You can’t tell, but I suffer from a condition called LoSNES (Lots of Stuff, Not Enough Space). As such, I am always searching for tool and part storage products that can help make my workspace neater and my work a little easier.
A product manager for BluCave sent over the above image of their modular and customizable storage system, and it really caught my attention. I started looking into the company and learned quite a bit about their products. I almost wish I hadn’t, as it now pains me that BluCave products are not (yet?) available in the USA.
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As I browsed around their site, it took me a few minutes to really understand what’s going on with the various storage products and accessories. To avoid channelling that confusion into this post, I decided to break things things down into a pictorial story.
Components
You start with the BluCave wall-mounted rail.
Then add 1-4 toolboxes per rail. They’re carry cabinets when mounted to the rail, toolboxes when they’re off. Each toolbox has a clear hinged lid and a long carrying handle that folds down when not in use.
The lids fold all the way to the side of the toolboxes when open, and it looks like they could be removable as well.
The cabinets attach via a French cleat-like mechanism.
You can add a shelf underneath. It comes with (4) drawers and a mounting bracket, and you can dock additional accessories underneath it.
Even though the wall-mounted rail has space for up to 4 cabinets, you don’t actually need that many to make good use of the space.
Add a hood to help keep everything contained. Gas struts assist with lifting the hood, and a lock helps keep things safe. The lock requires that a shelf be installed beneath the rail to work properly.
This also means that you can install a BluCave storage setup inside a van or truck without having to worry about the cabinets becoming dislodged during transport.
Add single or double-height drawers to your cabinets. Each cabinet can hold up to 10 single-height drawers.
Or you can add dividers.
All drawers come with dividers to help keep everything nice and neat during transport. The drawers snap into place when closed and also seem to be retained when fully extended.
Adding a power module cabinet gives you a removable work light, retractable power cable, and removable 4-outlet power strip.
The work light and power strip are also available separately and can both be docked to the underside of the optional shelf.
There’s also an audio module with a 6W speaker, built-in FM radio, MP3 connectivity, and iPod/iPhone dock.
The setup is completely modular and reconfigurable.
Update: Link has been removed as Blucave’s website is now defunct.
- Rail: $39.50
- Shelf: $129
- Hood: $170
- Cabinets/toolboxes: $39.88
- Single drawer (incl. divider): $9.98
- Double drawer (incl. divider): $14.98
- Dividers (2): $8.87
- Power module (dock, worklight, power strip): $141.90
- Worklight: $43.99
- Power strip: $17.59
- Starter kit (rail and 1 cabinet): $79.99
- Storage kit (rail, 4 cabinets, 1 shelf, 1 hood, 4 single drawers, 3 double drawers): $519
- Complete storage (2 rails, 6 cabinets, 2 shelves, 2 hoods, 4 single drawers, 3 double drawers, 1 power module, 1 work light, 1 power strip, 1 audio module): $1109
Prices are in Australian dollars ($1 AUD ~ $0.90 USD).
Right now, these products are NOT available in the USA.
First Impression
Wow! I can envision a few additions to the system, such as dividable drawers or a half-width drawer insert for small parts, but I can’t really see a lot of room for improvement. This is assuming that all of the components and parts are well made. It would be a shame if such unique and appealing engineering was sullied with chintzy materials or construction.
The same company also makes a line of ToolBod modular power tools and accessory sets that pair up with the tools. That’s a story for another time, but wouldn’t you know it, the accessory sets come in blow-molded trays that fit right into the single-height drawers.
If I had the wall space and spare funds, I might configure two rails, one with a hood and 2 shelves below it and another with a shelf spaced a few extra inches underneath instead of directly below. There would be 7 cabinets, 1 power module, and 1 add-on power strip. While the audio module looks good, a separate radio might work just as well. The cabinets would be equipped with a lot of single and double-height drawers, and maybe only one would just have dividers.
Realistically, I think the cabinets’ limitations might be the load ratings of individual drawers and dividers. I have my doubts that they can handle being fully loaded with steel fasteners, but maybe they can. Except for the bottom drawer, each drawer is only supported by a divider immediately beneath it, and the dividers don’t look to be particularly load-bearing.
There are a few things I would like to see BluCave add to the system, such as a double-wide stationary cabinet that’s built with horizontal reinforcements (so I can load it up as a parts cabinet), and shorter 1- and 2-unit rails. While the 4-unit rail is logical, I can think of a few places in my small workshop where just one or two wall-mounted BluCave toolboxes would fit or work as lot better.
Overall, I am very intrigued by BluCave’s unique modular storage system, but it seems like the kind of product I would need to see firsthand in-store before I can be fully won over. I’m crossing my fingers that BluCave is able to bring the storage products to the USA, maybe at least to online retailers if not brick-and-mortar retail stores.
Steven
If those make it to the USA, I am getting a kit. Those are pretty neat. I like how you can put dividers in to keep it secure.
Ben
Steven, They have just made it to the USA and are now in selected Costco Clubs. See the Facebook posts for location details.
https://www.facebook.com/BluCave/photos/pcb.787653201289100/787650964622657/?type=1&theater
Richard
Besides the somewhat goofy name, this looks pretty neat. I don’t know how practical I would find it in the long run, though.
Chris Pyfer
According to Twitter posts by Blucave their products will be available in the U.S. by mid 2013. Hmm…Maybe they meant 2014. It looks pretty nice, just wonder about the transition from vertical to horizontal. Seems like a lot of mixed up contents might occur.
Dave Wittmann
I agree. I like the concept. I can see installing this in the truck. But, turning the boxes on edge is a deal breaker for me.
Tyler
If they bring this to the US I hope they change the plugs on the powerstrip to the US standard.
Stuart
I don’t see why they wouldn’t or couldn’t do that.
rhyino
Would the power strips need a UL certification?
Robert
These look pretty sweet. Maybe not if you have already made an investment in other storage products, but would be nice for a new setup or maybe even for tooling up dedicated work stations
Jon Q
This does indeed look a little handy at first sight, but realistically, to get the full set up you’ll be paying over 1,000 USD? That’s for the small section of shelf and up to (from photos I can see) 14 storage drawers. I’ve personally got over 400 different bins in multiple cabinets of fittings screws and misc. I just can’t see spending 3k easy on blue plastic… Maybe if the market eats it up in the US they will be able to afford to sell kits for cheaper. I wonder… Since the bins are removeable are they able to stack and lock?
mikeh
This stuff looks very cool, better than anything available currently and I am a very big functionality over price guy but doesn’t this seem a bit on the expensive side for what you get US 1,000 for the kit, 170 for the locking cover?
Dennis
I love the idea of a modular storage system. The modular electronic parts are a nice touch, lighting and outlets are often overlooked in storage systems. I especially like that the system is wall mountable, grab what you need for the project and go. Although, when I first saw the picture of the shelf piece it looked like a server with blue drive bays, I had to go back and read the description to see what it was. I could do without the system looking like it came out of a sci-fi movie. I’m trying to store my tools and hardware, not take on the dark side. Then again you don’t want all your tools falling on the floor as you try to make the Kessel run.
Jim
It’s a nice idea and I like the idea of a wall-mounted modular storage system (why Dewalt and Bosch aren’t offering something like this for their modular gear is beyond me). That said, this BluCave stuff seems awfully expensive. Based on the renderings (comparing the cabinet dimensions to the iPhone), $1000 doesn’t really buy much storage space.
John S
The tricky thing about this system is that in attempting to intentionally look somewhat futuristic, I think they have dated themselves (and will be forced to recreate themselves). Just like how modern homes always look silly 10 years later. Maybe not all users will be thinking of buying a storage system for long term use, but at these prices, I would hope so. I do hope sortimo/bosch’s l-boxxes and others take a good hard took at the positives to this system and find ways to creatively improve upon it.
BluCave Team
BluCave seeks the right distribution partner, hence the delay entering the US market. We have plenty of interested retailers but the ground support is not yet in place…we are working on it..gotta give you guys great service!!! Yes, mid 2014 is the aim! Products have been on the market in Germany, Netherlands and Australia for over 12 months and all stand up very well. The Carry Cabinets are made of Polypropylene and Aluminum and are as tough as the fender on your car!! They are designed to be lifted onto the rail which is mounted at eye level so for ergonomics we dont recommend more than 22lbs load per unit. This is enough once you use the system and understand that you can slide the drawers in and out, containing only the tools you need for off site work. Yes! we already have UL compliant Toolbods, Power Strips and Power Modules ready to go…Sorry to say due to the iPhone 5 Lightning connector change the model shown will never make it to the USA…we have another (better) option under development with Bluetooth connectivity…thanks everyone for your interest..
BluCave Team
Our reference to the iPhone 5 connector was of course for the Audio Module.
Pedro The Master Trademan
We have the Cave, and we love it, Id reccomend to everyone, its tough and Ive dropped it many times. Stores all of our gear .
This would be a brilliant Craftsman item and yes if only all those brands provided us ways to store all our stuff, but this is it .
WorkshopAddict
I just installed a blucave…love, love, love it…the quality of the products are unreal…saves me so much space and love how organized it is.
E. Baker
Any additional information on a potential U.S. release?
Stuart
I checked in with the company a month ago, and they basically said that they’re working on it.
E. Baker
Thanks Stuart.
chris
Could anybody tell me the total height of cabinet and shelf with lid open ?
James Matheson
The problem with the blucave screwdriver is there are no bearings inside the screwdriver like other 3.7 volt screwdrivers and if you put the bearings inside it then it works otherwise its just a kids toy that your hand can move