Most men, and some chimpanzees, know how to use tools. The difference is that men know how to keep their tools for future use while chimpanzees nonchalantly leave behind the sharpened sticks they use as spears when their hunting is done.
Because man performs a long list of tasks and jobs, from fixing faucet leaks to building skyscrapers, he needs an equally long list of tools. Such tools come in different sizes, shapes, weights, and types. There are miniscule drill bits to heavy pipe wrenches. There are hand-held manually operated tools to table-mounted electric powered equipment. Of course, there are also hand-held electric tools.
Storing and keeping your tools organized will require you to buy a storage device specifically designed for this purpose. The good news is that there are manufacturers who offer this kind of storage device. The bad news is there is such a wide array of choices that buying a box often becomes confusing.
There are a few ideas to keep in mind when buying your first (or second, or third) toolbox.
• The first step to take is to prepare a list of all your tools, and to plan how you intend to store them. This will help you decide the size of the toolbox you need.
• Study the advantages and disadvantages of metal and plastic toolboxes in relation to your needs. Metal type boxes include those made of aluminum. These are suited for pick-up truck beds. Stainless steel boxes are lighter than aluminum and thus more suited for mobile use.
They are also used in clean-environment areas, such as operating rooms, where surgeons store their scalpels and specialized scissors. Plastic tool boxes are also deemed durable, yet less so than their metal counterparts. They are lightweight, handy, and non-corrosive.
• Decide if you want your tool box to be stationary or if you want to be able to drag it with you while you are working. As a rule, a rolling box would be more convenient in a wide work area so a worker need not keep walking back to the box for more tools.
• Depending on the number of tools you have, you may want to consider using toolboxes with multiple drawers. The drawers will help keep the tools organized. This is also useful if you keep several small attachments to your electric tools such as drills and routers.
•If you decide on a toolbox that will be mounted on your truck bed, remember to buy one with a secure locking mechanism. For boxes that will stay at home, this may not be as important.
Step tool box
Tools are anything that facilitate work. A tool could be anything from a 0.05 mm drill bit to 1.2 m pipe wrench, from a screw driver to a cordless nailer. The diversity in the size, shape, weight, and type of tools necessitate the same diversity in their storage systems.
In response to this need, manufacturers fabricate several types of toolboxes. These come varying in the size, shape, weight, and type of tools stored as well as in color and the material they are made of. Among the general types of toolboxes are:
• Truck Tool Box - If you need to carry your tools to your place of work, a truck toolbox is what you need. This is ideal for builders and contractors. Because their tools are generally heavy, this toolbox type is often made of aluminum or stainless steel, although there may be some that are made of plastic. It is meant to be carried in a truck bed and may have a single or double lid opening.
• Machinist Tool Box - This storage equipment is designed for woodworkers and mechanists who use countless attachments to their main tools such as drill bits, saw blades, and router bits. For this reason, a machinist toolbox comes with several drawers.
• Engineering Tool Box - This box carries the small hand tools of an engineer in an organized and orderly manner. Often, it comes with a cushion and slots into which the tools are fitted. This prevents the tools from moving around inside the box.
• Rolling Tool Box - As the name implies, this is a tool storage gear that is equipped with wheels. A rolling toolbox usually comes in a bigger size than those meant to be carried by hand. It could have two wheels, in which case it needs to be tilted and pushed like a hand truck, or four, where all you need to do is push. Generally, those with bigger wheels are sturdier compared to those with smaller ones.
• Plastic Tool Box - It is said that anything that can be made of aluminum or steel can be made with plastic. This holds true for toolboxes. The advantage of plastic over either aluminum or steel is that it is generally lighter and often less expensive. Also, plastics don’t rust, chip, sag, peel, or dent. Plastic toolboxes could be seen at home, on truck beds, and in construction sites.
Tool box Courtesy - Fotosearch.com
A tool is anything we use to facilitate our work. Thus, a stone used to hammer in a nail is a tool. So is a laptop when used to send an e-mail to a client.
Tools date as far back as 1.36 million years when Stone Age man first picked up a stone and hurled it at a pursuing lion. The switch to metal tools coincides with the shift from hunting to agriculture. In the Middle Ages, the development of mechanical devices surged to previously unseen heights. And during the Industrial Revolution, machine tools began to proliferate.
It is a matter of debate whether these tools led to the different stages of human development, or if they were invented because man reached a stage in his progress from the Stone Age to the Information where he needed them. Whatever is the relationship between the two, it is clear that tools have been an indispensable help in mankind’s travel from the cave to outer space.
Toolboxes as we see them today, therefore, protect, organize, and systematize implements that symbolize man’s quest for a better life. Often, these boxes are taken for granted, left covered in grease, kicked aside when they get in the way, or kept in some dark corner of the house wrapped in cobwebs and dust. It may be true that their contents are more important, but any physiologist will tell you that the protective covering of the human body, the skin, is just as important as the muscles and organs it protects.
Toolboxes come in all shapes, sizes, materials, and even colors. This is because of the diverse kinds of tools that need protecting and the countless situations where toolboxes are needed. It is quite fortunate that a good number of companies chose to manufacture toolboxes. Among them are:
• Snap-On Tool Boxes - Founded in the 1920s, the company manufactures various types of tools and toolboxes, chests, and carts. These tool accessories are designed using the latest in computer modeling. Snap-On boasts of the durability and fine finish of their products.
• Matco Tool Boxes - Matco specializes in automotive equipment, tools, and toolboxes. Its Tuff Tech Tool Cases offers mobility and excellent protection to your tools. These cases resist rust, withstand fuels, oils, and other chemicals used in aviation.
• Kennedy Tool Boxes - This company is based in the UK and it offers toolboxes for personal and professional use. Among its products are the Cantilever Tool Box, Drawer Roller Cabinet, and the Mech Chest 10 Drawer Cabinet.
• Rubbermaid - The company is named as one of only 100 companies named as having influenced the American way of life. Among its products are quality and stylish tool storage equipment. The more popular models are the Action Packer 35 Gallon and the Action Packer Cargo Box.
• Craftsman Tool Boxes - Style, durability, and value make Craftman’s products popular. They offer both home and professional use models, and these come in either plastic or metal versions. Their more prominent models are the Metal Portable Chest with drawers and the Military Ready Cart.
Thanks to companies that manufacture toolboxes, our tools that make our work easier, and which are a symbol of our progress, are protected, organized, and systematized.
