How to get the right tool drawer foam for your project

Shadow Foam has pre cut inserts for a number of tool cases and drawers. But unlike tool boxes with complex shape profiles, tool drawers are typically square or rectangular which makes it a lot easier, and gives you more flexibility when it comes to organising your roll cab or workstation.

So how do you know what the right tool drawer foam is for your project?

We can help with that...

What information do you need first

The first step is simple. Measure your drawers.

Take the internal dimensions of each drawer and note the length, width and depth. Internal measurements are important because they ensure a precise fit once the foam is installed. So as always, measure twice!

If you have any drawer greater than 1200 x 600 mm then you will need to consider our custom made to order foam. For anything smaller than that you will have a range of standard options you can choose from too.

Choosing the right foam depth

Getting the right depth is just as important as getting the right size for the project.

As a general rule of thumb:

• Small items and hand tools typically work well with 30mm foam
• Anything larger usually benefits from 50mm foam
• Even larger or heavier items may require 70 mm foam
• Indeed you can even layer up sheets of Shadow Foam to achieve greater depth

Our foam depth always has a tolerance of +/- 5mm. This is normal and should be factored in when checking clearance to ensure your drawer will still close comfortably once the foam and tools are installed.

The best way to decide is to consider both the size of your tools and the depth of your drawer. You want enough material to securely hold your tools without making the drawer difficult to close. Here's more information that can help you with selecting the right depth - our Guide to ShadowFoaming. 

The fastest and easiest solution: custom sized foam

If you want a perfect fit with no cutting then custom foam is the simplest option.

We can produce foam inserts cut exactly to your drawer dimensions. Simply choose your colour and depth, enter your measurements and we will cut your inserts to size.

This is also the best option if you have super-sized drawers over 1200 x 600 mm.

It removes guesswork, saves time and gives you a professional finish straight out of the box. But does cost you slightly more since this is a bespoke service so the sheets are made to order just as you want them.

The most cost effective solution: Sheets or packs of foam

If you are happy to do a small amount of cutting then standard sheets or packs are the most flexible and cost effective option.

Once you know your internal drawer sizes you can select the closest sheet size, or the option that gives you best value in terms of yield for the sizes you need, and then simply trim them down to the size you want.

Our available sheet and pack sizes include:

• Large sheets 1200 x 600 mm (sold individually)
• Medium sheets 1000 x 500 mm (sold individually)
• Value packs 600 x 420 mm (multi-pack)
• Small packs 400 x 320 mm (multi-pack)

Cutting the foam to size is straightforward, especially for simple shape profiles like drawers. Measure carefully and always ensure use a sharp blade. For deeper foam you may need to make two passes to cut all the way through, but the material is designed to be easy to work with.

Pre made packs for some roll cab systems

For added convenience we also offer pre cut foam packs designed for our most popular roll cab brand, Snap on.

If you do not see your toolbox listed you can still create a perfect fit using the standard sheets or custom option.

Shadow Foam discount with multi buy bulk discounting

Whether you choose standard foam or custom made inserts there are often web only discounts available for larger orders. The more you add the better the value becomes.

This is ideal for full workshop setups or multi drawer projects.

Roll cab inspiration and ideas

If you are not sure how to layout your tools or want ideas for your own setup there is plenty of inspiration available showing real world roll cab and tool drawer projects which you can find on both our Youtube channel and our socials. 

In summary

Choosing the right tool drawer foam comes down to three simple steps.

Measure your drawer accurately
Choose the right depth for your tools
Select either custom cut or sheet foam depending on how hands on you want to be

Once you have that, the rest is straightforward and you can transform your drawers into a clean organised and highly efficient workspace.

A final note for scale projects

If you have a large, industrial application for tool drawer organisers for which the do-it-yourself option of making your own Shadow Foam inserts isn practical, then why not consider our Technical Conversion Service. For bulk requirements, our expert team can work to design and engineer pre-cut inserts for your workspace, just get in touch for more details.