use up valuable bench space for the "Suitcase Style Case" and if I need to use the contents of the case outside the shop, I can just pick it up off the drawer and take it with me.

How do you store small parts? Whats your shop tip?