nemodifying my tool chest - needs a top pull handle?

[cbracer]

The top of my tool chest has no handle and as such it's not that easy to pull up. The drawers lock when its down and I was hoping not to have to leave it up all the time. So two things,

1. Do many people somehow disconnect the locking bar?

2. What have people done for handles on the top?

 

[Link-Belt]

Rope and pulley system with a counter weight

sent from my Go F@!k Yourself using tapatalk 2

 

[betcd]

Pictures would be good to see what you are working with

 

[cbracer]

I've got a CM box and I'm always opening and closing the top. Which means I have to grab the sides or push and hope the friction holds as I lift from the front. I saw a while back someone bolted on a wrench to the front as a lift handle. That seemed like a cool idea so I was wondering what other people do. Maybe they just leave the top open all the time?

 

[Super Sport]

At least on my Cman boxes, the locking bar is easy to disconnect. It's a simple hinge, so you can knock out the pin and pull the locking bar up and out.

I personally hate the top compartments on top boxes.

 

[machine_punk]

I'm one of the folks who mounted a wrench...I replaced the handle on my service cart with a 1/2" wrench...
View media item 11608
View media item 11609
View media item 11606
M_P

 

[Coach James]

I put a handle almost exactly like this one on the lid of one of my old top boxes.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00012X9WI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

BTW, I also have a set like the OP's set, but mine is red. And I get tired of having to lift the lid to open the drawers.

Coach

 

[Krokodil]

I removed the locking bars on mine. Much better now.

 

[OEXL16B]

Pick out your own handle here:

Reid Supply

 

[lauver]

cbracer,

You're over thinking the problem. Your box is in your garage and you probably have no need to lock the boxes anyway. Forget the handle. Forget taking the lock bar out. Just leave the top open all the time.

That's what I do. And, the top bin is a great place to centralize all your sockets, at a comfortable height; you can see all your sockets and easily grab what you need whenever you need them.

Here's a photo of my top bin all loaded and ready to go:

Note: Lid is up... always!

 

[cbracer]

I took the locking bars out and that relieves a lot as I don't have to open the top now to open the drawers. Should have thought about that earlier. As for the lid always open, I don't use them every day or even every week. More like once a month so I'll just keep it down when not in use. Ya know, my dad always left the top of his open.....

 

[mrbreezeet1]

I removed the locking bars on mine. Much better now.

Me too, well I didn't remove them,m but I disabled them.
starting at thread # 26.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134481

fellow on there was thinking it was the hinges I took off, but it is just the lock bars.
The picture's in post # 29 show it better.
It was a PITA always having to open the top to open the drawers.
It would be better is they put a lever in the back, then you throw the lever, and lock the top if you want the drawers locked.
My old 26" wide X 8 deep Husky was like that.

Edit

Oh, guess I was a few days late, Oh well................... Thats what I did any ways.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

cbracer,

You're over thinking the problem. Your box is in your garage and you probably have no need to lock the boxes anyway. Forget the handle. Forget taking the lock bar out. Just leave the top open all the time.

That's what I do. And, the top bin is a great place to centralize all your sockets, at a comfortable height; you can see all your sockets and easily grab what you need whenever you need them.

Here's a photo of my top bin all loaded and ready to go:


Note: Lid is up... always!

No!
Gets dust and dirt in there.

 

[JASTECH]

I lock mine when not in use, this "I" feel will reduce the chance of theft as the chest/cart/rollaway would need to be taken. This means a crook would have to lift hundreds of pounds.

 

[BigAl62]

I lock mine when not in use, this "I" feel will reduce the chance of theft as the chest/cart/rollaway would need to be taken. This means a crook would have to lift hundreds of pounds.

I too lock my box in my garage and I also removed the wheels (I put it on a 2X4 base) and bolted all 3 sections together. If someone wants to steal it, they're going to have to lift the whole thing!

 

[BoonDockSaint]

I used an old shifter linkage.

 

[Packard V8]

And, the top bin is a great place to centralize all your sockets, at a comfortable height; you can see all your sockets and easily grab what you need whenever you need them.

Depends - the top bin of my largest box is 6' high. At present, it's being used for wrenches with angle racks to sort them to size. If I were a flat-rate tech working out of it, I'd only put seldom-used gear up there.

jack vines

 

[Banjorear]

I took the locking bars out and that relieves a lot as I don't have to open the top now to open the drawers. Should have thought about that earlier. As for the lid always open, I don't use them every day or even every week. More like once a month so I'll just keep it down when not in use. Ya know, my dad always left the top of his open.....

When you remove the pins, do you just pull the locking bars up? Do you need to put something in place to hold them up so they don't creep downward?

 

[06GMC5.3L]

I need to do that to the Husky chest I have. Having the top open is a PITA.

 

[rick carpenter]

View media item 11606
M_P

My Husky box came without a top handle too. I put on a wire handle like the one machine_punk replaced. As the thickness of the metal on my box concerned me, I epoxied on not too big fender washers on the outside and as large of fender washers as would fit on the inside before tightening it up.