Argh! A whole bunch of my tools aren't ferrous enough!

12 years ago

I installed magnetic tool-holder strips at the pointy ends of my triangular closer, where the shelves are 1" deep or non-existent. I figured that would be a great place to store all the tools, and then I could simply eliminate the drawer that was holding them.

It's not quite working out the way I'd planned.

But when I went to load them, I discovered that some of my most important tools won't cling! They're not ferrous enough to stick to the magnet.

-the utility knife

-the 4-in-1 screwdriver (the shaft is some other sort of metal--the bits stick, but that's not enough)

-the metal-cased tape measure (but fort. the clip is ferrous, so that will stick)

Fortunately, I had a suction-cup basket hanging around, so I took off the suction cups and put double-stick foam on the back, and stuck THAT to the wall to hold them.

Every now and then I sort of wish I'd put a piece of sheet metal on the back wall, so I could stick stuff anywhere I wanted to with magnets. Sort of like pegboard.

Come to think of it, I can probably hot-glue or caulk magnets to the wall if I really wanted to.

Oh, and the electric screwdriver: Since IT's not magnetic, I'm going to get a piece of PVC pipe big enough for it to fit in, then I'l cut off a short length and hot-glue it to the wall so the screwdriver will stand up in it.

And I discovered the handle

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Comments (6)

cocontom
12 years ago
Save yourself some time and frustration- get a clear over the door shoe organizer and screw it into the wall. We don't have a junk drawer anymore, we have a junk-back-of-the-door. We don't keep the drill in it, but I think it would hold one.
talley_sue_nyc
Original Author
12 years ago
I'm not screwing something into the back of my closet door--even though it is inside the closet, it's mahogany veneer and it's beautiful, and I'm not screwing something into it.

I also don't like the shoe pockets for these sorts of tools--the shoe pockets are way too big for the tools.

And I don't have a wall to screw it into.

I figure I've done pretty wall as it is.

I just wanted to share the frustration that so many of these metal tools aren't a *ferrous* metal, and they won't stick to a magnet.
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talley_sue_nyc
Original Author
12 years ago
"I figure I've done pretty WELL as it is."

I've used the utility knife twice, and it was easy-peasy to get it from its new storage spot, and put it back.
lazy_gardens
12 years ago
Tally sue ... consider hot-gluing a chunk of steel to the tool, or even a strong magnet.
talley_sue_nyc
Original Author
12 years ago
lazygardens, I thought about that! I even said, "they should make little stick-on steel plates for this sort of thing."

But it's turning out that I sort of like the basket--it tucks over into this space that's just slightly behind the molding, where I wouldn't be able to attach anything with a screw.

And there are a couple of other things that need a similarly shaped home. So that's useful as well.

Oh--one funny thing. I had the bits for the electric screwdriver in a plastic container (Mentos gum), and I found that the BITS are ferrous enough to hold to the magnet even through the plastic! So that's how you can get plastic to stick to a magnet.

(I switched them to a different, small Altoids, container, but I'm waiting to see if that form factor is OK.)
karinl
12 years ago
I think someone was quite rude in this thread. Unnecessarily.

Karin L