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My Great Grandpa's Toolbox

My Great Grandpa\
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Every summer we would go over to my Great Grandpa's house out on his ranch and see what cool things he had. Unfortunetly he passed away in August of 2010. He had all these awesome compasses, hammers and all sorts of old tools that were fun to look at. We would really all just take a second and think, " Holy cow, tools have changed so much from 1890's to now". Actually just last week my cruddy cardboard toolbox (not really a toolbox) fell apart and I thought about building another one and, ta da, I was inspired to build an old-fashion toolbox in dedication to my Great Grandpa.

Warning: Tools are dangerous and don't forget to wear safety equipment.

 
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Step 1Get your design together

Get your design together
I'm pretty sure you can't build this without a design first so this step is the most important of all. You may need more height, width or length than me but you can follow my design if you'd like. This includes an optional set in tray that fits on a notch on the inside of the toolbox. Here is my design. Oh, and here are the measurements:

Base:
Length = 30 in
Width   =  11 1/4 in

Long Side:
Length = 30 in
Width = 8 in

Short Side:
Tallest height = 15 in
Smaller height = 11 1/4 in
Width = 11 1/4 in

Set in tray:
Length = 29 7/8''
Width = 9 3/8''
Height = 2 1/2''
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83 comments
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Nov 8, 2011. 3:22 AMaverage joe 1999 says:
5.0
Oct 30, 2011. 6:50 PMtwhitfield says:
Forgot to mention in my last comment that my box got extremely heavy as I kept adding tools. I ended up using a piece of seatbelt from a junk car to make a shoulder strap. It ruins the "old" look but makes it much more comfortable. I also added two strips of rubber from a floor mat to the bottom...one at each end....screwed into the sides so the box sat on the rubber strips. I took mine into customers houses and this way I could set it on hardwood floors or counters without worry of scratching anything....plus it didn't slide around in my truck as much!
Oct 30, 2011. 7:39 PMtwhitfield says:
yeah...I carried mine with just the handle for a while but I found it was more a matter of being off balance than too heavy. All the weight in one hand and on one side. Give it a try! It's easy to do and if you don't like it it's easy to undo.
Oct 30, 2011. 6:44 PMtwhitfield says:
A suggestion for a different handle...I made a box similar to this years ago and my grandfather suggested a 2' pipe clamp for the handle. My box was sized to fit a two foot level. The pipe clamp was sturdy and always there. Didn't need it often but there were times when I was glad I had it!
Sep 9, 2011. 5:18 AMsunshiine says:
I remember the contest. I though you had won 1st prize on this?
Jul 24, 2011. 3:01 PMChumlee says:
love it, gonna make it with my grandad :)
Aug 9, 2011. 5:46 AMChumlee says:
making it today, the only thing is how thick wood like deph ?? an is it heavy??
its much bigger than i expected !! :D
Aug 13, 2011. 6:22 AMChumlee says:
thatss all right mate, ive made it an it looks great.... i did make mine abit smaller tho an i did the handle slightly different (i ran out of wood, lol ) really good project tho an i enjoyed making it :)
Aug 22, 2011. 10:40 AMChumlee says:
certainly... mine was made on the cheap and havnt got round to varnishing it yet!!
Jun 28, 2011. 9:05 AMTupulov says:
Well illustrated with complete measurements. WELL DONE!
Feb 10, 2011. 10:35 AMunaffiliatedperson says:
good looking. i thought the picture was an oldie tool box that u were gonna restore and ruin.
Feb 8, 2011. 7:44 AMGrand-Pa says:
Great job, nice looking box.Just a word from the wise. "P P E"
I noticed in a couple of pics the lack of personal protective equipment.
For instance concrete, bare feet and power tools don't mix well. If your tool would have had a short in it you just might have been joining your great grandpa.
I also noticed the guard was missing on your table saw. Saws do not know the difference between a piece of wood and your fingers. (BTW I am guilty of that one my self). My Dad had a chunk of his thumb chewed out by a saw once.
I couldn't see if you had safety glasses or hearing protection on so I'll trust you on that one. Just remember "SAFETY FIRST"!!
Still like your box though :)
Feb 7, 2011. 12:25 PMcdawisconsin says:
Great job. Love the classic look.
Feb 6, 2011. 10:15 PMRDProgrammer says:
The only thing I'd say is that rather than using a bit of scrap for the end caps for the dowel, you could put a hole through the dowel pre-insertion and then run a screw down through the end piece and into that hole. That would keep it in place AND stop it from rotating.

RDP
Feb 6, 2011. 7:08 PMtbcross says:
really cool my pa had some like this and I love them thanks for the pattern, I think there may be some of these under the christmas tree next year!!
Feb 6, 2011. 2:45 PMCreativeman says:
Just saw your 'ible....front page, no less! Great instructable, and nice to remember your grandfather. Reminded me of the box I made 25 years ago, but which received little use...had a few jobs then where I needed it. So I dusted it off, took pictures and it's pretty similar, wouldn't you say? I like your finish much better, and I have built in storage for tri-square, pencils, drill bits, saws, and hand screw driver. For the handle, I used a piece of hardwood cut to about 1.25 inches square.
Feb 2, 2011. 7:29 PMTechgirl-52 says:
Sweet Toolbox! It looks very impressive! I'm glad it's a featured Instructable! :D
And the dedication to your Great Grandfather? Totally cool!
Jan 22, 2011. 5:21 PMglorybe says:
That box looks nice and sturdy as well.
If you want something even a bit more antique you might build another, very similar box called a walking tool box. The edge of one side is curved in such a way that the upper leg and hip don't rub against the box when you walk. The long tools, such as hand saws will flex enough to fit in the box.
Jan 12, 2011. 12:20 PMGEESE GIRL says:
dr.pepper1234 are you on
Jan 10, 2011. 11:41 AMGEESE GIRL says:
hi dr.pepper1234 it is me geese girl are you on
Dec 18, 2010. 11:30 AMHALOPLAYER101 says:
That`s AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
Dec 9, 2010. 11:07 AMe3d3jg34 says:
Beautiful toolbox. Great job!
1-40 of 83next »

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Author:Dr. Pepper
I'm a young inventor and entrepreneur. I build stuff and make art when I have spare time but my main priority is to do good in school. If you like me subscribe!