# New Tool Box



## ML_Woy (Feb 14, 2013)

Well gentlemen it is time to share with you my latest project. Over the past three weeks I have been building a new tool box to complement my recently acquired mill. I decided to build a box to hold all of the accessories for the mill to save me time walking across the shop to my other boxes. There was also a problem with space as acquiring more stuff requires more storage space. I had a stand designed for a grinder which I was not using and figured it would make the perfect base.

The box is made from two oak planks purchased from my local Lowes Improvement Center. I have been told by the clerks in the store that Lowes is not a hardware store that they are a home improvement center and that is why they carry such a poor selection of bolts, taps and other accessories after they have driven the two full line hardware stores in town out of business.

The box measures 18” x 10” x 10” and has fourteen drawers and a top designed to hold tools you are using on your project. Tony Well provided some well needed advice on how to use a slot saw on the mill for installing the metal bottoms in the drawers. They were made form scrap stainless steel salvaged from an old dishwasher. The whole box is glued together, there are no fasteners used. Total cost, around $60.00 and some time.


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## cvz6977 (Feb 14, 2013)

Nice work.


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## Old Iron (Feb 14, 2013)

Great job on the tool box, Now I need one.

Paul


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## Tamper84 (Feb 14, 2013)

oooooooo very very nice!!!

Chris


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## JOSHUAZ2 (Feb 14, 2013)

Roy like.


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## hvoss (Feb 15, 2013)

Wow.. amazing! And as I'm always struggling to find new storage space, would you be able to show a bit more detail on the "drawer slides and salvaged dishwasher parts" ? Guess I could get some very good ideas from that - just looking at the rest of the very nice design.

Helge


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## Chucketn (Feb 15, 2013)

Please do show more details. Also include info/pictures of the base it is sitting on. Is that a table or dedicated base?

Chuck


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## fastback (Feb 15, 2013)

Very nice.  I really like the design.  Draws on either side nice idea.


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## Tony Wells (Feb 15, 2013)

Turned out very nice, ML. A design to be copied, for sure.


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## ML_Woy (Feb 15, 2013)

hvoss said:


> Wow.. amazing! And as I'm always struggling to find new storage space, would you be able to show a bit more detail on the "drawer slides and salvaged dishwasher parts" ? Guess I could get some very good ideas from that - just looking at the rest of the very nice design.
> 
> Helge


The drawer guides were cut from pieces of oak that were .30" x .30" x 9", there is a center divider in the  middle of the box which gives it shear. I cut groves, with my mill, in the sides for the drawer runners to fit into, they were cut .15" deep. The sides of the drawers have a matching cut, again with the mill, to a depth of .015" The drawer guides were glued to the side of the box. It took a lot of playing around to get everything to align up for fourteen drawers. If I build another one I will just make the guides half as thick and glue them directly to the side of the box.

As for the dishwasher parts. Last year we had a dishwasher failure and I salvaged the stainless steel front off of the door. The sheet metal was .032" thick and I used that to make the bottoms of the drawers. Tony Wells gave me advise on how to use a slitting saw on my mill to cut wood. I slit the sides, fronts and back of each drawer and slid the steel sheets in the bottom.


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## ML_Woy (Feb 15, 2013)

chucketn said:


> Please do show more details. Also include info/pictures of the base it is sitting on. Is that a table or dedicated base?
> 
> Chuck


Chuck,
Here are some more pictures of the drawers, box . The first picture is of the side of a drawer showing the grove the drawer guide rides in.
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
Here are all of the drawers laid out. The two in the bottom right are .75" thick, next three, to the left are 1" thick,then 1.5" and 1.75". 
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
This shows the drawer bottoms, made from .032" stainless and covered with pool felt from a local yardage shop.
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
This is the inside of the box showing the divider providing the shear, I used dado joints to give more glue surface.
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
Here is a shot of the drawer guides.
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
The rack for the fly cutter heads, on the other side is a rack for collets.
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
The door pulls were turned from some .063 aluminum stock, top 4 pulls are .50" in diameter, bottom two are .063. I thought they would look more proportional on the larger drawer faces.
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
 The whole box (except for the fly cutter and collet holders) was ripped from two 1"x 6" x 6' pieces of red oak. I first split the boards to 2.75" then split them the other way to .320". That became my material that I glued into planks to cut the box sides, top and bottom from. I recessed the top .5" to create a place to set tools and the drill index. That I dato cut in for more glue area. The two attachments are one of the side of the box and the one on it's side is the base I set the box on. It was a stand for a grinder that was given to me a while back. The box has a foam rubber sheet glued to the bottom, actually a cheap floor mat from Lowes, to help hold it on the pedistal.


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## Bloy (Feb 15, 2013)

This might be a lot to ask, but could you pull several drawers and provide close-up photos of the glide system inside the box?

Thanks!

Oops just posted while the photos were being loaded! :holdphone:

Thanks again!  That's nice!
:thumbsup:


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## PurpLev (Feb 15, 2013)

looks great and very functional/friendly to use.


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## Analias (Feb 15, 2013)

I wonder how this design would work out if you replaced the drawers with solid "drawers" with cut outs for tools?

I've been contemplating doing something like that with ~30" x 12" x 1.5" solid "drawers" that have been milled for tool cutouts.  The space under the overhang for my work bench would handle something with nine or ten drawers at 1.5" height. Not as nice looking as this project, but functional.  2x12 wood planks are cheap material.


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## ML_Woy (Feb 15, 2013)

Analias said:


> I wonder how this design would work out if you replaced the drawers with solid "drawers" with cut outs for tools?
> 
> I've been contemplating doing something like that with ~30" x 12" x 1.5" solid "drawers" that have been milled for tool cutouts.  The space under the overhang for my work bench would handle something with nine or ten drawers at 1.5" height. Not as nice looking as this project, but functional.  2x12 wood planks are cheap material.


 

Probably would work just fine. I had thought about doing the drawers that way after viewing some of the work done by Frank Ford. If you go to his website you can see how he made his bottoms.
Here is his address http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/. You could use a ball end mill to hollow out the bottom of your drawers. I still may do something similar for for my tap drawer, especially the small ones.


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## oldntired (Feb 15, 2013)

I too love the design. That should serve you well. I bet it will become a favorite part of your shop. I wonder if it would be good to add some heavy duty casters so you can roll it to the work area?


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## Golftech (Feb 15, 2013)

Looks really good, thanks for some ideas.


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## hvoss (Feb 17, 2013)

ML_Woy said:


> The drawer guides were cut from pieces of oak that were .30" x .30" x 9", there is a center divider in the  middle of the box which gives it shear. I cut groves, with my mill, in the sides for the drawer runners to fit into, they were cut .15" deep. The sides of the drawers have a matching cut, again with the mill, to a depth of .015" The drawer guides were glued to the side of the box. It took a lot of playing around to get everything to align up for fourteen drawers. If I build another one I will just make the guides half as thick and glue them directly to the side of the box.
> 
> As for the dishwasher parts. Last year we had a dishwasher failure and I salvaged the stainless steel front off of the door. The sheet metal was .032" thick and I used that to make the bottoms of the drawers. Tony Wells gave me advise on how to use a slitting saw on my mill to cut wood. I slit the sides, fronts and back of each drawer and slid the steel sheets in the bottom.



Thanks for the 'update' !! Still think it looks great. Would have to make something similar, but ... guess with my limited tooling in a 5m^2 workshop that is stuffed already I'd have some difficulties, although the final 'product' would
certainly help   I'll keep the design in mind, though !

Cheers,

Helge


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## frbutts (Feb 24, 2013)

i really like the idea and use of the stand (lowe's comment is too true)


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## kacce (Feb 24, 2013)

ML_Woy said:


> Probably would work just fine. I had thought about doing the drawers that way after viewing some of the work done by Frank Ford. If you go to his website you can see how he made his bottoms.
> Here is his address http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/. You could use a ball end mill to hollow out the bottom of your drawers. I still may do something similar for for my tap drawer, especially the small ones.



very good web site


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## dualquad (Mar 11, 2013)

Awesome, nice work!


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## lockstocknbarrel (Mar 12, 2013)

Now that looks Professional, well done.
And I bet it took more work than described, you have just produced a Family Heirloom.
Thank you for sharing.
Kindest Regards
Beagles.


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