# Tools Aboard How do you store em?



## kb3pwc (May 26, 2009)

For the past few years we have used a commercially available black and red tool bag (satchel shape) that includes side pockets on the outside and the inner portion of the satchel holds the larger tools but I have to say, it is not an easy to use solution and it is hard to stow.

How do you organize and store your tools? There are so many approaches from hard tool boxes, pockets that are rolled up, trays that have slots for each tool. It needs to be functional for storage, easy to handle with visibility for accessing tools. Your thoughts and ideas are so needed...

with thanks,

Leslie

s/v Tango, Cabo Rico 34
On the Hard
Lankford Bay Marina
Chester River, MD


----------



## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

A soft tool bag for:
tools that are not sockets, box end wrenches, hex keys and ratchets. Sockets, wrenches, hex keys and ratchets all stay in their hard case ( some sort of 3,457 piece socket set I bought years ago that has more than paid for itself. A tool roll holds chisels. A small plastic single tray tool box is the "electrical box"- holds wire stripper, soldering iron, terminals etc.,
Last I have an old back pack which holds cordless tools- drill, driver, circular saw.

All of it fits in the locker under the quarter berth, a space about 3' x 2' x 1' high. 

All the tool boxes/bags have containers of silica gel in them to ward off rust.


----------



## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

I use a small weather proof case ( about the size of two sixpacks) that is made of some moisture repelling plastic....and it works....for tools.

I use tackle/lure boxes for crimp stuff, another for small, another for stainless, and so on...

does make a difference.

BTW, I have drilled or attached sunglass lanyards to ratchet handles and crucial drivers....as I am prone to dropping things and did not want to lose something that said MAC or SnapOn....

all the best


----------



## sawingknots (Feb 24, 2005)

i just throw mine in the bilge,adds ballast and if they get rusty no matter i won't have the one i really need anyway, actually i put the electric power tools in a rubbermaid tub and the hand tools in a water proof bag,the frequently used ones i keep in a drawer near the engine compartment


----------



## Ocarina II (Nov 21, 2011)

I built a wood tool chest with a bunch of trays and partitions and tarted it up with cast brass corners and antique style leather trunk handles. I worked the boats name into a sheet brass oval and varnished the outside. I painted the inside in the accent colour of my boat and fitted loops to hold the specific tools I imagined needing. The box lives under the Dinette or between the v-berth bunks on the deck and is not an eyesore.


----------



## sawingknots (Feb 24, 2005)

i forgot to mention the ones i'm storing in the brink


----------



## Undadar (Mar 24, 2011)

kb3pwc said:


> How do you organize and store your tools? There are so many approaches from hard tool boxes, pockets that are rolled up, trays that have slots for each tool.


Great question. I am slowly learning several things but am a newbie so I'm sure I have lots more to learn.

First, hard cases waste a lot of space due to packing them into odd compartment shapes - I'm slowly going to soft cases/bags for everything.

Second, steel rusts. I'm from a dry climate and am not familiar with this problem. I've been spraying tools with Tool & Die Saver and keeping them in plastic bags. Success is poor (and kinda sticky). I need to try the others suggestions in regards to silica. I actually bought a big bag of it from a hobby store but haven't tried it yet.

I know... No secrets of the universe there....


----------



## Ulladh (Jul 12, 2007)

Multiple soft tool bags, Home Depot or Lowes (Los Depot is usually where I tell people I am going or Howes Depot).

Different bags for electrical, sockets and wrenches, shackles, paint stuff, epoxy stuff and one bag for random stuff.


----------



## Stu Jackson (Jul 28, 2001)

1. satchel for traveling with basic tools and all my electrical stuff

2. hard case tool set with everything

3. daily main tool box is the nav station desk with kitchen separators - work great, I put a spring holder on the desktop


----------



## dhays (Jul 9, 2010)

Stu Jackson said:


> 3. daily main tool box is the nav station desk with kitchen separators - work great, I put a spring holder on the desktop


Sounds good, but then where do you put all the crap that has nowhere else to live? My Nav station desk has an assortment of keys, pens, knives, whipping line, tide books, stereo remote, Sampson Brade splicing set, charging chords, tape measurer, and a bunch of other stuff that seemed important at one time...


----------



## jfdubu (Jul 18, 2002)

I use a small plastic tackle box. The pivot out tray hold the misc. screws, bolts, washers, pins (both used and unused) that one collects. The bottom hold just about all the tools I need. I don't keep power tools on the boat. and I'm on my forth multi bit screw driver. I buy the $5.00 ones and don't bother to fight the rust. I also carry a separate 1/4" drive socket set. This fits very nicly in the port sette storage area.
John


----------



## HUGOSALT (Jun 15, 2004)

Tools that must be handy live in 2nd and 3rd draws starboard...
hand tools/socket set are marginally med quality and makes me feel better leaving a few paper towels in tool cases, remains to be seen if they actually do any good but I always have something to 
clean up with when the job is done.


----------



## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

Ocarina II said:


> I built a wood tool chest with a bunch of trays and partitions and tarted it up with cast brass corners and antique style leather trunk handles. I worked the boats name into a sheet brass oval and varnished the outside. I painted the inside in the accent colour of my boat and fitted loops to hold the specific tools I imagined needing. The box lives under the Dinette or between the v-berth bunks on the deck and is not an eyesore.


----------



## CarolynShearlock (Dec 3, 2010)

A bunch of the roll up things, each with one "type" of tool in it and clearly labeled on the outside. Then we strapped a milk crate under the saloon table and put the most-used rolls and other tools in there (screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, hacksaw, small hammer, 3-in1 oil, a roll of duct tape etc.) 

Makita cordless drill (and bits, driver heads, etc.) in the open space under the V-berth. Socket set also there.

Everything else far more inaccessible in a locker. 

Lots of flashlights mounted EVERYWHERE. 

Keep your sealants in a plastic box in the back corner of the refrig if you're in a hot climate -- we had open ones last a year or more in there (we duct-taped the nozzle).


----------



## 5oclocksomewhere (Apr 8, 2009)

*five gallon bucket*

I have been happy using a five gallon bucket tool organizer. They are available in many places like Home Depot. When placed around the bucket the tools are really easy to find, no digging around. Then when finished the cloth part lifts off the bucket and goes inside along with the bigger tools. The lid gets sealed on and I hope this will slow any rusting. The whole bucket is stowed in a cockpit locker.

Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more


----------



## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

I use a plastic tool box with a single, plastic tray and metal latches from Ace Hardware. It stows under the starboard settee. That locker does get some condensation, but my tools are not rusting, and stay dry inside the tool box.

I live in a humid area, on the Chespeake Bay. I'm not using any silica packs or preservation spray. I have an assortment of screwdrivers, sockets, ratchets, vise grips, pliers and hex keys. I don't carry power tools.

I've been into engine mechanics for years, and there is only one penetrant that I trust anymore: Kroil, or if you prefer, Aero-Kroil (spray form of Kroil). It's far superior to PBlaster, Liquid Wrench or WD-40.

Use the right snake-oil for the right problem-

*Kroil*- Blasting rusted fasteners and parts free from each other.
*Electrical contact cleaner*- Exactly what it says.
*WD-40*- Lubricating/cleaning slightly rusty, but still moveable fasteners and parts with tight clearances.
*3-in-1 Oil*- Heavily lubricating hinges, and engine parts that have looser clearances.
*White lithium grease*- For parts that require a sticky, heavy lubricant that is heavier than oil.
*Sailkote/McLube*- Lubricating blocks, sheaves, sail cloth, sail track slugs, travelers and other deck hardware.


----------



## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

I have a deep, top access locker under one side of the v-berth aft of the sail locker I use for tools.

I have a Craftsman set in a hard case that has combo wrenches, nut drivers, 1/4" & 1/2" sockets, and screwdrivers; I keep two silica packs in the case. 3/4" socket set has it's own hard case with one more silica pack. A Duluth tool bag has hammers, chisels, and small pry bars on one side and weird bits like a Clamptite tool and splicing wands on the other; two more silica packs. I have a bunch of canvas bags, each with a silica pack, for electrical, rigging, plumbing, glass work, and things that don't categorize well. 

Parts and spares go in Lock-n-Locks in an adjacent locker. Long term spares are vacuum sealed before going in the box. Everything is labeled.


----------



## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

dhays said:


> Sounds good, but then where do you put all the crap that has nowhere else to live? My Nav station desk has an assortment of keys, pens, knives, whipping line, tide books, stereo remote, Sampson Brade splicing set, charging chords, tape measurer, and a bunch of other stuff that seemed important at one time...


Amazing, that's exactly the same list as in my nav desk. Oh, and add Headlamp, handheld VHF, a multi-screwdriver (only it's not so multi anymore as the flat bladed bit fell overboard and sank), remotes for the TV and Blu-ray, spare AA and AAA batteries, tool for opening the caps on fuel/water tanks.


----------



## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

Nav station- the nautical equivalent of the kitchen junk drawer.


----------



## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

Canvas bag with mechanics tools. Ratchets, wrenches, etc. sorted into smaller canvas bags to make them easier to find. A tackle box for electrical tools, meter, connectors, etc. and two plastic parts trays. One for a selection of stainless fasteners, the other for brass fasteners. The whole works goes into a cockpit locker but is a pain to hoist out (heavy).

On the shelf behind the nav station goes #1 & #2 phillips and two sizes of standard screwdrivers. Marine Swiss Army knife, a Leatherman and a flashlight. That little stash takes care of the small jobs so I don't have to pull out the big tool bag.

This winter the bag is getting replaced by a teak tool locker that will be built into the open space under the v-berth cutout. It will also serve as a step for the wife to get into the v-berth.


----------



## Cherie320 (Aug 13, 2010)

Sears sells low profile plastic tool boxes that are designed to fit under a car or truck seat. They work well for separating parts and tools by type. They are available in small, medium and large sizes so you can fit the space available. There are some items that are too large for this type box, so a bag is needed to hold the odd shaped tools. 

Cheers - Pat


----------



## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

bljones said:


> Nav station- the nautical equivalent of the kitchen junk drawer.


It is not referred to as a JUNK drawer, its official appellation is *Dad's* drawer. 

One of my long standing, unfulfilled ambitions is to do a tool storage setup like I once saw in a photo of a very high end boat - a Hinckley or Swan IIRC. It had a stack of drawers in the side of the chart table, opening into the passageway. Each drawer was custom fitted with specific tools - a screwdriver drawer, a combination wrench drawer etc. The tools were fitted into custom shaped recesses and then it was covered in fabric or flocking or something.

Absolutely custom and deluxe and gorgeous and foolproof.

Building one has now progressed to my bucket list.


----------



## lancelot9898 (Dec 30, 2008)

Hi Leslie,

I keep the tools in 2 small plastic tool boxes that are stored in the cabin behind the setee. One tool box contains tools that are used frequently and the other not so much. Another plastic storage container is also kept in the same location which contains screws and clamps and odds and ends. One tool that is kept out and available for immediate use is a screw driver with multiple attachments. A hammer is kept in its own unique location as is the 5 lb sledge for those difficult jobs.


----------



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Sloop, I've seen that kind of arrangement but I realise that when I'm working on something I invariably take tool box or bag up on deck. The drawer thing sounds nice, looks fabulous, but I'm not sure how practical the setup would prove to be.

We have a nice space under the centreline seat of the dinette. I keep a number of those storage containers that Cherie320 mentioned earlier and three plastic tool boxes of different sizes in there. Intend changing at least some of the tool boxes into soft tool bags. One box is exclusively spanners (wrenches) but finding the right size is irritating so intend wrapping spanners by metric and imperial. 

I don't bother putting protective gunk on tools. I find that good quality chromed tools seem to stand up pretty well. I do line tool boxes with absorbent cloth.


----------



## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

One drawer for common screwdrivers and emergency stuff. Canvas gym back for ele trical all in zip lock, another canvas for pipe plumping stuff, another for power tools. All stow easily in one of the sections behind one of the setee bvacks I have dedicated for tools and spare parts. I also have a small canvas bag I put the tools I need to do the job should I have to do the unthinkable acnd dive to the depths of the lazarett to work on something like the stuffing box or steering quadrant deep in the bowels of the stern.

Dave


----------



## captflood (Jan 1, 2011)

GREETINGS EARTHLINGS I use childs butty boxes lots of different colours and all about the same size. they are cheap and held closed with a off-cut from an lod inertube tyer. Brass bits . stainless screws, Sail fittings. Running riging, standing rigging, engine tools, engine spears. bungy and ends,Electrical repair, and electrical testing equip. all small and very stackable into little places on the boat and they are cheap. GO SAFE !


----------



## arisatx (Sep 2, 2004)

kb3pwc said:


> For the past few years we have used a commercially available black and red tool bag (satchel shape) that includes side pockets on the outside and the inner portion of the satchel holds the larger tools but I have to say, it is not an easy to use solution and it is hard to stow.
> 
> How do you organize and store your tools? There are so many approaches from hard tool boxes, pockets that are rolled up, trays that have slots for each tool. It needs to be functional for storage, easy to handle with visibility for accessing tools. Your thoughts and ideas are so needed...
> 
> ...


Leslie:
We use a Veto Pro Pac XL tool bag - not inexpensive, but bulletproof and well thought out:










While not specifically in the "tool" category, for shackles, big thimbles, we find these canvas "parachute" bags pretty handy:


----------



## sailordave (Jun 26, 2001)

SloopJonB said:


> It is not referred to as a JUNK drawer, its official appellation is *Dad's* drawer.


+10! 

I have one of those in my house!


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

I used to keep mothballs with my tools since they sublimate and leave a coating that locks rust. But apparently those vapors are not good to breath in any quantity so I splurged on some 3M "chips" that are sold to block corrosion the same way. They look like waxy yellow postage stamps, you scatter them around the things/places where you want to discourage rust and replace them as they melt away.
Sold in tool specialty shops and as shooting/gunsmith supplies, and they seem to work very well, in the usual 3M fashion. If all else fails--call 3M, they can tell you where to buy any of their products.


----------



## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

hellosailor said:


> I used to keep mothballs with my tools since they sublimate and leave a coating that locks rust. But apparently those vapors are not good to breath in any quantity so I splurged on some 3M "chips" that are sold to block corrosion the same way. They look like waxy yellow postage stamps, you scatter them around the things/places where you want to discourage rust and replace them as they melt away.
> Sold in tool specialty shops and as shooting/gunsmith supplies, and they seem to work very well, in the usual 3M fashion. If all else fails--call 3M, they can tell you where to buy any of their products.


Has anyone tried a bag of silica gel in their toolbox? It SHOULD, according to its reputation, keep things dry and it can be baked to reactivate it when it has absorbed all the moisture it can.


----------



## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Silica gel works in sealed containers. So unless your tool box is a Pelican case...odds are it is just the wrong application for silica gel. If the box can breath, the gel will absorb all it can but the sea will patiently keep supplying more moisture.


----------



## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

hellosailor said:


> Silica gel works in sealed containers. So unless your tool box is a Pelican case...odds are it is just the wrong application for silica gel. If the box can breath, the gel will absorb all it can but the sea will patiently keep supplying more moisture.


HS is correct. Silica gel just reduces moisture in an enclosed space until saturated. Oxygen absorbers (iron powder) might do a better job as oxygen IS what rusts metal, though they will eventually "saturate" as well. My guess is that since they are a rusting metal themselves they will remain able to absorb oxygen for longer than silica gel will remain useful.

https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/...ng_your_own_food_storage/oxygen_absorbers.htm

Medsailor


----------



## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

I always thought a soft bag would be better than a hard box due to the unusual shape of the limited storage areas. During my first season on the boat I used this cheapo bag from Harbor Freight:

​
...but as the year went on and more tools made a one-way trip from my house to the boat, I needed more room and a heavier, more durable bag. After a lot of shopping around, I went all-out and got this sizeable, very hefty bag from Home Depot:

​
I really like the tool wall in the middle and pockets around the side, because I can see all the tools from above instead of having to dig through a pile. The heavy rubber feet prevent the bag from sliding off the cabin top when I need to take the bag topsides.

As for moisture prevention, I assumed that silica gel and other small preventers would not last inside the bag because of the way the bag breathes. The solution for me was to minimize moisture throughout the boat with a dehumidifier when on shore power, and DampRid canisters when on the hard. I've posted about the dehumidifier in another thread. Since I'm just a daysailor, I don't spend enough time at sea to worry about moisture while away from shore power.


----------



## billmwright (Dec 19, 2011)

Silica Gel will absorb moisture (weather it's enclosed or not). If you use enough of it (larger volumes) it will work in a large area. Also for smaller areas and being on your sail boat it might be best to get something that is moisture indicating (you can see color change when absorbed) and a product that you get extras in a zipper seal moisture barrier bag so you can keep them handy to use. Try something like this:

Dry-Packs by Absorbent Industries - Moisture Absorbing Silica Gel Indicating Packets (Desiccant) - SilicaGelPackets.com


----------



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Shot of the storage on the Womboat. Soft bags instead of hard boxes would make it easier to pack and allow a bit more room. Large organisers are under the three boxes, largest box is under the small organisers. I keep power tools elsewhere.










ps - Sloop ... ref your dig at Stanley ... I can only agree. They were once the ant's pants but honestly the stuff I see today is just rubbish. I even bought cheap copies of Stanley organisers cos they were quite obviously better than the real thing.


----------

