Toolbox / Tool Chest / Tool Cabinet (A decent one)

Finally! The toolbox of my dreams! Well, sorta.

I've been wanting one for a while, but these will usually run you $400-$1000 for both a cabinet and a toolbox. That doesn't make it frugal for a hobbyist who just wants a way to store his hardier tools. HOWEVER, if you wait, you'll see versions at the $150-250 range... and these will sometimes go on sale. (Like, $84, sale)

No, cheaper versions aren't as strong as the high end ones. But for people like us, they do the job. I won't be slinging and bumping it around a garage, I'm just storing it away and organizing my tools.

Like I said, cheaper... not cheap like "poor quality", just weaker metals. (Compared to the super strong steel you get when you spend $500 on essentially a box and a few drawers) I've found this to be decent quality, and totally happy with what I got.

I'm not going to quibble over it coming with a dent that hammers out. (If it affected how a drawer slid, I'd've gone and exchanged it.)



Why not just buy a cheap toolbox? I'm not a fan of tossing a bunch of tools into a big box and having to dig through a heavy pile whenever I'm trying to find something.

Yes, some assembly required. But that's half the fun, right?

To pack things up smaller, the upper tool chest was actually stored in the lower tool cabinet. There's still a shelf to install, a small outer side shelf and the casters. (wheels)

Since the upper chest is removable, that's where tools go that I might have to carry somewhere else. The lower cabinet is for larger static items.

Also looking at mod options, hooks and hangers could definitely be bolted to the doors / sides if I drilled out a few holes.

The inner shelf simply sits on metal slits at the height you want.

Bolt & Washer (Lower-Left), Nut (Lower-Right)

 Make sure you have all your supplies before getting started.

The washers (round things) go on the bolts and the nuts go on the other side of the metal.

* Screws vs Bolts and Nuts
A screw has a point and drills into a surface, anchoring in place. A bolt fits easily through a hole and a nut is place on it from the other side.

 Use a screwdriver on one side for the bolt, and a wrench on the other side to keep the nut in place.

Always loosely tighten all bolts first, THEN go back and tighten them strongly. This ensures all bolts AND the parts fit, before really tightening things down.

 Usually, since the bolt is rounded, it goes where it's most visible / comes into contact with other stuff...

Because of the lip at the bottom of the cabinet, I ended up having to flip the nuts and bolts around.

(A wrench works horizontally from the nut and fits under a lip while a screwdriver doesn't.)

The smaller side shelf was a quick fastening of two bolts.

Throw the toolbox back on top of the cabinet, and there we go! All done! Fills up with a bunch of my heavier duty tools and frees up a drawer at my hobby area that had a bunch of stuff in it I didn't use often.

Because we live in an apartment, space is of course a concern. The empty space between an open door and the wall is a great place for something like this.

Stores away,
Looks good,
Removes clutter,
Organizes.

Now I just have to make a point of putting tools back after I use them!

Thanks Hardware Store!