Tool rolls for wrenches?

The advantage of this method is that you can make them up for your tools as needed and are not stuck with so-so rolls that aren't what you want.

The hard part is finding a machine that will do the sewing, especially where straps are concerned. If you can get them cheap enough, old domestic are okay. Use leather needles. Get the heaviest/strongest thread you can, otherwise you'll have to resew a few years down the track when it wears out.

I've hand driven a domestic that just wouldn't punch through, but it is better than hand sewing.

Basic design is to make them about twice the width of the tallest and sew one size with pockets and the other side flaps over the top to stop them falling out when rolled up. The pocket width need to be half the circumference AROUND the tool

+10-25% otherwise they won't fit in. Screwdrivers can have a central strip to take shafts and alternate either side. Easiest is just a waist band with two rings/D's at one end and strap at the other. Different coloured/colored canvas makes it easier to work out which is which, especially if grease/staining is around.

Try not to let them get rattle around or you'll wear holes in them fast.

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I sewed up a piece of heavy canvas into a roll with several pockets . Left a top flap so stuff wouldn't fall out , and the pocket stitching is shorter at one side for the smaller wrenches . Ridden in the saddlebag of my Harley for 30,000 miles now ... the thing I like about a roll over a bag is that everthing has a place , so you know right away if you left a tool out . My roll has a full set of box/end wrenches from 1/4 to 15/16 , set of deep sockets with extensions and ratchet , pliers , ball end allen set , pliers , screwdriver w/interchangeable tips . All in a package just over a foot long and about 8" diameter .

I'll have to check it out this afternoon. I've been carry the bike tools in plastic snap lock boxes but I'm going to mount a tool tube and a roll up would work better.

If the HD is any good, I doubt you'll get by for less than $10 doing it yourself unless you want custom spacings.

Shoot, I'd just skin me up a liberal and use some metal snaps to seal the ends up...

there's not much to lose there for $10.

If you want the project and can sew that stuff.

If you make your own, add some useful feature everybody else is too lazy to add like some handles (has nobody really though of this yet?), and maybe an extra flap so nothing falls out the top, or some extra pockets in the dead space for little wrenches so you can fit another row of them.

I prefer those klein canvas puches for small tools, but the only problem is you can't see if something is missing like with a roll.

Make your own.

Don't bother with a fabric store. Hit a farm store and buy a wagon tarp. (real canvas usually treated to keep rain out, MUCH cheaper than fabric stores) Use what you need for tool rolls off of one end and you still have a good canvas for covering stuff.

While there pick up a grommet kit for the tie laces. Now hit a thrift store and buy a few REAL leather belts. Try to get ones that are the same thickness leather. I generally grab the wider mens belts. (As a bonus look in all the belts and see if you can find a braided leather belt to cut up for leather tie laces)

Now drag out a machine and sew up your tool bags.

For normal wrenches and such simple sewed pockets work just fine. For tools that are sharp/pointy take a belt and sew it with the finished side against the canvas as a wear preventer.

If you want "fancy" edges hit a glass shop or home store and buy a roll of the foam window screen spline. Sew that into the edge with a rolled seam.

If you don't sew your own, it'll be a bad fit for the tools.

Maybe one layer of canvas (the outer shell) but you'll want to get some more-flexible material (I'm thinking of a wool/nylon blend that was real cheap one day at Boeing Surplus...) for the interior and pockets. It'd be good to have cloth tape for serving all the ragged edges, too.

Small parts can go into a soap dish, scribes/knives into a toothbrush case, and they'll fit into the roll.

I used pig skin and deerskin remnants from Tandy leather. The leather is very thin and flexible. I've hand sown them with a sinew needle from Tandy. I finally got a *little* smarter and tried sewing with SWMBO's Sears machine using a heavy needle and the biggest Fireline fishing string I could fit through the eye. Worked great and saved my fingertips from the needle. My homemade tool bags have banged around in service vehicles for more than thirty years. I've restitched some pockets because I didn't make them big enough. Lately, Tandy has gotten awful proud of their leather, but the remnants are still pretty (relatively) cheap. Good luck Steve

My friend is a violin maker and he made tool rolls from leather...30 years ago. They are still perfect.

The Ergodyne is 5 bucks more than the Bucket Boss on Amazon ($17.86) but has more positive reviews. There are other Ergodyne models that are also well rated.

My mother made a couple for my dad using pillow ticking but I dobt that this material is even available nowdays.

"Steve W." on Tue, 13 May 2014 17:05:55 -0400 typed in misc.survivalism the following:

Sounds like variations on oil cloth, or "waxed cotton" (I've been researching that stuff with an eye to patching a wore Outback duster.)

That is neat. I'm saving it to The File.

I didn't know they had super lines 30 years ago, a few Pike escaped while I was saddled with mono.

Leather works great but these days it's $$$$ for good stuff, unless you hit a thrift store and get lucky to find a good leather duster or riding jacket. (I buy some furs and hats there, LOT'S of fly making material in a rabbit fur hat!)

Similar, Outback coats are usually No.10 duck canvas. How old is your duster? Outback has been known to trade for new if yours has enough "character" to be used as a testimonial store piece.

I need to drop some weight so I can get back into mine. It's an Outback packable, about 25 years old now. Still in great shape though.

My wife makes them for me but the secret is the material, as Gunner says. I made the heavier duty ones from "Sunbrella" which is a heavy canvas like material used for canopies on boats and is EXPENSIVE! (I had a mate who ran a canvas shop and would give me remnants :-)

That might be pushing it. iirc, any open end set I've gotten that came with a roll only went up to 1 1/8. Amazon does let you ask questions and they email people who have bought the item to ask if they can answer. I've answered several questions about dimensions where the product description was vague.

In my college days (no money) I wanted a roll for my wrenches to stop the toolbox rattling. Cut the leg off some jeans too worn for even me to wear, opened one seam and sewed a dozen pockets. Still using it forty years later.

I've had it umm ,... 7 years - it was second hand when I got it.