Fenderwell toolbox lid.

[gamescastspencer]

For my metal shop project in school I'm making a fenderwell toolbox for my 76 C10, I have everything figured out enough except not sure on the lid. I want to utilize the 3" under the bed rail, but doing that would put the hinge on the top and I see that as a great place for water to enter.

This quick sketchup drawing shows the general design of the box and the location of the hinge on top

This is where the box will go between the middle of bed to the rear, but on the drivers side.
I want to see what solutions to put a piano type hinge on the top that won't let water in, or other ways of mounting the hinge etc. I have a beadroller so flanging and such is no issue.

 

[unslow1]

You could make it a little shorter so it would clear the rail with an open top hinged from the side. Other than that I don't see an easy solution. Someone would be making it already if it was easy/simple. Maybe sliding top.

 

[matt_i]

Can you go with a loose cap? I know that sounds bad at first, but I think then you can make the top a full, unbroken piece so there's no danger of water intrusion other than humidity. You could make a sort of pin & pocket design to hold it in on one side, and then something like a DeStaCo cam-over clamp to put some down pressure on it. With some rubber isolator pads underneath, and the down-pressure squeezing the top into them, would help takeup that "loose, rattle" potential.

 

[JHuston]

Could you mount the box on spacers to give you some room, and then make the hinge side of the lid overhang? I see that you've already considered the clearance issues of the rail, but maybe you could make the box a bit shorter so a full depth lid would open far enough.
-James Huston

 

[ducksface]

If your project must be all metal you need to talk to your instructor about how innovation works.
A Sliced piece of bicycle tube can be ARTFULLY applied to easily cover that hinge and wrap down the side of the lid.

Or
Two drawer pulls and the lid SLIDES forward providing a small setup table to place your tools on, take a look to see if you have everything you needed from the box, then pick them up and slide the lid/table closed.

There are lots of ways.
You're thinking tool box stuff only.
Think kitchen stuff. Go look at refrigerator door and a curtain mount.
Make the lid stay fixed and the box slide out from under the lid.

 

[metlmunchr]

Take a look at a cross bed box with lids on each side. They form the steel so there's a gutter under the hinge and the water that gets thru the joint drains to the outside. Similar to the gutter around the lip of a car trunk opening.

 

[hawkeye2]

Put the hinges on the inside edge

 

[txvwnut]

Put the hinges on the inside edge

This right here, that way you can access the box from outside the bed.

 

[Tom Sestito]

Make the lid fit over the box, like the lid of a shoebox, and hinge on the other side?

 

[bradpac]

You'll have to hinge it on an open side or do some other type of lid. My preference would be a sliding lid that overlaps the top and has slides on the sides.