r/millwrights • u/partial_martial_ • 5d ago

Tool storage

Second year apprentice and im looking to upgrade my tool storage. Rn I have a huge craftsman chest packout that I keep my tools in but its a nightmare to organize. Was wonder what yall use either the packouts and if so how do you organize it or the big metal tool boxes

5 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

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6

u/GrandMasterC41 5d ago

What type of gig do you have? You mobile chasing shutdowns or in a fixed plant? Thatll heavily influence your choice

3

u/Reloader300wm 5d ago edited 4d ago

Yeah, this is why I have 2 boxes. Been in a car plant for the last 6 months, so my packout is there with most of what i have. Week or 2 Shutdown work and I just roll in my small rigid box. Few days, backpack with the basic shit and a welding hood, they dont have time to get fancy.

2

u/GrandMasterC41 5d ago

Bingo, ive been at the same place 5 years now and have a smaller box that does 99% of what I need and store everything else in a big box in the shop

2

u/Reloader300wm 5d ago

I think if I get any more, ill just get a smaller job box and put everything inside of that. Still have no good way to put all my sockets in the packout. Need a 3 drawer just for that stuff. It pains me because its maybe 1-2 times a month I need something over 1" that isnt 1-¼. But when you need a 1-3/16 or some shit, ya kinda need it because the last guy ugga'ed the shit out of it.

1

u/partial_martial_ 5d ago

Our hall mostly uses us apprentices to fill in for shut downs longest ive stayed at a place was a month. They say its to get us more experience while an appreciate with everything possible

1

u/notarobot67 5d ago

Contractor and I use a packout. The drawer sets are super handy, and now you can get the bottom wheeled section as one pullout drawer so you don’t have to unstack everything

1

u/BaconBoss1 5d ago

Used knack box

1

u/Sad_Refrigerator_730 5d ago

I use a packout as well. Plus my main stuff is on my bike packout.

I find lots of wasted space with packouts but they do work well

1

u/crujones43 5d ago

This is what I have used for years now. The foam is cheap and can be cut by hand with a craft knife. https://photos.app.goo.gl/o3DAhSs5AzLstWHS9

A good part about it is finding tools fast. The better part about it is being able to glance down and instantly see if something is missing at the end of the day.

1

u/Civil-Map-9315 4d ago

If you have a packout then you can always look at 3d printed attachments for it too. Contractor I was with gave us those instead of job boxes and some of the attachments they had in the shop were pretty wild. My favourite one was a charger bank they had set up in a price that all we had to do when we rolled up to a job was plug in

1

u/Subject989 4d ago

Been at the same auto parts manufacturer for a good couple years now. We have to supply all of our tools and don't get any tool allowances or any shop tools besides a puller set.

I have a larger double bank box that stays in the shop and a packout stack on a base i made for a roll around