showdow toolbox on the cheap ***update***

[terabyte]

You may have seen this thread;http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25958&highlight=shadow+toolbox

Well I was not thrilled with the Styrofoam so I kept looking for a cheapish alternative. And I found the mats that Sears sells to place in front of workbenches and the like. It was on sale for $11 for six 2x2 mats.

Well the process is the same as in the thread outlined above but here is a teaser of the the finished product looks like.

I am VERY pleased with these now.

 

[nissan_crawler]

be careful, I used that for some precision tools in a case and they rusted to hell within weeks of putting them in it for some reason.

 

[bchee]

that looks WAY MORE BADASS

much cleaner and cooler.

I see those mats on sale at local auto parts places pretty cheap, also check out Big Lots if you have one near you. I think I've seen them as cheap as $8 for a pack of more than 6 IIRC

 

[nissan_crawler]

mine were from big lots.

 

[bchee]

be careful, I used that for some precision tools in a case and they rusted to hell within weeks of putting them in it for some reason.

hmm maybe they retain moisture like a sponge. Be careful

 

[terabyte]

thanks for the heads up. I guess I'll wipe them all down with wd40 to try and prevent it.

 

[nissan_crawler]

I had another case with some engine tools, they looked just as bad.

 

[wrenchr]

I had another case with some engine tools, they looked just as bad.

That ***** donkey balls

 

[nissan_crawler]

Yeah, I was less than amused.

 

[terabyte]

dude you are scaring the **** outta me. I live in south florida less than a mile from the beach

 

[98riv]

Have you tried to do something like this http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=292695&page=1? I haven't tried it myself, but it looks like it would work.

 

[terabyte]

here is drawer 2 done for the track toolbox

 

[eschoendorff]

dude you are scaring the **** outta me. I live in south florida less than a mile from the beach

You know those moisture abosring packets that come in medicine bottles? Stop throwing them out and start throwing them in your tool box.


btw... the results look really cool anyway!

 

[terabyte]

You know those moisture abosring packets that come in medicine bottles? Stop throwing them out and start throwing them in your tool box.


btw... the results look really cool anyway!

thats what I was thinking.

 

[bomber]

this stuff is open cell foam -- it's a great way to humidify your shop (and tools) --

I'd get it outa there, and now!

I have some in front of my bench, and it squishes when I walk on it -- only moinsture in the shop at this point in is the floor mat . . . . . .

YMMV, as always

 

[bchee]

here is drawer 2 done for the track toolbox

It looks like you even shadowed the inside of the box ends! How did you do that?

I hope you don't get any premature rusting - that would be a shame to waste all that effort you put into it.

 

[terabyte]

It looks like you even shadowed the inside of the box ends! How did you do that?

I hope you don't get any premature rusting - that would be a shame to waste all that effort you put into it.

it must be the lighting. I the box ends are one big circle.

 

[sputnikv8]

Looks great, but, with 2 people saying they soak up water -- I'd abort this mission!!

Not worth the risk to "look good".



Bummer man.

 

[dps]

I'm not sure it's just moisture that would cause that. The standard gray foam, such as 98riv links to is used for massive quantities of goods, including things like high end electronics and electronics servicing tool kits, and is also an open cell foam.

Maybe there's a chemical compound in that particular type of foam that's corrosive?

 

[beelsr]

They're mostly O2 absorbing packets. You have to look to make sure...

You know those moisture abosring packets that come in medicine bottles?

 

[OldSchoolSS]

My gun cases use open cell foam. No problems so far. Well except for the discoloring of the bluing on my 870 but I think that was a combination of me being young an lazy and it just being a really cheap gun. If you're really worried wipe your tools down with a light oil before putting them away. The foam should absorb the oil over time without making a mess.

 

[Bolster]

My gun cases use open cell foam. No problems so far...

I was just gonna say...open cell foam is THE standard foam for use in camera cases...no way would manufacturers specify moisture attracting foam for camera storage...

...if these mats are causing premature rust I would suspect the mats themselves for being mfgd with high water content... (aren't mats usually made from CLOSED cell foam???)

...check it out by putting a HUMIDITY GAUGE in your toolbox and see what it reads with and without the foam...they're cheap. Amazon has lots of them

 

[doug.j]

My gun cases use open cell foam. No problems so far. Well except for the discoloring of the bluing on my 870 but I think that was a combination of me being young an lazy and it just being a really cheap gun. If you're really worried wipe your tools down with a light oil before putting them away. The foam should absorb the oil over time without making a mess.

I was talking to a gunsmith about storage cases with a foam inserts and he warned me that some oils and some foam materials react slowly and can damage the gun finish. He recommended putting the rifle in a protective sleeve first to not let it contact the foam. I can't remember the type of sleeve but they were cheap ($3).