rickthescot
Tele-Afflicted
Plastic sleeve with a snap closure that they came in from Craftsman. That way I have to dump them all out in the work bench and dig through the pile. Pisses me off every time.
allen key storage
- Thread starter Ted Keane
- Start date
Sorting through my bag of Allens is a Zen experience.
Sorry, entirely too logical.
oregomike
Tele-Afflicted
Workbenches are all about managing (or swimming in) chaos!
Swirling Snow
Tele-Meister
A workbench! That's what I need, a workbench.
Blues Twanger
Tele-Afflicted
If a guitar comes with a bag or a case they go in there and stay forever. My tool bag has a huge set of keys that get used when I need to adjust.
LutherBurger
Poster Extraordinaire
I do the same with my Craftsman box/open end wrench set, which is more fun because it's much louder.
Dunedin2019
TDPRI Member
I buy a full 'master' set of imp and metric allen keys in a plastic storage case.
I then make a note of the ones I use often and buy extras which go into the guitar tool box.
I cannot abide going to the master set to find the one I want is missing... ;-)
Also the extras can be driver style, T handle, extra long etc. to suit their intended usage.
Same thing with spanners, sockets etc - a Master set and extras in kits for other usage.
Get a decent tool cabinet with drawers.
I then make a note of the ones I use often and buy extras which go into the guitar tool box.
I cannot abide going to the master set to find the one I want is missing... ;-)
Also the extras can be driver style, T handle, extra long etc. to suit their intended usage.
Same thing with spanners, sockets etc - a Master set and extras in kits for other usage.
Get a decent tool cabinet with drawers.
Attachments
soundcloset
Tele-Meister
At home: (Asian take-out) food container in garage on bench. Mint tin on desk in 3rd floor guitar room. At work: untidy pile on top of the big buzzing box in the electrical room next to the (Asian take-out) food container at the moment.
mcStringer
TDPRI Member
All of my allen wrenches fit neatly into old harmonica box I had lying around.
Good Lord! Until you asked, I had no idea how many allen wrenches I had (and where).
1) Magnetic holder in attached garage
2) In rolling mechanic's tool box in detached garage
3) Toolbox in truck
4) Drawer and top of reloading bench
5) Guitar drawer (my homemade gizmo works on my Strat and laser sights)
1) Magnetic holder in attached garage
2) In rolling mechanic's tool box in detached garage
3) Toolbox in truck
4) Drawer and top of reloading bench
5) Guitar drawer (my homemade gizmo works on my Strat and laser sights)
BoogieManSC
TDPRI Member
Magnet tool bar, knife bar, gun box magazine magnet, etc. Magnets are very handy for tools, especially small metal tools like allen wrenches.
chaosman12
Tele-Meister
Another vote for the folding sets. I have one for imperial, one for metric - done.
All the loose ones including ones that came with unassembled furniture are in a draw in my toolbox
All the loose ones including ones that came with unassembled furniture are in a draw in my toolbox
wabashslim
Friend of Leo's
Little holes in the guitar. Tight enough to hold 'em securely. Along the back edge where the strap covers 'em up. That's certainly no worse than relicing and unlike relicing it serves a real purpose. If it's a real beater guitar you could keep your screwdrivers, truss rod wrenches, fret files, etc right in the body where they'll always be handy.
Or if you're a fuddy-duddy who worries about resale value stitch a little holder on your strap. Then it's always handy for on-the-fly adjustments, mid-song if need be. Use 'em as as the newest effects rage.
Or if you're a fuddy-duddy who worries about resale value stitch a little holder on your strap. Then it's always handy for on-the-fly adjustments, mid-song if need be. Use 'em as as the newest effects rage.
Three methods. Firstly I use a lot of replaceable hex bits. They live in a plastic box, the type of box that takeaway food comes in, along with all the other replaceable screwdriver bits. Ordinary L-shaped Allen keys live in another plastic box. Occasionally I sneak up on the boxes and give them a squirt of oil to stop the metal rusting.
The third place is in the guitar case. I’d hate to arrive at a gig and not be able to adjust a bridge saddle or truss rod.
I’ve just remembered a fourth. This guitar is headless, and has a bastardised Overlord of Music bridge. I was worried that the tuners might stick, and I might not be able to adjust the tuning in the middle of a gig, so I added an Allen key which is held in its hole by a neodymium magnet:
The third place is in the guitar case. I’d hate to arrive at a gig and not be able to adjust a bridge saddle or truss rod.
I’ve just remembered a fourth. This guitar is headless, and has a bastardised Overlord of Music bridge. I was worried that the tuners might stick, and I might not be able to adjust the tuning in the middle of a gig, so I added an Allen key which is held in its hole by a neodymium magnet:
Sputnik03
TDPRI Member
Mine came in a heavy duty case. They get used, then put back in there. I hate looking for tools in my shed, it looks like a cross between some sort of horrible science experiment went very badly, and a train wreck, in there.
In a drawer of my toolbox. The small to medium metric and standard Allen wrenches came with a plastic holder for each wrench and one set has a bunch of different sizes that fold in and out when you use them. The ones that came with guitars are in small ziploc baggies and in the guitar cases and gig bags for each guitar or bass. I'm more of a player than a tech, but I do adjust truss rods, set the intonation and change strings when necessary.
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The two sizes that I use most are 1.5mm and .050” to fit saddle height screws. I painted the middle of a bunch of the metric ones blue, and the inch ones red; and I put some in either end of the top of my guitar tool toolbox. I have plenty of spares that should last me a few years. They are handy, I instantly recognize what they are for, and easily differentiate the two sizes.
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