My toolbox project.

[nine4gmc]

Definitely don't give up, it'll be a great lesson when it's over and you'll have something to show for it. If you were several states over, I'd whip those drawers up on my box brake for ya. If you go with separate panels for the fronts, be sure to plan how/where they will attach and leave room for material, ie the front may be flat and attach from the rear or front may have side/bottom bent back and riveted/welded to drawer sides/bottom, then have the top bent forward in a 45* or two 90*s for a pull. It would have been much easier to make the drawers first as mentioned, but not too late to work with what you have. Keep it up!

 

[ChevyEFI]

Please switch to imageshack or something else other than photobucket.

I look forward to seeing your progress, when able.

 

[neonnblack]

Yeah I need to move my pictures over.

 

[Deadhead]

With those slides you will need a solid 1/8" per side clearance. You will think they are to sloppy, but when they are loaded it turns out about right. If they are tight now they will never open loaded. If you get the opening to big you can shim the slide part that mounts to the drawer itself to push it back into position.

I have built a total of 5 of the road boxes to date. The last two I built, I built the drawers first before I ever welded the frame together. Then made the frame to fit the drawers. Things went so much easier.

 

[OctoMan]

Build a break. Search Dave Gingery. A hard wood 2x4 with a angle iron edge will bend sheet metal fairly simply without tons of cash. Especially if you're not intending to do a lot of sheet metal work.

 

[racingtadpole]

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.

Have you measured the bend radius so you can account for it in your layout?

 

[Fyrme]

Yeah I need to move my pictures over.

I recommend Flickr. I love it so far and it doesn't limit your bandwidth.

 

[neonnblack]

Little update. I decided to take a small break, which actually means large break since i can only do stuff on weekends. Had tonight off from the PT job and decided to knock out a bit more.

Ever wish you had a nice place to keep papers, work orders, reference guides, maybe torque values you have scribbled on a piece of paper, etc.? Solved.

Untitled by neonnblack, on Flickr

ANd the box where it sits. Yeah i know i only got one more drawer done. Im waiting on a slide for the strip in the middle, for the large drawer, just in case it needs it (it will). Hopefully it gets here by the weekend and i can do the last drawer. Then i work on skinning it.

Untitled by neonnblack, on Flickr

 

[neonnblack]

ok im going to find a different image host other than imageshack also.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Cool thread. Keep going!

 

[rsanter]

A couple of tips with the bends you are trying to do...

1 when you do your layout lines for the bends, remember that the drawer width will grow by the thickness of the material from where you put the line.
2 when bending a box you need to drill a small hole ( like 1/8) at the corner of the layout lines where the bends will be or you will get a little pucker at the corner that makes it tough to get a clean bend to the corner.
3 when you make a bend like you did that does not come out right ( too much radius) you can unbend it a little and then rebend to make the bend move over a little. You can also clamp a steel bar across where you want the bend to be and with a hammer you can tighten up that loose bend to save the piece.
4 you can design a metal part that will be more tolerant of bending error. Most toolbox drawers are made as 3 pieces. Then spot welded together on a fixture that will set the final dimensions. You may find this easier that the pan you are trying to make

Bob

 

[malibulvr]

You are doing a great job, in to see the finished product. Love threads like this, gets me excited about projects for myself. Nice job

 

[neonnblack]

Thanks rsan for the tips. And everyone else for the good words.

 

[Alexbn921]

Nice work. You always learn so much from projects like this. I wish I had the time and skill to even attempt a toolbox.

 

[TiredDude]

I have seen people cut a the bend line about 1/2 way through to get a nice sharp bend.

 

[neonnblack]

Nice work. You always learn so much from projects like this. I wish I had the time and skill to even attempt a toolbox.

This is really the first thing i have went into this much depth with. Dont let not having "skill" keep you from it. You just have to be ready to make something that might not work out how you want it.

And yes i have learned TONS of dos and donts and next time around, watch out!

Ill be honest though. It looks ok, the drawers work, its solid, Its kind of ******. But you cant expect it to be perfect the first try, some things are crooked, some things dont even make sense, i wouldnt think about having this box anywhere expect sitting in the garage with tools in it for light home use. But thats how you learn, and im ok with that.

 

[neonnblack]

Well, update time. No i didnt abandon this, just took a break, and had to find time to get the large drawer bent at a shop.

So this is with the big drawer mounted, and the skin clamped/partially tacked on for a test fit.

Untitled by neonnblack, on Flickr
Here it is with my tools in it. Going to a friends house tomorrow to help him on his car, so i decided i'd take the new box with me, and im going to hate it. This damn thing empty is around 80-90 pounds, and its only half skinned and un painted.

Untitled by neonnblack, on Flickr

Next up is finishing the bottom half of the skin, the drawer fronts and pulls and a nice coat of paint.

 

[neonnblack]

Little teaser of how it will look before paint.

Untitled by neonnblack, on Flickr

 

[malibulvr]

So did you ever get to finishing this box? Was looking good so far.