The Tool Tower

[Git]

Reminds me of the $160 clamp cart from Rockler - you could do a lot starting out with something like this (add some peg board on the sides, more shelves, etc)

http://www.rockler.com/pack-rack-clamp-tool-storage-system

 

[ed_v]

Btw... The $350 welding boom they offer is a fantastic idea. We use welding booms at work.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

It actually assembles using a tab and slot design, so it's self supporting during assembly. You start with the base and add the sides. The Front/Rear pieces of three tabs on each side that fit into corresponding slots on the side pieces. We make what we call "shoulder tabs" that slide into a set of slots on the side pieces and then you bolt through the Front/Rear pieces to secure everything. I posted some pics to show. It sounds more complicated in writing that it actually is...

Not complicated at all.

But after seeing your comment on the pricing I'd suggest this:

If you want to bring down the costs and make it much more affordable, then refine the design to drop those bolt in tabs / associated hardware and set the locating tabs into the slots and let the buyer apply a good weld bead at assy. You could then get it down to the just 4 side sheets and 4 shelf sheets -- all flat-packable and easy to ship. Give the customer the option on buying the wheels or not.....heck you might even consider selling the slotted side plates by themselves. I know that, as someone who can fabricate the basic stuff pretty easily, one of my initial thoughts was that I'd consider buying those pre-cut (since I don't have any nice precision cutting ability) and fab up the rest from material I already have / can source for next to nothing around my own shop.

 

[Mgnu]

This cracked me up! I don't think I've ever been called a hipster before. We actually build the Predator Hunting Trailers for FLEX Trailers for the most part. Besides cutting parts for other fab shops in the area on our plasmas we also build the Bad Idea products we made plus the Blaze Tower. You can check them out at www.blazetower.com to see something else that might be considered overkill.

Glad you said it, because was about to say that looks like a massive overkill fire pit my buddy just bought! Hope you guys are runaway successful at both!

Ps. He bought everything possible that you sell for the Blaze. Excited to see it in action!

 

[-->]

It's a cool setup and sound like a perfect one for your shop. If I had my own fab space I would put something like that to use. Definitely. I would never use that in a shop with other people and put my personal tools on it though What weight casters do you use ?

 

[Scales]

Nice product you have there. I see it as a durable blank slate where the end user can outfit it with the bolt on accessories to hold anything they may need. 3/16" steel means it is going to last for the lifetime of the buyer and a couple of his offspring!!

 

[jd_1138]

$1,000??? Nice product, but seems a bit steep. I could build one hell of a tricked out HF cart for $1,000.

$1,000 doesn't seem bad. That's a lot of materials in it, plus a lot of machining and such. Heck decent casters alone are about $100 for a set of 4.

 

[IndyGarage]

I've been putting everything on carts for a couple years. It's a lot faster than getting stuff out of drawers. Here's a clamp cart I built a couple months ago. It has vice grips, c-clamps wood clamps, everything all in one place. I built it from scrap plywood and mounted it to a $9.95 Harbour Freight furniture moving dolly.

 

[badidea]

I have to say that this is the nicest forum I've ever seen on the internet. I've been involved in various boards over the years and have gotten to the point where I will read but seldom post to anything anymore. This experience has changed my opinion. I've come back to Garage Journal over and over because it's such an excellent resource. When I saw that the Tool Tower was posted here I was afraid it would get attacked pretty bad. Everyone knows that the internet seems to foster more negativity than anything these days, but everyone here proved me wrong. Great insights and ideas from you guys. Thanks for the support!

 

[kylerohde]

Very cool product and that it's made in Kansas - I live in KC and went to KU. Where in SE KS are you guys?

 

[rmalkow2]

Looks like a really useful tool cart for the right size shop and manufacturing process. Unfortunately you get a lot of opinions here that come from those who only see from a narrow band of view like their personal shop experience. Fortunately, the nice thing is you get a lot of opinions here from individuals with varied experiences. Sometimes they are the same people and lots of opinions are usually good to be able to pick out what applies.
After seeing you video I can totally see how it helps in your work environment and would as well in many similar sized shops doing similar fab work.
In my little 2 car garage it would never fit but, hey maybe you can offer some variation in sizes and shapes to fit different shops and price ranges.
All in all I love that you filled a need with creativity and did it all American and, then put it out there to see what part of the population could also benefit while expanding your local business. Hmmmm……that's kinda what we used to do a lot of here in the USA.

 

[badidea]

We are just north of Pittsburg, Kansas off of Hwy 69

 

[Toolhorder]

These "A-Frame" tool carts are great if you have the room and don't work with guys that help themselves to your tools. I've got the Snap-On version but I'm getting rid of them because of the previously mentioned negatives. I suppose a smaller version would be handy at the home garage.

I'll buy them if you're selling. Honda tech school uses these and I love them.

 

[tekman00]

here is a poor mans version. Made out of scrape wood and harbor freight furniture dolly castors. I covered the pegboard with state flag posters. I am from Illinois, and my wife is from Mississippi. We call our two daughters Yankee-belles.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Hope he does well with the Tower idea. Wouldn't use it myself.
However, I like his Welder boom idea A LOT!

He wasnt the first with this idea. ITW owns that particular name.