Drop-Down Tool-Storage Tray

Here's a great way to squeeze a lot of tool-storage space into a small area. The storage tray shown here holds nine measuring and marking tools and quickly folds up into an often-unused space. You could just as easily customize your tray to hold chisels, screwdrivers, wrenches, or other tools.

To build the tray, you must first measure the underside of the cabinet. The length of the tray should equal the inside measurement between the two sides of the cabinet minus ¹⁄₈ " for clearance. The width of the tray must equal the measurement from the wall to the the inside edge of the cabinet face frame minus the thickness of the wall cleat and minus ¹⁄₈ " for clearance.

For accurate positioning, center and screw the wooden latch to the bottom edge of the cabinet face frame after you have installed the tray. Then, hold the tray in the closed position, and drill the hole for the dowel through the latch and into the front rail of the tray. Finally, cut tool-holding blocks and glue them to the tray bottom to prevent your tools from sliding around.