Universal Tool Organizer

This is a universal tool organizer that combines several functions into one. It consists of two elements. The organizer itself is used to store tools, and the second part is used as a bracelet that has a flashlight and a magnet. This combination is very practical. The organizer bag can be carried with you in the car, as well as taken with you to work and home. It can also be hung on a belt, thus freeing your hands when you are doing some kind of repair.

The idea of creating this organizer was born a long time ago, but only thanks to Instructables did it become real. I always carry tools with me in the car, take them to my workshop, and also use them for some repairs at home. I created it in such a way that when repairing something, you don’t have to carry an additional flashlight and other bags and boxes with you. Tools in it are held by Velcro and universal pockets. It folds into four parts and is also secured with Velcro. It also has a belt clip and can be worn on pants or as a belt. You can hang carabiners to which additional tools are attached. The bracelet is also fastened with Velcro. It has a magnet to which you can attach nails, bolts, or screws, as well as drills and other small tools. The flashlight is turned on by pressing the yellow switch. And after that, due to the infrared sensor, you can adjust the intensity of the LED glow. By directing your hand within a radius of 10–15 cm, you can turn on or off the flashlight and adjust the cross-section. The magnet is removable and can be removed from the bracelet and used for other purposes. You can also easily replace the device's battery. I used an old mobile phone battery. Also, useful denim can be made from unnecessary old trousers. I try not to throw things away but to reuse them, giving them new life. I hope I managed to convince you of the usefulness of this homemade product! So let's get started!

Materials:

★ denim or canvas

★ hook and loop fastener

★ needle

★ thread

★ rubber glue

★ double tape

★ super-strong neodymium magnet (hard drive types)

★ plastic film of 0.2–0.3 mm

Electronic components:

★ Li-ion 3.7V 1000-2000mA battery

★ Li-ion battery charger board controller – TP4056 (with separate protection (optional))

★ LED COB Strip, 3V-3.7 V DC, 1000 mA (3 W) Cold White (C.W. 6200-6800K), 608 mm

★ (3V-12V) infrared manual non-contact sensor switch IR dimming module (auto switch light) – VD02-F-Y

★ small on/off switch

★ wire

Tools:

★ sewing machine 

★ scissors

★ marker

★ ruler

★soldering gun

★ iron

★ solder

★ blade knife

★ hot glue gun

★ (optional) electric wood burner

The most difficult thing in this project was to think over and ergonomically place all the components of the organizer. It was also necessary to find out the appropriate dimensions for placing the tools. And the most interesting and exciting thing was the process itself and the work on creating the organizer.

A thick fabric is best for an organizer. I used denim. You can also use wax to impregnate it or buy tarpaulin. First, you need to cut a canvas measuring 33–35 cm by 55 cm. And for a bracelet, you need to cut a piece of fabric measuring 26 cm by 11 cm. The fabric needs to be smoothed out with an iron. On the main fabric for the organizer, you need to make the sides about 8 mm. They also need to be smoothed out with an iron. After that, they need to be sewn on a sewing machine. Heavy Lena to pick up a stronger thread for such a fabric. My thread often broke because it was too thin. Now you need to bend the bottom of the organizer about 6–8 cm, as you can see in the photos. On the sides, I sewed small ears in order to conveniently open the organizer.

I thought that it would be better not to sew separate pockets to place the tool in them, but to use Velcro tape so that I could change the size of the pockets. For this, I used small pieces of 15×30 mm. I divided the organizer into five parts of about 11 cm, which will be stacked one on top of the other. I also used long Velcro strips, on which it will be possible to place and secure the tool. Before sewing them, I added some rubber glue. It is soft, so it is best suited for such purposes.

For the bracelet, a piece of fabric measuring 30×26 cm is used. The length of 26 cm comes from the height of the organizer and is quite consistent with the size of a person's hand. In order to make the bracelet more rigid and to protect electronic components, you can use thin plastic approximately 0.2 mm thick. Previously, it could be glued to the fabric with glue. After that, you need to place two strips of Velcro in such a way that a neodymium magnet is placed between them. Then all this needs to be sewn on a sewing machine.

The charging board's connection to the battery may differ depending on the model! This diagram shows the battery protection board (BMS) controller (TP4056) with separate protection.

Tip: If the battery already has a built-in protection plate, you must use a standard charger (with a single chip)!

This was the most interesting part of my project! Because I have always been amazed by the magic of electronics. In this part, you can use the LED matrix to make a flashlight by connecting it directly to the battery. To adjust the intensity of the glow, I used a ready-made infrared sensor, but you can connect the LED through a small resistor in order to limit the current of the LED. You can use a small coin-cell battery from an old phone to power the device. According to the multimeter readings, it can be seen that the LED matrix consumes approximately 1,000 milliamps. And the battery has a capacity of 5 Watts per hour = 1350mA/h. This means that the LED will glow at its maximum for approximately 1 hour – 1 hour 30 minutes. And due to the infrared sensor, you can reduce the light intensity to a minimum, and then the flashlight will burn longer.

Tip: If the battery is old, it will have less capacity and fewer charge/discharge cycles. Therefore, the flashlight will glow for less time! ;)

The important thing is that you give old things a second chance! The battery of an old phone or other electronic device can still be useful before you hand it over for recycling. Even such a small step on your part will affect our ecosystem!

To charge the battery, I used a regular board designed for a charging current of 1 A. I have such boards that have a built-in BMS. But due to the fact that the battery already has such protection for discharging and recharging, I used a regular charging board. After soldering the electronic components, you need to fix them with a hot glue gun. I sealed the LED and the battery with double tape. The on/off button in this device is needed in order not to discharge the battery and, at the same time, so that the infrared sensor does not turn on spontaneously. To bring these components to the surface of the fabric, I cut holes with a knife and also burned them so that the fabric did not fall apart. Now it remains to assemble the bracelet and sew its edging. I hope that everything is clearly visible and understandable in my photographs. If anyone has any questions, you can ask them further.

In order to keep the tools in place, I used Velcro tape, which will be very convenient to use for this purpose. And in order for the organizer to be fastened to a belt, I sewed small straps on the reverse side. Usually, on trousers, such fasteners are 5 cm wide. Also, thanks to such fasteners as well as a neodymium magnet, the organizer can be fixed with a carabiner or simply hung up. All these elements make it versatile and practical!

As you can see in the photo, my cat really liked this organizer!) With Velcro fasteners, the organizer can be easily disassembled, for example, in order to change the battery. You can also easily remove the magnet and use it for other tasks. This organizer bag can be hung on your bike or other transport. In addition to repair tools, you can keep fishing tackle or any other accessories for your hobby in it.

P.S. Additional videos for this project can be watched on my YouTube channel (see my profile).

Thank you very much!