The Tool Tower

I'm pretty proud of this build!

Meet the Tool Tower (not to be mistaken for the Trump Tower:-) I've made this so I can easily reach the tools I use the most. Also, I found this design to room a whole range of different utilities. There are even spots open for quirky needs, you'll see what I mean in later steps…

By "hiding" larger parts of the tools inside the tower, I save real estate space. If I was to hang this selection on the wall it would take up a lot of space, now most are stored inside but simple to pull out and use.

Supplies

The main structure is welded together with square tubing 2 cm and solid pipes for connecting. 90° angles were used for holding the drawers.

The outer shell is made up of leftover wood scraps, same goes with the drawers.

Rubber Swivel Castor Wheels X4

Tools, make it your tower by adding the tools you use the most.

Step 1: Inspiration

It's no surprise I'm a big fan of Adam Savage. His storage solutions and tool racks have been a great inspiration. I've included two of them here. Also, check out my Pinterest board, Storage… BONANZA!

Model-Making Toolboxes (Adam explains how he designed his unique metal toolboxes…)

Podcast: Shop Storage Schemes – 6/30/2015

Step 2: The Skeleton

I needed this to be rock solid! It should handle being wheeled around and not fall over. The weight of all the tools is unknown, but it will increase over time so welding this was the only option.

The base is left open for drawers while the top has four sides that attach with screws on all 4 corners.

Step 3: The Walls

So this is the unique function of the Tool Tower, 4 walls to hold the most used tools I reach for every day. The walls are angled at 12 degrees. The leaning in of the plates makes the tools less likely to fall off.

Step 4: The Top Shelf

This is like a top hat, top of mind kind of storage. I keep rulers, templates, pens, glue sticks etc up here. I made some hangers for safety equipment and I attached a phone holder for video recordings and a flashlight for extra lighting when needed.

It can get messy, like my own top hat, so this space needs a clean up once in a while:-)

Step 5: When the Going Gets… Dirty…

Maybe my most frequently used item, paper towel for cleaning both my hands and glue/paint spill. I took a piece of a used bandsaw blade and curled it up inside a hole for the paper to be dragged through and easily ripped off one-handed.

Changing the paper is done by lifting the hinged panel, smart right!?
(From the initial design, the hinged panel now opens at the top but could be opened below if needed.)

Step 6: It's the Inside That Counts!

The tools protruding the plywood panels are given a lot of space, don't want them to touch and get tangled. This is where the paper towel sits and threads in the bucket rolls freely.

Step 7: Wheels Baby, Wheeeeeels!

The four wheels I had worked great, they are a little soft and makes the tower easy to move around the shop. The costers aren't big but still large enough. Should I see a weight issue and the wheels come to a halt, I could always size up:-)

Step 8: Drawers Needed…

For the base, I saw drawers to be really useful. This is where I could store spare tools and extra parts. One is dedicated to sanding paper. They are small enough so stuff doesn't get lost, but might be a little deep. The bottom drawer takes up the full space available, larger parts get to live here.

Step 9: Wall 1: Angles, Rulers, Files, Saws and Silly Stuff

Step 10: Wall 2: Screw Bit, Drill Tools, Sanders Etc

Step 11: Wall 3: Screw Drivers, Hammers, Pliers Etc

Step 12: Wall 4: Planning, Tape, Glue, Lubricants, Knife and Clamps

Step 13: One More Thing, or Three… Silly Stuff

As always I've added a wide range of unnecessary stuff. Well the handle is pretty useful and used a lot. For the other things, I'll go into detail in the list below:

Step 14: My Buddy, My Tool Tower

I use this every day, and there is still room for add ons. So in the years to come, this will roll with me and stand by my side:-)

Oh, the next version will have an alarm going off whenever I forget to put the tool I use back in its place… I'm probably the only one doing this…

Please follow along over at my instagram: @smogdog when I take the Tool Tower for a spin!