Rockler has come out with a new Lock-Align drawer organizer system, designed to help users bring order to their tool boxes.
The core of the system is an interlocking tray that can be cut to size. Accessories, dividers and containers to start, create a grid-like system, with partitions for tools and smaller compartments for parts and fasteners.
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The starter kit comes with enough material to organize a space 14-5/16″ wide x 13″ deep.
The Lock-Align drawer organizer system can be used in tool box drawers as shallow as 1-5/8″.
Pricing: $25 for the starter kit, $15 for a wide tray, $2 for (2) dividers, and $6 for (2) bins.
Buy Now(Starter Set via Rockler)
Buy Now(Wide Tray)
Buy Now(Dividers)
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Promo Video
First Thoughts
This looks like a great idea, but quite pricey. How much would it cost to organize a single drawer? Going by what’s currently available, at least $50. The promo video promises that more accessories are on the way, but as of right now, this system looks to be most suitable for drawers 2″ deep or shallower.
I’ve talked briefly about small tool and part drawer organization, and I really like using removable plastic boxes. Maybe one day I’ll build a grid system for myself, using wood or plywood rails and hardboard dividers.
I drool over Lista-like drawer setups (Google image search), and this new Rockler setup, while definitely innovative, doesn’t give off the same vibe.
If it were not proprietary, so that I could use hardboard or other DIY dividers, I’d be less critical, at least at current pricing.
I like the idea of the synthetic rubber textured mat surface. Dividers and removable bins? Great! a wider-sized mat? That could be useful.
But if you use a wide tray and a starter kit to fit a drawer nearly 22″ wide x 13″ deep, that’ll still set you back $40, not including additional dividers and bins.
I’d like to see more accessories (which the video says are coming soon), and lower prices. Additional lengths to fit the current trend of 22″+ drawer depths would also be welcome.
MikeIt
I got my tool drawer organizer system from the supermarket. You know all those little reusable containers for deli meats? Don’t throw them out when you are done. They fit in your tool drawer perfectly. You need more space? Get the larger family pack of meat. You want something smaller? Use tuna cans instead. Round cans not your thing? I was looking at sardine cans to see if they were any better but I don’t eat sardines so I’m stuck with round cans for now. They don’t lock in place or look fancy like the Rockler system but I don’t complain because they’re free and the drawer liner seems to keep them in place just fine for me.
Flotsam
not a bad idea. I agree don’t need or want to spend a lot of money on this.
Along those same lines I did buy one set of pliers organizers I bought off Amazon. I had another space and ended up buying a plastic coated drying rack from Target and cutting that up. Worked pretty nicely and only cost $4!
TonyT
I suspect Ikea has stuff that could be re-purposed, too (probably kitchen or clothes organization)
Koko The Talking Ape
I was going to say, I don’t see deli meat sold in little cans. There used to be that Underwood deviled ham and the like, but tuna cans are pretty much the same.
But I would suggest Spam cans. They are deeper, which means they use more of the drawer depth (though it might be harder to dig stuff out. They are rectangular with curved corners, which means they use space more efficiently than round cans. There may be a problem with sharp edges, but I am sure a handy-dandy toolgyder could deal with that in any number of ways.
Of course, you do have to eat a lot of Spam.
I have mentioned this before, but I personally organize small parts with the jars from Vita brand pickled herring. The jars are about 3″ x 4″, clear plastic, with a wide mouth and a screw lid with plenty of space for labels. The paper labels come off easily, in one piece. The jars are unbreakable, but the plastic will soften if you put them in a dishwasher.
http://www.vitafoodproducts.com/images/Product/large/355.gif
mike
This is like a lot of Rockler’s private products – a really great idea at really high cost.
mike
this guy had the neatest setup I’ve seen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcXzeI0cOlM
Rcward
That kid is amazing
evadman
That looks awesome, but my shop is too dirty and would end up with crap in the bottom of the drawer between the boxes and the bottom. That would hold the bottom of the box higher than those locking rails.
I didn’t scope out the expense of the wood solution, but it is probably roughly similar as a durham steel scoop box (about $16 or so). I have about 15 of those with the sliding drawers that I use for bolts, screws, basically anything under 2″ long. I don’t know what they are rated for, but some of my boxes are at least 50 lbs. If I am going automotive electrical work for a friend, I can just grab the box that is full of crimp connectors and go with it; easy for grab and go.
The wood solution offers really cool possibilities with custom sizing for each bin. Some kind of top for transport (a portable version of the drawers?) would be really cool.
Yadda
Your first sentence says it all “This looks like a great idea, but quite pricey.”
Diplomatic Immunity
If it’s going to cost $50 wouldn’t you be better off with cutout foam inserts for specific tools to let you know when you’re missing something or just use the guts of one of those small parts bins like Stanley, Dewalt, or Milwaukee? Hell if you can fit it throw the whole small parts Dewalt organizer inside the drawer this way you can just grab and go if you have to use those same parts at a different location outside the home.
Also, just thought of this, even though it’s not professional couldn’t you just use Legos and make your own sorta tray of customize able bins? Just make sure you get all one color.
Benjamen
Legos? Genius! And here I’ve been 3D printing organizers.
You have me thinking.
TonyT
Legos will probably more expensive for the amount required, and won’t hold up to rough usage. But maybe they’d be great for prototyping…
charles
After settling on a config you glue them.
Cost? I have buckets of bricks. Literally.
Why didn’t I think of this?
Diplomatic Immunity
Depending on how many bricks you have you could even do box joints on those container configs making them look fancy (haha). Glue them and/or glue the bottom to one of those flat pieces. Then if you have one of those very large flat pieces you could push the organizer box to the flat piece thereby making the organizer box stationary even to violent draw openings. Throw another flat piece on top and pieces stay contained. Or you could just do different walls like this Rockler setup.
The only reason I thought of this is because the bottom of this Rockler kit looks sorta like a flat Lego piece. Anyhow Legos are expensive unfortunately and I think it would only work if you have plenty of Legos, preferably in the color you want, or you have a way to access them. You could probably 3D print your own “Legos” if you wanted to thereby doing bigger solid pieces to your liking in the colors you want.
evadman
Legos are about $25 a pound in bulk, or about a dime each if you are picking bricks according to quick checks. A one inch tall linear foot of 8 pin lego bricks would be almost exactly 15 bricks. Instead of board-feet, this is now an official measure called ‘lego-feet’ and ‘lego-inches’; patent pending.
A square 4 inches on each side, 2 inches tall, would take a total of 32 linear lego-inches or 40 bricks. That would cost approximately $4; without a bottom.
A square that is 2″ by 4″ with 2″ height would take a total of 24 linear lego-inches.
I just laid out a simplistic design for a 22″ by 18″ drawer; about the size of a craftsman drawer on a chest. I came up with 276 lego-inches or 23 lego-feet (2″ high dividers). That would be 345 bricks which would cost about $34.50. I made a assumption here in that the legos are acting as dividers, not boxes. If it were a box that could be picked up and moved, roughly double the number of bricks would be needed for the same space.
Back of the envelope math says it may be better to sell your legos.
Evadman
I just realized that I did all that math for the wrong height. Instead of 2″ tall, I calculated 2cm tall (all the dimensions I found for legos were in metric). All the other calculations were correct.
That means it is actually 38.1 legos per lego-foot, and not 15. Multiply all the brick counts and costs by 2.54 to get the correct value. That puts a drawer at almost $90 in legos.
It’s definitely better to sell your legos.
Nathan
so year or 2 years before this is marketed in a different color by another company?
again like the idea but the price of entry is high. (love my bench cookies though)
I almost wanted to make a drawer divider system with luan the other day. might take that up
satch
The first thing I checked rightmaftermstarting to read the article was pricing. Ouch. What an expensive way to organise a tool drawer.
I also noted your mention of Lista. I have sen somemof these systems and man, they are nice. But if a bloke thinks these Rockler dividers are expensive, price out a few Lista drawer cabinets. It will bring you back to earth in a hurry.
Adam
I’m in the process of building a new workbench with a few drawers, and I really like the look of this. Definitely pricey, but if they come out with a version for 20 or 22” deep drawers, I may try it out.
Koko The Talking Ape
I think a clever person could cut dadoes into thin lumber or plywood to make these.
Kilroy
Maybe use strips of 1/8″ or 1/4″ baltic birch, cut to a width that is just less than the height of the drawer, and cut dadoes 1/2 way into each strip every inch or two. Cut the dadoes a hair wide and use masking/painter’s tape to tighten them up of the wiggles bother you.
Build a frame around the inside edges of the drawer out of thicker boards/plywood, with grooves for everything else to fit in.
I haven’t done it, but I’m sure it’s been done. With a laser cutter it wouldn’t take that much time to do; using regular power tools would take more time, but it definitely wouldn’t be overly hard.
Rcward
Yes they could
Jon
Good organization is worth almost any price. I don’t think there’s anything more frustrating than owning a tool / fastener / solution and not being able to find it — and exercise it — when needed.
Recently took to using a combination of coroplast + cotter pins ( for big dividers which can be modified easily ) and clear refrigerator bins ( for grouping and stacking tools ). Not ideal — and not staggeringly cheap — but vastly better than a jumbled mess.
Framer joe
Been using ” shaller ?” plastic trays. This system looks real nice…price is always a touchy subject on here….to me price doesn’t matter, functionality and time savings are what’s important…
I mean do you smoke a pack or.more a.day ? Use weed? Drink everyday? Go out to eat multiple times a week? Pay for lawn care? ect,ect….it’s all relative to what’s important to you..
To me it’s time…I can’t buy time ….so whatever I can do to save it is worth it to me
George
To costly for a bit of organizing. Non of my tool boxes and drawers could have been organized like that. For small stuff I just found small parts boxes, etc.
Brian M
I’d rather use Plano fishing lure cases that I buy for under $5 at walmart. Here’s a drawer with about $8 worth of organization. https://i.imgur.com/DgqzGNw.jpg
David Katz
Great job Rockler, you’ve invented Legos! 🙂
Bill
I throw one of these on my Amazon orders once in awhile. Ten dollars apiece but they seem very sturdy so far and come in five colors, Ernst Manufacturing Organizer Tray, 10-Compartments.