How to Make Fold Away Tool Storage | I Like To Make Stuff
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- I wanted to modify an existing shop table so that I could store larger tools without sacrificing table top space. Check out the Fold-Away Tool Storage solution! Join the Maker Alliance at ilt.ms/join
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The driving motivation behind this simple shop upgrade is that I have a lot of room under my Modular Work Tables where I would store some larger, less-used tools. While this did leave the table tops clear, it did take up additional room on the floor under the table. I wanted a way to have them off the table's floor, freeing up more storage space, but be able to flip up onto the tabletop when needed.
The tools that I was considering was my scroll saw, a new manual leather sewing machine, my pocket hole jig, and a new big vice. Each of these tools are great, but don't necessarily need to be out all the time. Furthermore, each of these tools has a preferred orientation, so placement is important. I laid the tool on the table to make sure that each tool had adequate room, but not necessarily that they could all be used at the same time.
To make this design work, I plan on mounting each tool to a plywood sheet. That sheet needs to hang down below the table top and swing upward and lay flat on the table. To make this 90 degree bend, I decided to weld together two simple hinges. You could bolt or rivet these hinges together, but I had a welder so I used it. By using the two hinges, the plywood platforms can hang down 90 degrees from the table top, flip up, and fold over, lying flat on the surface. I used a self-centering drill bit to pre-drill the mounting holes on both the platform and the table.
Now that I had the hinging mechanism worked out, it was time to arrange the tools around the table. Because all of my tables are on wheels, I had the freedom to use all sides of the work table. Practically, I imagined that I wouldn't pull out the table to the middle of the room to use a tool on the backside. I limited my tool arrangement to the front and the two sides trying my best to keep the tool facing forward.
Due to the placement of each tool on the platforms, some of them didn't hang perfectly perpendicular to the table top. To keep the stowed tools from swinging outward, I screwed a simple block of wood to the table legs that can fold down and hold the tools in place.
This project is a simple one. I modified an existing piece of shop furniture so that it is more versatile and accommodating. I could have made individual shop features specified for each tool, but that would have cluttered up my space and ultimately been unnecessary. I highly encourage you to look at your existing shop elements and find a way to make them more useful. If you need some basic shop furniture, we have plans available, and as you've just seen, they can easily be modified to fit your needs.
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How to Make Fold Away Tool Storage | I Like To Make Stuff
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Just as a grumpy old safety nut: PLEASE heed the warning on zinc! Metal Fume Fever is not imaginary, and can lead to lasting health implications. Simple "ventilation" is insufficient, if you weld on similar hinges, at the very least put a fan at your back to ensure you stay upwind, and consider using a ventilated mask with air filtration for fume contamination.
That said, awesome video as usual, and I think this gives me an idea on how to finally find a home in our makerspace for a bunch of tools we've been stumbling over for a while now... Great idea, and thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing this.
Super important note here, since this channel has started with a touch of blacksmithing, don't put galvanized steel in a forge, either. Working with scrap in blacksmithing is always super tempting since it's cheap but just make sure you know what you're using before you heat it.
Don't apologize or minimize your comment by saying you're a "grumpy old safety nut". If this video encourages anyone to weld hinges like he did, it could expose them to some very nasty stuff. I think it was borderline irresponsible for the video to hand-wave away the safety concerns the way it did. This is not anything to play around with.
And if you ever get zinc-oxid fumes in your system, you can emergency treat it with a liter of high fat milk, to help the body get rid of the poison. It feels like a heavy fever with shivering fit. If it lasts longer than a few hours, see a doctor!
Just hold your breath while you weld.
I love the fact you point out your mistakes and show your ability to learn whilst teaching others the best way!!!
Agreed, loved how he pointed out the grain in the little woodstopper piece he added.
I love the honesty when you highlight the small mistakes you make . So refreshing.
This. Is. AMAZING!! I've been watching HOURS of flip top and modular workbench videos. This is the solution I needed. I can totally convert the carts I already have to fold away and it won't take me 3 months to do it. THANK YOU!
Bob, your videos are always PARTICULARly good
The more videos I watch about workshop improvements wants me to bin EVERYTHING in my shop and start again!
Ha, I wouldn't go that far.
Gareth, it is called "shop evolution" eventually you will have "binned" everything and started over. In some areas it will happen more than once. Just not all at the same time.
I wished I had a Shop to binge in ✌️😕
This is fun. Thanks.
Can’t see this slight adjustment suggested yet so here it is.
Mount the hinges in shallow recesses and on the “under side” of the board as it sits on top of the table. It will mean the tool will hang underneath the table instead of leaning out a little.
Inspiring video.
Thanks again.
Never thought of that hinge idea. Genius. You always show me something new. Thank you Bob!
I dig the double hinges trick!!! Very cool Bob!
That unfolded...the wrinkles in my brain for ideas , THANK YOU BOB!
We always hope we can help inspire people to go make something. Thank You!
Hi! I'm Matt and I like to watch you make stuff. Today I'm going to watch you make a simple workbench way better.
finally more workshop videos! These are the best and most practical videos imo. I am always looking for ways to improve the efficiency of my shop.
Amazingly simple and effective idea. You’ve solved a problem that I’ve been pondering for weeks!
Hey Bob! I just heard your book Making Time on Audible (can't believe I haven't heard it earlier), and just wanted to let you know it was so good for us to hear that book, putting words to the same thoughts and feelings we've had during the development of our channel. In the RUclips world you kinda feel alone, but it's so great to hear about your journey and that you've gone through exactly what we're in the middle of. Thanks for that book, and thanks for your channel, and thanks for that pic on Maker's Central! Peace! You're awesome.
- Hansi
Awesome, thanks for listening! I'm so glad that you were able to get something useful out of it!!
Happy to see some R2-D2 parts in the background, looking forward to the next installment of that series
A clever solution to store a variety of tools! Thanks for posting this
This is so ridiculously simple but effective I'm annoyed at myself for not thinking of it in my shop. Quick and dirty is all you need for shop furniture. Thanks for another excellent video ILTMS
Shop furniture should evolve as your skills and equipment do. Thanks!
Super creative mode : On 💪
Your self depricating edit and humor really sold me. I also like how you added on to a previous project to better fit your needs. I'm so glad I subbed when ye made that hidden room wall thing. 😊
You did real good on this Bob, very original ! Thank you for sharing
Self Locking gate latch, or even hook and eye would prevent the folded pieces from coming loose, upon table vibration and moving. AWESOME build! Thanks for the ideas.
You would really help the tiny home community with these ideas!!!!!
Dude! Are you a wizard? This is a great project for anyone!!!
Only on the weekends.
The "fold away vice" is sheer brilliance, Bob, the thing is kinda always in my way on the work bench, but I need it nonetheless. Thanks for this one!
Thanks for showing this effective solution. The build is simple, inexpensive and a huge space saver. Going to save this video for sure. Thanks Bob
I just made a work table for my shop and I’m in the process of modifying it to make the most out of it. I’ve wanted to do something like this for awhile and after watching this video I think I’m going to. So thanks for the motivation!
I LOVE this idea. I have a bunch of lesser used tools that need a home. I also have a workbench with a bunch of unused space like yours. I'm going to have to try this and see how it works for my stuff. Thank you so much.
I just happy to see you working on R2! YAY!!!
Hi Bob, what simple but yet a great idea. Thank you
Great, great idea!! For the vice, drill holes through vice flipboard, matching threaded inserts into bench top. I would do four with threaded nobs. You will usually only need one or two, but for something that requires muscle you are ready to go. You could put extra inserts in the flipboard to hold the nobs when not in use.
That scroll saw is awesome! Picked one up like it at a flea market and it's been serving me well!
Great! They definitely are handy.
Brilliant! This has got to be the most useful video for my own cramped garage shop that I've seen! I _will_ be mounting a drill press, vise, bench grinder and pocket hole jig in this same way now, on a new cart I was planning on making in a few days. This will free up a ton of space for me! Thank you!
That's great, you're space should always be evolving!
Brilliant idea for space saving
I like this particular solution.
In particular, me too
I really like this idea. Great work, Bob!
Thanks Caleb!
Right I have a cool 36x36 aluminum table that is my assembly/ welding table and I can put my little tungsten grinder and a vice on hinges for starters. Excellent! Great ideas an presentation. No wonder you have over 3 million subscribers.
I love your shirt. Bill and Ted's wisdom for the ages.
Hey Bob! I just finished your book and it was incredible. I don’t read books, but I read yours and it was fantastic. I’ve been following your channel for years now and your book made me learn a lot. I hope a second edition is in the works. Until then, keep making awesome stuff!
Excellent idea . Thank you for posting sir.
Thank you for this video! I've been trying to reorganize my work shop (garage) and I have a few largeish tools that I use a lot less often than I'd like to, like my mini lathe and my scroll saw. This will be a lot easier than pulling them off the shelf they're on, finding a place to set them up, then putting them back on the shelf.
I LOVE this!!! I’m not sure if my work area needs something like this just yet, but I love seeing projects that are practical AND help save space!!!
I made a lathe run off an old sowing machine motor and this is the perfect solution to carting the heavy motor on and off my table, love it, THANK YOU!
Thank you so much, I have been thinking of this for so long with all my tools laying all over the place.
I've done something similar using a grid of T-nuts going through a bench top. I have a load of tools attached to boards that I slide off their shelf and bolt straight onto the bench top. It take about 3 seconds, with a drill driver, to fit a new tool to the bench. Very quick and 1 bench can be used for 90% of my bench top tools 😁👍👍👍👍👍
Doing this!!
Already built these tables from your plans and was looking for an easy way to do this exact thing without having to rebuild the workbenches. Thanks again!
Great ideas Bob! Love it for my small workspace! And way easier than all those flip-top ideas that I have been watching!
Thanks!
Your videos haven’t popped up in my sub box for a while, glad to see you’re still active
Excellent idea, Bob!! Genius. You da man!
This was a particularly cool concept. Well done Bob. A quick idea for the short wood screws attaching your hinges to the flip boards. Since you have a welder available, use some mild steel to create a strip from one hinge to the next. Punch, drill, and counter sink a number of holes in the strip. That way you can add more screws for additional support.
Really helpful. I'm building a little 8x10 workshop and ideas like this will be great for saving precious working space and optimise the shop
I love this. My new shop will only be 10' x 16'. So I have to optimize my space. I want to put a bench along the long side of the shop. Putting tools like this will definitely help.
Love all the “people” in the Maker Alliance 😎
This is one of my favourite videos. I will be trying this for sure.
Great I am very impressed this is a solution I need, as I am reorgniseing my shop and have a number of uses for this When mounting a vice the fixed jaw should slightly overhang the edge of the bench. This will allow for clamping a long object in the vice.
Definitely utilizing this idea in our shop!
Nice job!!! As always, I miss your shop builds
I have a large bench in my basement, with not so much space (can't move the bench around). I was thinking of ways solve this exact problem. Best I could come up with was mittered wood that would form the bench. Then you take part of the wood out and come in with a similar piece of wood with the tool attached. But this solution is so much easier to implement and also needs less weight lifting on my part (since part of the weight is supported by the hinges). Brilliant. I'm glad i was lazy enough on my implementation that I got to see this :D
I already bought the plans and built those tables. I love em. Now I know what I'll be doing this weekend. Thanks Bob!
Excellent!!
One more thing to do to make the whole thing even "better." Allow the table top to be hinged and lifted and make a shallow storage area under it. Can be used for accessories for the fold down equipment, or clamps or whatever. Splitting the table top into two sections could also be helpful in opening one side while a device is on top on the other side.
Definitely agree. Great solution for something quicker and simple over a full blown flip top bench. Sweet little project
I love the functionality of this table/tool combination.
This felt like an old school, just Bob in the old garage, super basic ideas, on his own video.
Loved it. (Not knocking any of the rest of the ILTMS crew, but it's lovely to have the retro feel!)
This is a great idea, never thought of this, Thank you very much for keeping my table top clean again.
Love it! Love all the ways you can modify that simple workbench to fit any need.
Try using T nuts in the plywood that all of the tools are mounted to. They lock into the plywood plus no drilling of the plywood and gives you more material to support the weight of the tool. Great video, keep them coming.
Bucking frilliant! Love it! Love it! Love it!
Thank you *very* much ❤️
Wow;!!! My mind is blown! Been looking out for different ways, to utilize my tools. From flip tops, to carousels! When i have been starring at the solution all this time! In the middle of the garage!!!!! 🤯🤷🏼♂️who new? Thanks 🙏 some one is looking out for me I’m telling ya!!!
Great idea with the double hinge.
Super simple but great idea!
Thank you!
I’m still in the planning process of my new workbench and now I’m thinking of ways to incorporate this idea! Thanks for another great idea!
If you don't have a welder you can buy the correct hinges. They are called 5 Knuckle hinges. They cost about $ 6 /each and are made for 3/4 material.
Hey bro, this is the best solution of manage the space in workshop.
I'm currently making an all-in-one station and considering adding a scroll saw on a flip up because of this video, instead of on a 180 degree rotational table, which I think will save me some room and allow me to utilize that planned space in a different way. So thanks!
Ha! I had the same idea to do in my shop but hadn't gotten around to doing it yet, glad to know it works!
This is great! I was just fretting about using table space to mount a vise permanently.
One idea for improvement would be to put some removable pins through the mounting board into the table so when you push and pull on the vice it doesn’t rip out the hinges.
that's a great idea!
What a simple but effective idea! My vice is always in the way and never easy to get at when I do need it! Problem Solved. Thank you 🙏
Brilliant project. An idea i had is you could drill some holes at the far end of the plywood the vise is bolted to and add threaded inserts into the tabletop just below the holes. That way you could bolt the ply down at the other side of the hinges if you ever plan on doing some heavy work with the vise. It'd stop it from wobbling around.
Cool idea, Bob. I made your tables and they are awesome. I will be making these units as well. Thank you, Sir,
Very clever, Bob
Brilliant solution to a shortage of space.This is my next project.
That’s an awesome addition to a workbench!! Might need to play with a few options like those. Also, it’s incredible the whole Solo family are part of the Alliance at last.
This is a wonderful idea! I like the table too. I like your channel and all your ideas. Thanks for sharing.
I kinda like this apposed to your standard flip table.
This was a great video! I have just built a large work bench with table saw on one end. I have several other tools and this video has given me great ideas for my other tools.
Awesome!
Just watch video of table builds. Definitely gonna build some narrow ones to attach to side for table saw section. Thanks for your time and effort making videos.
I loved this project, I'll do it for my tools too. Congrats for sharing this.
Another superb project! Thanks Bob!
Nice video, Thank you. It takes a little searching, but you can find non zinc plated hinges. Just paint them when you are finished so that they don't rust.
very good idea just started to organized my shop /garage, flip tool idea is great for what i'm doing to my garage work area ,
I love love LOVE your tutorials! Thank you 🙏🏻
You are totally welcome! Thanks you!
Awesome vid as usual Bob, please keep up the great work, love it when I get a notification that you've put up another project
😁👍
Great simple stuff as we like it👌
Good idea! I might have to implement this into my shop
GREAT SOLUTION! Thank you!
This is actually an awesome idea...it's been a while since I've seen something so refreshingly simple and useful! Awesome work guys!
Brilliant idea, imagine designing a table specifically with this in mind instead of working with the existing table you already had. The possibilities are endless.
Genius. Love your ideas!
Nicely done Bob! 😃👍🏻👊🏻
Brill, what a simple idea, why didn't I think of that LOL. Also good presentation, I knew exactly what you were doing at every point. Well Done!
Awesome job on the folding tool storage Bob! Thanks for sharing the video with us.👌👍😎JP
Slick tricks Bob! Liking this a bunch!! Slick Bob!!!