Has anybody made thier own tool box?

Ohio Farmer · Oct 14, 2007

Hi All:
I have been talking about building my own roll around tool box for a few years now. Time to quit talkin and start building. I am planning on making it from Red Maple and Ash that I had sawn from my woods several years back. I have ordered some 100 lb. ball bearing,full extension drawer glides and they should be here soon. I have given a lot of thought to the number and size of the drawers and am still undecided on what I want. The cabinet will be in the area of 5' long with 22 inch deep drawers. I'm figurin at least one drawer the full length and either 2 banks of equal drawers or 1 large bank and then a small bank. Their will be no boxes or anything on top. This will be a work surface.

Speaking of top...I am undecided on this as well. I could do a solid 2" thick maple top or do the thick top with an inlay of some tough rubber. Lookin for opinions on that. I will be taking some progress pics and posting them here on the forum in case anyone else wants to build one or maybe wants me to build one for them.

I know this isn't a woodworking forum,but most people here LOVE toolboxes and would like to see it's progression!

fmari --MariTool- · Oct 14, 2007

I would love to!!!! I would make mine like a brick craphouse, nice and strong. Let me know how it goes. Post some pics please.

Bill D · Oct 15, 2007

How about agranite slab for the top. Not asurfac eplate just a piece of scrap from a kitchen counter? I would make the drawer bottoms from metal or thick plywood.
Bill D.

loggerhogger · Oct 15, 2007

I think that Grizzley Industrial has some real nice plans in their catalog.

hexbasher · Oct 15, 2007

i'm still in the works on my oak tool box....its a 6 inch riser that will sit on my 41 inch cabinet.....its a slow project

rosie · Oct 15, 2007

I used 1/4" hard board for my top, underneath that is about 2" or more of osb. I put loads of glue and screw to adhear each layer. As far as how tough the top is, I don't mind wailing on things with a hammer on it.

One clue that you've probly already thought of is make the overall depth narrow enough to fit thru any doors you might want to go thru.

On your bigger drawers you might want to double up on the drawer slides. I know for a fact that some of my bigger drawers have well over a 100 lbs. before you figure out the weight of the drawer. The tool box I copied has drawers well over 150 lbs. That box and mine use plane old 1-1/2 or 2" angle iron to carry the weight of the drawers. With the drawer spacing I have the drawers can only be pulled out 75% extension, but at 75% you can allow the front of the drawer to drop and the drawer supports above hold the drawer from falling.(Spacing from the top drawer to the next lower drawer).

Rosie

Todd Stanley · Oct 15, 2007

I could never handle a wooden box although I'd love one, me and all my tools are completely covered from head to toe 15 minutes into every shift with oil, I'm so messy. I'm just going to buy a Gray XL box next.

Ohio Farmer · Oct 15, 2007

Rosie: got any pics of that box?

The double slides sounds like a good idea on some of the drawers for sure...never thought about that. I have a mountain of used 7/16 osb that I was planning on using for the drawer bottoms. 2 pieces sandwiched together glued and screwed oughta be enough for the bottoms of the standard size drawer. Now on the full length drawer....I'm thinkin either 2 pieces of 3/4 plywood or maybe one piece with 1/2 square tubing routed in channels in the bottom of it. I done that for some shelves I made 5 years ago that are made out of MDF. The shelf is about 3 foot wide with a 20" tv sitting in the middle of it and it hasn't sagged yet.

I had also thought about granite for a top but don't know if it would take a lick with a hammer? Will it?

Keep them ideas comin! Now is the time for me to hear them.. Thanks...Randy

David/toledo · Oct 15, 2007

Be carefull with osb. I Have seen a lot of it sag over time. If you don't have a lot of surport for it. Plan for growth everytime I make a box one time I wish it was just a little bite bigger.
David/toledo

crzypete · Oct 15, 2007

Hi Randy, I am a woodworker and made my own small box out of dovetailed walnut and english brown oak, Ended up giving it away to a friend and getting some lista cabinets, we both walked away thinking we got the better deal.

My recommendation is buy your drawers- you can buy pre-finished dovetail drawers. They allow you to spec the bottom thickness and type of wood. here is the place I use for cabinet grade doors: http://www.walzcraft.com/

Looking forward to the pics.
Pete

jkilroy · Oct 15, 2007

I've made a couple, I'll try to find some pics. Nothing fancy, just plywood boxes and drawers, and double layer MDF tops. They have survived better than I thought, though I am going to get some sheet metal to cover the tops. The full extension slides were easily the biggest outlay for the project.

surplusjohn · Oct 15, 2007

I wouldn't use OSB for anything like this, sags, chips, etc. Check out Baltic Birch Plywood, very strong and stiff. Find a plywood wholesaler who sells to cabinet shops, the last time I bought it last year it was $22 / 5 x 5 sheet for 12 mm. Very heavy tho. Simular hardwood plywoods will work but are much more expensive.

crzypete · Oct 15, 2007

I agree with John, Baltic or russian or Finnish birch is a superior product for the money. All of the plys are birch and they are thin so the comparable Metric to 1/2" ply has perhaps 13 plys- very strong and a pleasure to work with. I always buy the B/BB grade which is the top grade it is offered in. Home Depot/ Lowes often have a substandard grade at inflated prices to use as underlayment- avoid it, John is right about needing a professional plywood supplier.

The one downside of the baltic birch is that it is not always super flat, although it actually seems to have gotten better.

Pete

rosie · Oct 15, 2007

Ohio Farmer

I purposly tried to hide the 2 feet of stuff on the bench. My drawers are 27"X27". This is a dumb size and I know it. I planed the outside size then ended up with the drawer size. If your smart you'll start with the drawer widths, then depths, then heights. I had alot of free osb(drawer bottoms) and 1" material I cut up for all the sides and deviders. Most all of the material was free from machine packaging from the place I used to work at. I only have about $75 in steel, and what ever I paid for the plywood and handles.

The bottoms are full osb. I used drywall screws from the bottom up to catch the sides, and any deviders. This is where all the strength comes from. I have no sag that I know of.

If you have questions just ask. Or else I'll get wordy and take up half a page.

Rosie

surplusjohn · Oct 15, 2007

Rosie, With all those partitions those drawers are strong as heck, I am sure. Obviously the OSB is good here.

Larry S · Oct 15, 2007

Hello OH Farmer,
I can tell you as a retired furniture maker that
a 5ft wide x 22"deep drawer will rack like crazy.
Better break that down into 2 drawers wide.
Also I hope you aren't taking that 100lb. rating
on the drawer slides too seriously. :>)

Larry Swearingen

chuckey · Oct 15, 2007

Say Rosie, you must have a good memory, or is it a case of "its a medium sized drawer, 'bout half way down" (sound of drawers being pulled out and pushed in).

Frank

JL Sargent · Oct 15, 2007

Rosie, all you've got left to do is skin it in aluminum treadplate and your done.

rosie · Oct 15, 2007

Chuckey,

Sorry to say, It's a memory thing. I spent hours figuring out a location for everything. Quite often to save time, I tell the wife where it is such as, "middle section 3rd drawer down".

I know what drawer everything is sapposed to be in. Whether it is there or not is a different story. Most things are in the shop now. The tool box is in my basement.

Sarge,

I sincerely like the idea. I probly should have shown the 12"X18"(1" thick) ground O-1 plate on the left corner of the bench. It has a 2" square pattern of 1/2" tapped holes. My various vises, chain grinder, buffers etc. are bolted to aluminum plates with a 2" pattern of drilled holes to bolt on the O-1 sub. plate. Makes the corner very stout and extremely useable.

Rosie

tomwalz · Oct 15, 2007

My favorite

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00088.asp

Has anybody made thier own tool box?

Cast Iron

Titanium

Diamond

Stainless

Cast Iron

Hot Rolled

Plastic

Cast Iron

Hot Rolled

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Aluminum

Stainless

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Stainless

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