Roller bearing drawers are a highly advertised feature and are fairly common in today’s tool storage market. While I believe that roller bearings can potentially increase the life of a tool box, proper care of slide drawers can also provide a long enjoyable relationship between you and your tool box. (Anyone who doesn’t understand the use of the word “relationship” when discussing a craftsman and his tools should probably stop reading now and go catch up on your soaps.)

Proper tool box care results in long-term reliability

I received a Craftsman 5 drawer bottom chest and 7 drawer top chest in December 1992. They both have the cheaper slides instead of bearings. I was 19 years old and thought that I wanted to be an automotive technician. Now, 15 years and a couple of career changes later, I still have those same boxes full of tools.

They have traveled with me to jobs in Opelika, AL; West Point, GA; Auburn, AL; Saint Augustine, FL; back to Auburn, AL; and now reside in Beulah, AL for home use. All of the drawers still operate smoothly with none sagging or falling out. This is due to proper care of the moving components.

Proper care means proper lubrication

Lubrication is obviously a key factor, but more important is clean lubrication. I clean and lubricate each drawer slide annually. Here are the basics:

• First, I prefer to complete this process for one drawer before moving on to the next. This helps keep the contents of the drawers from getting mixed up.
• Remove all tools from the drawer.
• Remove the drawer from the box. Normally, with the drawer fully extended, there will be a spring clip that must be removed or a tab that must be bent in to allow the drawer to be removed. One part of the slide will remain fixed to the sides of the drawer while the other part of the slide will remain inside of the body of the box.
• Thoroughly clean all slide components.
• Inspect all slide components for nicks or burrs. These can be removed with a small piece of emery cloth. If repairs are made the slides will need to be cleaned again before moving on.
• Apply new grease to slides.
• Reinstall the drawer.

With all of the lubricants available today the “proper” one to use could be debated for hours. I say do your own research and go with what you’re comfortable with. I use white lithium grease on my slides. No major scientific study here, that was what I had available the first time and it seems to be working great. 15 years and I have never replaced any slides and none are severely worn. That says more to me than any vendor’s ad could say.

The Bottom Line

So whether you have ball bearing drawers or slide drawers, the service you receive from them will only be as good as the care you put into them.

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I nervously stand and as I look around the large auditorium, I see faces. Some are known to me, many are not. Gathering all the courage I possess, I announce, “Hi, my name is Chris and I’m a toolaholic!

You may know me or someone like me. We live in your neighborhood, maybe even on your street. We might be your coworker, cousin, neighbor or friend.

It starts innocently enough, but before you know it, you are obsessed with tools. Are you a “toolaholic”? Answering the following questions may help you find out.

1. Do you eagerly await the annual Sears tool catalog?
2. Does every errand that you run, involve stopping by Sears, Lowe’s or Home Depot for a quick look through their tool department?
3. Do you peruse the classifieds regularly just in case someone is selling something that you “might” need?
4. Have you ever bought a tool that you already owned because, “it was too good of a deal to pass up”?
5. Do the guys at the local pawnshop know you by your first name?
6. Does the local pawnshop have a number to reach you in case “something interesting turns up”?
7. Have you ever taken on a project that you didn’t really want to do, but did anyway because it involved the purchase of a new tool?
8. Does or can your wife bribe you with the promise of a new tool?
9. Do you cruise flea markets looking for “good used tools”?
10. Have you ever taped an episode of “This Old House“, “The New Yankee Workshop“, “The Woodwright Shop“, or “Tools & Techniques“?
11. Do you “collect” old (your term is “antique”) tools?
12. Do you have a secret “tool fund” in case you run across a “great buy”?
13. Do you have an itemized list of your tools with accompanying pictures for insurance purchases?

If you are like me, then a number of these questions hit close to home. However, the one that you should take seriously is #13. If you have more than a very minor investment in your tools, please make the time to go through your shop or garage to photograph and list all your tools. This information will be priceless to you if your home or garage catches fire or if someone breaks in and steals your tools. You might have fantastic insurance, but insurance companies seldom pay claims on items that you cannot prove were there to begin with.

I know this sounds obvious, but I am continuously amazed by the mechanics and electricians who will grab a pair of pliers instead of choosing the correct socket or wrench that should be used for that particular job. My guess is that they do this to save time, but:

• this usually ends up taking longer
• by not using the proper tool for the job, they will probably damage the fastener which will result in the “next” repair taking additional time
• this is not safe (pliers could slip and injure the craftsman)
• using the incorrect tool may not tighten the fastener to the proper torque setting, which results in “come-backs” and “do-overs”

In general, if room and application permits, you should use a six point socket and ratchet. Your next best choice would be a combination wrench using the box end, if possible. The reason for this is simple - “the more contact points you have, the less chance there is of damaging the fastener”.

Or your knuckles when those pliers slip.

While on this subject, I’d like to point out a few things about adjustable wrenches. Personally I don’t like them, but I do feel they have there place, such as when space is at a premium - like in an emergency tool kit or when traveling.

As with all tools, quality really counts, but even more so with adjustable wrenches:

• look for solid construction
• make sure that the adjuster and jaw to have very little play but still move freely through out the entire range of motion

Also many people don’t realize that there is a right and wrong way to put an adjustable wrench on a fastener. The movable jaw should go on the side of the direction rotation. That is if tightening it will be on the left, if loosening it will be on the right.