Tool Trolley

Hi Guys,

In between moving the workshop around and setting up my lathe I've been looking at a home made bottle trolley that I was given some time ago.

I don't need one as my Mig has wheels but what I did need was something to transport my tool box as it's pretty heavy and I'm getting a bit old to be dragging it up and down the drive!

It would need some kind of vertical angle iron in each corner to stop the toolbox falling off as I trundled around but it would also need to allow access to the bottom drawer without lifting the toolbox off.

I wanted it to be able to carry the socket set and allow both box lids to be lifted to get at the tools and sockets. It would also need to go directly into my lock-up tool cabinet, so I spent a day or so thinking about it, came up with a workable design and set to work.

First I cut up the old trolley to get some usable metal and the wheels, handle, etc, then cut some 1" box to make the base frame, see photo trolley 2. I cut some box and drilled holes in each piece then cut some rod to make the legs for the wheels, see photo trolley 4.

trolley2


trolley4



I added a couple more slightly longer box sections to the rear end, these take into account the wheel radius so the bottom frame is level, see photo trolley 7.

trolley7



After making a handle I welded it on with a door 'padlock' clasp, see photo trolley 9. At this point I realised that it would be nicer if the handle turned at an angle a bit less than 90 degrees so it would be almost parallel to the ground as I moved the trolley.

trolley9


But then I'd not be able to shut the tool cabinet door, so I made the top part of the handle detachable, see photo trolley 13.

To hold the socket set on top of the toolbox without it sliding off when I moved it and allowing for the fact that the two boxes are different sizes, I decided on two rectangles made from angle, welded together back to back. see photo trolley 12.

trolley12


Finally I painted both sections and added the wheels, see photos trolley 13 & 14.

trolley13


trolley14


Now I can easily move the tools to the car I'm working on, generally at the bottom end of the drive, lift off the top carrier and open up both tool boxes.

Regards
Peter

Nice looking solution, brings back memories from when I worked at Longbridge, most of us on maintenance made something similar as jobs could a few hundred yards from the workshop and you wanted to take everything with you to save going back for a tool!

Hi,

hmm, my first job from school so many years ago was working at the local paper-mill.

The machines were shut down for one shift every fortnight for maintenance and we had these trundle carts, six feet by 3 feet, wheel in each corner, for carrying tools, parts, etc.

I should point out that I wasn't in 'engineering', I was employed to watch the paper run through the machine and press an alarm button if the paper broke, but on a shut down we all helped to clean up or hold spanners while the engineers did their jobs.

So the forman told me to go to the stores and get a spanner number xyz and to take a trolley.

I thought, 'oh yea, new boy, I'm not falling for that one'. So I went to the stores, asked for the spaner and the store-keeper asked where the trolley was...

this spanner was about seven feet long, jaws about 16 inches wide. It had massive bolts set in the jaws and three guys would lift it onto the machine and bolt it in place then swing on it to adjust what-ever it was it connected to.

One of those things I never forget!

Regards
Peter

Big Spanner

this spanner was about seven feet long, jaws about 16 inches wide.

Click to expand...

So your next project will be a trailer for your trolley so you can carry 7' spanners between them?

At the bakery I used to work at (just a summer job), one of the fitters had built a train of trolleys for the three small tool chests he had. He even knocked up a tractor unit out of some old R/C car parts to pull it around with!

Hi,

nice one!

Doesn't it require a special licence to pull double-hitched rigs! :-)

About the only people who do it are showmen...

circus or travelling fair, etc.

Regards
Peter

Good idea. I need a little something similar to carry the weight of my 'big red tool box, that's no snap-on but has snap-on stickers on it'

Actually its a Sykes Pickvant, cost me one quarter the price of a snap-on box and has served me well for 20 years. Snap-on are great but way too expensive. Britool give the same guarantees and are half the price. Indeed there are a few great British tool makers, such as King Dick who still make good spanners for far less than snap-on. Snap-on have been getting bad publicity in the USA and have been in the courts lately. For over franchising areas, causing many of their franchisees out of business.