Retro Screwdriver Holder (My first metal manip project)

[RaysnCayne]

Hey all,

Just wanted to share some pics of my first metal manipulation project. It's a retro-looking screwdriver holder for my dad (Dave). It's very simple but I'm pretty happy with it. It has the proper patina and look to make it seem like I found it in grandpa's garage and dusted it off.

I've had a couple sheets of galvanized sheet metal I pulled out of a 1940s garage door years ago and have been looking for a fun project to use them on. For too many years, my dad has used this functional but pathetic 1x4 nailed to a wall in his garage to hold his screwdrivers. So for this Christmas, I thought it'd be nice to dress up his garage a bit.

I had hoped to use some blind pop rivets I scored real cheap at a garage sale to hold it together. I've never used rivets before so I was pretty excited to try them out on a "low pressure" project. But they had too much "tail" to let the shelf sit flat against the wall. After some head-scratchin' and looking around the tool shed, I figured out I could make roofing nails do the trick.

I designed the logo and had a local banner shop print it directly on a small piece of sheet metal. I just had to use pop rivets (pin removed and manually bucked flat) to attach it for the proper vintage vibe.

 

[machine_punk]

DUDE...really nice-looking project! Just about any fastener you chose for that would have looked great. Nice proportions, nice use of old material, nice customization, and great fabrication.

very cool.

 

[purplezr2]

Wow that looks awesome. I would guess it was factory produced it looks so nice. Great Job.

 

[Boyd]

Very cool! Can you explain more about using the roofing nails in place of rivets?

 

[66 GMC Truckin]

Amazing first project! I'd be proud to have one in my garage! BTW I thought those were roofing nails, but thought I must be dreamin'! Great Job!

 

[NC-Fordguy]

kewl!!!!!

 

[Bears Fan]

Awesome! make me one with the name Tony on top, very cool i love the retro look. it does look like you did just pulled it out of grandpa's barn and dusted it off. Dad will love me too.

 

[rshadd]

Nice job!

 

[senlow]

Most excellent. Using grommets in the screwdriver holes is a cool idea.

 

[JHunter]

Awesome job - that looks "period correct" and very well executed. Very cool

 

[Acosi151]

Does that ever look great!

 

[RaysnCayne]

Thanks for the nice words guys.

Can you explain more about using the roofing nails in place of rivets?

I wanted a fastener that was as flat as possible on the front and backside b/c this thing needed to sit flush against a wall. I really wanted to use pop rivets for their classic look. But they were leaving a deep "tail" which would make the shelf/rack stand off the wall too much. My very limited resources (cheap rivet gun) and lack of time (started on this only a couple weeks ago) meant I had to improvise. When I saw a box of left over roofing nails, I thought they could act like a solid rivet b/c they'd be soft enough to deform after I cut them really short.

It was somewhat painstaking as I had to first grind off the molding seams on the underside of the heads so they'd sit as flat as possible. After grinding, I cut them down to just shy of 1/8" long. Installation was rather tricky b/c I don't have any sort of official rivet buck so I used my 4lb hammer. Whew! Lot of work for a fastener, but I think it came out nicely.

See attached pic for how they look from the backside. Some I flattened nicely, others (like these) I didn't b/c I was worried my crude hammer/bucking system would deform the sheet metal.

 

[MP&C]

Looks good Zack! The grommets in the screwdriver holes are a nice touch.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Well done!

 

[Steevo]

Very nicely executed, and resourceful use of materials.
Dad should be proud of that.

 

[Burtonrider10022]

******** you did a great job on that!

 

[Tribalvision]

That is a nicely done project.. Where did you get the custom name plate? Is that just vinyl over a plate you made?

 

[nine4gmc]

Nice job son, now do you remember my address or should I pm you?

 

[Kevin54]

Hey all,

Just wanted to share some pics of my first metal manipulation project. It's a retro-looking screwdriver holder for my dad (Dave). It's very simple but I'm pretty happy with it. It has the proper patina and look to make it seem like I found it in grandpa's garage and dusted it off.

I've had a couple sheets of galvanized sheet metal I pulled out of a 1940s garage door years ago and have been looking for a fun project to use them on. For too many years, my dad has used this functional but pathetic 1x4 nailed to a wall in his garage to hold his screwdrivers. So for this Christmas, I thought it'd be nice to dress up his garage a bit.

I had hoped to use some blind pop rivets I scored real cheap at a garage sale to hold it together. I've never used rivets before so I was pretty excited to try them out on a "low pressure" project. But they had too much "tail" to let the shelf sit flat against the wall. After some head-scratchin' and looking around the tool shed, I figured out I could make roofing nails do the trick.

I designed the logo and had a local banner shop print it directly on a small piece of sheet metal. I just had to use pop rivets (pin removed and manually bucked flat) to attach it for the proper vintage vibe.

Would you be interested in making another?

 

[metaldad]

Thanks, but you got my name wrong.
great looking project!

 

[DanCo]

Nice work, very creative.

Dan

 

[compo7000]

Awesome job - Looks great

 

[jamesemery728]

Nice job, Dad is going to love it.

 

[69lm69gp]

I would so steal this if I could find a piece galvanized that had that dark aged look.

 

[twincam00]

amazing work!

 

[ArkTinkerer]

2nd the request for info on the name plate. Great Job!

 

[RivennHewn]

I'd hang that on my wall, and my names not even Dave!

 

[RECox286]

Very professional looking. So much so that I can't hardly believe

that it is homemade.


Perhaps you will be kind enough to spill the beans and let everyone

know where you bought it so they can get one too !

Uncle Bob

 

[69lm69gp]

From orignal post:

I designed the logo and had a local banner shop print it directly on a small piece of sheet metal. I just had to use pop rivets (pin removed and manually bucked flat) to attach it for the proper vintage vibe.

 

[TerryH]

That is one of the doolest things I have seen in a while!!! Great job!! I love the look of it and great functionality also.

 

[polydan]

Awesome job.....real nice gift. It looks as if the side are doubled, is this correct? Maybe the whole project is doubled?

 

[Burtonrider10022]

So... did he like it?

 

[64Trvlr]

So... did he like it?

Yeah, spill the beans.

 

[skulldrinker]

Looks like it will last another 50 years.

 

[RaysnCayne]

I've been offline awhile. Almost going into GJ withdrawal!

Thanks for the kind words fellas.

To the doubters, I assure you this is a one-of-a-kind Z Garage project! It's not square nor truly level. I thought about taking some pics as I was going along, but I was in a hurry and it just wasn't glamorous as I was using all sorts of highly-non-professional tools to make this thing. I don't have a brake so I was using angle iron in my bench vise and the side of a dresser my wife was working on to make bends. At one point, to get a good angle on the grommets during installation, I was sitting on the bench as the shelf was in the vise.

It's all one, big sheet with the side support brackets added on. (I would've tried making it all one piece if the original sheet was wider.) The back panel is just a single thickness. The screw driver shelf is doubled over and the side supports are doubled over themselves as well. The bin is only a single thickness b/c I didn't have any more material. So it's floppy but it was designed to be screwed to a wall. Once that's done, it's quite sturdy.

For half a second I thought maybe I could make these on the side for a few bucks? (I am "underemployed" these days...) Then I realized I put about 20-25 hours in it and if I only charged a mere $10/hr it'd still be a $200 shelf! I really like this shelf but even I think that's a crazy price. But the bigger issue is I'm now out of that cool metal.

Yes, as 69Imp69GP cited, I had a local sign/banner shop print the logo directly to a small piece of sheet metal that I then cut out and attached to the shelf.

Dad never gushes, so I just got a "nice craftsmanship and tin work son". That's a pretty generous compliment for him, so I'll take it!

 

[kazlx]

Once you finish the first one, they get quicker Also, once you have an idea what you need, having the right tools makes it even faster. It goes to show that you don't have to have the fanciest tools to make something nice.

FWIW, a cheap HF press, with a brake and a form to cold press rivets would make short work of about 95% of that if you actually wanted to make them. I have no doubt you could make some extra bucks easily on eBay. Looks like you already have a few orders through here to get you started

Also... Etsy.

 

[e-tek]

Or.....borrow a bunch of money from US investors to buy equipment that can turn out the pieces by the hundreds, then hire a bunch of poor rural children and women to work in your garage assembling them for $1 a day with no regard for workplace safety, etc. and then you can sell them super-cheap in huge warehouse-stores that pay a few employees minimum wage and treat them like **** and think it's good business to check the customers bags and receipt on the way out the door, just to show everyone how much they care....

Ooops - I'm ranting....and joking of course!


They really are nice - you're obviously a craftsman at heart!

 

[tinbender 66]

Very nice! You too could be a tinbender............

 

[Monte]

very cool !!!

 

[JobeFabrications]

Very nice work sir.