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

TerryH · Jan 5, 2013

ihateminimumwage said:
Finally picking up a 5 drawer this week, just been waiting on a check to come in. Already going to buy the Snap-On hinges, and planning on this folding side shelf:
http://www.tooltopia.com/sunex-tools-8004.aspx

And also thinking about this locking screwdriver/prybar box for the stuff that has too tall of handles for the top.
http://www.tooltopia.com/sunex-tools-8004.aspx

My question is, has anyone installed that box on the same side as the cart's handle? Not sure if the handle would make it impossible to get stuff in and out of it... I might see if I can mount the spray can holder under the folding shelf, or just remove it altogether. Just debating, since I'd rather order them both at the same time to keep shipping costs down. If nobody else has, I might just try it out anyway, but figured I'd check here first...

Both look cool to me. I especially like the folding side shelf. Just ordered one for mine.

Here's the correct link for the pry bar storage. Copy and paste came back to bite ya.

Locking pry bar storage

ihateminimumwage · Jan 5, 2013

TerryH said:
Both look cool to me. I especially like the folding side shelf. Just ordered one for mine.

Here's the correct link for the pry bar storage. Copy and paste came back to bite ya.

Locking pry bar storage

D'oh! I went back and fixed it, thanks for the heads up!

No matter what I'll be adding the shelf (same one that Matco sells, at a fraction of the cost). Just not sure if I'll be able to wedge that screwdriver holder where the handle won't make it a PITA to get stuff in and out of it...

paigej · Jan 7, 2013

I posted this earlier on the toolbox thread and someone said i should post it here also. It's just 2x2 angle iron and the original casters welded on.

ndnchf · Jan 7, 2013

paigej said:
I posted this earlier on the toolbox thread and someone said i should post it here also. It's just 2x2 angle iron and the original casters welded on.

Nice job!

rick carpenter · Jan 7, 2013

alpinewhite said:
I'm contemplating on using one of these carts as a miter saw stand for my Milwaukee slider (also red). Then, I was going to put collapsible wings on both sides. Has anybody done it? Will it be too high?

I think you'll need to engineer the wings mighty beefily. The weight of the wood will be more than you think even if just molding. And when cutting a long piece you'll have one or both ends suddenly free after the cut to put all their weight on the wings.

Buying/building cut-off support stands would help. Regardless, the wings will still need to be beefy.

glenmore · Jan 7, 2013

paigej said:
I posted this earlier on the toolbox thread and someone said i should post it here also. It's just 2x2 angle iron and the original casters welded on.

Nice detail, down to the last 4 bolts on the bottom thru the angle irons!

alpinewhite · Jan 7, 2013

paigej said:
I posted this earlier on the toolbox thread and someone said i should post it here also. It's just 2x2 angle iron and the original casters welded on.

I'd paint the angle iron red and it'd look really stock. Good job!!!

jtbinvalrico · Jan 7, 2013

Here's some links to the lift springs / gas props / struts I used on my HF 5 drawer cart......there's also a great reference for other tool box lift fit questions. I went with a 14" 25lb prop, which has a tad more resistance than the stock springs, but nothing one hand can't easily close. When I go to open it, one finger lifts it about 2", then the spring smoothly lifts it the rest of the way. The end fittings will go right onto the 10mm ball-end that the current strut is on; easy clip-on replacement. I really like it and highly recommend it......and my total was about $33 at the local store:

The one I got at Camping World here in Tampa:

http://m.campingworld.com/aHR0cDovL...nL2l0ZW0vZ2FzLXByb3AtMTRpbi0yNWxicy80OTc5Mg==

A fitment reference chart:

http://www.rvdesigner.com/gas_props.asp?ci=12

bimmerZ5 · Jan 7, 2013

jtbinvalrico said:
Here's some links to the lift springs / gas props / struts I used on my HF 5 drawer cart......there's also a great reference for other tool box lift fit questions. I went with a 14" 25lb prop, which has a tad more resistance than the stock springs, but nothing one hand can't easily close. When I go to open it, one finger lifts it about 2", then the spring smoothly lifts it the rest of the way. The end fittings will go right onto the 10mm ball-end that the current strut is on; easy clip-on replacement. I really like it and highly recommend it......and my total was about $33 at the local store:

The one I got at Camping World here in Tampa:

http://m.campingworld.com/aHR0cDovL...nL2l0ZW0vZ2FzLXByb3AtMTRpbi0yNWxicy80OTc5Mg==

A fitment reference chart:

http://www.rvdesigner.com/gas_props.asp?ci=12

very cool! thanks for sharing... so, does that replacement allow you to open the lid more vertically?

jtbinvalrico · Jan 7, 2013

The lift I used is about 1/2" longer than stock, so I do get a little more vertical. You could probably try a 15" and get vertical. The only thing to bear in mind is the "closed" length and the increased closing force that comes with the longer units. I wouldn't go over 25lbs. With these 25lb lifts I have on there now, I could (and might) look at utilizing the underside of that lid a bit more. Also, it would be easy to tap two quick holes two relocate the lower arm mounts for longer lifts, or for that matter, move those holes toward the back of the box to accommodate shorter lifts if the stock lengths get in your way. I suppose a stubby 8" lift with enough *** behind it (maybe 50lbs) would work too.

:beer:

pacific4v · Jan 8, 2013

To the guys who have added the end cab on they're 5 drawer cart, when it's loaded down with tools does it seem to big or heavy to roll around now?

skulldrinker · Jan 8, 2013

My black roller has swivels on all 4 wheels. I kinda if like that at times. Does the red one have that also and if not do you wish it did?

jjjrmx5 · Jan 8, 2013

ndnchf said:
Kapster - I can't explain why, but that's normal. When the right-side hinge is locked, the shorter left-side hinge remains bent at the knee just a little. It works fine.

^^^^^^^^^^
This is exactly the way it should be.
Any weight is placed on the lock hinge with a slight dip in the non lock side.
On my factory Blue Point cart teh lid sits at near verticle if not a few degrees to the negative/rear side. Verticle postion keep the lid weight on the piano hinge and not on the elbow hinges is my guess. I just transferred the pick up points to my HF 5 dwr cart and mirrored the holes. Worked perfect as you saw way back in my photos.

The dwg. and hole placement is based off a factory Blue Point cart that is exactly the same size as the HF 5 dwr box with exacty the same lid pick up points but the BP cart is just set up for the chrome metal Snap-On hinge and not shocks , thus the need to drill new holes in the bottom and shim the large holes meant for shocks in the lid tabs for teh HF unit.

Measure twice, drill once is my motto.

jjjrmx5 · Jan 8, 2013

pacific4v said:
To the guys who have added the end cab on they're 5 drawer cart, when it's loaded down with tools does it seem to big or heavy to roll around now?

I have several co-workers that have added the side box with no ill effects.

It's best to keep the weight and tool distribution balanced and it is also advised to keep some weight or store some heavy items (I keep gallon jugs of thinner and cleaner and other fluids there as well as metal and wood scraps and shims) in the bottom open storage area to keep the center of gravity lower.

It's a cart, not a roll cab, so overloading and tipping can be an issue if you want to do all heavy air tools and 3/4" drive stuff in the dwrs and leave the bottom storage area empty.

If used on a concrete floor and loaded evenly, it should never be a problem.

TerryH · Jan 8, 2013

paigej said:
I posted this earlier on the toolbox thread and someone said i should post it here also. It's just 2x2 angle iron and the original casters welded on.

Nice!!

paigej · Jan 8, 2013

pacific4v said:
To the guys who have added the end cab on they're 5 drawer cart, when it's loaded down with tools does it seem to big or heavy to roll around now?

Only problem i have is when i pull it back into the garage. The handle seems like it wants to bend when i lift it over the lip for the garage door. Other than that, no problems since i extended the base under the end cab.

pacific4v · Jan 8, 2013

Good to know, thanks guys

06ramctd · Jan 8, 2013

kapster said:
I have the stock casters, I see no reason to change them unless you dont like the configuration they come in, some are 2 swivel and some are all 4. They're plenty heavy duty, as heavy duty as the casters that came on my menards 36" wide box. Way, way nicer then any caster i've gotten on a Craftsman box. I'd save the money there.

Heres my shelf installed. I made an adapter plate/ spacer out of 1/2" aluminum. The shelf has a lip at the top, so either had to space it out or cut the lip off. I had access to the material so i did this. Way overkill but a perk of being a machinist. If anyone needs it, I can give the drawing of the adapter plate.

Is the shelf a from HF or somewhere else?

TerryH · Jan 9, 2013

So I got my side shelf from Tooltopia today. Woulda been nice if they had mentioned that the photo on their website shows the shelf having a mat on it but no mat comes with it. Anyway, I'll deal with that in a minute.

Here's the shelf...

The 4 mounting holes are desgined for 2 of them to use existing holes in the Sunex cart but all 4 will have to be drilled in the HF.

Here's the holes marked on the cart. Would have been better if it were a bit wider as the mounting bracket just barely sits on top of the legs but I think it'll be fine.

I used some 1/4" x 3/4" stainless button heads with stainless nylocks to attach the shelf.

Here you can see nuts on the inside of the screw driver area and how the top lip of the shelf bracket hangs over the top of the cart.

All in all, I think it looks nice and the paint color is almost dead on the HF color.

I figured that I would do something a little different than the standard black mat especially since Tooltopia was too cheap to send me one. I had some scrap 1/8" polished diamond plate so I whipped a piece up the right shape and attached it to the shelf with 4 more stainless machine screws and nylocks.

The first thing that I noticed was that the bottom edge of the shelf was going to beat the heck out of the cart when it wasn't being used so I put some clear plastic bumpers on the legs of the cart to stop that from happening. I used the same bumpers on the lid to keep it from bangin the cart also.

For less than $30 shipped to my door I'd say the shelf is a heck of a good deal even with the lack of mat issue. I kinda like the extra bling of the dp anyway.

The lid closes just fine with the shelf down and has to be open for the shelf to be used but that's no issue for me. Overall I'm super happy with the result.

Thanks to ihateminimumwage for posting the link!!!

BFalfa · Jan 9, 2013

that looks good^^^...cant go wrong with ATP!

TerryH · Jan 9, 2013

BFalfa said:
that looks good^^^...cant go wrong with ATP!

Thanks. I'm finding more and more uses for the left overs.

70NOVA · Jan 10, 2013

If you remove the hinges/struts for the lid will it fold all the way down against the back of the cart?

paigej · Jan 10, 2013

That looks awesome! I really like the diamond plate.

kapster · Jan 10, 2013

70NOVA said:
If you remove the hinges/struts for the lid will it fold all the way down against the back of the cart?

Yes it will

kapster · Jan 10, 2013

jjjrmx5 said:
^^^^^^^^^^
This is exactly the way it should be.
Any weight is placed on the lock hinge with a slight dip in the non lock side.
On my factory Blue Point cart teh lid sits at near verticle if not a few degrees to the negative/rear side. Verticle postion keep the lid weight on the piano hinge and not on the elbow hinges is my guess. I just transferred the pick up points to my HF 5 dwr cart and mirrored the holes. Worked perfect as you saw way back in my photos.

The dwg. and hole placement is based off a factory Blue Point cart that is exactly the same size as the HF 5 dwr box with exacty the same lid pick up points but the BP cart is just set up for the chrome metal Snap-On hinge and not shocks , thus the need to drill new holes in the bottom and shim the large holes meant for shocks in the lid tabs for teh HF unit.

Measure twice, drill once is my motto.

It looks like that, just hits closed. I measured more then twice trust me. I marked where your print said they go and it was leaning back to far, so I started moving the hinges farther forward with a c clamp until it was vertical. Drilled them and its perfect but the leading edge of the hinge hits the lid when you shut it. I might grind a little off the front of the hinge so it doesn't hit, don't think it ll take much.

Fyrme · Jan 10, 2013

70NOVA said:
If you remove the hinges/struts for the lid will it fold all the way down against the back of the cart?

Yes it will. I use a small magnet to hold it down. The only reason I ever need to close it is to keep the dust out when I am painting or cutting lumber. The hinges were the first thing I took off. Even if you don't mind the angled lid, they take up soooooo much useful space. The SO hinges are the way to go if you want a vertical lid. If you just want it out of the way, then fold it back.

2EA99078-5519-4BCE-A64C-1C06FD475849-5427-000007E5D41A456A.jpg

This was the next mod. I store my extensions in the screw driver holes but the holes wern't sized appropriately. So I RTV'ed a few washers over the bigger holes to hold my 3/8 drive extensions.

B4A09591-6CC4-468E-B9AB-802A8C937C03-5427-000007E5E1BD62A3.jpg

Next I made a allen socket holder for my long allens that won't fit up top.

FCE98740-792A-4F33-8052-224E1C62AE4E-5427-000007E5D9F08A3E.jpg

One of my next mods will be to add this to the bottom tray. I cut the lid off this years ago because I can't stand lids on things I use everyday. I'm not a mechanic in a shop so security is not a concern. I will lose the use of the top tray but gain 4 more drawers and keep the COG low. Most of the work I do is off a stool anyway so height is not an issue either.

0172C047-C6B2-494B-B2C2-5E77753F5B38-5427-000007E5E6EB877D.jpg

I have tons of other stuff I'd like to do but in due time!

skulldrinker · Jan 10, 2013

Fyrme said:

Has anyone thought turning the top into a work surface by adding some braces just like on a side tray? or might tip over.

Fyrme · Jan 10, 2013

I'd worry about tipping. Very little counter balance off the front and back. Off the sides is pushing it, that is why guys have to distribute their tool weight to off set a tray. I wouldn't do it.

nine4gmc · Jan 10, 2013

TerryH said:
The lid closes just fine with the shelf down and has to be open for the shelf to be used but that's no issue for me. Overall I'm super happy with the result.

Had you mounted the shelf 1/2" lower on the side, you could probably keep the lid closed with the shelf raised. Looks good though, got me thinking about picking one up now...thanks....

coolreed · Jan 10, 2013

Enjoy the creativity of what you guys are doing. Down right Inspiring.

My only problem with it is you still have a cheap tool box. Kind of like making a Silk Purse out of a Sows Ear.

But I still like the creativity and the great ideas. Good Work. :bowdown:

paigej · Jan 10, 2013

Exactly, cheap as in doesn't empty your bank account :rocker:

TerryH · Jan 10, 2013

nine4gmc said:
Had you mounted the shelf 1/2" lower on the side, you could probably keep the lid closed with the shelf raised. Looks good though, got me thinking about picking one up now...thanks....

The only issue with mounting it lower is that the shelf has a 1/2" angled lip on the top that is designed to hang over the top edge of the cart. You can see it in one of my pics. You would either have to cut that off or space the mounting bracket 1/2" out from the side of the cart. Kapster machined a 1/2" aluminum spacer a few pages back that was very cool to solve the problem but I opted to just mount it like it was designed to mount. Can't imagine that I'd be using it without the lid open anyhow.

TerryH · Jan 10, 2013

Fyrme said:
I'd worry about tipping. Very little counter balance off the front and back. Off the sides is pushing it, that is why guys have to distribute their tool weight to off set a tray. I wouldn't do it.

I don't think I'd vote for putting the side box on it even though some are doing that with sucess by loading the cart on the oposite side as you state, but I can't imagine me putting anything on the side shelf that would cause a safety issue. I forsee the shelf with a few tools and perhaps a cup of coffee on it. The shelf is a factory item for a smaller and much lighter Sunex cart so I couldn't imagine that it would be an issue on one fo these.

alpinewhite · Jan 10, 2013

TerryH said:
I don't think I'd vote for putting the side box on it even though some are doing that with sucess by loading the cart on the oposite side as you state, but I can't imagine me putting anything on the side shelf that would cause a safety issue. I forsee the shelf with a few tools and perhaps a cup of coffee on it. The shelf is a factory item for a smaller and much lighter Sunex cart so I couldn't imagine that it would be an issue on one fo these.

Build this frame and not have to worry about tipping.

VC455 · Jan 10, 2013

jjjrmx5 said:
^^^^^^^^^^
This is exactly the way it should be.
Any weight is placed on the lock hinge with a slight dip in the non lock side.

Quick question about this SO hinge thread, RE 'mounting'
I can't see how the not straight/bent side is doing ANY WORK, with the resolution of forces, it seems to me you might as well not have the second hinge, what kind of force/work is it doing?
What am I missing.

TerryH · Jan 10, 2013

alpinewhite said:
Build this frame and not have to worry about tipping.

Exactly. Really nice job on that paigej!!!

alpinewhite · Jan 10, 2013

TerryH said:
Exactly. Really nice job on that!!!

For the record, it belongs to paigej.

TerryH · Jan 10, 2013

alpinewhite said:
For the record, it belongs to paigej.

Ooopppss. Sorry. I fixed it in my post. Want to give credit where credit is due!!!

oneandgone · Jan 10, 2013

VC455 said:
jjjrmx5 said:

^^^^^^^^^^
This is exactly the way it should be.
Any weight is placed on the lock hinge with a slight dip in the non lock side.

Quick question about this SO hinge thread, RE 'mounting'
I can't see how the not straight/bent side is doing ANY WORK, with the resolution of forces, it seems to me you might as well not have the second hinge, what kind of force/work is it doing?
What am I missing.

Click to expand...

Same thing I've been thinking. These go on sale again tomorrow for $170 and I'm really wanting to get one. After watching this thread for a while and comparing these to the Matco carts I'm sold.

Spudland_Dave · Jan 10, 2013

VC455 said:
Same thing I've been thinking. These go on sale again tomorrow for $170 and I'm really wanting to get one. After watching this thread for a while and comparing these to the Matco carts I'm sold.

Yup...me too, was just on HF.com and saw the 4 drawer on sale for 99.99 w/Coupon...No HF's in Maine, so I called my bro and he'll pick one up for me. :rocker:

Almost pulled the trigger on a Blue Point on CL...then found a nice snappy, but couldnt get to where I wanted to be...100 bucks sounds perfect to me after hearing all the rave reviews here and flipping thru this thread for a couple days.
Got a few mod ideas myself right now, but I'll wait to get my hands on it first.

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

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