Alex's budget off road tool box build- wheelybox 2000 finished!

[yoeddynz]

For ages I have wanted a small tool bench with decent wheels I could wheel across our rocky yard for working on cars/trucks/tractors outside. Its always been on the back of my mind to build but I never got around to it. Earlier this year a retired friend gave us a load of old tools and workshop stuff including his old tool cabinet. It was pretty beat up and had tiny little wheels but the drawers work really well. So now I had a base to start with. NZ made. Guessing its 80's going by the font on the sticker.

NZ made wheels too...

I started with the build by hacking it apart...

Luckily the drawers bit I wanted was self contained..

I had kept a section of old stainless steel bench top left over from some project I cant remember. It was missing one end but I had a plan and it was always going to be used for my ideal toolbox design..

I cleaned it all up, removed all the tar like glue that was on the underside and cut, bent and welded up the other end to match. I also welded up a drain hole it had..

I ripped down some eucalypt timber and cut it into an angle profile then used it to edge the stainless, now glued onto a sheet of ply.

So with the top sorted I started on a frame. I needed some wheels and I had just the ticket. I have had these two wheels stashed away from when I did my apprenticeship back in the mid 90s. I was building a scooter that used a weedeater motor but never finished it. I had thrown away the rest but kept these new wheels. I still had the bearings they came with too.

I machined the ends of some thick pipe to suit and made an axle...

I bought some 100mm castor wheels with locks for the back from Mitre 10.

Now a frame to mount them on. I rummaged through the steel rack and found suitable stuff to use...

The drawers sit in place like such...

I removed the handles and Hannah cleaned the drawers up so I could lob some paint at them..

Now I could start cladding it in plywood, using stuff left over from the mezzanine build.

I had a pair of 500mm drawer runners from Bunnings left over from the kitchen build. Handy for a large drawer below the others..

Folded up a bit of sheet steel for the front...

Made some stainless handles to match the others...

And this is where I am up to so far...

My next thing to sort out is the slide up section that all my spanners will go on. Then some handles, and finish the top cover that will be hinged so it can open out doubling the top area and exposing the stainless tray.

We've already had some fun today going to Bunnings and Mitre10 selecting a few tools to add, the idea being I can almost clear the work bench area fully of car related tools.

Itching to get back into finishing this now

[deankdx]

good idea!
will you add some kind of hinged locking bar to the side to prevent drawers sliding out and tip over if it goes over some wonky ground? (filing cabinets are experts at this trick, dangerous too)

[yoeddynz]

Fuck it looks like that stingrays lucky day. Could have been worse!

Yeah I really should do something eh. There is the remaining locking bits on the back of the drawers but the rest of the mech wasn't there so I will have to see if I can make something that uses them.

Failing that I could just have a couple of loops/rings, one top and one bottom and drop a length of wooden dowl down through them. Or even just a rubber strap or bungy cord.

[DB8-TypeR]

A hinged flat bar that closes across the front of the draws then can be unlatched and swung out of the way to allow draws to open could also work. 

Easy to leave out of the way when toolbox is in the workshop and it isnt required too

[tortron]

Got any horsey girls around? Go get a couple of old girth straps and make like an old time bonnet

 

Plus you get to use the word girth in a conversation 

[GMH63]

I have that exact same toolbox in me garage if ya want to make a matching one. 

[yoeddynz]

Haha- I could make a train!

Ones enough for now though cheers. I'm already doing a decent enough job at not doing required work on the imp project!

[cubastreet]

Looks good. Now in the spirit of the original scooter project, why not put an electric motor, servo and r/c gear in it?

[yoeddynz]

There is room below that last drawer for a battery etc... 

[yoeddynz]

Well I got back into this and finally finished building the box and have now filled it with tools. Very happy with the finished product.

Continuing on from my first post I added a few more bits. First off was a lid that covered the stainless tray. This was 18mm plywood left over from the shed build. I hinged it off from one side and made a swing out support to hold it up when its opened.

Then I build a lift up section along the back to hang spanners and screwdrivers off.  I added a lid to this bit.  I ripped down some bits of eucalypt timber left over from the coffee cart we recently built for a customer ( that's another thing I must put some pics up of because it was a cool project!) These bits of timber were then profiled into corner cappings. With them attached Hannah then oiled it all and varnished the flip back lid.

I made some handles. One main one for shifting it about the workshop and then a swing up one with more leverage that is for moving it offroad.

I found a little handle we have had for yonks. Ideal for the lift up section...

Finally a little box on the side for a few often used cans- wd40, spraygrease, zinc it black etc.

I took no photos of all this because I was just absorbed with the build.  Now complete I filled it with all the tools I use on car jobs etc. This was super fun because it meant I could shuffle loads of stuff about and off the walls. I could also move my old toolbox that took plenty of useful 'Flat six' sized space and put it under the bench. The bench area became a bomb site with stuff all over the place as I did a workshop bench spring clean.  Got rid of lots of crap and re-organised a load of stuff into new trays I'd bought from Bunnings.

This satisfies me no end.

Anyway- back to the toolbox. Which now has a very catchy name. The 'Wheelybox 2000'

pics. Closed up and ready to move...

and opened up  (a pic sort of like a toolbox equivalent of 80's Lambo poster with all the doors/boot/engine covers open)..

In action...

on the move..

detail shots... ( should have done a narrow depth of field shot of the cans through an open window...)

the tray..

and for your amusement - this is what happens when I do a spring clean...

So happy with it. It going to be a bloody useful asset to the business and save a lot of walking back and forth to the bench, especially when doing jobs on cars, trucks and tractors etc outside. Should have done it ages ago!

My next plans for the bench area are to paint the plywood walls a bright colour and probably add a window over the bench - especially as we have chopped down loads of trees and we would now be able to watch the sunset through it as I tinker with Goldwing engines.

I'll update the bushblock thread with that sort of workshop tinkering though.

Better get back onto the Micras and the Imp 911 first eh....

[deankdx]

that's wheely good! 

have you got a pic of how you made that "lift up section"  

spray can lid is a nice touch to keep the dust and spiders out also

[yoeddynz]

Cheers. I'll get some photos later- its very simple.