the problem, the solution, the result

[rsanter]

so I have a bit of a toolbox storage problem.
I picked up this cman bottom box for a clearance deal at sears for $369.
the thought was to make it one of my machine toolboxes, specifically I wanted to hold my precision tools and measuring instruments.
the problemis that they fill the drawers and leave unused depth in the drawers. I do not like to stack them so I am just not making good use of space.

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after much quandry, the solution was to buy a topbox to rob parts from.
I picked this one up on sale (waslooking for one on clearance but no such luck) for $289 and I had a $50 giftcard to use up.

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took all the shallow drawers and moved them to the bottom box and moved the slightly deeper drawers from the bottom to the top. this was rather easy the way the griplatch BBslides lock into the box frame. there is a little tab you pull a bit and the BBslide pops out.
so now I have the bank of shallow drawers I need/want for all my mic's, calapers, depth guages and such.
the deeper drawers will hold the parallels, 123 blocks, height guages and all that other stuff that is a little larger.
next step is the addition of a butcher-block top to this box to make the work surface and another one to the top of the HF box for mounting the small lathe to.
another step made in the reorg garage project

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and you ask 'what are you going to do with that spare box you have?'
take it back to sears...just kidding
I am giving it to my dad to go on a black cman bottom box that he picked up

bob

 

[Ed_EOD]

That's great! How much work was it? Did you have to move slides?

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Slick, I like it, unconventional approach, well done thinking out of the box, no pun intended!

 

[tonydanzah]

Do the locks still line up and work now?

 

[rsanter]

yes, I had to move the slides
its easy. all told I think it took me about 40 min including unboxing the donar box

you remove the drawer bt moving the little levers on the sides and then pulling the drawer out. with the mid portion of the slide pulled out there is a 'window' in that portion that allows you access to use a pic to pull the locking tab and you can unlatch the BBslide from the cabinet.
you can reinstall the slides in just about any increment needed to make about any drawer configuration you want.

the lock bar has 'fingers' on it to accomodate most variations. I have not tried the lock yet, but I belive that at least most will work.
it was something I thought about but I am not too concerned as it is a griplatch and it is in my garage

bob

 

[bchee]

pretty cool. Did you know the drawers were going to fit before you bought the donor box?

How many drawers does the donor box have now?

 

[Merkava_4]

You clever ******* ...

 

[rsanter]

I did some carefull measuring at sears to be sure that they were the same. I also removed a drawer from the floor display to be sure they were done in the same way.
I was fairly sure but not quite 100%. if it didnt work I would have taken the box back

the 'new' topbox now has 4 drawers

bob

 

[mkdive]

nice mod!!!!!!

 

[Paladin]

You clever ******* ...

X2!

 

[KingConstruction]

Thats a good idea, I might have to do that on mine

 

[arkangel06]

Thats pretty cool!

 

[fatfillup]

You clever ******* ...

What he said!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rsanter]

Ok
so I added the wide drawer section I picked up and I installed the new lock.
to answer a question, all the drawers do not lock with this modification.
2 if the narrow drawers do not have a tab on the locking bar to grab the drawer and another drawer the tab that is there misses the drawer.
looks like if you could do a little fab and welding you could add thew tabs where needed and make it work like it was factory

bob

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[Jbullfrog]

I thought the Craftsman top boxes are 1or 2 inches shorter than the bottoms, so the lock strip down the back shouldn't work on any of the drawers. I swapped the 5" bottom drawer in my top box for a pair of 2" deep drawers when I got it via Waterloo's warranty and a helpful Sears associate.

 

[rsanter]

I thought the Craftsman top boxes are 1or 2 inches shorter than the bottoms, so the lock strip down the back shouldn't work on any of the drawers. I swapped the 5" bottom drawer in my top box for a pair of 2" deep drawers when I got it via Waterloo's warranty and a helpful Sears associate.

there are a few of them that are the full depth. it seems as though the top of the line griplatch ones are the same depth. I actually measured the dimensions of the drawers at sears before buying the top box. they had the bottom I have and the top I was thinking about using so it made it easy.

Im not sure they would have liked it but I also removed a couple of drawers when I was there too. they didnt say anything but they likly didnt see either

bob