Introduction: Building Simple Quick Metal Box

I MADE IT AT TECH SHOP. I will be building a 22 gauge steel box that measures 11 inches wide by 20 inches in length. it will require metal, shears, finger bender, and mig/spot welder. it will have corner inserts that will be welded in to keep the box together.

Step 1: Cutting the Panels

so this particular box is 11 by 20 box and made out of 20 gauge steel. since it is a mild gauge steel I can cut it with shears to make a straight edge cut because everything here needs to be relatively square. so we are going to have 2 long side panels and 2 short side panels. the base is going to be a 11 by 20 cut. also cut out little corner joints which are optional. we cut out 2 long joints 2 small joints and 4 corner joints.

Step 2: Bending the Corners and Hole Punching Corners

this step is completely optional as this step is for bending the joint pieces. in this case I am bending each one to a tight 90 degree angle with the hard brown coat facing in and the white coating facing out. then punch holes in both sides on the bend on all joints. I think mine are like 3/16 holes they were just a little big so maybe a little smaller than that.

Step 3: Welding in Joints

now we are going to first start by welding the joints onto the longer sides of the box as well as the 2 long and 2 short joints to the base of the box.

Step 4: Prep for Welding It Together

here we are going to do a few things to prep for welding. first I took a orbital sander and sanded off a U on the smaller corners that have yet to be welded yet in order to get a better weld in through were I punched the holes.

Step 5: Welding It All Together

now we are going to weld all sides onto the joints that are on the base of the box as well as on the longer sides. you do not need to stay there to long with the mig because this is only like 22 gauge sheet metal. next you are going to make sure that each side is as square as possible and weld them together. remember this is thin sheet metal and a lot of heat so spread out your welds to avoid a lot of warping but it will warp some anyways so it won't be perfect.

Step 6: Conclusion

now this is the most important step. what did we learn and what could we have done differently to improve. so I think I should have cleaned my welding surface more because that anodized surface is really nasty to inhale even if you do have a exhaust hood over the entire thing and can cause some really bad welds. now I did learn some extra tricks with the shears and finger break that I can use on my next project. now I am going to use this box as a interchangeable inner liner of a tool box. so next instructable I am going to be building a outer frame and handle to hold this inner box. overall great project with some scrap metal.