Drill Shelf

Whenever I need my drill or impact driver I have to move some tool boxes around and dig for them. It wastes a significant amount of time. My chargers are not in a convenient location either. I searched online and found plans for a shelf here: http://www.hertoolbelt.com/cordless-drill-storage. Many thanks to the original author, it is a great idea. I decided to make a version for myself, omitting the drawer and using only scraps of a 1"x12".

In this instructable I will demonstrate how I made a shelf for my cordless tools.

I only used a sanded pine 1"x12" board with the following cuts:

(2x) 1" x 12" x 26" long (top and middle shelves)

(1x) 1" x 12" x 26" long with slots (bottom shelf)

(1x) 1" x 12" x 27 1/2" long (back)

(2x) 1" x 12" x 12" long (sides)

I fastened everything with deck screws. For tools I used a chop saw, cordless drill, 1/4" impact driver, various grits of sandpaper, 1 1/2" hole saw, rotary tool with spiral bit, and a countersink bit to match my screws.

In a previous project I broke the drill bit in my countersink combination bit. It was a #12, but the closest matching bit I had was 1/8" (I break a lot of bits). It turned out to be quite fortunate since the 1/8" bit drilled much better than the original.

The bit in the countersink tool has a small flat on the shank so a set screw in the tool can lock it in place. I held my 1/8" bit with vice grips and touched it off to my grinder wheel. The stock radii on the edges of the grinding wheel formed a nice transition from the drill shank diameter to the flat. At one point I lost my alignment and ground a small second flat, but it still all fit back together nicely.

I measured my cordless tools and chargers and decided on a shelf length (26") that fit my needs with a small amount of room for expansion. Your results may vary.

I also measured my tools to determine the slot width and depth. I decided to cut the slots using a hole saw to keep the end of the slot round and a rotary tool to cut the length of the slot. Even though I clamped guides in place while I used my rotary tool the slots came out a little wavy. I sanded the surfaces and chamfered the edges so when I hastily grab a tool I don't stab myself.

I have 5 slots 1 1/2" wide by 5 1/2" long, spaced 5" on center.

I started by making a box with the slotted shelf on the bottom, the 26" board on top and the two 12" boards on the sides. I pre-drilled and countersunk deck screws, 3 per corner.

I then placed my tools in the slots and measured up from the slotted shelf. I had enough clearance at 3 1/2" so that is where I placed the middle shelf. I pre-drilled and countersunk 3 deck screws per side.

Lastly I flipped the box on its face and lined up the back board. I secured the back in placed with 8 deck screws.

I pre-drilled clearance holes for 4 lag screws with washers to secure the shelf to studs. I screwed a power strip to the side and I may still tack some nails in the sides to hang cases of drill bits and other accessories. This freed up a ton of space and now my most often used tools are directly over my workbench (chest freezer).

Thanks for reading.

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