A little scrap and a new wrench holder

[firbikrhd1]

This little project doesn't require any great precision, high skill, nor is it particularly exciting or complex, but it may motivate others to organize their shops or give birth to some new ideas. I hope so!

Recently I acquired some new ratcheting combination wrenches and needed to incorporate them into my already overcrowded tool box. I also had some beat up aluminum scrap that's been kicking around the shop for years that I was tired of moving from place to place, so, this project was born.

Initially I turned some of the scrap aluminum into time consuming scrap aluminum because it took a couple of tries to get the geometry right. (lets call it a learning experience) Mostly, this is because I just started drawing and cutting without giving adequate thought to what the bends would do to the angle of the spaces, therefore I have included a picture of the flat stock cut out before bending to save anyone who might want to do something similar a little aggravation.


Flat stock ready for bending




Completed holder


Holder with wrenches


Finished!

[lynnl]

I like that!

May have to take a go at making some of those myself. Maybe some wall hangers for various tools, files, screwdrivers, etc. ...maybe w/some modifications, e.g. holes.

[toolznthings]

Hello,

That's some real thinking !! Love it, great idea !
Thanks for posting.

Brian

[v860rich]

Nice..I like that alot.
How about some dimensions?

THANX RICH

People say I'm getting crankier as I get older. That's not it. I just find I enjoy annoying people a lot more now. Especially younger people!!!

[firbikrhd1]

Nice..I like that alot.
How about some dimensions?

THANX RICH

The dimensions are flexible depending on the wrenches the holder is for. What I did was lay my wrenches out on top of the aluminum sheet and use a pencil to mark where the tabs would be for the box ends and where the spaces would be for the wrench handles toward the open end.

The width of the tabs at the box end is dependent on the smallest wrench that will fit that particular tab. Then, using the shortest handle of the two larger wrenches and the shortest handle of the two smallest wrenches as a guide, mark where the spaces will be. Then draw a line on an angle between those two points. Mark the width of each handle space using the larger of the two wrenches that will be in each position. The height of the tabs is dependent on the thickness of the wrenches. In my case I used 1" high tabs for the box end and 3/4" high tabs for the wrench handles at the open ends.

I hope this is understandable. If you take a close look at the first picture in the post you will get an idea of how I went about doing the above.

I cut my pieces out on a band saw and used files to clean up the edges. No doubt the pieces could be machined on a mill, with or without CNC.

[v860rich]

Thanks for the reply, makes sense to me.
Is the angle of the open end about 45 degrees?

THANX RICH

People say I'm getting crankier as I get older. That's not it. I just find I enjoy annoying people a lot more now. Especially younger people!!!

[firbikrhd1]

Thanks for the reply, makes sense to me.
Is the angle of the open end about 45 degrees?

THANX RICH

In the case of these wrenches the angle is a little more than 45 degrees. The angle will vary depending on the difference in length between your longest and shortest wrenches and how many wrench spaces are needed between them.

[v860rich]

Thanks again.

THANX RICH

People say I'm getting crankier as I get older. That's not it. I just find I enjoy annoying people a lot more now. Especially younger people!!!

[Dawai]

Hi. Do you have a life sized jpg we could "trace" with a plasma cutter? Ie print out to scale and resketch on stock?

Only mod a Georgia hillbilly would make would be a flapper doodle and a spring, perhaps a handle on the end to hang it all up.

[chevy3755]

good information....thanks

[firbikrhd1]

Hi. Do you have a life sized jpg we could "trace" with a plasma cutter? Ie print out to scale and resketch on stock?

Only mod a Georgia hillbilly would make would be a flapper doodle and a spring, perhaps a handle on the end to hang it all up.

Actually I do have a full sized .jpg because the picture of the cutout I posted is a scan of the part that was reduced to fit this site. If you provide me an email I'll send it to you. The only caveat is, as mentioned above, the size, angle, tab and space sizes are all variable depending on the wrenches you plan to use it for.

I seldom have the need to take the holder out of my tool box, however I can see where a simple handle that stuck up slightly above the height of the stacked wrenches would be handy if you wanted to carry the holder as a wrench tray to the job. I guess the spring/flapperdoodle would be useful if you plan to carry the wrenches in your truck over bumpy GA roads.
Steve