My toolbox project.

[neonnblack]

For a long time, i wanted to build my own tool box, make it how ever I wanted it to be. Well i started it. It is a tube frame and i will skin it with something (dont know how i want to do that part yet).

5 drawer with an open space above the top drawer. Its roughly 30 wide 21 deep and 17 or so tall.

Cut steel for the basic frame and the sheet metal for the drawers.


basic frame


this was all when i had the rinky dink 90amp HF welder you see under the shelf. Well i upgraded the other day.

210mvp kicks lots off ***.

Center support welded in.


All i can say is setting up the slides correctly is a very fine, precise art of perfection(or maybe it isnt and i made it harder than it needs to be)but i got some in, as you can see this is the first set.


Here are more in


thats all i had time for today, and wont be able to continue till this weekend.

anyone have any neat ideas to skin it with?

comments and criticism are accepted.

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

I'll be keeping an eye on ya!!

 

[98TJ]

Watching this one.

 

[lilscorpion]

Cool project. Do you have access to a box and pan brake? It would greatly simplify the skinning of the box and the drawer fabrication. If you don't you might want to consider thinking about a DIY break. It might save you a lot of fab time.

 

[Aspen RT]

Cool project Neon, I'll be watching to see how it turns out. Good luck!

 

[marty_p]

Rest assured that you're doing what we've all only dreamed!

Subscribed!

 

[neonnblack]

I currently do not have a brake, ive been searching craigslist and such for one with no luck, unless i want one that takes up half the garage. Its either make one or do it the old fashioned way, which im not against, but the drawers need to be near perfect to fit in the tolerance of the slides.

 

[sloppy]

I currently do not have a brake, ive been searching craigslist and such for one with no luck, unless i want one that takes up half the garage. Its either make one or do it the old fashioned way, which im not against, but the drawers need to be near perfect to fit in the tolerance of the slides.

http://www.swagoffroad.com/20-TON-Finger-Brake-Heavy-Duty-DIY-Builder-Kit_p_86.html

Not a bad option.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Lurking, nice draw runners.

 

[KCarGuy]

Now...This will be Interesting.
I cant wait to see how you do this.
(Fingers Crossed)

Cool Idea for sure!

 

[mmouse]

Great idea!

 

[rsanter]

I have a brake but I am in ca
If you have any plans of coming this way for something you can bring your metal and use mine

Bob

 

[neonnblack]

I wish I was santer id def take you up on that. Ill probably ghetto one together.

 

[cousin eddie]

ive used a door and its frame as a makeshift break before, so i know u can come up with something.

 

[longlivepunk]

Cool!! I don't own a tool box right now, partially because I think new ones are way over-priced, but I've never even thought of this before! I'll be watching this one for sure.

 

[skypilot]

You mite want to look into these Blum drawer slides/drawer sides. they work great.

 

[The Frisco Kid]

Very cool! Keep us updated

 

[pacecar]

Another option on the rails could be slides for rack mount IT gear




edit: for example http://www.stsc-slides.com/Ball_Bearing_Slides.html

 

[neonnblack]

Ialready have slides. Half of them are installed, thanks though, lol.

 

[Deadhead]

Great start neon.
I would suggest that you support those slides in the middle in two more places. The more the better.

You can go to the link in my signature of a road box I built using the same type of slide. I think i put 5 bolts in each slide and have already had to replace one of them but keep in mind it stayed loaded in the back of the truck getting the **** beat out of it everyday. I wish I had done the split drawer design like you are doing.
The fact that you build it yourself just makes it that much sweeter.
Super nice work man.

 

[beatcad]

looks stout. I dig it.

 

[neonnblack]

Great start neon.
I would suggest that you support those slides in the middle in two more places. The more the better.

You can go to the link in my signature of a road box I built using the same type of slide. I think i put 5 bolts in each slide and have already had to replace one of them but keep in mind it stayed loaded in the back of the truck getting the **** beat out of it everyday. I wish I had done the split drawer design like you are doing.
The fact that you build it yourself just makes it that much sweeter.
Super nice work man.

I remember seeing that thread a while back! One of the inspirations, along with girlinagarage and her workbench toolbox.

This is going to be sitting on a bench, and will probably never move. You may be right about a third mount, time will tell!

I agree, has it cost me more than buying something? Depends on brand, really, but im having alot of fun building it, changing things and figuring things out along the way, so price is irrelevant.

Thanks for all the comments guys.

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

Nicely Done!
Keep going!

Adam

 

[archirelic]

Good stuff!

 

[Tamper84]

Look good. Where did you get the slides from?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[neonnblack]

Ebay, they are Fulterer's. Store was something like good wood good. Nice slides 100lbs rated a set. cost me 55 bucks for 5 sets.

 

[neonnblack]

Well, small update with no pictures. I got one more pair of slides attached, leaving one more for later.

In the mean time i picked up the materials to build a box/pan brake, hooray! Hopefully it can bend 16ga sheet, its only made of 3x3x1/4 angle and 2x11x1/4 c channel.

 

[neonnblack]

Ok here are some pics. cut a piece of scrap i had to make sure i had the slides straight and perpendicular.



Slides like buttah

and the sheet metal brake



It can bend up to 1/8 2 or 3 inches wide, so im sure it will handle 18ga sheet.

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

Doing Great! Keep Going!

( I wanna make one when you're done )

Adam

 

[neonnblack]

Well i made the first box last night and... it sucked. It was going okay until i used the blocks to bend the last two sides, it didnt crease properly and made it very round, bumping the total width to 14 1/16, when the max width can be 13 15/16. I have came up with a plan to use a piece of flat steel on the edge with block on top of it to make sure i get a crisp corner this time. I can only screw up one more time until i need another sheet of steel.



This picture you can see what im talking about, clear as day.



Fit up was good though, and the brake bends nice and straight.

 

[katotter]

Nice project. Wish I had welding skills.

 

[waggie]

OK, I'm no expert in drawer building, may i suggest considering this type of folds to make your drawers sturdier.

if you fold it outward, you won't loose drawer width, since the fold will be over the drawer slides anyway. Expert sheet metal fabricators will have more tips, this is the only one i got.

 

[neonnblack]

Nice project. Wish I had welding skills.

Pick up a welder and get to it! Although i dont know how hard it would be to get a decent welder in your part of the world.

 

[katotter]

Pick up a welder and get to it! Although i dont know how hard it would be to get a decent welder in your part of the world.

Easy, I sell welders, any brand, any type. Just have zero skill and know nothing about welding, scared I will get electrocuted or something.

 

[Tinner]

Those drawers will be tough any way you do it in your home shop. You really need a hem all around the drawers to stiffen them. To do it, you will have to make the drawers in 3 pieces. Lay out the sheet to form the bottom, front and back allowing an extra 5/16-3/8" on both ends for the hem. Form the bottom bends first, then bend the hem to the inside of the drawer as far as you can go. You should now be able to loosen the top die on your brake, insert the hem and flatten it by slowly screwing down the die.

Don't flatten the hem completely, put a strip of the 18ga in there to prevent that. Make the strip wide enough to grab it with pliers to pull it out. If it doesn't flatten perfectly, work it slowly and gently with a hammer to finish it.

Lay out the sides to lap under the drawer about 3/8" and hem to the outside. Drill six 3/16 holes evenly spaced, starting and ending about a half inch from the ends. Plug weld into the holes. Weld the corners up, finish them and you're done.

Practice making the hems and plug welding the lap joints on some scrap. You'll want the front of the drawers to look good and make the plug welds with minimal heat to avoid distortion.

This may seem complicated, but trust me, I've seen plenty of apprentices accomplish these tasks. Take your time and work methodically.

 

[alpinewhite]

Those drawers will be tough any way you do it in your home shop. You really need a hem all around the drawers to stiffen them. To do it, you will have to make the drawers in 3 pieces. Lay out the sheet to form the bottom, front and back allowing an extra 5/16-3/8" on both ends for the hem. Form the bottom bends first, then bend the hem to the inside of the drawer as far as you can go. You should now be able to loosen the top die on your brake, insert the hem and flatten it by slowly screwing down the die.

Don't flatten the hem completely, put a strip of the 18ga in there to prevent that. Make the strip wide enough to grab it with pliers to pull it out. If it doesn't flatten perfectly, work it slowly and gently with a hammer to finish it.

Lay out the sides to lap under the drawer about 3/8" and hem to the outside. Drill six 3/16 holes evenly spaced, starting and ending about a half inch from the ends. Plug weld into the holes. Weld the corners up, finish them and you're done.

Practice making the hems and plug welding the lap joints on some scrap. You'll want the front of the drawers to look good and make the plug welds with minimal heat to avoid distortion.

This may seem complicated, but trust me, I've seen plenty of apprentices accomplish these tasks. Take your time and work methodically.

We need pics!!!!

 

[Tinner]

We need pics!!!!

I'll try to work something up in a few days.

 

[neonnblack]

My problem right now, and im REALLY aggravated isnt stiffness. its even though i under cut the width the drawer is still to wide. I have made 3 drawers so far, one was a complete bust, second works fits and slides beautifully and the third i can get in but its fairly hard to push/pull. Im thinking i made the tolerances to tight at 1/16 gap between drawers, and side to side i could have given another 1/16 or two.

And the way i "imagined" this was more like building kitchen drawers, with a box and then a face on the front, which is going to be diamond plate.

Im thinking a press brake would be more suited to this task, rather than a bending brake, but i dont know, im ******* in the wind right now.

 

[waggie]

don't give up. this is a lesson in sheet metal.

not sure if my theory is right, but this is how i went about it:
I made a ten drawer unit by making the drawers first, then make the frame around it. it's not too bad making the drawers all the same width. Once you make all the drawers, make the frame for the widest drawer. to fit the drawers that are slightly more narrow, you can use shims (like washers) between the drawer and slide, or between slide and frame.

woodworkers tend to make the frame first, and make the drawer to fit. but that's because wood drawers can be taken apart to "resize" before gluing. Not so with sheet metal drawers. Once you bend it, that's it.

 

[neonnblack]

You might be on to something. I can cut the center out and move it over. And either move out the side or have two skinnier drawers and two wide drawers.