Carving Tool holders - shop & on-the-go
Someone had asked for better pictures of my holders for my carving tools, so I thought I would post a few with a bit of an explanation of why these styles work for me…at least for now. I say that because I sometimes change things arrange if something new somes to work better or if I add tools or something else seems to work.
First, here is a picture of the end of my shop where I primarily carve. Four drawers under my workbench hold tools that are not frequently used or that I want to keep dust free ( gouges, burners, planes). There is also a small pull-out tray that holds burrs and bits for power carving. The pegboard directly behind my gouges primarily holds squares and measuring devices and things specifically related to carving. Other regular tools are stored elsewhere. I have a small easel at the end to hold reference material I may be using for a carving and also a clipboard that hangs from the pegboard. Directly behind my chair is my power sharpening rig. The bandsaw, oscillating sander, and a small disc/belt sander are opposite the bench, as I use them for making blanks and working on canes and stuff. Underneath the storage bins at the end are a couple of drawers for small tools and some shelves that hold a couple of angle grinders and die grinders equipted for larger carvings.
The black rectangle is a little flourescent Ott light that provides extra natural lighting for carving and painting. The micromotor used for power carving is close to hand and my larger flexshaft tool hangs from a swing-out arm at the end of the bench.
Here is a closer look at my racks for gouges and knives.
I used a forstner bit to drill holes in a strip of wood and then cut it in half and mounted it in a shallow box to hold my full size gouges. It tilts out and has a strip across the bottom so that the tools lean securely in place. I try to keep only the tools I am using in it and others are stored in the drawers below until needed. I found this style more useful because I can easily see which tool is which, and it is very easy to remove and replace tools, which provides a little extra safety for me and the tools!
The smaller rack is for my palm tools and knives. It was sized specifically for the tools that I have and holds the tools so that the blades do not touch anything. The plexiglass on the sides protects the tools and fingers, but also has a small gap at the bottom to allow chips and saw dust to escape. I arrange all these tools by size so it is really easy to select the proper gouge or knife, by it's location in the rack.
I redesigned these racks specifically because I don't always carve in one place. I go to club meetings, carving seminars, extended trips, and occasional demonstrations. I have tried sifferent methods and finally decided on one that was flexible enough for me. I saw this tool bag by Stanley at the local Walmart, but you can find similar bags by a variety of manufacturers. I see a lot of people using open tote-style boxes, but I preferred something that I could close and make my tools less visible, possibly less tempting, to others.
This is a soft-sided bag with a hard plastic bottom and a shoulder strap. It holds all of the tools shown here and possibly more, dpeending on how or what I think I need for a particular excursion. All of my larger gouges go in a tool roll that fits in the bottom beside the palm tool rack. I can fit in a clipboard, dust pan and brush, strop, honing compound, tape, glove, magnifier,and I still have outside pockets for miscellaneous stuff. I can even squeeze in the micromotor or wood burner, or some extra wood for carving!
I am always trying to think of better ways to transport stuff. The clipboard I carry is simply a piece of 1/4" plywood with a binder clip on top. It fits into a slot on my protable carving bench in order to hold reference material when I carve using that bench; my larger tools are aranged on a tray and the bag is underneath the bench as I sit, providing easy access to the other tools. I am considering sanding an angle on the end of the clipboard and maybe adding some fold-up sides so I can use it as a dustpan….maybe get a thinner brush also?
This has worked well for me so far. I may need to add some space for more knives, but if I try to keep only the things about that are actually in use, then hopefully clutter and things that collect dust will be reduced! Thanks for looking!
Someone had asked for better pictures of my holders for my carving tools, so I thought I would post a few with a bit of an explanation of why these styles work for me…at least for now. I say that because I sometimes change things arrange if something new somes to work better or if I add tools or something else seems to work.
First, here is a picture of the end of my shop where I primarily carve. Four drawers under my workbench hold tools that are not frequently used or that I want to keep dust free ( gouges, burners, planes). There is also a small pull-out tray that holds burrs and bits for power carving. The pegboard directly behind my gouges primarily holds squares and measuring devices and things specifically related to carving. Other regular tools are stored elsewhere. I have a small easel at the end to hold reference material I may be using for a carving and also a clipboard that hangs from the pegboard. Directly behind my chair is my power sharpening rig. The bandsaw, oscillating sander, and a small disc/belt sander are opposite the bench, as I use them for making blanks and working on canes and stuff. Underneath the storage bins at the end are a couple of drawers for small tools and some shelves that hold a couple of angle grinders and die grinders equipted for larger carvings.
The black rectangle is a little flourescent Ott light that provides extra natural lighting for carving and painting. The micromotor used for power carving is close to hand and my larger flexshaft tool hangs from a swing-out arm at the end of the bench.
Here is a closer look at my racks for gouges and knives.
I used a forstner bit to drill holes in a strip of wood and then cut it in half and mounted it in a shallow box to hold my full size gouges. It tilts out and has a strip across the bottom so that the tools lean securely in place. I try to keep only the tools I am using in it and others are stored in the drawers below until needed. I found this style more useful because I can easily see which tool is which, and it is very easy to remove and replace tools, which provides a little extra safety for me and the tools!
The smaller rack is for my palm tools and knives. It was sized specifically for the tools that I have and holds the tools so that the blades do not touch anything. The plexiglass on the sides protects the tools and fingers, but also has a small gap at the bottom to allow chips and saw dust to escape. I arrange all these tools by size so it is really easy to select the proper gouge or knife, by it's location in the rack.
I redesigned these racks specifically because I don't always carve in one place. I go to club meetings, carving seminars, extended trips, and occasional demonstrations. I have tried sifferent methods and finally decided on one that was flexible enough for me. I saw this tool bag by Stanley at the local Walmart, but you can find similar bags by a variety of manufacturers. I see a lot of people using open tote-style boxes, but I preferred something that I could close and make my tools less visible, possibly less tempting, to others.
This is a soft-sided bag with a hard plastic bottom and a shoulder strap. It holds all of the tools shown here and possibly more, dpeending on how or what I think I need for a particular excursion. All of my larger gouges go in a tool roll that fits in the bottom beside the palm tool rack. I can fit in a clipboard, dust pan and brush, strop, honing compound, tape, glove, magnifier,and I still have outside pockets for miscellaneous stuff. I can even squeeze in the micromotor or wood burner, or some extra wood for carving!
I am always trying to think of better ways to transport stuff. The clipboard I carry is simply a piece of 1/4" plywood with a binder clip on top. It fits into a slot on my protable carving bench in order to hold reference material when I carve using that bench; my larger tools are aranged on a tray and the bag is underneath the bench as I sit, providing easy access to the other tools. I am considering sanding an angle on the end of the clipboard and maybe adding some fold-up sides so I can use it as a dustpan….maybe get a thinner brush also?
This has worked well for me so far. I may need to add some space for more knives, but if I try to keep only the things about that are actually in use, then hopefully clutter and things that collect dust will be reduced! Thanks for looking!