Wood toolboxes

[mysta2]

Everyone hates wood huh? All you seem to see here are metal $1k-$5k boxes, which don't get me wrong, would be sweet. There's no way in all heck though that I can spend anything like a grand on a tool box. So I'm thinking about making one (two really)

...And after all, I like making stuff.

This is basically what my place looks like now:

Which I want to look like this:

I'm thinking about converting these:

...into tool boxes. That way when there's not a bike on them they can tuck up under the cabinets (both of them would fit perfect side by side) and continue to be useful.

The box part of each caddy is 24" tall by 72" long by 24" deep. I could either keep the center supports where they are and have roughly 10" drawers on each side with a couple full 24" drawers in the middle. That would keep them usable from both sides, good for when a bike's on them and for weight distribution, bad for when they're tucked under the cabinets. Or I could rip out the existing and mount some supports transversely, and have three columns of 24" drawers (or maybe 36, 12, 24)

Ideas? Pictures of cool wood toolboxes (big ones)?

 

[Tman]

Here is a box I posted in the tool section. I have a table similar to yours and drawers/doors are a good idea, it just catches junk otherwise.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2282126#post2282126

 

[willymakeit]

Nothing wrong with wood toolboxes. A lot depends on your skill level, time or desires. I have both in my shop and rally seem to prfer the wood inside.

 

[mysta2]

Recommendations for hardware (slides, not handles)?

 

[rowdyjk28]

I have both wood tool boxes and the overpriced metal boxes in my garage. I actually prefer the wood boxes because like you i enjoy building them, but also because you can configure them to be exactly what you want. I've built a few different ones for my garage including a motorcycle table similar to yours just shorter. I left my table open underneath because i thought it made a great place for tanks and fairings. I have pics of the boxes here at work and hopefully the pics will show up but i don't have one of my bike table. This is the first time I'm trying to post a pic from photo bucket so hopefully i am doing it right. My Garage is in the middle of a revamp so the mess in the back ground is only temporary.

 

[Boomer343]

I have gone to Baltic Birch for all my drawers or custom wood butchering.

For drawers I use Tandem Plus Slides or Tandem Intivo Drawer Kits.

If you use the Tandem slides you can simplify the drawer construction as they undermount. I make my drawer bottoms with 1/2 " BB then use Gorilla glue and an air nailer and simply do a **** joint on the side pieces to the bottom and the ajoining sides.

Then after setting the drawer into the case I mount the drawer fronts.

Last kitchen I did it was all standard size cases so we ordered it all from Ikea as they use Blum drawers then we made custom drawer fronts and the surround for the Sub Zero fridge and the oven tower.....13 foot free standing island was interesting to do....
Anyway the drawers work a charm and have the soft closer feature as well.

I have also used the side mounted slides but they tend to be more PITA to set up properly but you can double stack them to increase the drawer weight capacity.

If I'm not spraying catlized lacquer then I finish off with a clear coat of Sico Crystallex Floor Finish. Nice product but you need to work quick.

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

Sorry I don't have any pics to offer, but I like the idea of leaving your bike benches intact. Add some horizontal open shelves to each side of the partitions, source some hefty plastic bins to sit on the new shelves and you've got an organized system for part storage for build-ups/tear-downs. I'd even leave the center area open for storage of bulky items.

As far as tool storage goes, how about building smaller cabinet(s) to roll beneath your bench on the left of your garage; sized to fit between the angled bench supports?


rowdyjk28, that last bench you posted is massive! Can you show some more pics of it to show the drawer details, caster assemblies, etc., etc.?

 

[Stuart in MN]

Check out this thread on building a wood box: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72005 Remember that good quality ball bearing slides are still going to cost you some money.

 

[bad_idea]

Why are you limited to building a wooden tool box? I have seen quite a few home built out of sheet metal. If you don't already have a welding machine and basic fab tools, now is a great time to get them! If you are into custom motorcycles, then I am sure welding must come up often enough in a build. Building a metal tool chest would be a great way to develop skills. Not the cheapest though if you need to purchase tools, but could be done fairly reasonable if you only have to buy the metal.

 

[Stick Figure]

more inspiration


http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39014

 

[mysta2]

I was just looking at that thread, and the finished one.

I know how to cut, join (simply), deburr, finish, and paint wood, and I have the equipment to do so. I dont know how to do any of that with sheet metal, and I dont have any of the equipment to do so. Yes I do work with bikes but I machine a lot of aluminum and do a lot of grinding to get around welding (not ideal, need to get myself a welder)

More than that though, I already have the box frames for wood boxes and the cabinets above will be wood so it just makes sense to make them out of wood too.

I'm not interested in shelves because the whole purpose is to hide my tools and parts away from the dust and debris that so often goes flying around the garage. Nothing's better at collecting massive amounts of steel rust/dust than open bins, I know, I've got a bunch of them on my east wall.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, keep 'em coming.

 

[rowdyjk28]

rowdyjk28, that last bench you posted is massive! Can you show some more pics of it to show the drawer details, caster assemblies, etc., etc.?

I don't have any more pics of it on my work computer. I'll take some more this weekend and post them next week.

 

[y2knole]

could you make the drawers so they'd open from either side? That way no inconvenience when its 'out' and used as a motorcycle stand as in this pic, but still useful for full width when parked under a big bench.