A Rolling Organizer Utilizing Harbor Freight Parts Storage Cases

I make these out of commercial bun pan racks I find on local sites like Craigslist. Completed it holds 40 of the Harbor Freight medium portable parts storage cases (http://www.harborfreight.com/19-bin-portable-parts-storage-case-93928.html)

Normally, they are just a bit too wide for those storage cases. I cut a section out of the middle and join the halves using a sleeve made from steel perforated square tube picked up from Lowes/Home Depot. I make the sleeve long enough (4 or 6 holes long) so I can return it to it's precut width if ever necessary. I get it to properly hold the storage cases, mark and drill the pan rack tube, then bolt it all together. Fill the bins with whatever makes you happy....screws, washers, bolts, nuts, nails, sprinkler systems parts, springs, pins, heat shrink, etc. ... and label the cases to make pulling the right one much easier.

On one side of the pan rack I cut and fit peg board. On that I bolted a wall mounted thread checker (http://www.threadtoolsupply.com/wall-mounted-thread-checker.html). It's great to have it right there where I need it.

On the other side of the pan rack I mounted a magnetic dry erase board that comes in real handy. Under that I have a folding shelf made from some wood scraps and a bracket picked up on Amazon (UltraHrdw 11035 Bracket Foldings 12x12 WHT 2/BG).

These roll great even when loaded down and can be positioned next to whatever you're working on to save a ton of time and effort.

Estimated cost:

Bun rack from Craigslist: $40

Steel Perforated Square Tube: $10 (one $20 3 foot tube is enough for a two or three of these if I remember correctly)

Sheet of Peg Board: $10 (one $20 4x8 sheet is good for 2 racks with some left over)

Magnetic Dry Erase Board: $10

Shelf Brackets: $11 (for one pair)

Scrap Wood: $0

Wall Mount Thread Checker: $53

Harbor Freight Storage Cases: $6 each with coupon (holds 40 cases total)

Hardware: $5 (12 nuts and bolts, metal screws for mounting peg board and magnetic dry erase board, 1 reciprocating saw metal blade)

In reply to CWR67:

That's awesome!

That's terrific. I need a truck mount version.

If you eliminated 1 storage case at waist height, you could replace it with a pull-out shelf so you had a place to set the storage case down while rummaging through it.

I predict that all over the US (and Canada) today there will be a lot of Craigslist (and Kijiji) searches for 'Bun Pan Racks'. I know I'm going to search to see what is out there locally.

OMG. That's awesome. And I scrapped one of those racks when I did my last move. :(

Genius. On the list for sure. Genius.

That horseshoe SAE or metric?

Great idea.

And off to craigslist, because that is awesome.

Great idea

I found one of these:

https://columbus.craigslist.org/bfs/6017881268.html

A half height pan rack; that would be nice if you didn't need as much space as the big one. It's an option to keep in mind. Use the rack for the storage bins and mount a small wooden work surface to the top. Or, a tool box to the top! Oh, maybe I shouldn't post that link.. ;-)

In reply to SVreX:

Eliminating one should allow for a drawer to be added. Also by eliminating one, it would allow for the taller large portable parts storage case (item #93927) or portable storage case (item #95807) to fit.

I use the folding shelf on the side to hold a case while I rummage through it.

In reply to dculberson:

With a good work surface on top that half height one would be great!

Holy cow is that awesome! And you can cool donuts on it as well.

CWR67 wrote: In reply to SVreX: Eliminating one should allow for a drawer to be added. Also by eliminating one, it would allow for the taller large portable parts storage case (item #93927) or portable storage case (item #95807) to fit. I use the folding shelf on the side to hold a case while I rummage through it.

I figured you would, but it's not the most efficient movement. You have to first raise the table, then take 2 steps around the rack to begin rummaging, then take 2 steps to put it back. Raising the table is probably a 2 hand process.

A slide out on the same side as the bins could be pulled out with 1 hand while the other is pulling the bin, and take zero steps. It could be pushed closed again with your hands full, just by leaning into it.

In reply to SVreX:

A slide out on each side would be nice! I have to look into making that happen as it would be a nice addition.

2 sets of 12 inch drawer sliders, bottom mount or side mount, would put one on each side. Either could be mounted right on an existing tray slide so if just installing a shelf one shouldn't have to be removed. If you are doing a drawer that is over 2 1/2 inches deep, a tray slide would have to be removed.

I usually have the folding shelf up most of the time. Opening it is a one hand operation but closing it is best done with two.

Well the slide out updated works.

I picked up the Liberty 14 inch full extension ball bearing side mount drawer (1 pair) $11.48 model D80614C-ZP-W from Home Depot. While there I picked up a 2"x12"x8' yellow pine board for $10.11 and had them cut it into 16"x12" sections. I didn't plan ahead and grabbed the car and not my truck so it was much easier to transport in 6 pieces.

I marked the middle of the unit on my selected shelf, placed the slider, marked the 3 holes and drilled it. The slide was attached to the unit with 3 small bolts, washers and nuts. Repeated the process on the other side then attached the wood to the sliders.

The results....a definite improvement!

I'll be adding a shelf on the other side of this one and two more on the other organizer.

Thanks SVerX for the shelf idea!

Ok yeah it's a really cool idea and all... but now what goes in all those cases? There aren't that many metric thread variants are there?

I really like that dry erase on the side too. Haven't needed one yet but I'm putting one on the side of the tool box now, such a good idea too

I don't know of a way to restore the images for the op, but I remember this build. He used a commercial bread rack, like this:

And added a bunch of these which apparently fit in the tray slots amazingly well height wise, some modification was needed for the width of the rack though. 

And he also added a shelf on one side so you could set the case down once you pulled it out, and a dry erase board. Very cool idea.

I didn't realize there was an issue with the pics on Photobucket.  Let's see if these will last a bit longer...

I like it.  But I would never have enough crap to fit all those boxes...    (sure I don't...)

In reply to CWR67 :

Great!