I am somewhat new here and this is one of my first questions. Since retiring I have set up two electronic workbenches. One is here in my office, next to my desk. It is simply a folding table, like the ones in school cafeterias. I have some shelf space behind it and on the right hand wall. The other is a smaller one in my garage shop which is constructed with kitchen style cabinets and a nice, oak top (plywood with solid lumber framing). It also has shelves on the wall behind it, but they are shared with my machine shop tooling and supplies. That garage table has drawers and two compartments below for storage and I have promptly used all the easy to reach space in the three top drawers and one of the lower ones. The table here in my office has no drawers, but I have sometimes considered adding one or even two drawer units under it.
I have one problem with both of them, how to store the most frequently used tools on the table tops. For some time now I have been solving this problem by drilling various sizes and shapes of holes in 2X4 lumber scraps or something similar by gluing up smaller scraps to about that size. But with space at a super premium on both of these benches (please do not ask for photos as the camera would probably break due to the mess) I really need a better way to store these tools on these bench tops. Here is a photo of one of those crude blocks. See first attachment.
And I am NOT talking about the larger and less used hand tools. Those are either already in the drawers of the garage bench or in other storage locations. I am strictly talking about the most used hand tools. So far I have two desirable features: first, if it is to be on the table, a small footprint, preferably 4" x 4" but 5" x 5" or even 6" x 6". And second, it should be modular so that I can revise sections of it when I get new tools or need to include another tool in that readily available, table top collection.
I have a 3D printer and hope to use it to construct this. It's work envelope is about a 7" cube.
I have been thinking along two different approaches but, of course, I could use both of them if need-be. One is a lazy Susan tower with a ball bearing mount at the bottom and a series of stack-able sections above it. The other is some kind of holder that hangs below the lowest shelf on the wall. Again, I would want to make this modular so I can make new sections as needed. Most of the shelves are rather full so it would be difficult to clear them to make space on them instead of below.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. And I will, of course, post photos of whatever I decide on building.
So this is not a one way exchange, I am including a couple of photos of my hand tool storage in one of the drawers in the garage bench.
After searching for inexpensive aluminum stock for this, I discovered that the local HF store had a sale on four foot long aluminum rulers so I bought a dozen and cut them up. The rest is threaded rod and nuts (mostly used as spacers). It makes a great way to divide the drawer for hand tools that will stand on their edge.