Constructing an Engineers toolbox

[johnny]

As Lurker said, you could just copy the joints used in the box in the picture - which are simple rebates. You could cut these by hand, or with an electric router. If you work carefully and use decent ply, they are not very hard to do. You can glue with PVA and use fine panel pins to hold the corners together. A lot of extra strength will come from the bottoms of the box / trays, which can be cut slightly oversized, glued and pinned, then planed back to the exact size.

The rebates make consistent alignment easier but on a small scale are not essential for strength. See https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/post974412.html#p974412 for one I knocked up.

thanks for the link Andy.
As you say the addition of a base glued and pinned adds considerable strength to the construction and doesn't need to be very thick either. i constructed 2x campervan bed/seat bases from 25x18mm frame with 3mm ply sheet glued and screwed it takes my weight easily which is nearly 18 stone . https://youtu.be/w48QqVXiTEw

 

[Emanuel]

Hi Johnny,

If this drawer cabinet is what you are intending for your first project then I think it may be a bit too advanced for your current skill level.

John

John15 is right. Listen to John. (hammer)

 

[johnny]

I thought that I ought to show you what I am aiming to achieve :wink:

These are the three tool sets that the cabinet will be based around.
The three trays each measure 265x145mm and the heaviest of which weighs 1.2Kg
The socket set will be 3/8 drive as the majority of the work they will do will be on my yamaha xs650 and Lambretta LiS 150

The three tool boxes will sit at the top of the cabinet in a wooden lift out tray. The internal dimensions of the top lift out tray will need to be 430mm x 265mm therefore the external tray dimensions will determine the internal cabinet dimensions .

The cabinet will need to house a selection of screwdrivers, pliers, wire strippers , allen keys , hex sockets etc and these will be housed in the pull out drawers at the front of the cabinet.
Once I have decided whether to have 2 or 3 drawers I will fix the dimensions and draw up the box construction and the various components to 1:2 scale and determine how much ply is needed and then get started.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

It seems like your aim is what I would call a mechanic's chest - which is normally constructed from folded steel with bearing runners for the drawers. The reason being that the contents usually are on the heavy side and the users on the oily side.

I admire your aspirations to make something bespoke, but would advise you to consider it's intended use and construction.

Regards Mick

 

[johnny]

I'm betting that you haven't seen how Engineers toolboxes get used :wink:

There is no more oily environment than that of a Machinists workshop.
Heres how a typical 'Engineer' uses their tool cabinet .....no respect for fine joinery lol

 

[Racers]

A lap joint would be good like the ones on this box of mine.

Oak and Silver Birch burr box by Racers, on Flickr


Or these on my chisel boxes.



Both can be done with a saw and chisels.

Pete

 

[johnny]

beautiful boxes pete especially the chisel boxes. The birch and oak is simply gorgeous.
I have this weird penchant for boxes . I gaze longingly over boxes for hours . I draw endless box designs for everything.
I think I just need to get this tool chest/cabinet out of my system .
I could just buy one of the many antique toolchests on ebay but there would be no satisfaction in that .

As someone once said ..".its not the destination that counts but the journey there"

 

[johnny]

well I've worked out all the ply needed and its surprisingly expensive given its rubbish wood . £47.00
Thats mainly because I'm using 3x different thicknesses . 12mm main box ......9mm drawer sides and 5mm drawer bases . I'll shop around but B&Q sell in 607x1220 sizes which is convenient to collect and work with and less wastage .

 

[blackrodd]

I would have thought 5mm for the drawer base a bit thin, 10, or 12mm would be less inclined to "bow" under the tool's weight
Rodders

 

[Racers]

Thanks Johnny, I do like making boxes, there is some thing magical about a boxes.

I would go with 12mm for the box and draws and 5 or 6mm for the base, if you glue the base in a grove it will stand a lot of weight.
It might save you some money and might be easer to work with less sizes.

Pete

 

[johnny]

I would have thought 5mm for the drawer base a bit thin, 10, or 12mm would be less inclined to "bow" under the tool's weight
Rodders

you might be surprised how much weight 5mm ply will support without deflection provided it is glued and pinned on all edges.

At Architectural school we had to construct platforms out of paper that would support our own weight. :shock:
I could use 3mm and it would still be more than strong enough.... besides the span is only 265mm about the length of a sheet of A4

Try this .....Take a 12" plastic ruler and place it so that it spans between two books and see what weight the ruler will support without bending .
Then press down firmly on both ends of the ruler and see if you can find anything heavy enough to make that ruler bend in the middle :lol:
See what I mean

I would go with 12mm for the box and drawers and 5 or 6mm for the base, if you glue the base in a grove it will stand a lot of weight.
It might save you some money and might be easer to work with less sizes.

Pete

great idea pete although 12mm sides for the drawers is a bit overkill .I might make up a trial drawer in 12mm whilst I am trying to get the hang of using a router for the first time.

 

[pcb1962]

I'll shop around but B&Q sell in 607x1220 sizes which is convenient to collect and work with and less wastage .

If you get your ply from B&Q, or Wickes, you'll not get a nice clean top edge like in your revised picture, it will likely have voids and other unattractive imperfections. If you want a nice clean ply edge you have to use expensive Birch ply. Alternatively you can add a hardwood strip over the ply edge like I have on these tool boxes:

 

[johnny]

thats a good idea but now the whole thing is getting decidely complicated which is something I was determined to avoid if at all possible.

If I was making this for my workbench I think I would be more concerned about the finish but as it will be used as a portable toolbox sat on a trolley for fixing my cars and bikes I don't think it will matter too much.

One thing that I have been considering is buying a cheap pine chest of drawers and salvaging the wood from that . :wink:

 

[blackrodd]

If we're still talking about the ply engineers tool chest in the second pic.
The trays or draws are a bit on the large size for the the cheaper 5mm Wickes ply mentioned .
The weight of tools is the unknown factor and a 3mm ply bottom certainly won't last long.
How lessons in Architectural school on paper bearing weight, or bending a plastic rule affect you're choice of ply, I'm not sure, It's just a bad idea to build anything completely of plywood, especially cheap stuff,
When you've cut it and found there's gaps in the core or middle and it will easily delaminate.
I see you are contemplating finding an old timber chest of drawers, best Idea so far
Regards Rodders

 

[Graham Orm]

well I've worked out all the ply needed and its surprisingly expensive given its rubbish wood . £47.00
Thats mainly because I'm using 3x different thicknesses . 12mm main box ......9mm drawer sides and 5mm drawer bases . I'll shop around but B&Q sell in 607x1220 sizes which is convenient to collect and work with and less wastage .

B&Q are usually double what you can buy it for from a merchant.

 

[johnny]

I
How lessons in Architectural school on paper bearing weight, or bending a plastic rule affect you're choice of ply, I'm not sure, Is

well I could explain but it would take 7 years lol :lol:

Seriously though Rodders...... at College one learns all about how materials behave and how to assess and calculate stress and strain etc

If the average bloke were tasked to construct a wooden frame for a seat or bed in a campervan for example , he would invariably choose 75mm x 50mm timber to frame it out ......because that would be his understanding of what would be strong enough .

Someone who has an appreciation of structural design and how materials behave would understand that 24x20mm or less would be perfectly adequate to support 18 stone provided you use 3mm ply glued and screwed to the frame to brace it. Fascinatinating subject design Engineering ...but I can see I'm boring you :lol: :lol:

 

[johnny]

well I've worked out all the ply needed and its surprisingly expensive given its rubbish wood . £47.00
Thats mainly because I'm using 3x different thicknesses . 12mm main box ......9mm drawer sides and 5mm drawer bases . I'll shop around but B&Q sell in 607x1220 sizes which is convenient to collect and work with and less wastage .

B&Q are usually double what you can buy it for from a merchant.

you're dead right there Graham :evil:

I am always staggered at how much B&Q charge for stuff but its like the supermarkets and food . We all appreciate the convenience of buying food washed and cut and selected ready to use but its lots cheaper at our local Grocer.

The only timber merchant we have within 20 miles is Bradfords and they only sell 2440 x 1220 which is too big for my car. :wink:
I could get a sheet delivered but they charge £5.00 and then you get someone elses selected sheet which will invariably be warped knotted and damaged at the edges.

At B&Q I can select exactly the sheets I want and they are available in 1220 x 607 which is easier for me to collect in the car and a lot easier to manage in my shed :wink:

But I have already explained this in a previous post. :roll:

 

[Wuffles]

I
How lessons in Architectural school on paper bearing weight, or bending a plastic rule affect you're choice of ply, I'm not sure, Is

well I could explain but it would take 7 years lol :lol:

Seriously though Rodders...... at College one learns all about how materials behave and how to assess and calculate stress and strain etc

If the average bloke were tasked to construct a wooden frame for a seat or bed in a campervan for example , he would invariably choose 75mm x 50mm timber to frame it out ......because that would be his understanding of what would be strong enough .

Someone who has an appreciation of structural design and how materials behave would understand that 24x20mm or less would be perfectly adequate to support 18 stone provided you use 3mm ply glued and screwed to the frame to brace it. Fascinatinating subject design Engineering ...but I can see I'm boring you :lol: :lol:

Very clever. I suppose those who didn't spend 7 years at college might be more inclined to understand that in the real world there will inevitably be more than one 18 stone person on the bed or bench at some point and would over-engineer it to suit.

Fascinating subject "the real world".

Smiley face.

 

[cammy9r]

You mention B&Q to be expensive then say you will shop around. Graham only said merchants are likely to be cheaper.......at no point did he expect you to 'explain it all again'.
Now some merchants will resize sheets for you. B&Q will cut a full sheet for you and it will be less expensive than the pre cut stuff for the equivalent 8x4 sheet size.
It is difficult to offer help when you are/were unclear as to what you might be trying to construct. Just butt join with glue and then pin. Will most likely hold up for many years.

 

[johnny]

OK guys I can see where this is going .
You are now being insulting about me and my chosen lifelong profession

I'm not going to rise to the bait I'm afraid. You'll have to go and troll somewhere else. :lol:


The question that I put at the start of this thread has now been answered fully to my satisifaction and I am not going to allow one or two idiots to spoil my anticipation, and excitement about this project . I've looked forward to it for a long time now and its important to me .