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What’s the best way to store power tools

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Welcome back. Our last article was on how to clean your power tools and hand tools. 

In this article, we will share with you a few ideas on how to store power tools as well as hand tools. If you are a construction professional or just a family handyman with a tool belt and a lot of tools in the garage these storage tips should give you some ideas on how to best organize tools and make them clearly visible which will save you both time and space that you could use for getting that project done. Not to mention, it’s going to look so cool when it’s finished that you might want to use it in your project portfolio.

We have put together this guide in the hopes that you’ll take the time to get organized if you’re not already or better organized than you may already be. The time you spend now to do this will pay off handsomely with the time you save in the future. Nobody wants to be searching endlessly for a spark plug socket or tearing up the garage looking for that 3/8’’ socket. Knowing where everything is will free you up both mentally and physically to do what you do best. Now obviously there are more than a few methods that all work. What you’ll find below are just a few ideas on what we think are the most efficient as well as aesthetically pleasing.

This guide will focus on three main areas:

• First, How to store your power tools and hand tools enclosed
• Second, How to store your power tools and hand tools openly
• Third, How to create your own fully functional storage station for your power tools & hand tools

How to store your power tools and hand tools enclosed

The number one enemy you need to stay on guard for is rust which can be caused by humidity or by storing tools that are still dirty and moist after use. Storing your tool collection in an enclosed manner (in their original cases and or tool chests) has many benefits and should be utilized if your tool storage system is in any type of environment that has humidity issues such as a garage or trailer that isn’t heated or air-conditioned. One thing to keep in mind is that harsh temperature changes can have an adverse effect on circular saws and other power tools. You may want to consider investing in an air de-humidifier. They are relatively inexpensive and they don’t consume very much electricity which makes it a very useful little soldier to stand sentry against rust and corrosion. This would also apply to tool storage lockers if they are in an enclosed space.

One of the main benefits of keeping your tools, cordless drills, and drill bits in their original cases with storage guides or stored in toolboxes and tool chests is that you’ll be able to transport them easily and you’ll know where everything is. Just about all power tools whether they be corded or cordless have tough cases with snap-in placements for the tool as well as the accessories so they don’t go all over the place when you’re transporting them. This is the same for drill bit sets. When it comes to individual hand tools such as pliers, screwdrivers, and hammers you’ll want to make sure that you have a toolbox that has a tool organizer and enough space to hold what you’ve got and that it is very durable with heavy-duty latches that don’t break off easily. There are many like this on the market but the one we highly recommend is the DEWALT TOUGH SYSTEM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGSOHWFmuVI

Their first run of these had a few issues but they have improved tremendously in 2020 making them the top choice in storage options. They also come in different sizes, are stackable and there’s a dolly you can purchase to carry them all at once. You can fit a cordless power tool such as cordless drills and miter saws in the bigger cases and everything else like blades, bits, and hand tools in the smaller ones basically making this a tool garage on wheels. They’re even planning on including power strips in next year’s model!

No matter which toolbox or tool case you have there will always come a time where your stuff is going to roll around inside of it. This causes confusion and wasted time as well as a lot of unneeded noise. There are a few tools storage ideas to remedy this situation. One thing that we highly recommend is to always line your toolbox/case with a rubber-type shelf liner or thin pile carpet. A rubber shelf liner will help keep your tools from rolling around and a thin pile carpet cut to size will do that as well but cut down more on the noise factor. Either one will work just fine or if space allows you can utilize both. Another idea that works well and costs little to nothing is to cover your tools with a shop rag or two before closing the lid. If you’re using something on the bottom and the top there’s no movement and no noise. You should label the boxes or plastic compartments to distinguish between drill bits, screws, washers, etc.

How to store your power tools and hand tools openly

When it comes to storing tools openly we suggest something similar to the French cleat method which is the tried and true method of using a pegboard on the wall with brackets for organizing and storing your tools. There are several reasons to do this but the most common is that a good storage rack saves space and allows you to organize power tools and hand tools in a very easy to locate. However, as stated above you’ll want to take extra special care to protect against humidity if you’re going to be utilizing this pegboard method of garage storage. Extreme heat and extreme cold can cause a great deal of humidity which brings rust and corrosion. Make sure that you invest in a dehumidifier to protect your investment.

Installing pegboard is rather easy and the tools you’ll need are a screw gun, a level, and a jigsaw. The materials you’ll need are the pegboard and its’ accessories as well as some lathe screws.

Step 1

Locate your wall studs taking into account that you’ll need a little space behind to accommodate the pegboard accessories and mounting pegs. If this is being installed over drywall you’ll need to use a stud finder and mark the area with your findings.

Step 2

You’ll want to measure the distance between studs and cut out some 2’’ x 1’’ strips of wood to be used on all the edges and also vertically between studs and attach them to the studs using 3’’ stud screws.

Step 3

You’ll want to measure any electrical outlets and switches and use a jigsaw to cut them out of the pegboard making sure that the trim plate will cover the opening.

Step 4

Cut the pegboard to the size you need with a circular saw or a table saw and mount it to the wall with your screw gun using your lathe screws. The reason you want to use lathe screws is that they have a large washer head which will stop the pegboard from weakening and tearing when you’re hanging heavier tools on it.

Step 5

Install magnetic toolbars for hanging wrenches, sockets, and other metal tools and metal rails for hanging heavier tools. This is a crucial step because pegboard is only 3/16’’ thick and won’t be able to handle a lot of weight in any one particular spot. So basically you’re going to use a metal rail system that has holes every inch so you can attach them to the studs by again using your lathe screws. Metal rail systems come with plastic rail covers which are good to utilize as well for smaller tools.

Step 5

This is where you can incorporate any other type of tool cabinet or workbench to the area and really take advantage of the extra space that you’ll have by using the pegboard. If the pegboard is white you can add a fresh coat of white enamel gloss paint to the cabinet and workbench making it look better and easier to clean.

Step 6

Add your pegboard accessories that come in a fairly wide range of hangers, baskets, plastic bin, hooks, and loops to accommodate any hand and power tool items you have to hang. For drill bits, you can use a piece of PVC cut on an angle and attached to the pegboard like a holding cup.

Step 7

Start your power tools storage organizing while having a beer and listening to some good 70’s classic rock. The beer and music aren’t necessary but they make it a lot more fun. How you hang tools is up to you based on what makes sense to you. We recommend though trying to implement some sort of tool organizing ideas such as hanging all of your long garden tools in one long area, your cordless tools in an area of easy access and your strips and rail system together but again this is completely up to you to come up with your own storage ideas

How to create your own fully functional storage station for your power tools & hand tools

For this part, we’re going to post a video that we think is by far the best power tool storage rack system and the coolest looking one we’ve ever seen. You can use pegboard on the inside if you want to. It shows a completed cordless drill storage cabinet complete with battery charging stations. The video has instructions that are pretty straightforward and require a little bit of time to put together but we feel it is the absolute best in power tool storage ideas.    Here you go, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvqNDPSkfUw

We hope that these organizing ideas have been helpful to you and hope that you use this information to keep your tools stored in a manner that is effective and gives you a sense of pride in ownership.

What’s the best way to clean power tools

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Whether you are a licensed contractor with a crew or workers or just a do it yourself handyman, one key aspect of tool ownership has to be that of cleaning and maintenance. You’ve all heard the saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This saying is meant as a call to look after your health but it can very aptly be applied to removing the rust your tool collection as well as your bits and blades. If you take a few minutes to clean power tools you work with on a regular basis they’ll not only look and function better but they will undoubtedly last longer.

When purchasing a new power tool such as a cordless drill, an impact wrench tool or any kind of oscillating tools the tool manufacturers are usually really good about including user manuals and data sheets but you won’t generally see much information in regards to cleaning and maintenance other than a cursory sentence or two. Knowing how to effectively clean your tools and keep them that way will prolong the life of the tool while saving you hard-earned money in not having to keep replacing them with new ones. All that’s needed to clean the tools and remove rust in most cases are a few basic hand clean items, some compressed air, and some elbow grease.

We have put together this guide to help you know what methods work best to clean and remove rust from your power tools as well as your hand tools. If you do this on a regular basis you’ll find that your tools not only look like new again but they function at their best when they are stripped of all the grease and gunk that accumulate over any given period of time. Cleaning your tools isn’t just handy, it’s smart.

This guide will focus on three main areas:

• First, How to clean hand tools
• Second, How to clean power tools
• Third, How to clean drill bits and saw blades

How to clean hand tools

When it comes to cleaning your hand tools such as screwdrivers, hammers, and pliers there are a few methods out there as well as a host of different products to use. For this guide, we’ll focus on the method that we feel works the best. The following method for cleaning your tools is pretty straightforward and relatively simple. A little bit of elbow grease and patience and you’ll be amazed by the results you’ll get when you clean the tools properly.

What you’ll need for this method is:

• Simple Green All-Purpose cleaner or a similar cleaner/degreaser
• Wire brush or steel wool
• Bucket
• Soft rag
• WD40 or some other type of corrosion protector

Directions

1. Fill a bucket halfway with hot water, then add your cleaner to fill in the rest of the way
2. Simply put your tools in the bucket and let them soak for around 10 minute
3. Remove the tools and dry with a soft rag using compressed air to clean out any gear
4. You may still see some rust or debris that you can take off with a wire brush or steel wool
5. For older tools, you may need to repeat this process and replace worn grips if needed
6. Always dry the tools after cleaning & apply just a dab of 4 in 1 oil or some corrosion protector before storage
7. You can clean your power cords by using a rag lightly dipped in your cleaner and held tightly in your hand and running the power cords thru it.

How to clean power tools

When it comes to cleaning your power tools such as your Dewalt cordless power drill or impact wrench or your Milwaukee reciprocating saw you’re going to want to take extra special caution in protecting the motor casing and open or exposed parts of machinery as well as any cables. It is a good idea to have the tool manufacturers’ guide or data sheets handy just in case. It’s always a good idea to use a toothpick or Q-tip for these areas. For the body, you’ll be using the same formula as above without putting it directly in the bucket. Don’t be afraid to apply your cleaner to clean power tools and get to it. Just don’t submerge it in the liquid as this can easily damage the motor and electrical parts.

What you’ll need for this method is: Simple green All Purpose cleaner or a similar cleaner/degreaser

• Wire brush or steel wool
• Bucket
• Soft rag
• Toothpicks / Q-tips
• WD40 or 4 in 1 oil
• Air compressor or a can of compressed air

Directions

1. Always make sure that the tool is not connected to any power source or battery
2. Use an air compressor or a can of compressed air to get rid of any dust and debris. You may have build up in the harder to see or vented areas
3. Fill a bucket halfway with hot water. Add your cleaner to fill in the rest of the way
4. Use a wire brush with your cleaning solution and steel wool to remove rust. Scrub lightly to avoid putting any scratches in your tool
5. For the little nooks and crannies and vents, you’ll want to use a toothpick or a Q-tip
6. Wipe off with a soft rag and repeat if necessary
7. You may want to replace worn rubber grips if they’re really torn up. This method works really well to get them clean and non-sticky
8. You can use corrosion protector like WD40 to apply lightly to the metal parts
9. You can clean the power cords by running them thru a rag dipped in a little of the cleaner. This is the same for power cords too. Just make sure they’re dry before you plug them back in to use
10. You can use this method for bigger tools also such as a 1’’ impact wrench or an air compressor.

How to clean drill bits and saw blades

Up until now what we’ve shown you isn’t very complicated. When it comes to cleaning your power drill bits and saw blades the method is pretty simple and straightforward but it is however important to note that cleaning your drill bits and saw blades is not the same thing as sharpening them. This requires a different process that you can do yourself but we recommend having your high-end saw blades such as Tenryu sent out to a company that actually specializes in sharpening saw blades. We’ll give some insight into both here and let you make your own decision. Having a sharp saw blade or a sharp drill bit will cut a lot faster and cleaner which saves you time. Never forget though that a dirty blade or drill bit can leave its mark of roughness on your surface. So keeping your blades and bits clean is just as important as keeping them sharp.

As far as cleaning here’s what you’ll need for this method:

• Simple Green or any All Purpose cleaner or a dedicated bit & blade cleaner like CMT formula 2050. Important tip – a citrus-based cleaner will work very quickly to dissolve pitch, gum, and tar.
• A shallow pan or a 5-gallon container lid
• Brass wire brush, a softer tooth style brush style
• A regular style tougher type wire brush
• Rag or heavy-duty paper towels
• File, or popsicle stick & sandpaper (coarse & fine)

Directions

1. Place the blade or bit/s into the shallow pan or lid and fill it up with the cleaning solution you’ve chosen
2. Let it soak in there for around ten minutes to soften the build-up of pitch, tar & gum
3. Next, remove the blade or drill bit and set it on the rag or paper towel
4. Now take your soft wire brush and clean the cutting edges by stroking outward from the center
5. Next, rinse it off with just a little bit of clear water and pat it dry with a rag or if you prefer you can let it air dry
6. The process is the same for blades and regular type drill bits but when it comes to router bits you’ll need to take off the bearing so your cleaner can remove some of the grease and gunk that’s in there
7. You should be able to spin that bit freely by holding the bearing with your fingers and spinning it. If it doesn’t spin freely, you’ll want to lubricate that bearing until it does
8. For longer bits such as Auger bits, you can use a thin tube such as PVC tubing instead of a shallow pan and after soaking a while you’ll want to use a tougher wire brush to get off any rust or debris left on the bit. This may take a little while and some elbow grease
9. You may want to remove the set screw from the tip and soak that also or you can replace worn set screws with new ones pretty inexpensively.
10. Once you’ve cleaned the bit and dried it with a rag you can sharpen it with either a dedicated Auger bit file, a regular file or even sandpaper that you can glue to a small thin piece of wood such as a popsicle stick with a coarse grit on one side and fine on the other
11. One thing to keep in mind when sharpening Auger bits is you never want to sharpen the outside edges of the cutting spurs as it reduces the diameter of the bit which would cause the bit to bind up as the diameter would be different at that end of the bit. Make sure you have data sheets or notes on the precise sizes
12. When you’re filing the spurs keep your file to the inside and sharpen them to a fine edge which will result in a much cleaner hole
13. Sharpen the cutting edges of the rest of the bit in the same manner by filing on the inside until a nice sharp edge is produced
14. You can really get a good clean screw tip by taking your power drill and drilling a hole into some wood just slightly before the spurs are engaged and then putting a little oil into the hole and repeat the drilling into that hole.

We hope that this guide has been helpful to you and hope that you use this information to keep your tools clean and keep them working far beyond the normal consumer cycle. For more info on buying power tools online check out COMPLETE GUIDE TO BUYING POWER TOOLS ONLINE IN 2020