Classic & Vintage - What's on your stand or close at hand

I have all my tools laying around my workbench, but am only using a few most of the time while I work on my bikes. For example, I keep going to the 8,9,10, & 15mm combo wrenchs allen wrenches and screwdrivers, but I have to keep digging them out of my tool box which has all my other tools (imperial & metric sockets etc). I set one wrench down and it instantly dissappears into the mix.

In short, I need a more efficient setup. I'm willing to go buy a few select tools to keep right there dedicated for bike use to make my life easier. I may just mount a coffee can to the leg of the work bench if necessary to hold bike tools.

How can I get the biggest bang for the buck?

What tool do you reach for 90% of the time?

What do you keep on your stand or close at hand?

All of my allen wrenches are in Bondhus plastic sleeves, keeping them all together and organized. When I'm working, I put my box of often used tools right next to me on a chair, keeping everything close at hand.

As for getting the biggest bang for your buck, only buy bike tools you need. Keep them separate from all other tools in your garage/shop/workspace.

Generic tools:

4mm, 5mm, 6mm T-handle hex wrenches, same in L-shaped.
5-14mm sockets, screwdriver-style handle, small ratchet, one extension.
Small adjustable wrench.
Small needlenose pliers.
Diagonal cutter.
Dremel for cable housings.

(Harbor Freight/Northern Tool are your friends there).

Bike specific:

Hozan lock ring tool.
Park pedal wrench.
Park chain whip.
Cone wrenches.
Sheldon-designed fixed cup removal tool.
Shimano and Suntour freewheel tools.
Park crank puller.
(and new yesterday, MKS pedal cap wrench)

Those and all the finishing/polishing stuff...

All are where they belong when not in use.

http://www.jaysmarine.com/tools_1.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/workshop.jpg

-Kurt

My work area is my front porch and when its too hot or too cold it moves inside to my bar room.

My tools have a mobile home in the form of One large box for the non-bike specific tools and a smaller box for the bike specific tools and the tools (like allen wrenches) that I use most frequently on bikes. That way if I go to a bike ride or to a friend's house to work on a bike I can just throw that one little toolbox in the car or on my rack and I've got all my bike tools.

All are where they belong when not in use.


-Kurt

What he said.

The main thing for me has been learning to put everything back in its place - Not just on a hook or in a drawer, but on a specific hook and in a specific spot in that drawer. That way I don't have to search for anything.

my stuff is all over my patio....
I have some of my dads tools alot of crapsman tools. I wish i could use the good snap on stuff my mom has....

cudak888 love your set up.... one of these days ill have a setup like that.

I do as DRietz suggested, I keep a separate tool box of dedicated "for bike use" tools, and all my bike specific tools (ie. Park, etc). I keep a 6 foot tall tool chest/roll away combo organized with my hand and automotive tools. I don't need to break it open often. The bike tool box is convenient and organized neatly. It's also portable if I must toss it into the trunk. I know I'm stocked.
It's a Craftsman 3-draw portable tool box. Wrenches on the bottom, hex keys and freewheel, chain tools and screwdrivers in the middle, bearings, patch kit, small spare parts and chemicals in the top. The top shelf is more spare parts and loose temporary items. I keep the items in plastic boxes that I recycled from the Chinese take out restaurant. :D
Everything is close at hand, and goes back to their place once done.
Over the decades, I've learned it's worth the expense to get tools organized.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2565/4078871177_27d2a36fbf_b.jpg

cudak888 love your set up.... one of these days ill have a setup like that.

It takes time, dedication, and money - but it is worth every bit of effort in the end.

Believe me - I broke my back working in this mess:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/workarea_1.jpg

Took 2 years, but now it looks like this:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/workshop_2.jpg

-Kurt

What do you keep on your stand or close at hand?

A shambles of tools and parts. Terrible.



What tool do you reach for 90% of the time?

The one that cannot be found. I'm a disappointment.

Perhaps I need a tool box with drawers. I do have a specific smaller box just for bike-specific tools, spoke wrench, crank puller, diagnal cutters, hex set and the mighty crescent wrench. But I find I sometimes need/want sockets and combo wrenches for brake work or saddle swaps where the mighty crescent wrench is just too bulky, those are in my automotive tool box which is over-crowed. Still it seems I only use a few of those tools in the set. I suppose having more tools than fit easily into your tool box is a good problems to have.

Kurt, WNG, DRietz, and Keith are highly inspirational.

We are remodeling our basement, so absolutely nothing is where it should be.

I ripped out 20+ feet of workbench space last week. It's going to go back in when we are finished, but who knows when that might be.

I still have my Craftsmen double high next to the stand though. Park Tool stool as well.

My Grandpa would spin in his grave if I didn't take good care of his tools!

Kurt, you must be single! :D
Is that an enclosed sun room/patio? My wife would give me a Sicilian neck-tie if I tried that.

Adjustable clamps (makes setting up brakes much more manageable), a big adjustable wrench (for un-sticking freewheels) - plus a lot of the stuff others have mentioned.

Wheel building stuff lives near the truing stand.

Is that an enclosed sun room/patio? My wife would give me a Sicilian neck-tie if I tried that.

I wish it was enclosed as I wanted it to be. The lower half is Lexan; the blinds are wood with white plastic roll-downs behind them. A rainstorm with 35MPH winds yesterday proved that the upper half doesn't work.

-Kurt

My toolbox looks like Kurt's and is mainly dedicated to bike specific tools. Most of my other tools are on pegboard.

After seeing KRhea's shop in another thread, I'd like to see his response here.

I find that peg boards and hooks suit me best, here's an old photo of my setup:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2670/4070891756_896a38bdb0_d.jpg

I am just as likely to work on a bike away from the basement shop as I am there, so I keep the following in a small tool box. It goes with me outside, to races, to friends houses to work on their bikes, etc. And everything in this toolbox is a dup to what I have hanging on the shop wall:

chainwhip, shimano freehub tool, campy freehub tool, large crescent (for freehub removal), small crescent, needle nose, pedal wrench, 13-14-15 spoke wrench, mavic spoke wrench, 15mm box end, 15mm peanut butter, full set of hex wrenches, 8mm box end, 10mm open end, small crank puller, chain tool, phillips, small flathead, large flathead, chain pins and tube of anti-seize. I sometimes throw in a socket wrench and 8mm hex for modern campy and sram/truvativ crank removal, so I should probably add that to the list.

The only things I probably can't do from this toolbox are work on cup and cone hubs or remove bottom brackets.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j290/djeasygo/Bike%20Images/allen.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j290/djeasygo/Bike%20Images/brake.jpg

A few things, except my truing stand is on loan "cough" :D
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c100/toytechthefirst/IMGP1939.jpg

My workshop is still a freakin disaster zone right now. Been that way for months. I need to get the pending projects OUT of my shop, that would open up a lot of space. I also am about half way to clearing out a rollaway tool cabinet to bicycle only. Not there yet. Included in my bicycle "only" tool box are a variety of generic tools that I seem to need: big pipe wrench, rubber mallet, etc.


I also need to get the large motorcycle lift table out of the way....

My shop isn't going to win any clean shop awards either, but having a place to put things and putting them there goes a long ways. My problem is too many projects running at once, you get one bike torn down, then have to wait a couple of weeks for parts, so you start on another one. Then Sunday rolls around and I am out of town for another 2-3 weeks. :cry:

I buy bicycle dedicated tools and try to keep them together. We are in the process of deciding how to clean up our big mess of my storage container/shop, my wife's 40' storage trailer, the excess from her old bridal business, as well as consolidate things. Right now the winning idea is a dedicated 1800 sf steel building that can be used as a shop and storage area. It will have 12'-14' walls so we can double up on the storage side and have a second floor.;)

Aaron :)

http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/44726/2946255410066886751S600x600Q85.jpg

[QUOTE][What's on your stand or close at hand/QUOTE]

Nothing!!! I have three teenage boys and more partialy assembled bikes than Sears on Christmas Eve.

In their defense...they have without a doubt demonstrated that the garage and basement floor can hold far more tools than any pegboard wall, drawer or tool box........Has any one seen my Allen wrenches?

I envy you guys with complete toolboxes/sets/specified areas for bikes. All I have is a metal case jammed with anything and everything.

A few things, except my truing stand is on loan "cough" :D

When do you want it back? I still have to build a set of wheels, but there are zero funds currently, thus I am not able to buy spokes. I can come by tomorrow if you want!

:roflmao:

That's fine, you can always borrow it back when your ready ;)

My small workbench is covered with all kinds of stuff and I've given up trying to work from it. When I do get the urge to work on a bike I set up a temporary workbench. Since I'm an electrician, I wear a spare tool pouch with all the necessary tools in it to perform basic repairs. Nothing gets misplaced. :thumb:

I have a small tool box, 3-drawer, that holds almost all of my tools, bike or otherwise. Only one drawer has bike tools. Most of my bike tools, and there aren't many, came 2nd hand from LBS when he bought new ones. My entire collection of bike tools would easily fit in a shoe box.

I might add, I do have the Park Tool Holder that mounts on the stand...if I could find it.:innocent: I need to spend some serious shop time getting things back under control.

Aaron:)

I was just thinking about this. I need a more organized tool box and parts storage solution.

I was just thinking about this. I need a more organized tool box and parts storage solution.

I have a tool bag (soft canvas type) about the size of a large shoe box that contains my most used bike specific tools. I like to be able to haul it with me to a friends or when I'm going to look at a bike.

I'm trying to get away from the clutter I used to have and just bought an organizer with 21 plastic bins on 5 shelves. I'm able to put shifters, brakes, deraillers, stems, bottom brackets, pedals...you name it in their own bins, label them and actually be able to find the parts I'm looking for when I need them. Once it's all together I'll post a picture (Costco $100)

Campagnolo "T" wrench, "pregnant" wrench and an "O" spoke wrench with multiple sizes, that covers quite a bit for typical adjustments.

A second 8 mm open end/box also can come in handy, and a small minus blade screwdriver. (term I picked up in Japan, they don't use flat or Phillips but plus and minus, gets the point across pretty fast).

I have a tool bag (soft canvas type) about the size of a large shoe box that contains my most used bike specific tools. I like to be able to haul it with me to a friends or when I'm going to look at a bike.

I'm trying to get away from the clutter I used to have and just bought an organizer with 21 plastic bins on 5 shelves. I'm able to put shifters, brakes, deraillers, stems, bottom brackets, pedals...you name it in their own bins, label them and actually be able to find the parts I'm looking for when I need them. Once it's all together I'll post a picture (Costco $100)

I saw that at Costco too, funny you posted that because i'm really thinking about buying it. Too bad it isn't cheaper, it is more than 100 here.

I wish it was enclosed as I wanted it to be. The lower half is Lexan; the blinds are wood with white plastic roll-downs behind them. A rainstorm with 35MPH winds yesterday proved that the upper half doesn't work.

-Kurt

You have Hurricanes to think about, no?

You have Hurricanes to think about, no?

That too, but drilling the outside for bolt-on shutters is the easy bit.

-Kurt

Alright, I wanted to throw money at the problem, but you guys mainly said I needed to go clean up my room. So I put my projects aside and spent a couple of hours cleaning last night, it's still out of control, but I've made good progress. I've got a small shelf unit that I started emptying my bins into, arranging like things together, calipers w/calipers, derailleurs with deraileurs, etc. That part is coming together and also helped to show me just how many junky parts I do have stashed away in the bins. I have 2 sets of good center pull diacomp and 6-8 sets of huffy/dept. store calipers. Those old huffy calipers were useful when I was building cheapo huffys for friends, but I don't need them any more. I'll keep the best and cull the rest, send them either to scrap metal or the local bicycle charity.

I've also realized that I have 3 workbenches that I never use because they're overloaded with junk and it's hard to get to them because of the riders that are stored in this room. There were 2 there already existing when I bought the place, and I moved my tool bench from my old garage into there because I built it tall to accomodate my height (I'm 6'4"). I think I'm going to eliminate the one I built, or modify it rather to go on top of the shorter one, this will raise the height and create a storage space where to top of that workbench is currently. Then I will create double decker bike parking in the space where the tall workbench was. I've also moved out anything that's not currently being ridden regularly (like my mtn bike), and am going to try to keep only the current project and current riders in this room. The rest can go to the back of the barn, where they're still accessable, but it's harder to get to them, shouldn't be too bad to pull the special occasion ride when I need it.

The last thing to do is to organize my tools better, I'm going to have to shop around for a better tool box(es). I can streamline my bike tool box by keeping only one pair of some things, sometimes extra crecent wrenches or channel locks find their way in there. Alright, good progress, I'll get this yet.

When I have something in my stand (always) I put it in the center of my floor between my bike tool bench and my main tool box so that if I need something that I don't already have out it is not hard to get to. I need to make a rack or something to hook to my Park stand to hold tools,for now I use a metal bar stool or my big bench to set my tools down on when I am using them. I try to have everything out before hand so I don't have to make to many trips to my tool box or bench. My big tool box is well organized so there is no need to search for tools there right at your finger tips when needed.
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm319/Glennfordx4/miscwinterspringpicsthatneedahome082.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm319/Glennfordx4/miscwinterspringpicsthatneedahome090.jpg

What works best for me is one of those portable plastic caddies used for bathroom cleaning supplies(shhh...I stole it from my wife). It has a handle and is open, so it is very portable and just has the basic bike tools in it. I also have a cheap Spin Doctor portable stand. This way I can work on bikes on the front porch, back porch or in the basement.

The portable stand is also nice for washing and waxing bikes outside. Then I can just find the shadiest part of the yard to work in.

15mm in my back pocket. allen set that follows me around. can't escape my pile of cheap, broken chainbreakers

I have been working on bikes on my stand out on the patio. The tools are in a tackle box that's too small so they get jumbled up, and parts and supplies are in several miscellaneous boxes; all this has to come off shelves when I need them. Inevitably work is called on account of darkness and/or mosquitos, so I have been putting it back in the garage, on the floor, which means my Subaru sleeps outside. And I spend way too much time looking for stuff. I really need to get organiz-ized.

15mm in my back pocket. allen set that follows me around. can't escape my pile of cheap, broken chainbreakers

Ha, I bought 3 of those cheap chaintools from wallyworld before I put forth the dough to buy a good one at the lbs. Part of the problem is the wallyworld chain breakers are cheap, and part of the problem was that I was breaking severely rusted chains on dept. store bikes to get them off and save the deraileurs. Now I just cut those chains with the angle grinder, but mainly I don't mess with that sort of thing any more.

I like to work outside when I can, but the mosquitos are bad here too.

I wish it was enclosed as I wanted it to be. The lower half is Lexan; the blinds are wood with white plastic roll-downs behind them. A rainstorm with 35MPH winds yesterday proved that the upper half doesn't work.

-Kurt

When I bought my house 21 years ago it had a 12'x20'x16' L shaped screened room with concrete floors and that's what I worked on for years, I eventually closed the the lower part in with T1-11 and I made removable frames that I put plastic on for the top that I could install in the winter and it had the same roll up blinds as you have that I used in the summer. In the winter I could open my back door to the house and let the heat from the porch pour in as it could get as warm as 80 degrees in the sun even if it was 30 outside but like yours a good thunder storm in the summer and the work area could get devastated if the blinds weren't hooked in at the bottom.

I also need to get the large motorcycle lift table out of the way....

I can take care of that for you Bill the next time I come down to visit my uncle ;)
Glenn