Modifications to the HF 4 and 5 drawer service carts - what changes have you made?

[damfino42]

I have been following this thread for some time now and been getting some great ideas from here and come up with my own. Here’s what I’ve done hope it helps someone! Tool Box Video

What kind of wheels are these? Any name and or link available?

 

[AtlasFBG2]

Here is my custom 4 drawer tool cart.

I took the drawer off my 1 drawer cart. Drilled four mounting holes in the bottom of the top box. Used four thin washers about .050 thick between the drawer and top box. Washers are about as thick as the side pieces the top box sits on. Fits right in there and got room on bottom shelf for shop rags and work shoes to fit.

Changed the caster wheels to cast iron wheels. The original swivel locks won't work with the cast iron wheels.

HF had the 30% off items $20 or less coupon this weekend so I added the can holder, towel holder, glove box holder and two magnetic hooks.

Removed the US General emblem and stickers from the outside of box. I got a couple Snap on emblems ordered to put on the outside of box.

Paid $247 total for everything. Bought the stuff when it was on sale. The side tray I got free off FB market place. The one drawer cart I took the drawer from I sold on market place for $70. Can't believe someone paid that much for it without the drawer.

This 4 drawer cart i am going to take to work. Then going to get the 5 drawer cart when it's on sale for black Friday to keep at home garage.

 

[rick carpenter]

Found I use my putty scrapers more often than I thought, so I added them to my cart w/magnets and bits of leather.

 

[gastgarage]

Nice thread on this cart!! I've got the blue version assembled & will do some of what this guy did on YouTube to turn the 5-drawer into a welding cart:

Spicer Designs

Probably won't incorporate all the fanciness, but it seems like a great concept to get 2 welders, bottles and other gear all in one place.

Anyone else do this?

 

[jarhead]

that is nice, thanks for the link

 

[bp_09]

Here is my custom 4 drawer tool cart.

I took the drawer off my 1 drawer cart. Drilled four mounting holes in the bottom of the top box. Used four thin washers about .050 thick between the drawer and top box. Washers are about as thick as the side pieces the top box sits on. Fits right in there and got room on bottom shelf for shop rags and work shoes to fit.

Changed the caster wheels to cast iron wheels. The original swivel locks won't work with the cast iron wheels.

HF had the 30% off items $20 or less coupon this weekend so I added the can holder, towel holder, glove box holder and two magnetic hooks.

Removed the US General emblem and stickers from the outside of box. I got a couple Snap on emblems ordered to put on the outside of box.

Paid $247 total for everything. Bought the stuff when it was on sale. The side tray I got free off FB market place. The one drawer cart I took the drawer from I sold on market place for $70. Can't believe someone paid that much for it without the drawer.

This 4 drawer cart i am going to take to work. Then going to get the 5 drawer cart when it's on sale for black Friday to keep at home garage.

@AtlasFBG2 - This is amazing! Is the single drawer only attached to the bottom of the top box, or did you also attach it to the four uprights? Did you reference anyone else's build? I'd love to see some pics of the install process.

 

[frichard]

Love the orange and black! What pneumatic locking casters are those?

 

[zanyad]

Inside Track Club-only through Thursday, everybody Fri 3/6 - Sun 3/8:

 

[Ohmthis]

Found a better place for my US Gen mini. Built a little riser to sit it on out of some cedar and hit that with plasti-dip. It's movable but it doesn't slide around. Gonna put my mikes and calipers and other delicate tools in it.



Finally finished my extensions rack, made from pvc similar to the screwdriver rack. Wanted it low since them banging into my cart going in/coming out is not a good thing. The train track ballast works well keeping my cart upright when I open the drawer.

How did you make the screwdriver and extension holders?

 

[rick carpenter]

How did you make the screwdriver and extension holders?

I used short lengths of pvc pipe glued to a fiberboard backer, with lots of magnets. I found that I needed to add a couple of HF magnet tool holder bars underneath as the whole thing incremented down each time I dropped a screwdriver into place.

My mini USGen boxes now live on my benchtop, I have 3.

 

[rick carpenter]

Added 2 pvc prybar holders to the back corners of my cart. Lengthened 2 of the bolts on the legs for stand-offs made of 2 washers and a piece of copper pipe gently persuaded over them. Stick-on felt pads should prevent scratching the legs.

 

[Radio Flyer]

My at “at home“ box is in a dimly lit garage. So I added a rechargeable motion sensor closet light.

I‘m not sure if I will like it or not, but it’s worth a try.

 

[Ervin5611]

I’ve been following this thread since I bought my 5-drawer cart back in late 2019, and I’ve picked up quite a few ideas from it over the years.

Now that I don’t use the cart at work anymore, I don’t really need the original flip-up lid setup like I used to. I started using the top as extra work/storage space instead, which was great until I needed something out of the top compartment and had to move everything off the lid first.

I saw @MushCreek’s idea for using lift-up/back hinges and thought that would solve the problem perfectly, so credit to him for the original idea.

I finally added a set to mine and it worked out great. The whole top now lifts up and moves back, so I can leave whatever I have sitting on it and still have full access to the top compartment. It also gives me a nice little work surface when the lid is down.

Figured I’d add some pictures of how mine turned out in case anyone else with one of these carts is thinking about doing the same thing. Definitely one of the more useful modifications I’ve made to it.