Allen Wrench Organization

[MaryB]

I have 2 sets of flip out(metric and standard), 2 sets in the plastic holders(metric and standard), and a drawer full of loose ones LOL some of the loose ones have the short end cut off to about 1/2 inch long to fit tight spaces(some of the electronics I work on has impossible to reach set screws using full length, talked to a factory tech, he said they cut them off too...)

[GONRA]

GONRA sez - Reground / Rehardened Allen wrenches make small boring bars......

[GONRA]

EVENTUALLY - GONRA miked 'em all, stored in small labeled envelopes in a drawer.....

[10x]

GONRA sez - Reground / Rehardened Allen wrenches make small boring bars......

Ouuhhh, Going to use this genius idea.

[brassrat]

I have a few on a tiny magnet but mostly use one slide out plastic parts drawer. Going through them takes a small amount of time but worth it to always find one and no mess

[Rapier]

My sorting is one zip lock by the mill, one zip lock by the lathe, one on the assembly bench, with the tiny ones for triggers, etc in two snap flap clear plastic holders. Then I have three Chapman sets. Then a drawer with broken drivers and bits to be reground. I have two of those fold out parts bin uprights on the assembly bench wall. When I turn the lights out, I am sure they reproduce.

[10x]

My sorting is one zip lock by the mill, one zip lock by the lathe, one on the assembly bench, with the tiny ones for triggers, etc in two snap flap clear plastic holders. Then I have three Chapman sets. Then a drawer with broken drivers and bits to be reground. I have two of those fold out parts bin uprights on the assembly bench wall. When I turn the lights out, I am sure they reproduce.

You are wrong, they do not need the lights out for them to reproduce,
You only need to turn your back, or glance away for a moment.
There is a complication that only the one you need the most does not reproduce.

[deltaenterprizes]

Don’t use the ball end to tighten a set screw in a pulley, it will break off and cause a problem if you need to remove the pulley!
I learned this the hard way!

[WILCO]

Put them in plastic baggies, all sorted and stick in a tool drawer.

[georgerkahn]

I took a hint (?)from the Dillon tool set which I purchased to complement my 550b which has the "L" bend of each Allen wrench dipped in a coloured plastic -- Dillon blue, of course. At a Dollar Store I picked up a bag of six different coloured rolls of electric tape. Mathematically, six factorial (6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1) gives waaaay more combinations (720, to be exact) than wrenches I have, so I took RED tape out -- reserving this colour for METRIC Allen wrenches.
I put a wee roll of first colour in short part of the Allen wrench and the second and third on the long. I end up with an Allen wrench equivalent of colour codes used on resisters in electronic use.
Works for me... I had initially thought of -- e.g., again, Dillon -- painting on the colours but I was sure this would be less easy and more costly. And -- if I "screw up" -- which I've done a few times both with tiny ones as well as Metric (e.g., 1.2, 1.5 and similar metric sizes) it's so easy to remove and reapply new tape.
An important note is I did not, nor have plans to do ALL my wrenches. AS I need one I use the already labeled ones; none found, I then seek and search, and upon success (Murphy Law generally has it as a last choice ) label with tape and add it to my active use collection.
Re storage I have a bunch of teeny rare earth magnets on the cross members of my over-bench lamp, and have the said Allens on these, in order from smallest to largest.
geo

[725]

I use a board with holes drilled in for arraigning. I have sets and those "jack-knife" types in SAE, metric & Torx, too. Gun cases have them set within for scope tightening and just about anywhere they are needed. Cleaning BP rifles get their own, too.

[John Wayne]

"Allen Wrench Organization"
I haven't heard of one but if we start one we could name it after you.
"The Association of Allen Wrench Hoarders" WV-President

[.429&H110]

+1 on Gonra!
Grind off the L
Heat the end redhot flatten it like a rivet
Spin it in the dremel against a stone until sharp.
Sometimes it even makes little teeth.

[Baltimoreed]

An Organization for guys named Allen Wrench? Who’d a thunk. I have dedicated 3 drawers in my reloading room bin for the ones in the house. Big, medium and small. They’re all mixed up in my machinists toolbox in the shop though.

[white eagle]

I used to be a machinist so I have a ton of them
put them all in a tool box drawer and look for them when I need one
I got pretty good at grabbing the one I needed first time so that is how I organize them

[fordwannabe]

I bought a magnetic strip it's 12-14inches long, at Harbor freight for $3 and have my allen wrenches on that. It also has tabs with holes for mounting.

[Slugster]

I have several sets of Allen wrenches that are of the 'fold into their handle' variety, don't need to sort. Have both metric and standard. Also have about 20 lbs of assorted singles in a coffee can in case I ever need them.

[elmacgyver0]

I throw all the orphans in a peanut butter jar and use them for special projects or what have you.
I can always pitch them out, but when I do, that is when I find a use for them.

[Bmi48219]

If I’m burying something of value in the backyard I cover it with four inches of dirt then throw a bunch of old Allen wrenches in the hole and finish filling it with dirt. I can find what I buried later with a metal detector. Anyone else can too, but when they hit a pile of rusty Allen wrenches they’ll give up.

[popper]

Dad had a precisely drilled wooden holder for them, mounted on the tool board above the work bench. It was empty most of the time, we kids didn't bother. Tool board had each tool outlined on it too. Like that worked either.