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Modelling Toolbox


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[Mods: I’m using a bit of licence by posting this here under (‘Boxfiles’, (box & files, and brushes and paint and....) but please move to the appropriate section]

 

I want to make a hobby work toolbox so that I can:

1.       Have all (or most) of my MR tools in one place

2.       Be organised with my stuff

3.       Be able to take some hobby work with me easily when I work away from home and be able to work on something (when all this Covid-19 stuff clears up).

 

I spent some time looking around for something suitable, and couldn’t see anything, so decided to have a go at making one myself. (I did look at artists toolboxes, but these seemed to have everything piled on top of each other in drawers, where I’d like a mini version of the workshop, with my hobby tools easily available).

 

So personally, I found these two not really suitable nor adaptable for my needs:

6a74dc31726f18d17b598b58acd6eacd.jpg.b04c634f1a449aadaa5a319fbc04986c.jpg

 

and

db4e4ccbdddba4e8fea4b4a7553c1b2c.jpg.12cbf64559afb64441559d545413473f.jpg

 

 

I felt that the vertical format seemed to be ideal.

 

I bought 2 wooden boxes in Hobbycraft (350 high x 250 wide x 170 deep).

1263623711_WoodenBox.JPG.b9f90d559a24aec4b8df80cde70187f7.JPG

 

My idea is that these would store paints, brushes, glue, files, angles, clips, callipers, etc and then I’d make a larger box that these would fit into.

The front would fold down to provide a worktop, have a cutting mat on the top.

And there would be space for larger items to the side, like a small LED lamp, callipers, soldering iron, etc.

 

This is the concept:

846967370_2xBoxes.JPG.09b63e02d83e4960bbf8e8a60ffb47d4.JPG

The two wooden boxes, spaced apart.

 

653082080_Overallfitted-out.JPG.ed20ec35aca0c6d90d7e567e94eb2476.JPG

 

The overall enclosure (top shown dotted and front down).

 

I though of making the overall enclosure in ply.

Initially I was going to use 3mm ply to the sides and 5.5mm for the top, bottom, rear and front, as the wooden boxes will be glued & screwed to the top, bottom and rear. I'm now wondering if this is too flimsy and I either need to add stiffeners or use a thicker ply. I don't want to over-engineer it and a heavy monster though.

 

I'll also need to find a solution so that I have storage for a loco in the closed toolbox in front of the 2 wooden boxes, but still be able to open the internal door more than 90 degrees.

 

That's as far as I've got so far, lots of thinking and I need to stop procrastinating. Hopefully going public will help me move this to reality.

 

Overall concept.JPG

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Could your internal boxes have the forward part of the side edge of the external box attached to the door, so that they swing out as you open the doors?  This would avoid the door catching the side uprights of the outer box.

 

Not a great description -- I'll see if I can sketch my thoughts to be clearer! (To follow!)

 

Steve S

 

Sorry - not computer generated, but trying to illustrate what I meant!  Of course, this does mean losing "storage" between the box and the outer case edge - the would suggest a bigger gap in between the two boxes perhaps with dividing pieces to create separate areas, and judicious use of elastic to hold items in place.

 

 

IMG_0948.JPG

IMG_0949.JPG

Edited by SteveyDee68
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 15/05/2020 at 00:21, SteveyDee68 said:

Could your internal boxes have the forward part of the side edge of the external box attached to the door, so that they swing out as you open the doors?  This would avoid the door catching the side uprights of the outer box.

............

but trying to illustrate what I meant!  Of course, this does mean losing "storage" between the box and the outer case edge - the would suggest a bigger gap in between the two boxes perhaps with dividing pieces to create separate areas, and judicious use of elastic to hold items in place.

 

Hi SteveyDee68,

 

Thank you for your input, and great suggestion, which got me thinking.

I wasn’t able to get back to this for the last good few days, but the toolbox, and your solution, was still rolling around in my head.

 

What was giving me hesitation in advancing your idea was the additional piano hinges that I’d need for the sides, as I’m not too sure if my carpentry skills would be up to that level of complexity, especially as I’d need to make sure that none of the 3 doors open whilst in transit (the front drop-down flap and the 2 side  doors).

 

Going back to basics, one of my requirements was to be able to have a loco / coach safely within the toolbox, so that I could take everything I needed in the one place.

 

So taking your idea of the side being movable, I took your movable part of the side and, instead of hinging it, fixed it to the front flap.

122236738_ToolBoxv2.JPG.d19e25c2a13beab8b943f167bd63c7eb.JPG

What I don’t like about this is that the front now has a restricted worksurface. Yes, the sides are great for stopping things falling off but I have to reach ‘into’ it to work. This might be a hindrance.

 

Back to the drawing board.

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54 minutes ago, Damo666 said:

 

Hi SteveyDee68,

 

Thank you for your input, and great suggestion, which got me thinking.

I wasn’t able to get back to this for the last good few days, but the toolbox, and your solution, was still rolling around in my head.

 

What was giving me hesitation in advancing your idea was the additional piano hinges that I’d need for the sides, as I’m not too sure if my carpentry skills would be up to that level of complexity, especially as I’d need to make sure that none of the 3 doors open whilst in transit (the front drop-down flap and the 2 side  doors).

 

Going back to basics, one of my requirements was to be able to have a loco / coach safely within the toolbox, so that I could take everything I needed in the one place.

 

So taking your idea of the side being movable, I took your movable part of the side and, instead of hinging it, fixed it to the front flap.

122236738_ToolBoxv2.JPG.d19e25c2a13beab8b943f167bd63c7eb.JPG

What I don’t like about this is that the front now has a restricted worksurface. Yes, the sides are great for stopping things falling off but I have to reach ‘into’ it to work. This might be a hindrance.

 

Back to the drawing board.

 

Hi Damo666

 

I think my dodgy drawing skills are probably to blame, but I think you may have misunderstood what I was suggesting.

 

I proposed that the side extensions would be fixed (at a right angle) onto the hinged edge of your box door... when you open the box door, the side extension attached to the front pivots away automatically - you don't need to put hinges onto it for that to work.  If the hinge of your box door is set right on the edge of the box side, then theoretically your door should open all the way until the front side extension actually sits flat against the side panel of your box, leaving your open door facing straight towards you parallel with the front of your open box.

 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in this instance that is so true!  My father, a skilled draughtsman, would knock up elevations and a series of three dimensional sketches which would have shown clearly what I am trying to describe in less than the time taken to type this, but sadly dementia robs him of those skills.  If I can I will somehow demonstrate what I meant more clearly tomorrow!

 

Steve S

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16 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said:

 

Hi Damo666

 

I think my dodgy drawing skills are probably to blame, but I think you may have misunderstood what I was suggesting.......  If I can I will somehow demonstrate what I meant more clearly tomorrow!

 

Steve S

 

Hi Steve,

 

Not at all, your sketch was great, I fully understood your sketch, it was very clear.

 

It's perhaps my fault for writing in the early hours and not explaining myself that I took your idea and then went in another direction.

 

I've got another idea in my mind, but a little too much sitting in the sun with a bottle of cider (or 2 3) and it's probably best that I post later when my head is clearer. Sunstroke you understand.:jester:

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I knew I wasn’t totally happy with my most recent design, as I mentioned at the end of my post. (This is the part of the process I like, refining the design until it gets close to perfection, but make sure I actually do do something and not procrastinate with endless design tweaks).

 

The desire to have space for a loco / coach didn’t need to be in front, it just needed to be somewhere in the toolbox. Raising the two Hobbycraft boxes and making space under would work. It also solves the other problem I made for myself by allowing the two box doors to open without hitting the sides.

 

1118793599_ToolBoxv3.JPG.fac249a784f12810a2d2a967bafbfcd6.JPG

 

I have however lost some storage space between the two boxes and the front flap.

I also need to check that the overall unit isn’t too tall, don’t want to end up hitting the ground.

 

And then I saw @luke the train spotter’s solution and am wondering if I can scale this up. Hmmmm.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been looking at what I'll be putting into my toolbox, so that I can design it specifically for what I need.

 

Original sketch looked like this:

498470359_2020-06-0811_26_17v3.jpg.6fdfedbf1ef9eef7acde912dc4cd9f5f.jpg

 

Quick list of the smaller items include:

Paints, Brushes, Drill bits, Jewellers screwdriver set, small files, tweezers etc.

Larger items include:

Soldering Iron, Vice, a 'Second-Hand' device, Digital Calipers, and a portable LED lamp.

 

This then evolved to the 2-box idea as my OP.

1940373372_2020-06-0811_28_59v2.jpg.22be1a23b25d811062a150a1695d1c9a.jpg

 

Which identified the problem with opening the internal cupboard doors, especially as I had hoped to have some side storage to for the bigger items.

 

2020-06-08 11.29.14 v2.jpg

 

But Luke's idea of looking at an off-the-shelf solution, but I'm thinking a bit laterally, is throwing the above design off course.

 

Edited by Damo666
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Although I've spent a lot of time thinking about the design, have bought the ply to create the carcase as well as the internal storage boxes for my (intended) home-made toolbox, I've ordered one of these to see if there is any merit, either using as-is or with adaptations.

974909231_StanleyFatMax2.JPG.22afb208725646e705e76e5ea46ae85c.JPG

 

Wonder if it could be used upright, by gluing the internal yellow compartments in place and a lip to the front to stop items falling off?

1644296876_StanleyFatMax1.JPG.97ff56ff06b10c577a2e96d5f4898451.JPG

 

 

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1 hour ago, simonmcp said:

You could just remove the internal boxes doors which would solve the clashing problem and cut down a little weight. Simon

 

Thanks Simonmcp.

Indeed, but as I dislike having to root deep into containers to find tools and prefer them easily available, I was thinking about some way to have my thin files on the outer face, maybe the jewellers screwdrivers on the inside face, the paintbrushes on the other door .......

 

But as you say, if the internal box doors are causing more problems than it solves, then time to reconsider.

 

I'm not adverse to redesigning to solve a problem, I just dislike having to remake something once I've committed (a character flaw). I've recognised with myself that, if I'm not careful, then I can spend a lot of time at the design stage instead of doing (even if I do enjoy the process of designing out problems).

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On 11/06/2020 at 09:09, Damo666 said:

 

Thanks Simonmcp.

Indeed, but as I dislike having to root deep into containers to find tools and prefer them easily available, I was thinking about some way to have my thin files on the outer face, maybe the jewellers screwdrivers on the inside face, the paintbrushes on the other door .......

 

But as you say, if the internal box doors are causing more problems than it solves, then time to reconsider.

 

I'm not adverse to redesigning to solve a problem, I just dislike having to remake something once I've committed (a character flaw). I've recognised with myself that, if I'm not careful, then I can spend a lot of time at the design stage instead of doing (even if I do enjoy the process of designing out problems).

I sympathize, I am the same, I gave up on a portable workbox and bought an old bureaux which has good solid hinges and support rails that slide out as you open it. Simon

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On 10/06/2020 at 16:18, Stubby47 said:

Can you top hinge the cupboard doors ?  (or turn the boxes over ?).

 

Or fit one of these to the back instead of the two cupboards

 

I was kinda of thinking of something similar. I have a small plastic storage set in the garage and was thinking of fixing it to the front of one of the internal cupboard doors.

 

image.png.d44f5989406ed5c6e8d5331844689c36.png

 

image.png.f877d61079f3164d32ba0f514b202396.png

 

 

However........

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Stanley FatMax box Organiser mock-ups:

 

Option 1:

One possibility is to use it as intended, Organiser lying flat and use the included yellow boxes as necessary.

 

See if I could find a way to secure the files, jewellers screwdrivers, tweezers etc to the lid, so that when I open the lid these tools are easily available on the inside vertical face of the lid.

 

If I did this, I would need to find a location that would not clash with the internal yellow boxes. The whole Stanley unit is designed so that these yellow boxes fit snugly up to the lid when closed, so nothing moves around. (It would be possible to have just one single yellow box in the middle and it would stay there when the organiser is carried vertically by the handle.)

 

image.png.b765b1931aa2215bcccffea9bbeddb4e.png

 

Option 2:

Another possibility is to utilise the Organiser with the lid on the work surface and the box compartment vertical. The lid opens about 100 degrees and the ‘base’ sits nicely on the hinge end of the box.

 

In this configuration I could trim some of the yellow boxes to act as trays, hot-glued in place. Maybe make a tray for paints too. Work lamp, soldering iron and other large items loose in spaces around.

 

image.png.4afe3ec2d9350ae319d7b42cf2f073f5.png

 

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On 12/06/2020 at 20:59, Hippo said:

Have you seen the Sphere ones

I have one. Its not cheap but is very well made.

 

https://www.sphereproducts.co.uk/#!/SPHERE-Cube-Workcase/p/76171269/category=16709062

 

I hadn't, thanks. That is very similar to what I was imagining; a drop-down front with cutting mat, side doors open to provide storage space. Mine was going to be slightly larger.

 

What is the device in the middle?

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I'm a little bit happier with the Stanley storage organiser.

I made from some spare plastic a few smaller boxes to sit inside the larger ones, to help keep tools, well.... organised.

 

I'm not 100% sure how I'll use the storage boxes at this stage, but this will fall into place once I take everything out of the mess it's currently in and I see what I have. So picture below is just to start see how the compartmentation might work.


Will hold a loco / coach securely too.

 

1384919308_Box1.JPG.a9fda280303d212568ed2e69af92f377.JPG

 

1520368633_Box2.JPG.5c9c40877dccce7014fc57aef14d55b5.JPG

 

And a small file storage unit.

774220834_Box3.JPG.81d05bf5bd48d8a2727fec50032bc03e.JPG

I might see if this could be held to the lid by magnets

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