Cheap mod: drawer top platform

[t100]

I always like these large tool boxes which come with a pull-out platform so i you can have a place to lay down the manuals or a catalog. but money is an issue, so I have to deal with what i have.

So, yesterday, I got a piece of 0.060" 304 stainless steel for free from my instructor at school and had it cut to exact size I wanted(I've measured maybe 20 times), so it sits on top of the drawer, slightly wider than the drawer tray, but not than the bearing slides.

Today, I cut the corners and bent the tabs to fit inside the drawer, tight fit.

next, bent a piece of 3/16" aluminum plate to make a support stand, put it in the middle of the drawer so the center of the top won't bow down.

Now, see how it works:

the drawer can close completely with the plate in.

 

[sjt78]

Nice work! I'm always looking for ideas like this.

 

[Piper]

great job! you could mount a magnet on the top side, assuming that room permits, so that when the drawer is opened for access to tools the new plate stays in the open position. fwiw my 2 cents.

 

[Chris Adams]

Looks like you did a well thought out careful job.

Better than the original equipment Mac one that came stock in Mac boxes for awhile.

The Mac one has a non-slip surface which you might like on your custom cover.

I am using one in a Husky (only box I have skinny enough to use it) and it does come in handy.


Down side to those is you always end up lifting it to look in the drawer. Everytime I misplace something, I end up lifting that cover/lid. What I am looking for is almost never under it, but you have to look to be sure...

 

[t100]

304 stainless is non-magnetic, so magnet is out. I couldn't decide to use mild steel or stainless steel at first. Mild steel is way cheaper, also I could use small magnets to hold the paper in place in the summer days when I turn the shop fan on. stainless is expensive and non-magnetic, but it's CLEAN, plus I got it for free, so that debate was over. the plate is currently on the second drawer which holds most of the specialty pliers I rarely got to use. I'll drill a 1" hole close to the near edge, so I can use 1 finger to lift the plate for access. The hole saw kit I ordered won't be here till end of the week.

 

[BackTracker]

I like this idea! It's one of those "Why didn't I think of that" moments...

 

[wreckercologist]

Nice job, t100!

 

[arkangel06]

Awesome looking mod

Great job!!!

 

[bayou985]

t100 Top Shelf...Thats What I'm Talkin Bout

 

[fordbroncodave]

snap on use to make those for the smaller drawers. it would sit on the drawer like yours but you could push it all the way in and use the drawer.

 

[bry@n]

That is awesome.

 

[pipehack]

Nice job, t100!

 

[njfl]

Nice idea and nice clean work.

When Piper mentioned the magnet, I believe that he meant to mount it to the stainless (with a fastener) then it would be there to stick to the steel front of the top box when opened.

 

[tcianci]

Super Idea and a clean job

 

[t100]

Thanks for the kind words, fellas. I'm very happy with the result and it's such a simple job, all the tools I used were: a sharpie, hacksaw, file, vise, hammer and set of good rules. Total time maybe less than 20 minutes. The 16ga. plate would cost $40(?)

I made another support tonight and now it can hold my laptop with no problem at all. Now, more time in the man cave.

 

[t100]

Nice idea and nice clean work.

When Piper mentioned the magnet, I believe that he meant to mount it to the stainless (with a fastener) then it would be there to stick to the steel front of the top box when opened.

The (gold)handle bars you see in the pictures are made of anodized aluminum, magnet won't stick.

 

[Sweet Old Bill]

I used some refrigerator magnet sheets to create a magnetic surface on an aluminum jack, so I could put a magnetic bowl for the lug nuts. The same material would stick to the gold handle & the stainless steel.

 

[river1]

i can NOT believe you used google you should have used the Garage journal

great idea tho

later jim

 

[nissan_crawler]

The (gold)handle bars you see in the pictures are made of anodized aluminum, magnet won't stick.

I don't think that's what he meant. I believe he meant you could stick it to the lid of the top box.

 

[nate379]

I'm not sure I understand the purposed exactly. Ok I see it's a shelf, but you have to lift that plate out everytime you need a pair of pliers?

You don't have a workbench to set books or your computer on?

 

[rylon]

Another tip to add, don't know if it has been mentioned before, using plastic wrap over the keyboard and track pad allow you to still use both but keep your grimy hands off of everything and extra debris out of your computer.

Rylon

 

[Givl Reggin]

Somehow I missed this thread the first time around, and came across it while searching for something completely different. But, it sound like something I could use, unfortunately the picture seem to have gone missing... anyone by chance save them to your local computer drive?