I saw an interesting post on the Core77 website about a tool storage system devised by a forum participant at Lumberjocks. It consists of plywood boxes that function as drawers in the shop and tool bins when removed and hauled to the jobsite. I can see why the inventor is not keen on using lidded boxes in the shop because opening lids is an extra step. His boxes definitely make sense as drawers, though the idea of hauling tools to the jobsite in open top bins is not that appealing. What would be cool is if the tools stored in modular inserts that could be pulled from the drawers and dropped into any of the modular toolboxes currently available—kind of like what DeWalt does with its stackable mechanics tool sets and Festool does with its Tool Organizer (a wooden tool carrier that fits inside a Sys 4 Systainer). This would give you the best of both worlds—easy access in the shop and a good way to transport tools to the jobsite. Read more.
