[slashmaster]

Trying to make a lathe toolrack and am looking for idea's. I want to make it so all the tools used most often (The Key, the allen wrench, the bottle of oil, a brush, the 10mm for the chuck) will be hanging from strings with counterweights so I can just let go of them instead of finding a place to put them on a crowded workbench where they might get buried. I'm not finished here and am just winging it as I go. Has anyone here done something like this? Was just going to have the string slide in a notch but now I think I need rollers. Still thinking about what to use, maybe rims from a model car? Or maybe I should replace the shoestring with a small chain sliding through brakeline tubing?

[CS900]

that's a very cool idea.

What if you put a staple in the wood on the near side of your rack that the string goes through. Then knot the string or tie a washer or something into it so that when the weight pulls on the string it will stop at a predetermined position. Then when you need to use it, just pull it down again. Let it go and it retracts automatically.

You could also use nylon tubing as a raceway for the string. You can buy it in the plumbing section of any hardware store by the foot for fairly cheap.

[slashmaster]

Attachment 353782Thank you! I did something like that. The drag over the wood was too much so had to go to the hardware store and get some pulleys. Also got some "retractable card holders" from "Dollar tree" but they won't even pull a drill chuck key up as you can see in this pic.