How to Store Wood Carving Tools


Apart from his own skill, perhaps the most important element in any wood worker’s toolbox are his tools. As a woodcarver, you undoubtedly know the importance of having and using the right tools on any given project. However, once you’re done working for the day, you don’t just have to find a place to store the project you have been working on – you also need to find a place to store your tools.

There are many ways to store your tools. The right choice depends on the type of tools you are using, larger tools are usually hung on walls while smaller tools can be stored in a tool roll. Power carving tools are a separate category and are usually stored in a plastic case that they are purchased in.

However, many carvers – particularly beginner carvers – are unsure as to how to best store their carving tools. If you’ve been wondering about the options you have available to you, this article will help provide some insight.

Where Can You Store Your Wood Carving Tools?

If you’re wondering where you can store your wood carving tools, there are several options available to you. 

One of the most common ways is to use a tool roll. This is particularly useful if you mainly use hand-carving tools. A tool roll is essentially a piece of flexible material that has pockets in which you can store your tools. Once the tools are in the right spots, you can roll up the material into a compact tube. 

This is an especially convenient option for people who do not have much storage space in their home or work area. It is also good for people looking for an easy way to transport their tools without taking up too much baggage space.

However, a tool roll is only one option available to woodworkers. Other options include tool bags, toolboxes, and a set of drawers. These can especially come in handy if you have an extensive collection of carving tools that would not fit into a single tool roll.

Many carvers also try their hand at creating their own customized storage space for their carving tools. This can take the form of a set of drawers with enough space for not only your hand-carving tools but your power tools as well. Other options include building a hanging cabinet or another type of wall tool holder, a workshop pegboard, and tool racks.

Finally, many woodcarvers also choose to store their tools in the cases they come with. This is especially popular if you use power tools for carving – many power tools come with a case in which to store them. Once safely put away, you can store the case in cabinets or drawers that you may also be using to store your hand-carving tools. 

Advantages of Storing Tools Properly

After a long day of carving, storing your tools away instead of leaving them on your workbench can seem like a tiring proposition. However, there are several reasons why it is essential to store your tools away correctly. These include:

  • Safety: Many woodcarving tools are sharp. They can be a danger to young children, who may accidentally handle the sharp edge. However, it is not just young children who are at risk. It is possible for adults – including you – to mistakenly pick up sharp tools without realizing it. If your power tools are left plugged in, they can also be a significant danger. Storing your tools away once you are done using them ensures that you and any visitors to your workspace are safe.
  • Accessibility: One of the biggest irritants when you face when you start work on a new – or partially completed – project is realizing you cannot find the tools you need. Storing your tools away helps ensure that all your tools are in one place, and you can easily access them as and when necessary.
  • Organization: Many storage spaces are not just a place in which you haphazardly store away your tools. Instead, they also serve as a way of ensuring your tools are properly organized. This means that when you are reaching out for any given tool, you can easily find it in your storage space, instead of having to rummage and waste time trying to find each tool. 
  • Aesthetics: Depending on the storage space you are using, storing your tools properly can also improve your workbench’s overall look. Even if you are storing away your tools in a drawer or toolbox, a clean workspace is far more inviting than a cluttered one. By creating an uncluttered space in which to work, you will have greater motivation to return to the projects that you have been working on instead of abandoning them partway. 
  • Increased Durability: One advantage of storing tools correctly that many carvers may not immediately realize is that it can increase your tools’ lifespan. This is particularly significant for shaper tools like chisels, knives, and gouges. This is because most storage systems also provide a way to protect the sharp edge of the tool. 

For example, if you are using a tool roll, the sharp edges will be encased in canvas. Similarly, tool holders usually have a surface on which the pointed end rests, protecting the edge from dulling. Power tools typically come with a cap that helps protect the sharp edge or a case in which the whole tool can be enclosed and protected. This increases your tools’ lifespan and ensures that you don’t have to worry about replacing your favorites any time soon. 

Leaving Tools on Your Workbench

If you’ve spent a long day working on a project or are in a hurry to be somewhere else, it is understandable that you may want to leave your tools out on your workbench. Tidying up can be a lengthy process, depending on the number of tools you have, and you may not always have the time to complete this process. 

If you find yourself in such a situation, it is always best to prioritize what tools you put away. You should put sharp tools such as carving knives and any power tools you may have away first. On the other hand, it is less important to ensure tools such as leather straps, sandpaper, and other blunt and less dangerous tools are safe are stored away. 

This is because they are less dangerous than tools with a sharp edge. This means that you don’t have to worry about accidents with such tools – the most you need to worry about is not being able to find them the next time you need to make use of them. 

Custom Wood Carving Tool Storage Projects

While there are several ready to use tool storage solutions that you can buy on the market, many people prefer custom storage spaces. A significant advantage of a custom space is that you can personalize it to fit the type and number of woodcarving tools you have. They can be as big or as small as you like, and they can also be a better option for organizing your tools.  

Some projects that you can try your hand at include:

  • Carving Tool Organizer

If you have extra wood available, you can use it to create an organizer for your carving tools. Use the wood available to create the shape of your organizer, making it as big as required to be able to hold all your tools. 

Once you have created the basic shape, you can paint the wood to make it look more attractive. Use extra PVC tubes that you may have lying around in order to create storage space for your knives, chisels, mallets, and other handheld tools. Paint the tubes to match the wooden shell, and arrange them inside for maximum convenience. 

You can use this video as a guide: 

  • Chisel Rack 

More experienced woodcarvers often have several chisels that they use for their projects. While this can be extremely useful while working on a project, it can also make finding the right chisel a problematic task. 

A chisel rack is a not only helps you organize your chisels, it also provides convenient storage space for them. In order to create a chisel rack, use a wood board that is long enough to fit all your chisels. Saw the board into two pieces – one for the front and one for the back.

Create grooves thick enough to accommodate each chisel on one of the boards. Once that is done, put the other board together with the board that you have carved. You can now glue the two halves together and smooth out the rack. 

To make the rack more attractive, you can carve designs into the wood and finish using wax or finishing oil. You can now store your chisels in this rack and attach the rack to your workbench for greatest convenience. 

You can use this video as a guide: 

One advantage to this project is that it can be adapted for other tools. You can use this as a starting point to create storage solutions for your mallets, knives, and other sharp carving tools that would benefit from a protective storage space. 

Final Thoughts

Storing tools away after you are done using them is not a necessity for a woodcarver. However, proper storage can make accessing your tools easier in the future. It can also help protect and extend the lifespan of tools with sharp edges and helps prevent accidents, especially if you have young children spending time in and around your workspace.  

Martin Swizz

Hi! This is Martin, I like to research, experiment, and learn new things related to wood carving and other kinds of woodworking.

Recent Posts