I don’t use them all the time, but for some materials and situations, these blocks make things much easier. Dad calls it prison tool control because it’s among the methods of accounting for tools used by inmates.The advantage being that one can see at a glance if all the materials have been returned before dismissing students. If the block is full before distributing materials, then it should be full again when materials are put away. Easy. Right now I have three blocks that each hold 24 items. I wish I had made them to hold 28 or 30 as my classes are larger these days. One has small holes for pencil-size items. The other two have medium and large holes. Scratch-art tools and special markers have a tendency to “wander” unless special arrangements are made. Of course, one does have to be diligent about using them. Forget to check the block once and you’re back to replacing those lost items. If a school district has a wood shop program, special favors could be called in. They are easy to make, but a drill press is really a must in my opinion.
I made these tool controls too and they really are terrific for keeping track of materials. Mine is sort of crazy, though, with 180 holes drilled into a 2 x 4 x 6″!