Author Topic: Improving a tool cabinet  (Read 1546 times)

Online Jo

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Improving a tool cabinet
« on: July 09, 2020, 04:48:32 PM »
Many years ago I acquired this wooden cabinet from my club's annual sale, at the time it was painted bright purple  :facepalm2: Having got it home the paint was stripped off and I had intended on replacing the missing drawer knob but you know what it's like, days turn into weeks, turn into months and now years. The original knobs were made of the brown stuff glued into some holes. Consequently more knobs pulled out/got broken until only two drawers that had all their knobs were the top two so the time finally came when something had to be done.

While this originally was used for my Hobbymat tooling it subsequently became Sexy's tooling cabinet so it lives with him and Little C in the Library, so it was logical to match Sexy's knobs with Little C's Neslein cabinet ones: These are simple Aluminium turnings held on with brass wood screws. I decided that for the lower three drawers which had a habit of containing very heavy stuff slightly bigger knobs were a good idea so those are 19mm diameter and the smaller drawers have 15mm diameter ones.

This was an opportunity to use up some of that horrible sticky Aluminium which I am pleased to say I have very little of. The trickiest bit was actually the brass wood screws: you would have thought they are all a standard size  :ShakeHead: measuring the shanks they varied from 3.6mm to 4.3mm and all the sizes in between from the same source  :rant: even the diameter of the heads varied  :Doh: Maybe they do this specially for people who like working in the brown stuff to make them feel at home :noidea:

It didn't take long to make all the knobs and fit them but I think it looks much better  :cheers:

Jo
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Offline steamer

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2020, 06:06:11 PM »
Chest looks much better in brown!!!   

Nice job!

Dave
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Damned ijjit!

Offline Roger B

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2020, 06:23:28 PM »
Well having relived you of an amount of the Hobbymat tooling I have to take an interest in this. Purple was definitely the wrong colour  :ThumbsDown:  Looks much better now  :)  :wine1:
Best regards

Roger

Offline scc

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2020, 07:44:59 PM »
Very nice Jo,   I have to ask....What is the boiler for?   or should I say what  :Lol:WAS it for?         Regards        Terry

Online Vixen

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2020, 08:00:07 PM »
Hello Jo,

When you have so many tools, you need to be very organised or you will never find them until weeks later. Thats a nice baize lined cabinet, It looks great and pays back all the work and effort you have put into its refurbishment.

Keep safe

Mike
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Sometimes, it can be a long and winding road

Offline Art K

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2020, 02:30:22 AM »
Jo,
The cabinet kooks good in brown, Somehow it takes a warped stretch of the imagination to picture it in purple.
Art
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Online Jo

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2020, 07:24:49 AM »
Thanks Guys  :)

I can't understand the modern trend of painting everything, I especially do not like perfectly good anvils being painted all over with flowers and being used as garden ornaments when I would like to have one to actually use   :disappointed:

Very nice Jo,   I have to ask....What is the boiler for?   or should I say what  :Lol: WAS it for?     

Its for my 2" BB1. I have been slowly acquiring all the bits to build it, I have also had the castings done including the cylinder. A couple of years ago I was all set to have the Tee rings rolled and welded when a friend promised a set of free Tee rings, an offer which proved too good to be true  ::) I am in no rush to start it: I need to finish recovering from my surgery/chest injury so I am able to safely lift the bits and I need to clear the decks of the Orphans to make space for it in the workshop. And now there is the added challenge that the company which I had lined up to do the rings, chimney ring etc is not taking on small jobs while Covid is around and they are on short staff.

Jo
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Offline scc

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2020, 10:16:22 AM »
Thanks for the info Jo,  Built to your standards it will make a lovely machine, but even at 2" scale a heavy lump to handle around the workshop.
Terry

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« Last Edit: July 10, 2020, 11:02:56 AM by Bluechip »

Online Jo

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2020, 12:00:42 PM »
Not to the Hannings design but otherwise yes  :embarassed:

What does that weigh in at then ?

Full Sized 23 tons, 2" scale about the limit of what you want to put in a decent Estate car so it might be a bit heavy for Pug  :-\

Jo
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Online Vixen

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2020, 12:25:51 PM »

What does that weigh in at then ?

Full Sized 23 tons, 2" scale about the limit of what you want to put in a decent Estate car so it might be a bit heavy for Pug  :-\

Jo

Jo,

I agree with your comment about being big and heavy and getting it into a decent Estate car. My 16HP single Fowler Ploughing engine is about the same size and would just fit into the back of my Pug van. Fortunately, the Pug was already converted to handle Mum's wheelchair with a power winch inside and a loading ramp.



Stay safe

Mike
 
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Sometimes, it can be a long and winding road

Offline Jasonb

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2020, 01:29:46 PM »
I think the little BB1 is supposed to come out at about 100kg, bit less than my 2" Suberba at 150kg if I ever get the urge to make it.

Looks like that curtain stay back boiler needs a bit of Scotchbrite taking to it as it's tarnished a bit since I last saw it ;)

Was that Ashby's that are not taking on small work?

Offline kvom

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #12 on: July 10, 2020, 02:07:29 PM »
The best way to improve a tool box is to add more tools.  Just saying.   :-X

But a surface fixup is good too.

Online Jo

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #13 on: July 10, 2020, 04:16:44 PM »
I think the little BB1 is supposed to come out at about 100kg      Colin Tyler's original weighed 110Kg with aluminium rings. I am planning on steel and I have the up rated boiler for mine  ::)

Looks like that curtain stay back boiler needs a bit of Scotchbrite taking to it as it's tarnished a bit since I last saw it ;)          Its a boiler - they get grubby.

Was that Ashby's that are not taking on small work?      Yes. So I have been told

The best way to improve a tool box is to add more tools.  Just saying.   :-X

Having put some more knobs on the drawers I will be able to put more in them and actually get them open again ;D

Jo
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Offline Jasonb

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Re: Improving a tool cabinet
« Reply #14 on: July 10, 2020, 04:43:59 PM »
I don't think your steel wheels will make a lot of difference to the all up weight as you can make them a more scale thickness using 2.5mm or 3mm steel rather than the overthick ali ones which are 8mm in places :ShakeHead: that's getting upto road roller thickness. So one will cancel out the other.

And you have that "lightweight" iron cylinder rather than bronze

 

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