Design & build a large toolbox - input desired

[Kent Skinner]

I am about ready to start designing a new tool box, and am interested in your opinions about what dimensions to make the drawers.

I have a giant stack of 28" full extension Accuride heavy duty drawer slides.
I have a 6' wide maple benchtop. So, the box will be 6' x 28". It will be 36" high, and the benchtop will sit on top of that. I don't think I'll put it on casters, as it will be in my garage. I won't be moving it often enough to give up that much space.

I can fab it in a sheetmetal shop, and powdercoat it when I'm done, although I'm not opposed to making part of it from wood. My powdercoat oven is slightly less that 6' tall, so I have to do some assembly after powder. I'll get interior dimensions tomorrow.

My current toolbox situation is:
1 24" top box - a fairly standard configuration. Shallow drawers.
1 24" wide HF 5 drawer service cart - I'd like to not store heavy things in it any more.
A bunch of shelving, with milk crates

In the box, I'd like all my hand tools, as well as some deep drawers for air tools.

I like things to be organized, and separated. Currently, 1/4" & 3/8" drive is in one drawer, with sockets on Lisle trays. 1/2" drive is another drawer. Pliers are in a drawer. Layout & measuring is a drawer, electrical is a drawer, hex & torx is in a drawer...

I don't think a 6' wide drawer is smart. So dividing into 2' & 3' drawers seems like a good way to go. Possibly one or two drawers that are deep, and only 16" wide?

What works and doesn't work for you folks?

And yes, I realize that I could buy something. My goal isn't to save money, but to make something cool that works for my situation.

 

[DanCo]

I'm also working on the similar project - more of a pit box. I have it mocked up just to better visualize it. In it's current state it's 7' wide x 5' high x 2' deep. I've been stocking up on supplies for the better part of the year, now I just need to build the frame work for the lower drawer section.

Sketch it up on paper, play around with the drawer configurations. Think to yourself "hey it would be cool if a tool box had a _________?"

Good Luck on your project!
Dan

 

[waggie]

My goal isn't to save money, but to make something cool that works for my situation.

in that case, you should know what your needs are

that being said. I think at least one of your drawers should be extra-super-heavy-duty. I dont like to keep my set-up blocks out, so i keep them in the drawer. 1-2-3 blocks are no problem as they aren't all that heavy. But i have 3 pairs of 2-4-6 blocks. those are heavy!! 2-4-6 blocks aren't really that big, they're just heavy for the amount of space they take up. Since you said you have a bunch of Accuride slides, make one drawer with, oh, i dont know, three of those slides. I have a 5s and a 7s matco box, and their "heavy duty"drawers are two slides. unless you're sure that you'll never keep anything really really heavy in your tool box, having one that's super-extreme duty wouldn't hurt.

 

[Kent Skinner]

in that case, you should know what your needs are

that being said. I think at least one of your drawers should be extra-super-heavy-duty. I dont like to keep my set-up blocks out, so i keep them in the drawer. 1-2-3 blocks are no problem as they aren't all that heavy. But i have 3 pairs of 2-4-6 blocks. those are heavy!! 2-4-6 blocks aren't really that big, they're just heavy for the amount of space they take up. Since you said you have a bunch of Accuride slides, make one drawer with, oh, i dont know, three of those slides. I have a 5s and a 7s matco box, and their "heavy duty"drawers are two slides. unless you're sure that you'll never keep anything really really heavy in your tool box, having one that's super-extreme duty wouldn't hurt.

If I knew exactly what my needs are, I wouldn't have asked here.
I'm hoping for "I have a bunch of 2 inch high drawers, but they are too short" or "my 36 inch drawer has too much wasted space" kind of comments.

I was thinking of a two slide drawer, but your comment on 2-4-6 blocks is a good one. I have a Kennedy box for machine tools.

Thanks for good feedback.

 

[Kent Skinner]

I'm also working on the similar project - more of a pit box. I have it mocked up just to better visualize it. In it's current state it's 7' wide x 5' high x 2' deep. I've been stocking up on supplies for the better part of the year, now I just need to build the frame work for the lower drawer section.

Sketch it up on paper, play around with the drawer configurations. Think to yourself "hey it would be cool if a tool box had a _________?"

Good Luck on your project!
Dan

I use Autodesk Inventor for my designs. I can produce "photo realistic" renderings, as well as shop drawings. More importantly, I can make files for the CNC mill & waterjet.

I've been doing some quick sketches for a few years, and have recently bought a house - which means I don't need to move the thing for another 20 years. Now it's build time. Are you doing a build thread on your box?

 

[machine_punk]

I'm in the planning phase for a large storage unit too (not 'just' a rolling tool cart, though it will have a lot of drawers in it, like a tool cart).

The one thing I know for sure, is that drawers need to be deeper than 18" (the HF 13-drawer box). I like that tool box a lot (especially for the money), but the drawer is too deep for just one row of tools, but not deep enough to easily fit two rows of tools. You seem to have that covered, with the 28" drawers/slides. (I was planning to buy 24", full-extension slide for my storage unit.)

Another consideration is that SOME day, you will likely want to move it. I want to make all of my components less than 36" total depth (including the top), so they will fit through a standard man door. You might also want to put captive nuts in the top (?removable top with captive nuts in the metal frame?) for screwing in lifting rings...so you can lift the monster onto casters of some sort, when the time comes to move.

If your powder coat oven is just under 6 feet, why don't you consider making the base 'just under six feet and having your top extend a few inches on each side (to give you a place to clamp work pieces to the top)?

I'm pretty sure I've seen a bunch of 56" tool cabinets out there with full-length drawers (that makes the drawer about 4.5 feet wide). I think you might want one or two of those at the top of your cabinet (for wrenches, screwdrivers, etc). Of course, I don't know what type of work you do. My top drawers are filled with riveting tools, because that is what I do in the garage. 6 feet would likely be a bit long for a full-length drawer, but you could built a couple of 4-foot, shallow drawers on top and fill the end space in with a drawer that is as tall as those two drawers and about 2-foot wide (I use a drawer like that for safety gear...N95 masks, ear plugs, ear muffs, extra safety glasses, etc.)

Since you don't quite seem to know exactly what you need, I might suggest you take all of your tools out and spread them on one half of the garage floor...then sort them in logical groupings (wrenches and rachets and sockets in one pile. Screwdrivers and pliers in another pile. Etc.) Whatever makes sense to you. Then, organize them and mark around them in masking tape (giving plenty of room for expansion as you add tools). That will give you an idea of what drawer sizes might make sense for you. (make sure to measure the height of the stored tools too).

Anyway, that's all I can think of right now. Looking forward to seeing pictures of this project!

 

[slipjointed]

When I started my career, I worked in a small, tidy machine shop, with two Oak Gerstner chests that sat atop two metal tooling cabinets. They weren't quite as practical as drawers with ball bearing slides, but they were just oozing character (almost literally ), and a joy to use.

My grandfather was a jack of all trades, and built a tooling dresser that sat under his machine lathe. It had a metal frame and oak drawers.

Ever since then, I've been dying to make a wood/metal hybrid rollaway, with cabinet grade oak outer body and drawer faces, but metal drawers, full extension ball bearing slides, and inner frame. If you look at it while closed, you see fine furniture, but inside, it's a heavy duty mechanic's chest.

edit: I think it would look super sharp with an all wood outside, but full length stainless steel drawer pulls on the top edge of oak drawers. Yummmmm....