Sunday DIY: Tray of plenty

A well-designed toolbox will mean no more scrounging for the tool you need, provided you put things back where they belong. Photo / Doug Sherring

Removable shelves and a tray add further practicality to our home-made toolbox. Greig Morgan explains the third part of this handy project.

Part three of the toolbox on wheels project.

Even though the toolbox we have designed has castor wheels fixed to the bottom corners for easy mobility, it has also been designed with a built-in removable tray with a handle, to hold smaller items such as boxes of screws and nails, drill bits, a hand plane, square and hammer.

The tray is handy to lift out to do the odd job around home. It's lightweight, yet large enough to store your essential tools and is easy to carry. When the job's done, return it to its rightful place.

Our toolbox also has removable shelves at either end of the tray containing a variety of different-sized holes, ready to house tools like chisels, nail punches, files and screwdrivers.

Step 1

Measure, mark and cut two lengths of 90x19mm to fit neatly into each end of your toolbox - this will be for your shelves. Now mark spaces evenly along the centre of each shelf and drill a variety of different-sized holes using a hole saw or drill bits.

Step 2

To make holders for your shelves to sit on, measure, mark and cut four lengths of 90x19mm to 65mm. Pre-drill two 5mm holes in each one, 25mm in from the sides and centred. Now measure and mark down 19mm on the four inside sides of your toolbox. Fix the holders to your marks using 32mm screws.

Step 3

To make runners for your tray to sit on, measure and cut two 18x18mm to fit between the shelf holders. Pre-drill holes using a 5mm drill bit, 50mm in from either end and another hole in the middle of the runner. Measure down 65mm on the inside sides of the box. Run a bead of glue along your runners, then fix the top of each one to your marks and fix using 32mm screws.

Step 4

Now make your tray. Measure the space for the tray to fit between the shelves, less 3mm. Cut two lengths of 65x19mm for the sides of the tray. Measure, mark and cut the end pieces to fit flush on the inside sides of the tray, allowing a 3mm gap for width of the toolbox space.

Step 5

Using a 5mm drill bit, pre-drill two holes on each side of the tray, 10mm in from the end. Fix the tray together using 40mm screws. Plane off the sharp edges along the top.

Step 6

With your 6mm MDF bottom for the tray, measure, mark and cut a piece to fit flush on the outside base. Fix using 20mm screws, and plane off the sharp edges along the bottom.

Step 7

For the handle, measure the inside length of the tray, then cut a length of 90x19mm to fit. Find halfway and measure 60mm either side. Mark the ends 65mm up from the bottom, and scribe a line from point to point. This will give you an angle along which to cut. The length of the handle is determined by where the angle starts either side of halfway.

Step 8

Measure and mark down 15mm from the top and then another 35mm down from there. Drill a hole inside these marks using a drill bit large enough to fit a jigsaw blade to cut the hole for your handle. Now fix your handle to the inside of the tray using 40mm screws.

Stock your new toolbox with the kit put together by Bunnings, shown right, and you are good to go.

Materials

90 x19mm pine x 1.6m (for the tray handle, shelves and shelf holder)
65x19mm pine x1.8m (for tray)
18x18mm pine x1.3m (runners for tray)
Left-over piece of MDF 6mm for bottom of tray
Pack 8 gauge 32mm and 20mm CSK square-head screws with driver bit
40mm 8 gauge 40mm CSK square-head screws
PVA exterior wood glue

Tools

Sharp handsaw
Tape measure and pencil
Builders square
Plane
Hole saw or variety of drill bits
Jigsaw

Bunnings toolkit

Bunnings put together this basic toolkit that will enable you to tackle most odd jobs.

* Claw hammer (16oz or 20oz) and small hammer without claw: 883918 ($9.97)/ 584812 ($30.56);

* Screwdrivers - slotted/Phillips/Robertson/electrician's: 614690 ($8.67), 615250 ($8.67), 614493 ($5.32);

* Set of adjustable wrenches or set of spanners and medium adjustable wrench: 6120100 ($14.88), 133539 ($14.77);

* Vice grip or locking pliers: 610677 ($21.26);

* Clamps x2 (quick release): 615686 ($29.50);

* Surform x2 (flat and curved), 561118 ($9.98), 561104 ($21.18);

* Cordless drill and set of bits, 153787 ($249.00), 157075 ($27.98);

* Tape measure (retractable/steel/lockable/8m/belt clip), 182114 ($8.98);

* Pliers (combination): 496155 ($5.98);

* Combination set square and spirit level: 718373 ($14.69), 5660228 ($19.98);

* Saws - small panel/junior hack/tenon: 473169 ($27.46), 123879 ($4.81), 865481 ($13.93);

* Utility knife with spare blades: 133113 (19.93);

* Chisel (19mm if only one): 108189 ($12.51);

* Nail punch: 542377 ($8.97);

* Sanding block and some sandpaper to fit: 766588 ($2.86), 276089 ($0.97);

* Filling knife/or scraper or putty knife: 783087 ($8.49), 782988 ($8.95), 783355 ($10.72);

* Pencil: 515520 ($1.81);

* PPE - gloves/mask/goggles/ear protection: 159563 ($19.40), 212279 ($7.99);

* Toolbox or toolbag: 707747 (24.98), 223873 ($99.98).

* Click on the links to catch up on parts one and two of this series.