Introduction: Paintball Pod Quick Loader Tool Box Attachment.
I play for the scenario paintball team Pub Crawling. We have more than 20 members on the team and over the years we have come up with ideas that keep the staging area better organized. This instructable is for a smaller more portable variation to the one I wrote up here: Paintball Pod Quick Loader Mobile Station. We have a few ideas and this instructable is for the second version. I will write up a the others also as instructables if they seem like possible solutions.
A pod is the plastic tube paintball players use to carry extra paint onto the field. Pods range in size from being able to hold 50 to 150 paintballs. When you have 20 players each carrying 6 pods of paint on the field you need a way to keep them loaded up with paint and on the field.
Requirements for the station would have to be: stable base for loading paint, light as possible for travel, convenient for loading paint and work with the tool box we currently keep the pods in. We use the Stanley® Mobile Tool Chest. You can pick one up at a local hardware stores. This version of the pod loader is more stable from a tipping point compared to the first, but my worry with this one is that if you move the toolbox. If you slide the tool box it could collapse the stand or at least tip it.
The stand works with an AJP Paintball Pod Loader.
You can find out more about the paintball team Pub Crawling at www.PubCrawling.Org .
Materials List for the stand
(2) 2 foot x 4 foot sheets of 1/2 inch plywood. (was more expensive but easier to bring home in the GTI)
(1) 30 inch brass Hinge (screws came with it)
(5) Brass brackets. (screws came with it) home depot called them Schlage 1/2 in. x 1-5/8 in. Solid Brass Bracket
Step 1: Main Board
For the long board that goes next to the tool box and all the way to the ground.
You will need to cut that 32 inches x 21 3/4 inches. With the top Cut done on a 45 degree angle.
Once you have that. You will need to cut on the long 32 inch edges. ( 2) notches that will fit into the handle. Come down from the top 12 1/2 inches and then cut the width to 19 inches wide.
Step 2: Top Board and Pod Loader Piece
For the top board you want it to be 21 3/4 Long and you want to make it 9 1/2 inches wide.
The two edges on the 9 1/2 inch side that get attached to the other board you will need to cut them both on a 45 degree angle.
(see pics)
The side that attaches to the long board, the hinge goes on the inside of the (2) 45 degree cuts. The side that attaches to the short board the hinge goes on the outside. You put the hinges this way so the whole thing will fold flat.
Attaching the Loader the top.
I took a sheet of scrap paper and placed it on the bottom of the pod load. I then took my finger and ran it over the edge of the lip where the pods slide against. Much like of you were doing a rubbing of a coin which crayon or chalk. You want the imprint of the edge of the lip on the paper so you can have a pretty close pattern to cut out. See pic. Cut the paper out following the edges of the imprint of the lip. Then trace that pattern on the front edge of the top board and cut that piece out. I used a scroll saw but you could use a coping saw or other fine bladed saw for this step.
Next you will need to bend the L shaped Brackets to hold the pod loader base to the top board. I put the bracket up to the base. Made a line where the top was. Then I put the bracket into the bench vice and bent the bracket down with my hand. I put a nice finishing bend on the bracket with a hammer. See Pics.
Step 3: Short Side Board
for the last piece and the short side, You want to cut this one 21 3/4 inches X 15 inches long. You want to measure down 13 inches for the notch that hangs on the handle. The notched piece will be 16 1/2 inches wide. ( you might notice this is smaller than the 19 inches wide that the long board is, this is due to the curve of the front of the handle). See pics.
Step 4: Assembly
Cut the 30 inch hinge into (2) 15 inch pieces.
Take (1) hinge and attach the long board to the top board. This hinge goes on the inside corner.
You'll want to pre-drill all the screw holes.
For the second hinge you will attach the top board to the short side board. The hinge goes on the outside corner.
Attach the pod loader base to the top board by sliding the base into the cut out and attaching the brackets.
Step 5: Quick Clamp Mod
I noticed in testing that if you pulled the toolbox backwards there was a tendency for the pod loader to tip. Wasn't enough to spill or tip over but it bugged me enough to add holes for clamps.
I measured 10 1/2 inches up from the bottom of the long board and used a 2 inch hole saw attached to the drill to make the bottom hole. Then I moved the center of the hole saw up just so the center drill bit would be in the wood. This makes an opening that I was able to put a clamp through. You can see in the pics I made sure I could use the c clamp that comes with the pod loader Or a quick grip clamp.
By clamping the pod loader stand to the tool box it made it much more rigid and now It definitely won't tip if the tool box is moved.
