Recent content by bthucknall

I've just got one of the 30" brakes and planned on doing the same things you are. keep posting pictures and what works for you. I need to bend up some siding for a tool box I'm building, and wanted to be able to do 18 inches of 18 or 20 gauge. I did a dry run with some 24 ga and it turned...

Yeah, that's definitely the way to go. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make a square box or be able to weld well enough when I started, so I did the frame first to prove I could learn the skills. If I ever do more boxes that'll be the way I go.

After grinding the tack welds on top flush, I could get all three drawers that were going into the bottom box to fit, but with only 1/8th inch clearance, which I figured I needed at least that much above and below every drawer. Decided I had to weld in another 3/8 inches to the frames. I really...

Not much at all. I based my metal gauge off of what snap on uses, and if possible i used heavier gauge. so I had mine made out of 16 ga, where snap on uses 18 ga on most of their boxes, and 20 ga on some.

almost all tools that I've bought at harbor freight, which includes 3 different pryers that broke the first time I used them, and a snap ring plier set where every one of them pretzeled upon getting the snap ring off. Had to borrow someone else's to put them back on. Strangely enough, I did...

There are two keys for the box, you get one and the other is held onto by the foreman or manager. Sales was not allowed in the service dept. That means for this system to work you have to trust your foreman or manager, which I've never seen a shop manager who had his own tools there or who...

I use the bleeder attachment from my mityvac vacuum pump with a tube going into a jar. The rare occurrence that doesn't work I find that nothing else will work but two man bleeding. If two man bleeding isn't working for you than I would say you're either doing it wrong or you're missing...

It took me till the second drawer, but finally learned how to make consistent good welds on the seams. I kept on trying to use tricks like making a thousand separate spot welds, or manually pulsing the trigger to let it cool down. I found out that if I let it build a good puddle while pushing...

got the drawers from the fabrication shop. I had thought that they were going to build each drawer out of one sheet of metal, but when I picked them up the left and right sides were separate panels tack welded on. The one I checked at the shop was good enough that I did't check the others...

I think I'm gonna go with something like the dowel approach. Like nots welded to the bottom of the top box and holes in the top of the bottom box. I don't think I'll need much to hold them on top of one another on a smooth shop floor, and if needed the flat bar will be easy enough to add on...

What tubing and sheet did you use?

I was welding a door hing on a jeep cherokee once without a mask, just some brazing googles, and putting my prescription glasses on top of my head while welding. I had on off brand transition glasses, and at the end of the day I realized they weren't changing back to completely clear. Not...

Looks Great! What kind of work will you be doing there mainly? If you need a place that you can really pound on something with a hammer, or if you install a bench vise you might want a couple more 2x4s right under that spot. Ive seen some shop counters made with hardwood over ply that turned...

So like many other people after looking at all the used tool boxes out there I felt like I could build one myself for less than what I can get even a used one for. I’m a mechanic and have been working out of a stainless steel 4l”x18”x64” box for ten years now. It’s made by knight, i believe it...