PDA

View Full Version : Wooden tool box.



Joe Hillmann
03-21-2013, 11:13 AM
Here is a wooden tool box that has been over a year in the making from the original prototype to a box I can make quick enough to sell at an affordable price.

This one had a couple imperfections so I cannibalized knobs off it to put on a box that I sold so just imagine it has nice porcelain knobs on it. If I were selling it I would also put a ribbon that prevents the top from opening too far and breaking the wooden hinges.

It is probably the most looked at piece in my store. Nearly everyone who comes in looks at it.

This one has quite a few imperfections in it. I beveled the wrong end of the bottom left drawer, in a couple spots glue got where it shouldn't (most of that was able to be sanded out), and I tried using a magic eraser rather than sanding which in some spots just drove the smoke farther into the wood.

257813257814257815257816257817257818

Martin Boekers
03-21-2013, 11:26 AM
Nice work Joe!

The Magic Eraser should have the wood sealed so it won't go into the wood.

This is a really nice project, I like to see folks figure out the challenges to make thinks work!

Paul Phillips
03-21-2013, 11:35 AM
Joe, that's some nice work, good job. The only thing that would make me want it more is if it was bigger! I can't really tell from the pictures but did you use MDF or plywood?
Paul

Mike Null
03-21-2013, 11:40 AM
Very nice work Joe. Where you gonna use the ketchup?:confused:

Joe Hillmann
03-21-2013, 11:43 AM
It is veneer over mdf. This one is maple so it has a very blond look. I also have some hickory that looks like zebra stripes, all of the drawer fronts are cut from the position they sit when the drawers are assembled. That way when it is all put together the grain of the wood goes uninterrupted from the back, to the lid, to the front. On this one it isn't a noticeable but on ones with more grain if the drawers have grain from a different area of the same veneer it really stands out and doesn't look right.

I also did a bit of sanding after it was put together which caused some of brown on the ends of the tabs to become a lighter brown. I now finish them first and cover them with transfer tape before putting them in the laser. That way I have no smoke damage and don't have to do any sanding when it is done.

Walt Langhans
03-21-2013, 12:09 PM
Looking good! How did the sale of the erector sets go?

Joe Hillmann
03-21-2013, 12:17 PM
Very nice work Joe. Where you gonna use the ketchup?:confused:

I had brats for lunch yesterday. The funny thing is I pushed that out of the way because I knew if it was in the pictures someone would comment on it. Guess I didn't push it far enough.

Joe Hillmann
03-21-2013, 12:18 PM
Looking good! How did the sale of the erector sets go?

Still haven't competently finished the instructions for them yet so haven't offered them yet.

Walt Langhans
03-21-2013, 12:34 PM
Still haven't competently finished the instructions for them yet so haven't offered them yet.

Slacker! No new projects until the old ones are done :p

Gary Hair
03-21-2013, 12:39 PM
I had brats for lunch yesterday. The funny thing is I pushed that out of the way because I knew if it was in the pictures someone would comment on it. Guess I didn't push it far enough.

ketchup on brats??? That's heresy, brats only get mustard and sauerkraut...

Joe Hillmann
03-21-2013, 1:17 PM
Slacker! No new projects until the old ones are done :p

Then it looks like it will be a few years before I start anything new.

Steve Busey
03-21-2013, 1:53 PM
Great job, Joe! You say you store bratwursts in those drawers?!? :confused:

Scott Woodson
03-24-2013, 12:28 PM
Joe,

Can you explain to me how you glued your joints? I've done a few projects with BoxIT and the only problem I'm having is getting the joints to hold together. I've used both Titebond and also thick CA, but still have a lot of separation.

Scott

Joe Hillmann
03-25-2013, 10:10 AM
I use M5T from mercury adhesives, it is sold in hobby shops. On joints that aren't a perfect fit I also use insta-set which is an accelerator that drys the glue instantly.

The glue is thin like water so if the joint is tight it will get sucked in through capillary action. If anything is touching the joint (inside or outside) the same capillary action will suck glue in there too. Usually it is my thumb that is on the backside that gets glued to the box, which is a pain in the ---. On top of that where my finger was glued to the box is now an ugly glue mark.

To solve those problems I made a jig.
It is a cut out about .010 smaller than the box with cut outs in the corners.
258128
To use it I dry assemble the box then slip the jig over the box and make sure no part of the jig is within 1/8" of a joint I plan to glue. If you notice the corner cut outs prevent the glue from being sucked away from the corner joints.
258129

The jig prevents glue from messing up the faces of the box, it keeps the box square, and it keeps the box nice and tight. And most importantly it speeds up how fast you can put a box together.

When I was putting the drawers together without the jig the were taking about 10 to 15 minutes each. With the jig they were taking 1 or 2 minutes each. Although it may not speed you up quite as much. On this for the drawers to fit I only had about .008 of room between the drawers and the slides inside the box so a lot of that 10-15 minutes was making sure there was no gap in any of the joints.


For taller boxes you can use more than one jig per box.

For boxes that are completely closed I glue the first five sides together with M5T and the last side I glue on with a thicker super glue.

I now prefinish all the parts with sanding sealer, if any glue leaks onto it once it dries it disappears.

I realize this post is a bit of a mess but hopefully it helps you out. If anything isn't clear, ask.

Edit: I forgot to tell you I put the M5T into a syringe that way I can put as little or as much as I want exactly where I want it. (anything thicker than the M5T won't work in a syringe)

Scott Woodson
03-27-2013, 8:42 PM
[QUOTE=Joe Hillmann;2087003]I use M5T from mercury adhesives, it is sold in hobby shops. On joints that aren't a perfect fit I also use insta-set which is an accelerator that drys the glue instantly. [QUOTE]

Joe,

Thanks, I'll have to make a pair and give it a try. I've glued more than my share of fingers to boxes as well :-)

Scott