Allen Wrench Organization

[wv109323]

Over my life time I have acquired about 5 pounds of misc. allen wrenches. All are 1/4" or less You know you buy a set of scope rings and they give you an allen wrench. You buy something that needs assembly and you get an allen wrench(s). There are both standard and metric, new and old, long and short.
So now when I need a wrench .it is a process to sort through them and find the one I need. i sometimes need to break out the dial calipers to get the right one.
So what are your thoughts on organizing them. I looked on line and some of the organizer were up to $30.00. I would like to put all the same size in the same place/slot/ hole. I may well have 10-15 1/8" wrenches. I would like it wall mounted for the gun room and a seperate way to keep a complete set in my tool boxes.
I could drill a board with holes and put the same size in each hole a label them but do you have any better ideas?

[slim1836]

Try using a drill bit hole measure board, sort by fit. I slide my measures between stacked parts bins for easy visual.

Slim

[JimB..]

I’m in the same boat, been thinking that I’ll better off buying all new sets and then hunting through the mess should I need a replacement one day.

[shell70634]

magnets. one for each size

[Garyshome]

"magnets. one for each size ". As many as I have all my magnets will be on the floor.

[country gent]

L shaped allen wrenches dont do well in holes until you get into the bigger sizes. I would look into one of the drawer organizers You know the ones with 9 little sliding drawers. designate one drawer for each size. Some come with dividers for the drawers If so divide each size to standard and ball end. 12 drawers would give some extras for torx drivers also.

As to a set in the box a wood block cut with and angled top with a saw cut for an o ring into holes works good to hold them. A foam block could be used and holes drilled to provide a snug fit. An old belt can be used, punch 2 holes for each wrench and slide it thru like a cartridge loop.I will draw this one up and post it for you.

[dverna]

The free ones that come to assemble stuff I pitch. They are not worth keeping.

I got frustrated with rummaging through my drawer of stuff and bought a good set in a fitted box that has both SAE and metric. It has worked out for me. I have had to replace only one in the last year.

I may buy a second set for the pole barn.

[country gent]

Here is the sketch. It is a used 1 1/2" wide belt.hole size and pattern is what you need but do to different lengths the angled hole pattern is needed. A hole centered on the big end would allow it to hang on the wall. Length and spacing can be adjusted to needs. One of these can be laid out and punched in a little under an hour. If you have one of the pliers style leather punches these can be made very easily and quickly. THey are a lkittle stiff at first but as the leather takes a set the are pretty good. Wrenches lay flat in box or hung on wall.

In use the top and bottom strip are nuder the wrenches the center strip is over the wrenches. This provides a light tension that holds them in place when handling.

[nvbirdman]

Throw them all away! You can buy a set of metric and standard from Amazon for less than 20 bucks. All in a holder.

[Three44s]

Throw them all away! You can buy a set of metric and standard from Amazon for less than 20 bucks. All in a holder.

I would modify that by buying the organized set but keep the miscellaneous wrenches and as your wrenches give out or are lost/misplaced draw on your "pile" to replenish missing choices.

Three44s

[imashooter2]

Some things are just worth paying for. Buy a set of long arm ball end wrenches that come in a nice plastic holder. Throw all the junk in a tool box drawer and save them for cutting off, grinding short or putting on a magnet attached to a dedicated item like a lubrisizer.

I’ve had a set like this for years.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-SA...934871#overlay

[AK Islander]

I went through this exercise about 3 years back when cleaning out my shop. Used to work in the trades and over a couple decades had accumulated a whole drawer full of allen wrenches. Tossed them all out and got two sets, one standard and one metric, each in their own plastic holder. No more rummaging through the allen wrench junk drawer.

[kevin c]

I’m too cheap to throw useable tools away, but it’s true that the Bondhus ball end sets I have are the most versatile.

I do keep the pertinent sizes for my progressive press on a magnetic strip ready to hand. Those are cheap ones that I don’t mind misplacing in the clutter of my bench or dropping out of reach behind stacks of ingots or buckets of brass if I get sloppy.

[MrWolf]

Do yourself a favor and get new, marked sets. The others can be left on machines, in a junk drawer, etc. Just not worth the aggravation.

[10x]

When a machine requires one or more Allen keys, i will put a magnet on the machine and make sure I put the Allen keys back each time I use them.
I do the same with drill chuck keys, lathe wrenches and keys too.

I have a sheet of heavy gauge tin with round speaker magnets stuck (and glued to it) the sizes of the Allen keys are written in felt pen above each magnet.
There is a magnet for Allen keys that I am not sure which magnet to put them back - i sort them out later.

[Czech_too]

An 18" magnetic strip can be had from Harbor Freight. This can be screwed onto a convenient spot by a bench. Or, since there aren't really that many sizes, maybe 5-6, that are usually used on firearms, holes can be drilled into the edge of a nearby shelf and the wrenches put into the holes.

[country gent]

I have 6 or 7 sets of bondus ball drivers here all with same missing I keep a full set on each machine that requires them and a set in the tool box both standards and metric. There are also sets new unopened in the tool box.The ones that are hard is the 7/16" up to 3/4" and above. You end up with the same missing in each set since you use the same ones. for me its 3/32 5/32 3/16.

[foesgth]

Only 5 pounds? You need to get going. I'm going to build a sailboat and use mine for ballast.

[kerplode]

Throw them all away! You can buy a set of metric and standard from Amazon for less than 20 bucks. All in a holder.

This is what I ended up doing as well. It's "cheaper" than wasting a bunch of time organizing junk and the wrenches are a lot better quality. The Tekton stuff from Taiwan is decent quality and not at all expensive.

[lightman]

Like you, I have a big pile of them that I have accumulated over the years. I'm another thats too tight to throw them out so I keep them in a box that a 1/4" drive socket set came in and they stay in a drawer in my tool chest. (to be thrown away by someone not as tight as I)

And I bought 2 quality sets at the parts store that came in their own plastic holder. I have 2 sets of the hex and 2 sets of the torx.

I've seen holders that guys made by drilling holes in a board, a piece of steel angle, ect. I know one guy that ended up with an empty drill bit index box that he keeps his in.