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What to replace blow mold ratchet box?

clodhopper

Get off my lawn, punk!
Joined
May 20, 2020
Member Number
564
Messages
799
Loc
Out on the plains, Colorado
My good tools reside in the tool drawers in the shop/barn, but often I am doing things nowhere near there. I have an old HF ratchet set (1/4, 3/8, 1/2 in a grey case, sockets stand up all around the edge) that has a million miles on it, but is handy to grab and go. One of the latches broke off and the back hinge is about 50% torn. If it don't keep it flat, the littlest bastards roll around inside and make a mess. Time to figure a replacement.

I dont like the current blow mold system that HF sells (hard to get the sockets in and out), so just buying a new set doesn't work. What other options are you guys using? Is there a company making generic type ratchet boxes? Some sort of DIY that keeps it all organized that isn't 4 tons heavy?
 
Billybob on here made a badass ammo can tool organization system. I think he's posted it here already. That'd be the route I'd take if I were in your shoes.
 
Take a scrap of OSB, plywood, whatever, put all your tools on it. Trace the tools. Cut on the lines. Slap a piece of thin plywood to the back. Slap a hinge, latch and another thin piece on the top. You can even cut out a hand hold if you want.
 
Billybob on here made a badass ammo can tool organization system. I think he's posted it here already. That'd be the route I'd take if I were in your shoes.

Thanks! Yeah it works great for me. My Craftsman blow molded case was letting the sockets fall everywhere every time I carried it somewhere so I needed to do something. I should probably get some better pics of it sometime as these ones are pretty potato quality.

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Thanks! Yeah it works great for me. My Craftsman blow molded case was letting the sockets fall everywhere every time I carried it somewhere so I needed to do something. I should probably get some better pics of it sometime as these ones are pretty potato quality.

Price and Shipping on 2 of them to 89801?
 
Price and Shipping on 2 of them to 89801?

Probably more than anyone would be willing to pay! Lol. Plus to do it right you need to lay out your specific socket set and make it all fit and work how you want it to. It is definitely not a one size fits all solution, but needs to be tailored to your specific socket set.
 
Thanks! Yeah it works great for me. My Craftsman blow molded case was letting the sockets fall everywhere every time I carried it somewhere so I needed to do something. I should probably get some better pics of it sometime as these ones are pretty potato quality.

GuidoLyons You should do this with your blow molder craftsman set...




As far as OP, I have all my sockets on craftsman socket rails in a tool bag. It has worked very well and is nice to be able to grab a rack and have all the sockets with me.

Harbor freight has socket rails as well, but they tend to be a little too brittle.
 
Probably more than anyone would be willing to pay! Lol. Plus to do it right you need to lay out your specific socket set and make it all fit and work how you want it to. It is definitely not a one size fits all solution, but needs to be tailored to your specific socket set.

What materials did you use? I really like that, I'd like more details. I need a compact system like that for tools in the sailboat.
 
For sockets the Mechanics Savers rails are excellent. Wera is also making some nice socket rails as well. They twist to lock the socket on.
 
What materials did you use? I really like that, I'd like more details. I need a compact system like that for tools in the sailboat.

Basically just some 1/8" or 11 gauge sheet metal cut to fit the size of the ammo can for a base of each layer and 3/16" rod for the pegs. There might have been a couple I had to turn down smaller for the real tiny sockets if I remember right. And some of the smaller sockets that the 3/16 rod will fit into still had a ridge inside them that wouldn't allow the rod to slide through. I was able to drill the ridge out of those sockets with a 3/16 cobalt drill bit.
 
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