Adam Savage Toolbox Box 1 finished, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

Jccarlton

Member
After that late night posting in the wrong place, here we go again. Though making an Adam Savage toolbox out of cardstock does have it's appeal. I need to build a portable toolbox I can take to work and since Adam has been extolling the virtues of his two boxes I decided to build one or two. Of course me having to do things the hard way I started by building one virtually using Solidworks. See attached for virtual Adam Savage toolbox. Not being Adam I don't think I will get the box built in one day even though I will have the Solidworks stuff done in one day except for all the parts drawings. I will post the drawings and updates as things go on. In addition all the parts from this box will be from McMaster Carr and can be purchased from them. I'm including some screen shots from my busy Solidworks day yesterday. If anybody interested I can get quotes from local sheet metal houses for the lid end pieces for the lids. If there is enough response for ten boxes or so, it's a no brainer. Or if anybody has access to a sheet metal house I can send step files and prints.
 

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Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

Ok, Here's the rest of the prints. They not pretty, but they get the job done. If I send them out for quote, I will fill ou the tolerance blocks, make sure the dims are the correct tolerance and fill out the title block with all the little details. I got the materials and some saw blades yesterday, so once I make a quick run to Staples to make prints I should be good to go on this. Now to design the scissor lift. I did see a nifty little cart at home depot, though that would work for this box for 40 bucks. That works for my place, but I think I will build at least one lift to keep the box off the bench and make it easier to move so that I can use it at my next job. Now, on to building.
 

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Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

You'll know this toolbox has totally arrived (or jumped the shark) when someone's accused of recasting it ;)
 
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Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

You'll know this toolbox has totally arrived (or jumped the shark) when someone's accused of recasting it ;)
I wish them luck. I'm into this for approximately $200 for just material for one box, without the scissor lift. Aluminum prices seem to be much higher than I remember just a few years ago. If somebody wants to make these boxes I will give them a set of prints and step files. All I would ask for is design credit and one copy of the box they have made. If somebody wants to use my drawings and make up new CAD files, they're wasting their time. I'm just building this to give me Solidworks portfolio material and maybe something to put up on the Solidworks 3D library, which is more than likely where it will end up.
 
Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

Did you actually ID the style hardware the closure clasps are? I could never find any that were acceptably close.

Industrial Scissor Lift Table Iron another lift idea. This might actually be easier to build/replicate and easier to raise/lower.
I didn't try to use the same kind of latch that Adam used because I wanted the latch to be able to be locked. from what Adam has said, here's my guess on what he used:
McMaster-Carr
He said he pulled the latches off a plastic case and those sunken latches have that spring on them.
 
Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

My post was more commentary on the "meta" of this, along with the humor potential.

It just goes to logic that someone will eventually create a resin cast version ("stunt version" as it were) for those that just want to put it in a display case - which will be followed by recasters.
 
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Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

My post was more commentary on the "meta" of this, along with the humor potential.

It just goes to logic that someone will eventually create a resin cast version ("stunt version" as it were) for those that just want to put it in a display case - which will be followed by recasters.
Yeah I can see somebody making a prop version. If it looked. good enough Jamie could blow a set up when Adam has annoyed him severely, say after not cleaning up the lathe again. April Fools Mythbusters. This box is just a little big for resin casting. While it's not a large toolbox it's shaping up to be bigger than nay of the boxes I've used in the past.
 
Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

I wish them luck. I'm into this for approximately $200 for just material for one box, without the scissor lift. Aluminum prices seem to be much higher than I remember just a few years ago.


Yep, this is exactly what sank all hope of mine ever getting made. But I did wonder if it would be possible to make some sort of laminate material out of cut, adhered & flattened aluminium beercans. Anyone has any thoughts on that, I'd be grateful for them saving me the grief of learning the hard (and expensive) way.
Another pondered possibility was used aluminium commercial baking trays, but they'd have to be the 'school dinners' grade thickness. I'm sure Brits of a certain age will remember the ones I mean.
 
Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

Yep, this is exactly what sank all hope of mine ever getting made. But I did wonder if it would be possible to make some sort of laminate material out of cut, adhered & flattened aluminium beercans. Anyone has any thoughts on that, I'd be grateful for them saving me the grief of learning the hard (and expensive) way.
Another pondered possibility was used aluminium commercial baking trays, but they'd have to be the 'school dinners' grade thickness. I'm sure Brits of a certain age will remember the ones I mean.
If you think of it as prop, it's too pricy. If you think of it as a tool, the $200 plus the time is well spent. I was restructured at my former company at the end of last year and have caught the Obama economy disease(unemployment), so I have time right now and I am taking advantage of that. One, I'm using Solidworks and building something I can use in my portfolio, which because the circumstances of my jobs, I don't have anything show off for myself. Two, I'm not letting myself get rusty, which is why I bought Solidworks, which is a very expensive tool. Three I'm rearranging my tools, something I have come to realize is direly needed since that is one of the things holding me back. rearranging my tools and making a portable workspace for when I need to do prototype work gives me the ability to not have to dig every time I want to do some little project. This will allow me to be more productive in what I want to do. I could have scrounged and used my network to fin the scrap to build the box, but I wanted to use easily available sources so that I could build something that anybody could build.
 
Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

Making it real:
 

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Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

We have box. I got the bottom and most of the parts for the lids done today. Now the problem is, how do I make inserts for the tools. Adam's pictures are not to clear. I have some ideas, but I would like to know anybody else's idea on this, especially Adam's. I have most of the tool I would like to end up in this box and it's amazing how close I am to the tools Adam has.
 

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Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

Now I have an empty box. Well at least it was. But just dumping tools in the box is not the end goal. Box 2 after the tools get placed in box 1.
 

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Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

When I opened my latches from McMaster Carr I realized that they were made by Southco. Now Southco makes just about very latch out here I thought to check their catalog for the original toolbox latch. Looking at the pictures this looks like the latches that Adam used.:
http://www.southco.com/static/Literature/v2-v3-v4.en.pdf
See the V4 latch at the bottom of the catalog sheet.
Checking Adam's Pictures, the more I look at it SouthCo's K5 latch is the one he actually used:
http://www.southco.com/static/Literature/k2-k3-k4-k5.en.pdf.
If you are looking to chase down door or latch hardware, SouthCo is a good place to start for commercial and industrial type hardware.
BTW, This is not how I plan to put tools in the box
 

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Re: Adam Savage Toolbox Started, Not Out Of Paper, Yet

A partial inventory of the tools going into the boxes. One thing about doing this is that I keep finding tools I've forgotten I had. This happens when I browse across the cheap tool vendors at hobby shows and pick things up and put them away in, promptly forgetting that I had the tools. The same goes for tools I pick up at estate sales and such. Like file sets and micrometers for a buck. The round canisters are abrasive string.
 

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You mentioned ideas on how to organize.

By bags.... just color code and put all screw drivers in blue, nut drivers red, etc, etc
Klein Tools 5140 Canvas Zipper Bags, 4-Pack - Amazon.com

Or if you have some sewing skill. Get the 5 gallon pale bucket canvas organizers sold at most home stores.... Cut it so it will go flat and can roll up.... then slide inside the toolbox.

Another option. Industrial sticky velcro stuck to the walls/lid. Then get the double sided wire tie velcro to wrap around tools and stick to the inside wall/lid velcro half.
http://www.amazon.com/Cblwhl-Velcro...d=1379087278&sr=8-5&keywords=velcro+wire+ties
 
You mentioned ideas on how to organize.

By bags.... just color code and put all screw drivers in blue, nut drivers red, etc, etc
Klein Tools 5140 Canvas Zipper Bags, 4-Pack - Amazon.com

Or if you have some sewing skill. Get the 5 gallon pale bucket canvas organizers sold at most home stores.... Cut it so it will go flat and can roll up.... then slide inside the toolbox.

Another option. Industrial sticky velcro stuck to the walls/lid. Then get the double sided wire tie velcro to wrap around tools and stick to the inside wall/lid velcro half.
Amazon.com: Cblwhl Velcro Cable Tie Roll, 3/4 - Inch x 5 yards: Electronics
I like the bags, but I want to arrange things so that I can reach and grab tools as I need them without having to dig for sizes. Also a lot of the tools are very small. For instance there are pair of round needle files I picked up in Japan that are about the same diameter as a piece of wire. In addition I have yet to start pulling screws. I have boxes of tiny screws that I salvaged from work(they were tossing standard hardware and only using metric) and some little plastic boxes that I salvaged from a plumbing delivery when I was working at the hardware store. It pays to keep your eyes open for stuff like that. On the other hand there will be Velcro in the future, tying down one of my motor tools and some other tools that will fit in the top. Sometimes the stores around here run out of Velcro, usually during school project time and the stuff can be hard to find, so having a link is a good thing.
 
Working on the inside now, which is harder for me than it was for Adam as it looks like he had an idea where he wanted the tools to end up and I'm having to make it up as I go, find material and cut the plastic. My little Sherline mill has been some help facing up the acrylic. I'm also relearning why you don't want to try to use hand held regular drill bit to make holes in Acrylic plastic. The RPF seems to have me under a quota so here is a link to my flikr site for the latest pictures:
Adam Savage Toolbox - a set on Flickr
More coming as this thing goes forward.
 
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