Workshop tip: Foam strips secure chisels and gouges

When I first got into woodworking, I built a carved cradle that was featured in the FWW #200 Gallery. The more I got into carving, the more the gouges piled up. Rather than buy additional tool rolls to store them in, I came up with this simple system, which uses strips of medium- to high-density foam and allows much easier access. The strips will hold all sorts of files, rasps, rifflers, chisels, gouges, and other slim hand tools, and it works inside a cabinet or on a wall-mounted tool board. You can cut the foam with standard woodworking tools, and the strips attach to the backer board with spray adhesive. My foam strips are 12 years old now and still work as good as new.

—JIM SCHMIDT, Healdsburg, Calif.

Illustrations by Dan Thornton
From Fine Woodworking issue #294