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I currently have a wooden box in the bed of my truck. It has three slide out drawers and it's the full length of the bed. I made this box from 1/2" plywood. And at times have had and will have 3000 lbs sitting on this box. The 1/2" has help up pretty well, but after a year it is really showing it's age, especially the top board, the little bits of condensate, heavy crude, diesel, and the cleaners have really done a number on the wood, not to mention all the weight that has been on it and not always supported by the vertical parts. I was going to just put a 3/4 on the top and call it a day, but I have a few design flaws that I would like to fix, so thought, lets make a new one. I was originally thinking make it from aluminium, but been a noob and noob equipment I was recommended to look at steel, which I was originally avoiding due to weight. This is just going in the back of a 3/4 ton with the 6' box.Here are a couple pictures. In construction, many more divider supports were added later.In use today. My main question is, how thin can I go for some of these parts? The boxes get pulled out and rest mostly on the tailgate, but even pulled out all the way I can lean my 150lbs on it and not have it break. The middle drawer is the heaviest with the 4 red parts boxes. It's also the largest compartment, but could be made smaller, so I could really go about 24" between divider supports. Using steel I am hoping to gain an inch of clearance between the top of the box and my bed cover. The bottom of the box is 5/8" off the bed so that the drawers will clear the tailgate, and I am using 1/8" puck board to help make it slide nicer. I am not sure what I will do for sliding with steel drawers. Although for the bottom, I could leave it open, and just use square tubing going across and mount some sort of roller to the side of them, keep my 5/8 off the bed for the tailgate, and still have a roller? Could I get away with 11 gauge on top? 12 or 13 on the bottom? What about for the vertical dividers between the drawers? What about the drawers themselves? My main need for a redesign is to make it possible to get to the red boxes without needing to lift the top one off the bottom one, because I always set it somewhere not stable, and have spilled the one box with fasteners and the box with swagelok fittings, and both those sucked to clean up. Also need 7/8 of an inch extra clearance to be able to put my work pelican cases in the bed and still close my cover. But right now my spray cans (there are 6 you can't see still) that I use often are preventing me from just cutting it down an inch cause then i would need to store them on their side, which takes up a lot more room.Any ideas, thoughts, concerns would be great.
Reply:If you build a solid frame for the box and the drawers you should be able to use fairly thin sheet metal for everything without any issues.I'd say a nice 1x1 square tube frame with supports about every 16" or so and wrap it with some 18-20 gauge sheet metal. (1.5lb per sq ft) Build the drawers the same way and make a track that they slide on... Should be plenty strong and not too heavy. Probably about 250lbs +- a few lbs. basically it will be like a big filing cabinet turned on it side.Real welders know how to penetrate!(Equipment)Whatever can be used to beat my opponent into submission!
Reply:The only issues with using a 1*1 tube frame is that it's basically making it twice as thick as the plywood I have, and I'm trying to get more space while making it shorter.
Reply:Then go with 1/4" steel plate can't have everything.
Reply:Originally Posted by Dantheharleyman99If you build a solid frame for the box and the drawers you should be able to use fairly thin sheet metal for everything without any issues.I'd say a nice 1x1 square tube frame with supports about every 16" or so and wrap it with some 18-20 gauge sheet metal. (1.5lb per sq ft) Build the drawers the same way and make a track that they slide on... Should be plenty strong and not too heavy. Probably about 250lbs +- a few lbs. basically it will be like a big filing cabinet turned on it side.
Reply:Well that's my question. I know 1/8 would work, cause I got some for a bench I made and it's quite rigid. But it's really heavy. Thinner might work, but I never work with metal like this so I'm really not sure what would work. Trying to keep it as light as possible too.
Reply:Go 16 gage
Reply:Originally Posted by Jeff000Well that's my question. I know 1/8 would work, cause I got some for a bench I made and it's quite rigid. But it's really heavy. Thinner might work, but I never work with metal like this so I'm really not sure what would work. Trying to keep it as light as possible too.
Reply:Like gravel said. Aluminum is a good idea too! It's light, weather and oil resistant, and can be used without the 1x1 frame, you probably would need 1/8" for aluminum. Is most the weight in the drawers? Or do you use the top to put things on too?If there is no weight on the outer box then there is no reason for the thick material.. Just wondering.Real welders know how to penetrate!(Equipment)Whatever can be used to beat my opponent into submission!
Reply:I'd put some sort of roller slide in this so it slides out wellhttp://www.cargoglide.com/cg1000-s/#!prettyPhotoThere are a whole bunch of those "pickup truck bed slides "If you make the base slide, then you can put whatever boxes you want on it, or cover over it.Thin sheet or plywood for your boxes wouln't matter as it's the base that takes the weight.It also makes the boxes removable or changable
Reply:Originally Posted by GravelIf weight and space are your primary concerns, build it out of aluminum and bolt/screw it together instead of welding (since you aren't set up to weld aluminum).
Reply:So talking with our welder at work he said he could show me how to use the machines there and then I could just go in on a weekend. And calling about the aluminium I found out they will bend it for me for cheap, and they said that 1/8 for everything and then 1/4 for the top would probably work. But now knowing I can bend it, changes how I could make it.
Reply:I have two 4' x 50" x 8"? Aluminum boxes each has 4 drawers, They are made of .065 aluminum, and weigh maybe 200 lbs. empty each. I have a dream of a 6' long three drawer unit to run crossways in my van, (I have doors on both sides). The shortcomings of the Phoenix box is no suspension. It has 6 little wheels under each drawer, and two on the top of the back of each. They aren't heavy enough to carry the weight. When extended, they droop. The upper box is American Van. It has full extension drawer glides, these work better. Both waste a lot of space. The wheels are tall so the false bottom uses up 2-1/2" below the bottom of the drawers. The upper wastes 8" of width used up by the drawer glides. My plan is to bend 3 ducts 6' long welding the seam, this would be lined with 1/4" plastic glide material, Drawers would be of similar design, riding on the plastic and extending 3 feet each way they would be pretty well balanced. Building 6' drawers that extend 6' you'll need good drawer glides! Build them of steel, you'll need a bigger truck and a crane to put it into the truck!
Reply:Mine have a 1/8" diamond plate top. Both are rated at 2000 lbs. top weight.
Reply:Does the diamond plate make it stronger than just a normal plate? I was thinking just the puck board that I am using right now might work pretty well if I can figure out a way to attach it. The box will be attached to the bed, so hopefully the leverage on the top will be ok.
Reply:How about light angle iron for the 4 side rail (two top and two bottom )box the front (cab end with the same angle iron do the rear with flat stock as well as any bracing on inside (used to mount draw tracks etc.)build draws from 1/8 aluminum have the edges folded flat ,use thinner aluminum for side and floor if needed , top it with 1/8 diamond plate or flat.Your choice . if you use flat stock for the top you can get buy with lighter material if you have the shop bend inverted V's length wise, Oh and put some calk between the aluminum and steel and pop rivet it together , then you can put the top on last. After you make any ajustments to the draw tracks. gxbxc
Reply:Make your "frame" out of 1/2" solid square bar.Make the sides of the top and bottom drawer 1/2" shorter than the face. Sheet it with 18 ga. cold roll.I've built dozens that way over the years.Strong as hell. Fabbers always reach for tubing and forget solid. I'll never understand that.Solid is also SQUARE. Not rounded.Bubble gumTooth pixDuct tapeBlack glueGBMF hammerScrew gun --bad battery (see above)
Reply:Originally Posted by gxbxcHow about light angle iron for the 4 side rail (two top and two bottom )box the front (cab end with the same angle iron do the rear with flat stock as well as any bracing on inside (used to mount draw tracks etc.)build draws from 1/8 aluminum have the edges folded flat ,use thinner aluminum for side and floor if needed , top it with 1/8 diamond plate or flat.Your choice . if you use flat stock for the top you can get buy with lighter material if you have the shop bend inverted V's length wise, Oh and put some calk between the aluminum and steel and pop rivet it together , then you can put the top on last. After you make any ajustments to the draw tracks. gxbxc
Reply:Buy bending the draw edges flat I meant to bend it 180 degrees so the top 1/2" is double thick(strong and stiff),as for shear force on the rivets should be very little to none as the rivets are not really structural ,if you you weld the angle iron, I forgot that part, but still quicker and cheaper that getting aluminum welded .Plus you can replace any part of the skin if it is damaged . I used to make neon signs that way and stood on top of many signs 30'in the air ,strong as hell .gxbxc
Reply:A 400 LB box is a big part of your load capacity. An 800 lb is bigger. If you can carry it, think of extra fuel over the life of the box. With good design 16 gauge aluminum will hold up well. the top can be diamond, (it's less slippery) or flat 1/8". If you can't fold the top edges 180 Degrees, rivet 1/8" flat stock to the edges, or leave them plain and put in some cross dividers that are structural. Snowmobile tunnels are usually riveted and they take a severe pounding. They too are thin aluminum.My boxes were bought in 1990. They cracked around the drawer faces on one box. They've taken a real beating over 24 years.Last edited by Willie B; 09-04-2014 at 10:24 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by gxbxcBuy bending the draw edges flat I meant to bend it 180 degrees so the top 1/2" is double thick(strong and stiff),as for shear force on the rivets should be very little to none as the rivets are not really structural ,if you you weld the angle iron, I forgot that part, but still quicker and cheaper that getting aluminum welded .Plus you can replace any part of the skin if it is damaged . I used to make neon signs that way and stood on top of many signs 30'in the air ,strong as hell .gxbxc
Reply:The aluminum will bend 180 with out breaking ,diamond plate will not bend that far ,as it is hardened buy the forming of the tread pattern, we had to bend 120 degrees with are hand brake , then flatten it out with a Whitney Roper hand roller but we were not using 1/8" stock either , the bending shop may be able to complete the 180 bend by reversing the piece and just closing the brake. doing the 180 fold greatly stiffened the 30 thousand material we used and it would work fine on 14 or 16 gauge , and if you use steel rivets , just get ready for some hand exercsie . An angle iron from from 1"x1/8' and Aluminum draws and skin should weigh in the area of 250#gxbxcLast edited by gxbxc; 09-05-2014 at 12:14 AM.
Reply:I think you're overdoing it. My commercially built boxes had design shortcomings, but sheet metal thickness is adequate. My brake is simple, I doubt I could make a good folded edge, 16 or 14 gauge is thick enough to not get cut on, and I need dividers anyway. A couple welded or riveted in will stiffen adequately.
Reply:You shoul try bending a test piece ,you might be suprised .put metal in brake ,have 1/2" sticking out ,bend as far as the brake will go, reverse ,close just the top of brake on the bend and it should close it down , if you want it closed tighter use a block of wood and a hammer and just walk it down ,does not have to be completely flat. gxbxc |
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发表于 2021-8-31 22:22:44