# Storing trowels



## platinumLLC (Nov 18, 2008)

Been working on organization and redoing the trailer a little and one thing that I have not been able to find a good solution to is storing trowels. Both tile and masonry trowels are a pain and take up a lot of room. I use the Ridgid toolbox system and try to keep each box dedicated to a particular task. Say tile for example. But a dozen or so tile trowels and floats and it takes up a whole box and isn't very good for space. Same with masonry. I had a box just for trowels and chisels and brick hammers and also had most of my concrete tools in there. But that is overflowing also. 

I could just hang them in my trailer but don't really have the room and I still would like them to be portable by grabbing a tool box if I don't take the whole trailer. And nice to grab a box and take in and have everything I need to do a tile job. 

But I'm open to suggestions on either a toolbox idea or a way to organize them in the trailer. Just seeing what others do to hopefully get an idea that might work for me also. Thanks


----------



## Frank Castle (Dec 27, 2011)

Got nothing for ya.
I just use a bucket.


----------



## shanewreckd (Oct 2, 2014)

Usually just buckets and buckets full in the tool crib. But recently we hung a hanging shoe organizer on the back of the shed door and organized them that way. It's simple and cheap but not a box you can grab. Still gotta toss what you need in the bucket during a pour.


----------



## RacinMason (Oct 26, 2017)

I like the portable toolbox idea, a box for each trade. Then when you're doing tile, masonry, trim, just grab that toolbox, and leave the rest at home and not cluttering up your trailer.


----------



## Philament (Dec 9, 2014)




----------



## artisanstone (Nov 27, 2007)

In the shop, a rail that's spaced 1/2-3/4 of the wall works nicely. Both types of trowels will hang perfectly.


----------



## Southbluff (Nov 21, 2016)

Thanks for the pic Philiment. I've been wanting to get my trowels and drywall knives out of buckets and in a box for a while now. Your box looks exactly like what i want.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


----------



## platinumLLC (Nov 18, 2008)

Philament said:


>


That looks perfect. Do you have anymore pictures or details? What all do you store in that box? What are the round tubes used for?


----------



## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

similar to Philamont, I have two dewalt tstak boxes. One without the tray full of trowels and the other with a few trowels plus misc like diamond cutters, spacers, brushes, honing/polishing mats.


----------



## Philament (Dec 9, 2014)

platinumLLC said:


> That looks perfect. Do you have anymore pictures or details? What all do you store in that box? What are the round tubes used for?


The round tubes hold all the small handled masonry things. 
It's a large Dewalt toughsystem box

Here's everything that's in the box









What it looks like empty:










What it looks like completely full


----------



## Fishindude (Aug 15, 2017)

Most masons I know carry one of those canvas tool bags. Most cement finishers have their tools in buckets.


----------



## platinumLLC (Nov 18, 2008)

Philament said:


> The round tubes hold all the small handled masonry things.
> It's a large Dewalt toughsystem box
> 
> Here's everything that's in the box
> ...


I like that a lot. Are the wood dividers attached to the box in any way? Hot glue or something?



Fishindude said:


> Most masons I know carry one of those canvas tool bags. Most cement finishers have their tools in buckets.


I have a couple big mason bags and a ton of buckets. I don't like the bags because they just get throw in and banged around. That's alright for brick trowels and stuff but for tile trowels and other tools it isn't good. I don't like the buckets because they take up a ton of room in the trailer when used for storage and things just seem to get thrown in the bucket and disappear and you have to dump the whole bucket to get one thing. I had a bucket with bucket boss organizer for my electrical tools when I did electrical for a couple years. It was alright but constantly got filled up and was a disaster to find something from the middle black hole.

I think I'm going to try and set up a ridgid bo for tile and maybe one for masonry/cement. I do a decent amount of tile but not a lot of masonry/cement. But I do end up using a lot of those tools for other jobs so it's nice to have them along and organized.


----------



## Philament (Dec 9, 2014)

platinumLLC said:


> I like that a lot. Are the wood dividers attached to the box in any way? Hot glue or something?


The divider is made up of three pieces of luan that have a shallow dado and glue holding them together and they just slide in, not glued to the case (it's a very snug pressure fit). The sections of PVC conduit are glued to each other and to the bottom of the box with pvc cement.


----------



## Unger.const (Jun 3, 2012)

Fishindude said:


> Most masons I know carry one of those canvas tool bags. Most cement finishers have their tools in buckets.


How well does bucks and bags stack up for storage or space? How much time do they spend looking for tools?


----------



## Unger.const (Jun 3, 2012)

platinumLLC said:


> I like that a lot. Are the wood dividers attached to the box in any way? Hot glue or something?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I did that for tile. Paint. And some other tasks. When you get to the job. Set up a table or two. Roll the boxes over. Put them all out on the table. And bam off to work. Set up is about less then 7min. Everything is ready. No more of the helpers asking where is this or that. Like for paint. One box has tape and plastic rolls. The next box has several masking machines. The other box rollers. Case for brushes. Case for spray machine parts and tools........you get the idea.

And of coarse yell at anyone putting anything in the wrong box. Sometimes they think it's any port in a storm theory.


----------



## platinumLLC (Nov 18, 2008)

Played around a little today doing some more organizing and got to thinking a little. I like my ridgid job specific boxes I have setup so I can lock them and leave them on the job when doing commercial or bigger residential jobs. Also keeps other trades from poking around in my tools. When I start a bigger job I wheel in the boxes I will be using like tile, paint, drywall, ceiling, drill bits, etc. This cuts down on trips to the trailer. 

But with cement or brick work this usually is a one day job for me. At least when I have to drag out a bunch of tools. So they can go back in the trailer each night. Or if I have a job like tuck pointing that lasts a few days then the few tools I do need can go in my bigger gang box I leave on site. So I dejcided to just go with the ridgid crates for these bigger items that I don't need in a locked box all the time. Same with tile trowels and floats. I'm not using all my trowels and floats all the time. Usually on bigger jobs we have been doing at least 12x12 or 12x24 tiles so just need a couple of the 1/2" trowels and some floats and sponge handles. These can all go in a ridgid 20 dollar crate and if needed I can just lock the ones I'm using up at night in the gang box. 

Seems like this will be the most economical solution at 20 bucks each and will work with all my other ridgid boxes and are good enough for these things. Also like the idea mentioned above about keeping paint covers and tape/plastic in them.


----------



## RacinMason (Oct 26, 2017)

Fishindude said:


> Most masons I know carry one of those canvas tool bags. Most cement finishers have their tools in buckets.


I carry my masonry tools in a 24" tool box, it will hold a 24" level. 

My concrete tools are in a little smaller tool box.


----------



## Unger.const (Jun 3, 2012)

platinumLLC said:


> Played around a little today doing some more organizing and got to thinking a little. I like my ridgid job specific boxes I have setup so I can lock them and leave them on the job when doing commercial or bigger residential jobs. Also keeps other trades from poking around in my tools. When I start a bigger job I wheel in the boxes I will be using like tile, paint, drywall, ceiling, drill bits, etc. This cuts down on trips to the trailer.
> 
> But with cement or brick work this usually is a one day job for me. At least when I have to drag out a bunch of tools. So they can go back in the trailer each night. Or if I have a job like tuck pointing that lasts a few days then the few tools I do need can go in my bigger gang box I leave on site. So I dejcided to just go with the ridgid crates for these bigger items that I don't need in a locked box all the time. Same with tile trowels and floats. I'm not using all my trowels and floats all the time. Usually on bigger jobs we have been doing at least 12x12 or 12x24 tiles so just need a couple of the 1/2" trowels and some floats and sponge handles. These can all go in a ridgid 20 dollar crate and if needed I can just lock the ones I'm using up at night in the gang box.
> 
> Seems like this will be the most economical solution at 20 bucks each and will work with all my other ridgid boxes and are good enough for these things. Also like the idea mentioned above about keeping paint covers and tape/plastic in them.


Try some of those ardex sponges for tile. Those things rock! Even cleaned up some spilled paint the other day with them. Two squeezes under a faucet flushed the paint out of it (thinset flushes out fast too) . Took me five minutes to flush the paint out of a cloth. Big difference.


----------



## platinumLLC (Nov 18, 2008)

Unger.const said:


> Try some of those ardex sponges for tile. Those things rock! Even cleaned up some spilled paint the other day with them. Two squeezes under a faucet flushed the paint out of it (thinset flushes out fast too) . Took me five m;p;p['/]nutes to flush the paint out of a cloth. Big difference.


I have a few of the barwalt grout buckets that use handles and hook and loop sponges that work pretty good. I'll order some of the ardex sponges next time to try out. Usually only use hand sponges for wiping up excess thinset while tiling.


----------



## Nacho Pineda (Apr 19, 2021)

Anyone have any new ideas for storing trowels? Pics would be appreciated. TIA


----------



## shanewreckd (Oct 2, 2014)

If it ain't broke...









Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk


----------

