here is a picture of my old customizing tool boxes,


here is a picture of my new cutsomizing tool box.


frickin' sweet.

now, if i could just figure out some way to keep the drawers from sliding out when i'm hauling it around...

how about you guys? what do you use?

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Sweet! Felt lined drawers and wood construction looks like an old machinist's tool chest. (I'm a machinist, I know stuff like that) I currently have my tools and paints in a stainless steel mechanic's box I got from Big Lots. Its pretty sweet with ball bearing drawers and all.

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Mebbe just a rubber band around the knobs?

You starting on your Joe room anytime soon?

Howabout a bungee cord or two wrapped around the toolbox from top to bottom, with the ends hooked together?

that's an easy enough idea to start with!


i think the joe room is getting pushed off to 2009...

although i think the sorting will happen before that -- you up for that?

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and here she is, all full up!

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I really like the box, I may need to pick up something similar soon. I have been using a large Black and Decker tool box for awhile now and I'm to the point where I'm just about out of room now. Heres pics of what mine looks like
All my paints, brushes and misc. junk in the bottom half


Right side has all my Dremel bits and Left side holds all my Figure Screws, T-hooks and O-rings.

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My Grandfather made my Father a chest with multiple drawers and a lid hinged top. I seem to recall open the top and inserting small metal rods into these holes that somehow secured all the drawers from opening...

Looking at the new box I see several options for securing the drawers.

1) The bungie cord method already mentioned. The problem with that is if you let go off the cord ends you could injure yourself or scratch the box itself.

2) Rubber bands mentioned already. They could break or even worse could break and cause you to lose the entire drawer.

3) A bracket. If you are willing too, I would suggest finding a piece of bendable metal and making a piece to secure all the drawers. Using your dremel, I would cut a notch someplace near the middle under the bottom drawer. One end of the bar would be bent to fit in that notch and then could go up the front and be secured by the overhead lid (think a crowbar caught under the bottom drawer and secured at the top).

4) Pivot catches. Using small but strong pieces of metal I would drill a hole into the sides of the box itself. Then screw the pieces of metal into the hole. When you want to secure the drawers you simply turn the pieces (like advancing the hands of a clock from the 12 to the 3 and 9 positions). I don't think the wood is thick enough for this method though.

5) Thumbtacks. Not the flat head ones but the pushpin ones. Simply place the tacks into the sides parallel to the drawers and push in. I don't think the sides stick out past the drawers to do this.

My only other idea would be to carefully take out the bottom drawer and glue thin fabric straps on both sides of middle. Then put the drawer back in. Figure out where the point of the fabric strap when pulled taunt will fit over the edge where the top lid comes down. Make a knot or some other type of mechanism to keep the strap from getting loose (like a snap button right inside the box). When the bottom drawer shuts then pull the straps tight and place in the lid. Since you are securing the lid with the locking features the straps would keep the drawers from sliding out, depending on how taunt it was.

I suppose the straps could be secured on the bottom of the box itself to prevent the tightness of the straps from pulling the drawers up and breaking their runners...

...or use velcro straps in some way to do this...

...or even small straps around the sides and fastening on the front...

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How about a leather wrap strap, like the kind kids used to wrap their books with.

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Could just use an old belt. Or a canvas storage strap.

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the biggest problem with wraps, straps & bungees is that this thing isn't exactly light anymore...
and those are pretty much two-hand operations -- although the belt/strap idea may work, as
i put some non-skid feet on the bottom of the box, and it raised it a little (i was afraid the corner caps
were going to scratch my table, etc.)

however, this is the most intriguing:



That is a superb idea! -- i think what i'll do is
1. find a sturdy rod -- possibly a threaded rod, that would be long enough to go from inside the hinged top through the bottom drawer
2. mark and drill a hole through the top (one of the rear corners), push the rod through to the 1st drawer, drill hole through 1st drawer..
3. rinse and repeat for all four drawers
4. drop the rod in place before closing lid!

Sweet! Thanks DJ, or should I say DJ's Grandpa!

Sometimes the old ways are still the best ways!

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I use a box similiar to JM70's...felt drawers, awesome construction, etc. I think it was around $200 at Lowes a coupla years ago.

Stores all my tools that I use not so commonly. All the common used stuff stays on the desk.

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Man I use a dufflebag to carry my WIP on one end are my paints and the other end are my tools. Very Crude. You might want to thnik about an adustable belt, one that matches your box. It would look neat and give the box a clean appearance.

Sweet box though.

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Magnets, depending on how much spac is left at the draw, you could get thoose thin strip magnets, and glue them to both the draw and the back of the box, should hold them im pretty well. do a test first with two peice of wood to see how much magnet you would, need before it gets too hard to open.

I'd think the easiest to install would just be child safety latches. They're made to keep kids from opening up knife drawers and clenaing supply cupboards. My sister has some at her house that allow the drawer to open just enough so you can reach in and unlatch the safety. That would work for your pruposes.

As for my set up. I started out with those clear plastic drawers but I was taking out stuff so much I ended up just leaving most of it out on my work table. All my brushes are in a cup my brother made. Scissors, files, screw drivers, x-acto, clamps, sculpting tools, and sharpies are in another pen cup. All the glues are lined up along the back. Dremel bits in the plastic case my first set came in. O-rings, screws, and t-hooks in figure cases I got from The Mike. Fabric, spray paints, wires, and styrene all in a storage bin under the table.

As for those clear bins I started using them for fodder, random 1/18 scale figures, and vehicle fodder.

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