New Toolbox!

So a few weeks ago, I received this text from Snap-on Dan...

So of course I had to go take a look.  He received a KRL1032 and KRL1232 combo as a trade-in.  I wasn't actively looking to upgrade, but this would be the logical next step.  My toolbox has been pretty full, to the point where I was out of room.

It's big.  I'm 5'10" and the box is 5'11"... I could hardly reach the back of the top drawer in the standard configuration!

So of course, I decided to buy it!  I made arrangements to swap the boxes on a Saturday morning, and spent Friday evening unloading my old box.  I bought the bottom in March 2011 and the top in January 2012, I've accumulated so many tools since then!  It was almost sad to see it go, I really liked the old combo.  It looked especially good all clean and shined up!

To make the swap easier, I unloaded everything onto tables, saw horses, carts, the floor... wherever I could!  It's crazy how many tools I had packed into this thing.

It looked like a flea market at the shop.

When he dropped it off, I snapped a few photos of the two boxes.  The new combo is 5" deeper, 9" taller, and 18" wider.  All told, it's just over twice as big (102% more cubic inches of storage).  It weighs 1,560lbs empty!

Haha.

It's amazing how clean the box was.  It was technically "used," although I don't think it had ever been really used.  I think having the Harley Davidson sticker removed was the hardest work this box had ever done.  I also swapped around a few drawers, I moved the 2" tall drawers to the bottom of the top chest.  I plan on storing less frequently used tools in the top drawer since it's so high.

Jimmy stopped out to check it out.

I also removed the top drawer to gain access to the mounting bolts.  It was bolted together, but only with 2 of the 4 bolts.

Jimmy's new Ducati is also badass.  Check it out.

These drawer organizers from the Dollar Tree are amazing.  I probably have $50 worth of these!

Stuffed into place.  I had to move the lathe down a few inches to get everything to fit, and now my cart is pushed tight up against the side of the box.

Fro also stopped out to check it out.

...and I made him clean the top since I can't reach it!

Uncle Rich even stopped to check it out.  He couldn't stop smiling.

I ordered a few more Snap-on pliers organizers.  Previously I had my pliers in a 2" tall drawer laid flat, but now I will be putting them in a 4" drawer standing on their side. These are really nice, I have them in my work toolbox and I prefer them over the other options.

I also decided to make a rack for some of my larger pliers, mainly my snips.  They're a little too wide to fit in the Snap-on pliers organizers, so I made a larger version out of 304 Stainless.

I had to chop a few rows off to get them to fit nicely.

In related news, I picked up a few new tools!  Most of these were unrelated to the toolbox purchase.

Snap-on 11/32" wrench and Snap-on bearing separator to complete my sets.

Channellock miniature end cutting pliers.  I learned about these at work, they're pretty handy!

Wiha metric precision hex driver set.  I have Wera at work, I haven't really used these yet but I prefer the Wera handles.

I also re-handled this enormous sledgehammer I inherited from my grandfather.  I don't know what I'm going to use it for, but it will come in handy if I ever need to really fuck something up.

I got the new box all filled up and organized.  Let's go for a tour!

Top tray: PPE, welder consumables, levels, squares.

Small top tray: label printer, number and letter stamps, number and letter stencils, flashlights.

Plumbing and rivet tools.  Most of the tools in this drawer are rarely used, and when I do use them I take them out of the drawer for multiple hours.

Taps and die sets and thread repair tools.

Pullers, bead rolling tools, and hole punches.  Look at all this extra room!!

Automotive special tools and screw extractors.

Measurement and layout tools.  The greenish squares are from an old Lufkin set I found on eBay, Starrett micrometers, lots of other random things.

Drills and hole saws.

More taps.  These are the ones I typically use, they're generally higher quality than the taps in my tap and die sets.

Hex tools, saws, wire brushes, and some stray picks.  These Facom ball-end hex t-handles are pretty handy, although they don't work for everything.

Electronics tools.

Specialty electronics crimpers and pliers.  I might merge this with my pliers drawer at some point, but I like keeping them separate while I still have the space.

The big drawer.  This drawer is 27" deep, 69" long, and 5" tall.  I have all of my sockets, ratchets, impact wrenches, torque wrenches, and breaker bars in here with room to spare!

Wrenches.  This drawer is also enormous, and I have a ton of extra space!  I do have plans to add a few other sets, so this should fill up nicely in the next 1-3 years.

 Screwdrivers, Prybars, Scrapers, Hooks, and Picks.

Files.  I have them separated by material, it helps avoid weld contamination and corrosion if you have separate files for separate materials.

Pliers.  I have surprisingly very little Snap-on in this drawer, most of my pliers are Klein, Channellock, Facom, and Knipex.

Spoons, dollies, and body files.

I plan to order some trays for these Facom punches.  Most of the tools in here were inherited from my grandfather, including the cool old Craftsman Professional ball pein hammers.

Regular hammers.

Paint guns.  This drawer is a mess, and 1-2 of my other guns are still in my paint cart.  I need to build a nice rack.

Body hammers.  This is the complete collection of Snap-on body hammers, plus a few others.

Pneumatic tools.  I have some high end grinders (Dynabrade, Snap-on) and LOTS of junk.  I can't get enough of these $9 Harbor Freight grinders.

Corded power tools.  My 4-1/2" Makita grinders look like little babies now that I can fit my 9" grinder in the drawer!

That's all!  I hope you enjoyed the tour. Stay tuned for some actual work haha.