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My new toolbox project!

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MatBirch

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Messages
419
Location
Filer, Idaho
Some of you may remember when I asked about what to do with this CAT generator breaker cabinet-

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Well, I received some great ideas about what I could turn it into, but I opted to take the difficult road! I am in desperate need of a toolbox in the shop, as my good box lives at work. I decided to undertake turning it into a nice tool cabinet.

I fabbed up a pile of drawer boxes at work, then started fitting slides-

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That took me most of the afternoon yesterday and all morning today. It was slow going because the cross braces and rails in the cabinet are not real square. I guess since it's just to hold a huge circuit breaker and wire, it's not real critical.
I got all of the drawer boxes fitted and temporarily in place this afternoon-

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(The four "complete" drawers are actually a screw up- a co-worker thought he'd help me out and started welding them up for me. They should not have have had four sides, since the drawer fronts get fitted later. He also didn't pull a tape on them and let some of the sides flare, making those four a real PITA to fit!)

I ran out time and energy tonight at dinner time to continue, but got the lower section all fitted with drawer fronts!-

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Still need to finish the drawer fronts, then sand and paint. I'll add the handles after paint
 
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AndrewV

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Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
1,368
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Fl
Slap CAT stickers on it.
Heritage, from where it came out of.
 
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MatBirch

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Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Messages
419
Location
Filer, Idaho
So, I got all the drawer fronts fitted and welded up! Goes a little slower with only small amount of shop time available in the evenings during the week:(

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Really happy with it so far! Need to mount the pulls next. My plan is to split some scraps of aluminum unistrut and mount them on the faces. Here's my test pieces-

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FJ 432

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Aug 2, 2010
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Location
Littleton Colorado
Fantastic job and a great project. The idea of using unistrut as handles is very creative.

Where did you find the slides and are you going black for the drawers or trying to match the CAT yellow?
 
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M

MatBirch

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Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Messages
419
Location
Filer, Idaho
Spent a few more hours in the shop over the last couple of days.

To answer a couple questions.- I used truss head self drilling sheet metal screws on the cabinet sides, and #10 SS carriage bolts with whiz nuts on the drawer sides. It's our standard at work. The slides are from Woodworker's Hardware. Their economy 100# full extention. Not the greatest, but affordable, and descent quality.

I got all the handles mounted and adjusted on Thursday night and Friday afternoon.

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Once fitted, I pulled all of them back off and prepped for paint. Two coats later and here is the mostly finished product. Of course only the OUTSIDE is finished:evil:

Don't need no stinkin' Li$ta!

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I intend to make a filler strip for the center section to cover up the holes left over from the cover mounts...

All said and done, I'm in to this project $76 and about 12 hours labor :beer:
 
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smokey0810

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Joined
Mar 29, 2013
Messages
3,056
Location
Canyon, Texas
U could have just posted that as your new tool cabinet, and everyone would have been asking what brand, and where'd u buy it. VERY nice looking cabinet.
 
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nine4gmc

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Mar 24, 2012
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14,357
Location
Dallas
About the best DIY box I have seen! GREAT JOB!

Any info on how you whipped up the drawers?
 
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NUTTSGT

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Sep 14, 2009
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50,856
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Northern Central Ohio
Looks like a nicely made box by you. It should give you many years of great use.

Are the drawers aluminum ? Does your $76 investment count materail for the drawers too ?
 
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MatBirch

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Messages
419
Location
Filer, Idaho
The drawers are aluminum. 1/8" sheet. Sides and bottom are broke out of one sheet. The back is cut to fit and welded corner to corner fully. The fronts of the correctly made ones are tacked in place during fit-up. I will get some pics of the drawers posted.
I am very fortunate to have a generous boss and the use of the equipment like the brake and shear, pulse welders etc.
We are sometimes allowed to undertake large projects such as this because situations where a customer's job calls for example- 1 and 1/4 sheets, the job must be bid as 2 sheets. While that also helps with the bottom line, because while the next job might only call for 1/2 sheet, it still must be bid at a full sheet. Obviously, we try to work from remnants whenever possible, but still we wind up with mountains of rems, and even more scrap.

My only expense was indeed the drawer slides. Even the CAT paint was leftover from the job that the cabinet came from:thumbup:
 
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XxToolAholicxX

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Joined
May 28, 2014
Messages
1,449
Location
SF **** Bay Northern California
I have one word for your skills and the finished box. SUPERB.

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I am a Toolaholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit
 
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