Toolbox Trolley Build

[landroversforever]

Time for some wheels! Rated at 300kg each, these will give me 100kg headroom on the 1100Kg max in case of any offset weight. Also a decent brand so will last forever (Tente ones, I used some on a project at work ~10 years ago and still going strong!).

First one bolted up - A4-70 Stainless Bolts won't rust, but also will be plenty strong enough for this, Loctited to make sure they don't ever work loose. Also a nice close up of the finished coating over the holes.

Couple of wheels. The cable ties are there to stop the brakes coming off all the way so they don't touch the gussets.

Another gratuitous picture of the whole thing, this time with wheels.

 

[landroversforever]

Time for the end cupboards!

One bolted up to test fit, it fitted! Phewwww! 

Time for some panels. I was expecting to have to tickle the holes as they were all drilled at 4mm for the rivets, which actually recommended 4.1mm. I like to keep everything snug! I ran the drill back through every hole in the frame, and every hole in each of the three panels. Place the panel on pop the rivets in.

And the rest. As you can see, not all went in first time. Not the end of the world give they were all drilled by hand, using the ali panel as a 'guide' there was going to be some miss-matching. Easily solved by running the drill through, and hardly removing any material.

All pulled up! This reminded me of why you don't pull up the rivet a bit, then reset the tool.... it makes it more jumpy at the end! Always pull in one go.

Rinse and repeat for the back narrow one.

It's looking good  

And with a second big panel on.

Next its the turn of the top! This screws on to the frame with 4 little tabs, time to clear out the threads. Perfect little tap wrench I forgot I had when I tapped them originally  

Drop the top on.... I'm liking this!! Well I was once it was on and done up... what a right royal £$%*"$%*"$(%&$(%&(£$&%^"()&%^")(*% that was!!!!!!!!!! Totally dark in there trying to see to align the holes even with a torch... and can't get head in. A few on-and-offs and a couple of opened up holes later it was on. Perfect .

Sat on the main rail:

[landroversforever]

Frame No.2 got the same treatment. Worth noting here that I made the two sides handed. Just in case there were any discrepancies in dimensions I marked each end of the trolley with some centre punch marks either 2 or 3 dots so that I could see the marks once coated. Worked perfectly and everything could drop together.

Only this time I did it differently...Top first! This one took about 1/10th of the time of the first one.

This is how they're held on:

Some more paneling the same as the other:

Finally for today a picture of the chassis with the two on. I put one each way round so you can see what it's going to look like from each side. This one shows the colour of the rivets better. They're a bit too shiny in the previous angles so they look a different colour. 

 

Tomorrows job if I get out of work at a sensible time is to borrow Dad from the chores and lift the boxes on so I can then bolt down the two end cupboards.  

[Peaklander]

Wow, what a start to the day I've had reading the method and looking at those photos. Amazing work!

[Gazzar]

That is high quality craftsmanship.

A credit to you.

[daveturnbull]

Steady on Ross, it's looking like you might finish a distraction project 

[landroversforever]

Thanks all

[mickeyw]

Looks fantastic Ross. Well done.

[landroversforever]

Thanks Michael  

[Arjan]

This is not a tool trolley......

...this is ART !

[landroversforever]

Damnit.... the old man wasn't available this afternoon so no toolbox pictures today  

[ianmayco68]

That’s brilliant , and that powder coating looks awesome .

[Scotts90]

Absolutely chuffin fantastic! Beautifully done Ross with great detail. I doff my virtual cap, sir 

[landroversforever]

Thank you Arjan, Ian and Scott

Hopefully pictures of toolboxes on tonight!  

[elbekko]

There's no kill like overkill, I love it

[Anderzander]

It’s a fabulous piece of work 😊

My workshop is too small and too bumpy 😊

[landroversforever]

3 hours ago, elbekko said:

There's no kill like overkill, I love it

Go large or go home as they say

[daveturnbull]

Surely by now you've invented an over-engineered way of picking the boxes up with the engine crane to plonk them on the chassis...?

[Gazzar]

Fffffffffff.

And risk the paint?

[daveturnbull]

Hence the careful and controlled use of the engine crane. I think if Ross wasn't worried about the paint he could probably just pick them up and plonk them on (with the tools out first).

[mickeyw]

Wakey wakey Ross  @landroversforever.

I seem to remember promises of some fully loaded photos. 

[landroversforever]

Well I was going to wait until it was all sorted before putting the pictures on... but you can have them now!

I’ve cocked up slightly with the trolley, not in the sizes or fit of the toolboxes or end cabinets.... I’ve managed to bend the bloody thing. And I’m kicking myself for it! Especially having been to careful to manage the heat and associated pulling throughout the build so far!! 🤦‍♂️  

[landroversforever]

And this is the issue....

Looking back I think I rushed welding the 20mm box to the top face, I’ve got it all how and then it’s contracted as it’s cooled and bent it . Hatching a plan to bend it back with a bottle jack and some chains hopefully. If not I’ll shim the toolboxes square to each other and live with it. 

 

[landroversforever]

Ignore the underside as the floor isn’t flat there but you can make out the bend in the box.

and just to make 100% certain it wasn’t the weight... whipped the boxes off, flipped it and stuck a straight edge on it. About 10mm under the end when the opposite end is held down. That’s over 1200mm.

 

So my plan is either chains and jack, or if I can find something heavy enough jack it back down underneath a tractor or something. 

[ianmayco68]

As soon as you weld something it always seems to go somewhere Ross , no matter how careful you are . You could also try , if you got access to a table wide enough , put some blocks under the middle then clamp each end down would be trial and error on how big a block you’d need and how much to stress it , but should work I used it on steel work before . It looks great though Ross will you be selling them along with the swivel retainers?