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When Lee Valley tools brought out their "Toolbox Ends" kit,
I thought to myself, "that's an interesting product", and a quick and
almost foolproof way to make a toolbox, so I grabbed some and decided to
make one... Toolbox Ends
When you buy the kit, which retails for US$12.30, you receive the two
red metal toolbox ends, constructed of 20 gauge steel with a powder coat
finish for durability. You also receive all the screws to assemble the
toolbox, as well as four rubber feet to attach the bottom so you don't
scratch up everything in sight!
You need to supply the wood. You can use virtually any
type you like from softwood to hardwood to sheet goods like plywood. 3/4"
material is required though as the supplied screws are sized for that
thickness material. I chose to use pine. It is cheap, strong enough and
not overly heavy.
You can make the toolbox as long as you like, but the
width and height are fixed due to the metal ends. This is no problem. The
resulting toolbox is a handy size. Not too big, not too small. Internal
storage space measures 6 1/2" deep by 7 1/4" wide.
Milling the material is easy. Just rip three 3/4" thick
pieces to 7 1/4" wide for the sides and bottom, and one piece 2 1/2" wide
for the handle. Again, the lengths can be whatever you desire, but LV
recommend not exceeding 32" or more. I made my toolbox 24 inches long, and
cut the sides, bottom and handle pieces all to that length. I left the
bottom piece with square sides. I rounded off the tops of the side pieces
so I wouldn't be tearing myself up each time I went to grab a tool out of
the box, or put one back in. It's up to you whether you do this or not,
but I highly recommend you do! The handle requires a cutout for your hand
to grab as well as two 45 degree cuts on the ends for the metal tab of the
side pieces to fit over and secure to. After cutting the handle relief
with my scroll saw, I rounded over all edges of the handle for comfort,
except for the end surfaces where the metal ends meet with the handle. I
left these square for a flush fit of the metal end (important).
Once you have all the wood milled, which took me about
an hour from boards (i.e. ripping, cutting to length, rounding over edges
etc) you are ready to assemble. This is the easy part! Simply assemble the
sides and bottom between the two metal ends. I used a couple clamps here
to hold everything in place and in the right location while I drilled all
the pilot holes for the screws. Since both the metal ends are already
tapped for the screws, you don't even have to use your grey matter much!
Just drill a pilot hole wherever you see a hole in the toolbox ends. I
drilled and screwed the two sides first, then the base. While securing the
base you can secure the rubber feet as well. There are 4 special screws in
the kit for the feet, so be sure to separate those in the beginning.
Again, the location for these feet are all pre-determined for you. Once
the sides and bottom were secure, I inserted the handle at the top between
the metal ends. I used a long clamp again just to hold things in place
while I drove the first screws in each side. There are 2 screws that go
into the sides, and one through the 45 degree face cut earlier.
Once these are secured, guess what? You are done! That's
how easy it is. Now, if you want to apply a finish to your toolbox, do
this before you assemble it. If you plan to make a long toolbox that will
carry heavy items, you may want to add additional screws through the side
pieces into the base along the length for extra strength. Also, for longer
toolboxes, I'd recommend a slightly smaller relief cut in the handle, so
you are left with a bit more wood to grasp onto. This will be a bit
stronger if carrying heavier loads. Or you could come up with any handle
grip design you like really, All you need to have is the 45 degree cuts on
the topside at each end. The rest is up to you.
Full instructions are provided for sizing and making the
wooden pieces to use for the toolbox, and for assembling everything. These
instructions are clear and to the point. But, the whole project is very
simple and really quick, and the final product is strong, functional, and
even looks pretty good to boot. These would make a great, quick-build gift
idea for another woodworker, tradesman, DIYer, or anyone who you think
might need a toolbox. In fact, for the next box I make with these ends,
I'm even going to rout the recipient's name into the side panels.
Conclusion
For US$12.30, plus perhaps $10 in wood (if you don't already have a few
boards lying around), the Lee Valley toolbox ends make an affordable and
solid toolbox for the money, plus its good fun to build too. How can you
fault the idea or the product? I can't...
Well, here's my new toolbox! Looks alright doesn't it!
Since there is no glue to worry about, I could even disassemble it and put
a finish on the wood if I wanted to , or just do this before assembly.
This was a great Saturday afternoon project, plus I got something out of
it that I will use almost every other day.
Available from:
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Lee Valley Toolbox Ends Photos
All photos copyright onlinetoolreviews.com. Use without prior
written permission prohibited
The four pieces of wood needed to make the toolbox, cut to size, milled
and ready to go.
Assembling the toolbox ends...
With a clamp on just to keep things in place, I'm pre-drilling for the
screws...
Securing the base with screws.
Attaching the rubber feet... Just about done!
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