Moving crates converted to shop cabinets?

[Todd Burch]

I'm preparing to move to the country. I have a ton of hand tools and shop stuff to pack up and move. Last time I moved my shop, it took 5 loads in a 26' box truck. This time, I have more stuff.

I'm thinking about building some type of tool chest or box (4 to 6 of them) that could hold a lot of smalls. However, I wouldn't have a real need for them in the new shop, but if I could convert them into a shop fixture, then the effort might be worth it.

What I'm thinking, conceptually, is making, perhaps, 6 boxes like this: (shown 36" long, 24" deep and 24" high)

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and then in the new shop, stacking them (permanently-ish) into something like this, and then wrap a face frame and doors/drawers to it.

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Anyone ever done something like this?

[Sam Murdoch]

Anyone ever done something like this?

No, but it sounds like a GREAT IDEA. Make sure you scale your boxes to fit in a designated space. It would be a shame to be long a 1/2" or short 8" :rolleyes:

[frank shic]

that's a brilliant thought!

[Bill ThompsonNM]

But watch out that you don't end up with boxes so heavy when loaded they're impossible to move. A hernia might really cut into your shop time!

[Jamie Buxton]

Reminds me of a long time ago when I was a student, and lived in a new place nearly every year. Wood boxes for moving or storage doubled as bookcases or phonograph-record shelving.

[frank shic]

man i wish i had discovered woodworking earlier back when i actually had an enormous time to blow as a college student but then i was too poor to be able to afford anything beyond tuition!

[HANK METZ]

That is indeed "thinking outside the box", to use a hackneyed phrase.

- Beachside Hank
The use of nails in fine furniture is to be abhorred- drywall screws are preferred.

[Randy Reitz]

Isn't this the basic idea behind the traditional Barrister Bookcases? Protect them while moving, then just stack and use.

There was a version of this in one of the "Popular ___" magazines a while back. Nothing groundbreaking or that improves on your basic sketch.

I wish I had taken the time to do this before my recent move. I've still got boxes of stuff to put away sitting in the way of where I want to put it.

[Eric DeSilva]

Not that it helps, but it does remind me of a story. My family lived in Japan for a year back in '68. When it came time to move back to the states, my dad wanted to ship a wooden crate by boat, but quickly found that buying wood in Japan was a pretty expensive endeavor. He ended up building the crate, but doing it in a way that the wood could be recovered on the far side and reused. He used parts of that crate for years.

[glenn bradley]

I think that is a great idea. You will know the construction is solid (unlike re-used commercial stuff) and can "tune" your dimensions for their eventual use without effecting their initial use. Kudos, oh smart one!

[Pat Barry]

A box that big will hold a ton of stuff. And someone will have to carry them. I think go with small cardboard boxes. That way they are manageable for moving. Spend your time on storage cabinets once the move is complete.

[Richard Wagner]

This sounds like a great and economical approach; however, I have one question. What sort of corner joints would you consider using? It sounds as though these boxes will be packed full of heavy items typically found in a shop. Structure will have to be very sturdy to be worth the effort.

[Todd Burch]

I'm trying to get away from cardboard boxes. Too many silverfish.

Corners would be box joints - 3/4". Solid pine, with tongue and groove bottoms - probably 1/2 to 5/8 pine. Not sure of the lids yet - I might just nail some boards across the narrow dimension. Yes, they would be heavy, but I have dollys.

[Dan Hulbert]

I've done this each time I've moved. I'd build the boxes out of whatever I had laying around, put some casters on the bottom to make them portable, and add tills to handle what I wanted to protect. Now have three nice rolling tool chests. They get labled "packed by owner", but the movers have appreciated the large handles I put on them and the casters. No problems in three intersate moves. For my last move, the movers built a crate for my grandfather clock. Once unloaded, I kept the crate, added some shelves and drawers and bolted it to the wall of my shop. Certainly not furniture grade, but my tools seem happy.

[frank shic]

todd, i'd just use plywood and butt screw joints for joinery if you're short on time. gluing up all that pine and then doing box joints would take a while...

[Prashun Patel]

If it were me, I'd make the joints locking rabbets. Fast and strong once you get the set up.
For the bottoms, I'd use 1/2" or 3/4" plywood with a rabbeted tongue panel that floats in slots in the sides. If you need more strength for the move, you can temporarily nail additional cleats on the bottom.