Organize Sockets

What is the best way to organize about 100 sockets (1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drives) in the 20" toolbox I carry in my car?

(The Lisle plastic trays take up so much room in my toolbox that there's little room for my other tools).

On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 06:11:49 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

>What is the best way to organize about 100 sockets (1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drives) in the 20" toolbox I carry in my car?
>
>(The Lisle plastic trays take up so much room in my toolbox that there's little room for my other tools).

By far the best I've had was built into a small Craftsman toolbox.
A short and thin metal rail at the bottom of the box, making a tapered
slot from one end to the other.
Wouldn't be hard to make one for any box, or 2 or 3 rails if you need
them.
The sockets just drop in, and don't fall out unless you tip the box
over.
That one rail held my common 1/2 and 3/8. Kept my 1/4 in the formed
plastic box the set came in.
Without that or a plastic case where each socket is held in its own
hole, I'd just dump them loose in the box. It's not hard to grab the
socket you need, for me anyway.
You might try stacking them on dowels with a stop on one end.
Lay them down in the box.
I'd try that out if I had more ambition.
But I'd do the tapered slots first.

On Monday, July 29, 2013 11:25:56 AM UTC-4, Vic Smith wrote:
> On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 06:11:49 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>
>
>
> >What is the best way to organize about 100 sockets (1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drives) in the 20" toolbox I carry in my car?
>
> >
>
> >(The Lisle plastic trays take up so much room in my toolbox that there's little room for my other tools).

>
>
>
> By far the best I've had was built into a small Craftsman toolbox.
>
> A short and thin metal rail at the bottom of the box, making a tapered
>
> slot from one end to the other.
>
> Wouldn't be hard to make one for any box, or 2 or 3 rails if you need
>
> them.
>
> The sockets just drop in, and don't fall out unless you tip the box
>
> over.
>
> That one rail held my common 1/2 and 3/8. Kept my 1/4 in the formed
>
> plastic box the set came in.
>
> Without that or a plastic case where each socket is held in its own
>
> hole, I'd just dump them loose in the box. It's not hard to grab the
>
> socket you need, for me anyway.
>
> You might try stacking them on dowels with a stop on one end.
>
> Lay them down in the box.
>
> I'd try that out if I had more ambition.
>
> But I'd do the tapered slots first.

+1 on this idea.. I did the same thing using fiberboard and just glued them in place 20 years ago they it's still holding.

wrote:
> What is the best way to organize about 100 sockets (1/4", 3/8" and
> 1/2" drives) in the 20" toolbox I carry in my car?
>
> (The Lisle plastic trays take up so much room in my toolbox that
> there's little room for my other tools).

1- Hit HF and buy some of the socket rails with clips.
2 - Cut some strips of sheet metal/tempered hardboard/stiff plastic and
rivet/glue/weld them into the box at an angle from side-side so they
hold the sockets.

--
Steve W.

On 07/29/2013 02:28 PM, Steve W. wrote:
> wrote:
>> What is the best way to organize about 100 sockets (1/4", 3/8" and
>> 1/2" drives) in the 20" toolbox I carry in my car?
>>
>> (The Lisle plastic trays take up so much room in my toolbox that
>> there's little room for my other tools).
>
> 1- Hit HF and buy some of the socket rails with clips.
> 2 - Cut some strips of sheet metal/tempered hardboard/stiff plastic and
> rivet/glue/weld them into the box at an angle from side-side so they
> hold the sockets.
>

Do the HF ones work any better than the ones I bought from Sears lo
these many years ago? I went to the Lisle trays within a year or two as
all the little clips had lost their spring tension and my sockets would
fall off. You have to be a little careful with the Lisle trays as I
wish the magnets were stronger but at least they don't get dramatically
weaker over time. (but the OP apparently is looking for something
different than those.)

Now what I have seen some guys using is little rails with long fingers
that you just slide the sockets over, intended for use in a drawer of a
roll cabinet. But if you have a dedicated socket box maybe you could
just glue or rivet them to the bottom of the box?

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On 2013-07-29, Nate Nagel > wrote:

> Do the HF ones work any better than the ones I bought from Sears lo
> these many years ago?

The nicer sears ones have handles. The HF ones are like the cheap sears
rails. I have the nice sears, one or two cheap sears (I wanted extra
clips for the nice rails and that was the cheapest route at the time, I
later used the remaining clips and rail as intended), and a couple HF
rails. The cheaper ones are for old misc sockets I inherited. All the
stuff I use frequently is on the nice sears rails.

wrote:
> What is the best way to organize about 100 sockets (1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drives) in the 20" toolbox I carry in my car?
>
> (The Lisle plastic trays take up so much room in my toolbox that there's little room for my other tools).

alphabetically, duh!

no, seriously, the rails w/clips

GW

On Monday, July 29, 2013 9:50:56 PM UTC-5, Geoff Welsh wrote:
> wrote:
>
> > What is the best way to organize about 100 sockets (1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drives) in the 20" toolbox I carry in my car?
>
> >
>
> > (The Lisle plastic trays take up so much room in my toolbox that there's little room for my other tools).
>
>
>
> alphabetically, duh!
>
>
>
> no, seriously, the rails w/clips
>
>
>
> GW

I have a bunch of old sockets strung on a wire. I am not neat and tidy.

Nate Nagel wrote:
> On 07/29/2013 02:28 PM, Steve W. wrote:
>> wrote:
>>> What is the best way to organize about 100 sockets (1/4", 3/8" and
>>> 1/2" drives) in the 20" toolbox I carry in my car?
>>>
>>> (The Lisle plastic trays take up so much room in my toolbox that
>>> there's little room for my other tools).
>> 1- Hit HF and buy some of the socket rails with clips.
>> 2 - Cut some strips of sheet metal/tempered hardboard/stiff plastic and
>> rivet/glue/weld them into the box at an angle from side-side so they
>> hold the sockets.
>>
>
> Do the HF ones work any better than the ones I bought from Sears lo
> these many years ago? I went to the Lisle trays within a year or two as
> all the little clips had lost their spring tension and my sockets would
> fall off. You have to be a little careful with the Lisle trays as I
> wish the magnets were stronger but at least they don't get dramatically
> weaker over time. (but the OP apparently is looking for something
> different than those.)
>
> Now what I have seen some guys using is little rails with long fingers
> that you just slide the sockets over, intended for use in a drawer of a
> roll cabinet. But if you have a dedicated socket box maybe you could
> just glue or rivet them to the bottom of the box?
>
> nate
>

The ones I gave away are working OK so far. They went to my FIL who was
using a shoe string to hold the sockets and end wrenches. I gave him one
of my older craftsman boxes along with some spare tools and misc. Keeps
his son from wandering into my shop to borrow tools..... So they work
just fine to me !!


--
Steve W.

On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 4:35:07 PM UTC-5, Steve W. wrote:
> Nate Nagel wrote:
>
> > On 07/29/2013 02:28 PM, Steve W. wrote:
>
> >> wrote:
>
> >>> What is the best way to organize about 100 sockets (1/4", 3/8" and
>
> >>> 1/2" drives) in the 20" toolbox I carry in my car?
>
> >>>
>
> >>> (The Lisle plastic trays take up so much room in my toolbox that
>
> >>> there's little room for my other tools).
>
> >> 1- Hit HF and buy some of the socket rails with clips.
>
> >> 2 - Cut some strips of sheet metal/tempered hardboard/stiff plastic and
>
> >> rivet/glue/weld them into the box at an angle from side-side so they
>
> >> hold the sockets.
>
> >>
>
> >
>
> > Do the HF ones work any better than the ones I bought from Sears lo
>
> > these many years ago? I went to the Lisle trays within a year or two as
>
> > all the little clips had lost their spring tension and my sockets would
>
> > fall off. You have to be a little careful with the Lisle trays as I
>
> > wish the magnets were stronger but at least they don't get dramatically
>
> > weaker over time. (but the OP apparently is looking for something
>
> > different than those.)
>
> >
>
> > Now what I have seen some guys using is little rails with long fingers
>
> > that you just slide the sockets over, intended for use in a drawer of a
>
> > roll cabinet. But if you have a dedicated socket box maybe you could
>
> > just glue or rivet them to the bottom of the box?
>
> >
>
> > nate
>
> >
>
>
>
> The ones I gave away are working OK so far. They went to my FIL who was
>
> using a shoe string to hold the sockets and end wrenches. I gave him one
>
> of my older craftsman boxes along with some spare tools and misc. Keeps
>
> his son from wandering into my shop to borrow tools..... So they work
>
> just fine to me !!
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Steve W.

Looking in my latest Harbor Freight snail mail flyer,3 Piece Socket Tray/Organizers $7.99 Check out your local area pawn shops. You can find them dirt cheap.