What if the organization and storage benefits of tool shadowing could be had and improved with a modular, semi-automated process? Tracefinity attempts that by generating custom Gridfinity bins from photos of tools, and has quite a few nifty features that are worth a look.
The basic workflow is this: place one or more tools on a sheet of paper, take a photo, then upload the photo and have the system trace and save the outline and add it to a private tool library. When one is ready to create some bins, use the library of saved tool outlines to generate custom Gridfinity layouts.
If you’re unfamiliar, Gridfinity is a modular system of standardized bins and baseplates designed with 3D printing in mind, making it an ideal match for highly-customized organization tasks and a particularly natural fit for a tool-tracing system like this one.
The idea of taking a photo of a tool and generating a custom bin is a compelling one, and a couple years ago we covered a project that did just that. Tracefinity seems like a natural evolution of the idea, and includes handy features like easy design adjustments, optional magnet holes, and we really like the concept of a tool library from which individual tools are scanned once then later selected to create specific, project-based layouts.
Tracefinity takes advantage of new software capabilities like machine learning to improve and streamline the tracing process, but that doesn’t mean it relies on any external services. It can be entirely self-hosted and by default uses a local, CPU-friendly object detection model for tool tracing. There is an option to provide a API key to use Google Gemini instead, but it’s not required. It can come in handy for especially complex tool outlines or dealing with non-ideal source photos, however.
If I did the whole gridfinity thing for all the tools I have, I’d need to buy more toolboxes to fit them all…and probably an addition on my shop for the toolboxes. :) And, I’d never get any other projects down because I’d spend years doing gridfinity.
Probably great for the sewing drawer or the junk drawer in the kitchen though.
unfortunately there are no mass-produced gridfinity products. Sure it costs a lot to make a plastic extrusion mold, and nobody is ready to take the risk, apparently. Maybe the problem lies in the licensing model.
In any cases, there IS a market for mass-produced gridfinity-compatible plastic bins. Personally i´d rather buy a assortment of different sized bins and 3d print only inserts.
I keep wanting to start printing tool holders like these to organize my stuff at work but I don’t think management would enjoy spending hundreds of $ on PLA for me to print a million bins with lol
I don’t get this type of comment. A “good” storage system is one that fits your budget, your task needs, your workspace and most importantly how you map your mind onto the world. Its going to be different for everyone. Gridfinity is nothing if not flexible, but it certainly cant cover every base.
I’ve worked in shops where the boss absolutely insists on a quite ridged storage system because they really hate replacing or losing tools, and they need to be able to onboard staff to new stations quickly. I’ve also worked in shops doing pretty similar work where storage is left up to the individual, or the (personally) dreaded “dump bins”.
Much as I love a beautifully organized space, I’m not sure the choices had much impact on the bottom line.
Is Gemini the one that labeled those pin crimpers as a screwdriver? 😆
Nice idea! I wonder if the codebase is modular enough to use for CNC cutting foam drawer inserts or vinyl pegboard shadowing.
One change I’d suggest, based on the nippers example, is that the space inside two-handled tools (pliers, scissors, crimpers, etc.) should either be removed or only extruded a few mms, to save on plastic and printing time, and to make them easier to remove and insert.
I have a 2 bin system for drill bits made with gridfinity. It’s amazing. The top layer is the current use drill sizes. The level below is the extra storage. I buy one brand and (depending on the size) comes in around 10 a carton. So I fill both, when the top one is empty, I know I have to order that size. I’ll never run out of drills bits. Got everything from 0.5 to 13mm.
As someone with a massive pile of disorganised drills, I’m very interested in your system. do you have any links or other info?
It’s not my design. I printed out these:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/1064358-gridfinity-drill-bits-holder#profileId-1072224
I then printed out separate boxes for the secondary storage, but just regular empty boxes.
This is an old photo before I had a secondary layer. This was after just sorting out the ones I already had, not looking at the quality and type. It’s looking a lot better now with almost only new cobalt bits.
https://myimgs.org/storage/images/34520/drillbit.jpg
i’ll one up that :)
i have a plastic organizer that nicely holds 29 drill bits of SAE sizes from 1/16″ to 1/2″, which i bought for $10 and came with 29 bits too. and i promised myself i’d replace any bits i break by buying that size in single-count, though it’s been a few years and i haven’t broken any yet :)
harbor freight ftw
Talk about organizing porn. Unless they’re $1000 calipers, why is anyone 3d printing or buying custom cases for things that belong on a $25 pegboard (complete with pegs)?
… because some of us don’t have unlimited space, so organization is critical to prevent a workshop that is unusable because the space is not efficiently used. Ask me how I know.
well i’m not gonna say no one could use this but that’s exactly what gets me about this…the gridfinity concept simply doesn’t seem very compact. i’ve got my daily use pliers, strippers, cutters hanging on nails on the edge of my workbench and they basically don’t take any space because nothing else was hanging there…and then i have a little toolbox full of all the oddball pliers and vice grips and bigger cutters and whatnot…and there’s a lot to criticize about this setup but i can fit a lot more pliers in that toolbox willy nilly tangled up in eachother than i could if each one was neatly in its own bin.
I’ve seen folks use it many layers deep in which case it can end up quite compact and more reasonably comparable to the throwing all the junk in the same draw unsorted, while actually being useable. Obviously only the tools on the top layer are easy to access, but pulling out the bins to get into stuff you need fairly quickly but not almost every time you go to that draw isn’t too bad.
I’m certainly considering putting some gridfinity in my tiny space – in the middle of a big rework/upgrade so everything is getting rehomed anyway, as organisation makes a space much more useable, and you don’t need a tip out the tool box to look for that pesky x hiding in the pile so you can’t find it space (as who has spare flat surfaces in a workshop!). And no need to waste time putting them all back into the messy pile later.
I agree with you it won’t be everywhere as it just isn’t that compact and my space is tiny. Plus many of my tools are hung off custom easy remove holders on the wall by tool type and I see no need to change that. But for the micrometer, DTI, caliper being able to double or even triple stack so the less used sizes/sensitivities are at the bottom of the pile while protecting all these precision tools seems like a winner in both compactness and usability compared to dumping all their boxes that won’t nest well in the draw.
Because I got probably 15 calipers because I kept losing them in the mess. I need to be organized. I have Ikea Skadis on the walls and Gridfinity in the drawers. I need a place for each thing.
Because I don’t have wall space, I have toolbox space.
Not everyone wants to clean saw dust/ grinding dust/ normal dust off of tools hanging on a pegboard.
Idunno… I’m not quite this anal but I’m close
This could be a solution for the tool drawers in my van. Keeps everything in it’s place and not sliding around or falling of a wall mount system. Especially good for drill bits and other tools with sharpened edges, just chucking them in a box they’ll dull up as the van vibrates while driving around.
Also good to spot what’s missing before heading off or home from a job. There’s always that odd tool used in the house or at a client that is forgotten or lent out but not returned.