Improving drawers/slides in Craftsman Box?

[david594]

So I picked up a Craftsman "heavy duty ball-bearing" Chest, intermediate and top box this past week on sale for ~$300.



Link to the Sears site

I know that it's far from a high end tool box, but it was in my price range and readily available. One thing I did notice with the whole series is that there is a pretty significant amount of play between the chassis and how the slides are attached, and between the slides and the drawers. It's pretty obvious that this is due to the design of the tool-less drawer removal and near tool-less slide removal.

The inner rails on the top 3 drawers are pop-riveted in place and have noticeably less play than the rest. Based on this I think I might go through the entire box and pop-rivet all the other slides into place. It will make future R+R a little more involved, but I think it will also give it an improved feel.

Anyone ever done something similar?

 

[PT Doc]

I would not invest money into this group of boxes. They are functional and use it knowing that they are playful. If all the gauge was thicker it would be stiffer but that is why they make heartier boxes.

 

[plierwire]

I vote give it a whirl and let us know how it works. I would like to know, as I (and I think a lot of people) have the same boxes at home.

 

[solar_eclipse2]

I just picked up two of the intermediate boxes because they were cheap at $69 each. Honestly that's about all they're worth. I noticed the same problem with the drawers you did. One thing I can say is that if you put some tools in the drawers they slide easier...few wrenches or something and they're smooth as butter.

Honestly thought I'm not buying Craftsman boxes anymore because these are nowhere near as durable as the hand-me-downs from pops.

 

[W650Mike]

Fill that thing up and don't look back. The box debate will go on forever. If that stack suits your needs, within your budget, then you done good. There are better and there are worse - but unless it gets smashed against the back wall due to uncontrolled acceleration – it will be around for a long time.

 

[peejay75]

Found a few threads on this and wasn't sure which one to post in, this one felt right!

I need to reattach my fallen slides, is there a standard size for the rivets?

And, I've seen replacement slide kits that come with screws instead of rivets, is this acceptable, or not the preferred method?
(Edit: ah, screws are probably for use with wooden drawers!)

 

[yhprum]

Why Not give it a try? Sounds like you would only be out the time and the cost of the rivets. By the way, since you have Brough this to our attention, we will require photos.

 

[peejay75]

Alrighty, here's a horrible before picture (top drawer removed):



And it looks (from web surfing) that 3/16” rivets are the size, steel preferred over aluminum?

 

[The Cobbler]

no standard size, but I pop riveted some full extension slides into a broken Husky box. I used HD drawer full extension slides a I think I used 3/16 rivets , steel . it's the smoothest drawer in the box.
screws wont hold all that well in sheet metal, but you could use machine screws & nuts if you can get behind for the nut

 

[oldschoolcraft]

I think I used 3/16 rivets

Rivets have been one of those things that scared me. I think it might make an interesting discussion topic for a thread.

 

[GeoBruin]

Alrighty, here's a horrible before picture (top drawer removed):



And it looks (from web surfing) that 3/16” rivets are the size, steel preferred over aluminum?

The rivet size will be dictated by the size of the hole. You want to use the largest rivet that will fit to ensure the best grip. Line up the hole in the slide with the hole in the box and test the hole with the dull end of a drill bit (preferably round shank). Start with the closest size per your "eyecrometer". The largest bit that will fit is your target size. If the size is an odd-ball, you may need to size down to the next reasonable fractional size, though it's likely 1/8" - 3/16".

If the holes are stretched such that they are oblong and don't snugly fit a standard rivet size, you can drill the hole out the next largest size.

Use steel rivets.

 

[peejay75]

The rivet size will be dictated by the size of the hole. You want to use the largest rivet that will fit to ensure the best grip. Line up the hole in the slide with the hole in the box and test the hole with the dull end of a drill bit (preferably round shank). Start with the closest size per your "eyecrometer". The largest bit that will fit is your target size. If the size is an odd-ball, you may need to size down to the next reasonable fractional size, though it's likely 1/8" - 3/16".

If the holes are stretched such that they are oblong and don't snugly fit a standard rivet size, you can drill the hole out the next largest size.

Use steel rivets.

Thank you! I used a 3/16" drill bit to "measure" the holes (on both the tool chest and the slide), and fit like a glove...the holes don't appear to be elongated, so hopefully I'm lucky there...ordered 3/16x1/4 steel rivets and a new rivet gun, discovered that the one I had wouldn't do 3/16 of course! It all should be here tomorrow, will report back once I've attempted the repair!

oh, lol @ "eyecrometer"!

 

[The Cobbler]

discovered that the one I had wouldn't do 3/16

This is Garage journal, you don't need to justify tool purchases

 

[peejay75]

This is Garage journal, you don't need to justify tool purchases

Did I mention I'm not the sharpest spoon in the drawer???

The new rivet gun and rivets arrived, I looked them over and thought "wait a minute, the rivet diameter is 3/16”, but what about the actual "pointy piece" (mandrel) that goes into the rivet gun, that's WAY smaller than 3/16”, would IT fit into the old rivet gun?"

Needless to say, haven't taken the new rivet gun out of the packaging yet, will save that for when it's ACTUALLY needed. Will try to remount the slides/drawers later today and post pics!

(And with the drawers fixed, I should have space for BOTH rivet guns!)

 

[GeoBruin]

Did I mention I'm not the sharpest spoon in the drawer???

The new rivet gun and rivets arrived, I looked them over and thought "wait a minute, the rivet diameter is 3/16”, but what about the actual "pointy piece" (mandrel) that goes into the rivet gun, that's WAY smaller than 3/16”, would IT fit into the old rivet gun?"

Needless to say, haven't taken the new rivet gun out of the packaging yet, will save that for when it's ACTUALLY needed. Will try to remount the slides/drawers later today and post pics!

(And with the drawers fixed, I should have space for BOTH rivet guns!)

I almost said something when you said your rivet gun wouldn't take a 3/16 rivet, but then I thought "nah, they know what they're talking about"

 

[peejay75]

I almost said something when you said your rivet gun wouldn't take a 3/16 rivet, but then I thought "nah, they know what they're talking about"

Shame on you! Go with your "just in case this guy doesn't know what he's talking about..." gut next time!

 

[GeoBruin]

Shame on you! Go with your "just in case this guy doesn't know what he's talking about..." gut next time!

Nah. There's too much of that around here. That attitude can make it inhospitable to newcomers and tiresome for those of us who spend way too much time here.

 

[peejay75]

Nah. There's too much of that around here. That attitude can make it inhospitable to newcomers and tiresome for those of us who spend way too much time here.

Good point!

I should also "point" out that 3/16 is the diameter of the hole in the slide, but the cabinet itself's holes are 5/32! Thanks to amazon and my impatience, they should arrive tomorrow!

 

[peejay75]

Ok, update/vent time...(I got the drawer/slide installed)

- the 5/32 [rivet diameter] arrived, test fit it, all is well
- placed the 5/32 [rivet diameter] rivet into the new (craftsman) rivet gun, in the nosepiece* marked "5/32"
- went to rivet the slide and the O.D. of the nosepiece* is too wide to fit in the slide channel, thus preventing the rivet from mounting flush against the drawer slide
- wasn't sure if that was really the problem at first, so took the TRUSTY ol' marson rivet gun and placed it against the slide, it did fit, albeit barely
- so let's eat crow and use the TRUSTY ol' marson rivet gun, except...the [mandrel diameter!!!] of the 5/32 [rivet dia] is "too small" for the diameter of the marson nosepiece*
- am i gonna hafta order a smaller O.D. nosepiece* that will fit within the channel opening???
*went to marson's website, this is how i found out that the rivet "adapter" (my terminology) is actually called a nosepiece
- couldn't really find what i was looking for/not sure if a newer nosepiece would be significantly smaller O.D. (will email marson later)
- said ___ it and did a test and found that the marson nosepiece, even with a loose fit of the mandrel, would in fact draw in and snap the mandrel
- put it against the channel slide and voila
- so with my "newly organized" drawer, I now have room for my puller, and both the marson and craftsman rivet guns!
- (used 5/32 x 1/8 stainless steel rivets)



(the confusion for me is, the nosepieces are stamped with the diameter of the rivet, not the mandrel...and maybe that doesn't matter if rivets have a standard, corresponding mandrel diameter???)

 

[Steve W.]

If you can find room for the rivet gun’s nosepiece, drill out the 5/32 holes to 3/16 and use 3/16 rivets.

Putting a smaller rivet in a larger hole might allow some movement during assembly, leading to misalignment.

.

 

[peejay75]

If you can find room for the rivet gun’s nosepiece, drill out the 5/32 holes to 3/16 and use 3/16 rivets.

Putting a smaller rivet in a larger hole might allow some movement during assembly, leading to misalignment.

.

Agreed, seems like a bad design from the start. Plus there is only one rivet per slide. Room for two on the slides, but only one matching, factory-drilled hole on the chest. I don't plan to have THAT much weight in the drawers to go to the trouble (i.e. now you've made things worse!) of drilling 2nd sets of holes in the chest.

 

[RTM]

Agreed, seems like a bad design from the start. Plus there is only one rivet per slide. Room for two on the slides, but only one matching, factory-drilled hole on the chest. I don't plan to have THAT much weight in the drawers to go to the trouble (i.e. now you've made things worse!) of drilling 2nd sets of holes in the chest.

I have areal POS craftsman box, where the bottom two drawers slides are trashed, gonna squeeze some nice slides on there, and not care about how many rivets I need. Tho I may drive them from the outside, so I don’t need to care about the nosepiece. Did I mention it’s a POS?

 

[peejay75]

Alrighty, any tips/tricks on how to get this ball bearing slide thingy reinstalled (lower one is already in fully)? Running out of ideas, I've tried (with no success):

- a plastic scraper as a pry bar
- a small spreader to expand the channels
- profanity

haven't tried any sort of screwdriver or similar to force more room, trying to avoid distorting the track/damaging the plastic slide insert



(now looking at it more, i'm thinking maybe try the plastic scraper coming in from the rear, and trying to wedge it between the rail and the ball, and simultaneously trying to lever/pry it all in towards the track).

Nope, razor blade next...

 

[peejay75]

Solved, overthinking things again...just needed to pry the rear of the slide OUTWARD to create space, instead of up or down...