New Use For An Old Case

[shtoink]

Since I can't ever seem to turn off my brain, I find it interesting to see what it comes up with when I let it have some freedom now and then. The last time it was inspired by a very cool toolbox design that I have mostly worked out over here. This time I had discovered an old, but cool looking clarinet case for less than a five spot. I wasn't completely convinced that I should get it, but it seemed very likely that I could turn it into something else if I did. I walked around the store while holding on to it and ultimately decided that I'd spent more money on worse ideas and brought it home with me.

The idea of turning it into a small toolbox for leather tools started to grow and I kept staring into it trying to envision how it would all be laid out. It was difficult to do that until I pulled out the felt cover insert that was meant to hold the clarinet parts. After that, it seemed like everything fell into place in an instant. I got some paper and sketched a rough idea of the layout while the ideas were flowing. After that, it was just a matter of hacking up some bits of cardboard to mock up the ideas, test, and adjust as needed with the actual tools that might be in it.

This is what I came up with...

The idea is to have one section that will fit a #4 Garland rawhide mallet and a few other various bits and the other area divided up to hold punches, modeling tools, a few swivel knives and a good number of other small tools with handles. The area with the swivel knives and modeling tools will have loop type straps to hold them all to that panel, which is also a lid for the area below it.

With the lid lifted, you can see that it has a fair amount of space and keeps the contents relatively captive. The section next to it will have the punches, and the exact count is 33. That doesn't mean there isn't room to toss in a couple more, but that's about all that will realistically fit there. The idea I have for the part that hold the punches is that it will be hinged and lift up much like you see in the picture. I plan to have it lock in both the open and closed positions. This will keep them accessible while open, but also keep them from spilling out everywhere while closed.

Here, you can see that it was originally intended to carry a few music books. This seems to be a great place to carry any pattern books you might have that will fit, or risk being folded to fit in it.

All in all, I think it looks good and shouldn't be too difficult to make the necessary parts from a few bits of thin plywood. Maybe someone else in here will be inspired to cook up one of their own.

[immiketoo]

Dude, thats really cool. After seeing it, it's way more user friendly than I thought! A nice tooled leather outside and it would be styling! Maybe we can collaborate on this one

[shtoink]

I'm glad that you like the idea, Mike2. I was pretty sure there were people out there that might not want to transport their entire collection of tools if they didn't have to. This seemed like a simple and neat idea to solve that problem.

What I think is great is that it's a standard sized student clarinet case. I have seen quie a few of them around without an instrument inside. They can be found in music shops and junk stores alike. I would recommend that anyone wishing to make a similar toolbox keep an eye out the older style case and make sure it has a minimum, or no, plastic in it's construction. I didn't get an opportunity to check out many other instrument cases, but this one wasn't too difficult to pull out the support system for the clarinet. It would make sense to keep an eye out for that, as the more difficult it would be to remove the guts and modify, the work that will be involved in converting it.

I realized early on that it would be difficult to carry around just about any toolbox that has a granite/marble slab hiding inside. It'd be the equivalent of purposely putting bricks in you backpack, purse, or briefcase. I worked on the assumption that there is a great deal of variance in the types and sizes of slab one might have and it would be far easier to just have it carried separately, if it needed to be brought along at all.

[Basically Bob]

shtoink, I like it a lot & am going to be on the prowl for one, now. I find it especially interesting because a lot of the guys in my "music world" use old, small, suitcases that look much like the clarinet case, but larger, for P.A. and electrical cords. Thanks for posting.

[shtoink]

I'll definitely be keeping the updated with progress pictures as the project moves along.

If there are any idea that anyone might add, this is certainly the stage that they should be suggested. I'm still not 100% solid on how I'll be doing the locking mechanism for the punch holder or if I might need to account for any other tools/details that have yet to mention.

[benlilly1]

I agree with Mike, you need to cover the case with your own leather work! Cool case!

[shtoink]

I know that the mapping of the wood texture isn't quite right, but I wasn't aiming for realistic with this. I was getting an idea of how the hinges, the locking mechanism, and everything else will all fit together.

I was thinking that it might be easier, and lighter, to construct the punch block from a few thin pieces of plywood rather than a solid block of wood. This means that I don't need drill press, but I will need to potentially place some tubes into those holes so the punches don't fail to align properly when inserting them. I may end up just getting a block of wood and borrowing access to a drill press if it becomes too much of a hassle.

[shtoink]

I was in the chat room not too long ago and we were talking about some of the finer points of this modification. One of the things that came about was the possibility of getting some small(ish) diameter plastic tubing bundled together to hold the tools. I did a little research and located some cheap plastic tubing of 1/2', 3/8", and 1/4" that just needs to be cut to the required length.

Here's what I came up with after taking real life measurements of the tubes. I think it looks pretty good, so far. I still need to figure out exactly how I am going to get them all to stay in place, but I do have a couple ideas on that one already. The added bonus is that it increased the number of tools it'll hold from 33 to 43 by doing it this way.

Edited May 8, 2013 by shtoink

[immiketoo]

Thats really cool dude

[shtoink]

After quite a bit of searching around through the multitude of hinge types, I managed to find what I think might be the ideal solution. The hardest part was trying to find a hinge type without knowing what that type is called. Ugh....

So, for the side with the punch block, I wanted it to pivot a certain way and the hinge needed to take up very little space. I was thinking that a chunk of piano hinge might to the trick, but I'd end up having to put screws right into the walls of the case. The problem with that is that the case walls aren't very think and it might fail prematurely.

Here's what I think might work...

Hinge 1 and Hinge 2

For the side that'll have the strap and lift to allow access to the space below, I need a different style. I think a quadrant style hinge might work well, since it won't be carrying a heavy load like the side loaded with a bunch of punches/stamps. Although, I may end up using a section of Velcro so it can hinge, but also be removable if the need arises.

The trick now is to source the hinges for a reasonable price and in the correct size. I'm not excited about dropping upwards of $30 or so for a pair of hinges that you'll never even see. I thinking much cheaper than that.

[shtoink]

I just wanted to add to this a bit more. It had to take a short trip to the back burner while I took care of some school related stuff.

I had finally come up with exactly how I wanted to do the hinges and it turned out to be far simpler, and cheaper, than I originally anticipated. As it turns out, I didn't need to locate ant fancy hinges that would demolish my budget. All I needed was to integrate some ball bearings into a trunnion style of hinge. It's one of those instances where several sentences trying to explain would still leave you confused, so I present you with a couple pictures worth a bunch of words.

The bearing sizes are not critical, and the don't really even need to match, but that'd help in the long run when trying to line all your stuff up. The main thing to take away from this is that the bearings be small enough to fit within the thickness of the wood chosen and large enough to be able to support the weight of a full rack of tools. I would recommend sealed ones and not the generic, unshielded type in my renders.

I did decide on using some 1/4" thick oak and will be cutting bits and pieces as needed from the stock I chose. I also plan on tacking the insert into the case with small brads, so they are less visible, too.

Another thing worth noting is that I have also worked out how I want to raise and lower the tool rack, too. It'll be something similar to the lift mechanism for those old Tonka dump trucks from way back-when. The idea is to have it lift the rack and then lock into position to keep the tools accessible. This will eliminate the need to keep opening and closing it when working from your toolbox.

[WScott]

This is a super cool thread

Great idea for such a nice old case.

I like how you are going through your thought and idea process on here. Gonna follow along

[electrathon]

My input: You are way overcomplicating the pivot. A couple cabinet door offset hinges would be very cheap and be fast and easy. You also need the offset to fix the problem with the lid intruding below the line when it is opened. This will likely interfere with the case, depending on if you make the insert thicker than the case bottom. Also, there is no reason for the second bearing and the slot. Really serves no purpose. There also is no need for bearings in the first place. They are very expensive and serve no purpose at the speed you will be opening and closing the lid. A single nail would make a very functional pivot. Plywood is less prone to cracking when it is so thin, but regular wood is better looking (form over function verses function over form). If you were closer and really want solid wood I could plain you down a few pieces. Aaron

[immiketoo]

Aaron, the pivot is not complex, just more sophisticated than a single nail. Plus, it pushes the DIY to a new level, and looks more like a finely developed product. You could even add a friction clutch bearing and a pneumatic piston on a small scale so it would deploy on its own when opened. Why not strive for something excellent? Planing some wood or MDF would be cool as hell, especially if it was then covered in calfskin or something.

I like to think big, and to things exceptional. A bushing might be less costly, a dowel less so. But imagine how smooth it could be as is?

Just my perspective on a cool idea.

[electrathon]

The second bearing is going to cause binding unless you have the slot cut either perfect or too wide. It serves no purpose. There is no guide needed, your pivot is on the other bearing. The Tonka truck lift rod is a simple and good idea, put a bushing on it if you want smooth. Small bearings are very expensive and hard to find. You sound like an engineer guy so I am betting you have computer parts laying around. Bust open a hard drive and you will find a couple small bearings. Likely not as small as you are looking for but could save you a hundred dollar bill if you are going to use four.

[shtoink]

You could even add a friction clutch bearing and a pneumatic piston on a small scale so it would deploy on its own when opened.

Actuating the pneumatic pistons by pressing down and releasing on the block...

Having the block return and stay by pressing down until it clicked...

You have no idea how hard I just geeked out on that one alone!

Just imaging the sound of tiny pneumatic pistons in action was enough to bring a smile to my face. *click-click* *PSSsssssskt* But it's be in stereo, because there'd be two of them working in unison.

I had so many fantastic what-if ideas swirl through my head. It was like imagining a tiny Transformer with all sorts of gadgetry all concealed up inside. Maybe even like of of those super cool pencil cases from Japan with all sorts of compartments and swiveling or sliding-out doodads that are activated by buttons of push-releases.

Whew! I almost hurt myself there...

[immiketoo]

Pretty sure bearings r us would have them cheap

No, really... http://www.bearingsrus.co.uk/

[immiketoo]

Something more local perhaps? http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tmk-fc65662?seid=srese1&gclid=CIyP-s2D2bgCFUxgMgod0XUAIw

[shtoink]

Yup! I actually got a dozen of some small flanged ones for less that $6. They only came in a pack of a dozen, but I'll save the rest for another project later. I have about 100 or so various sized bearings waiting for different, yet known projects. They don't take up much room, so I don't mind the extras. Besides, you never know when you'll find a use for them.

[WyomingSlick]

......a hundred dollar bill if you are going to use four.

Would those be gold plated bearings with jeweled insides you are talking about?

[electrathon]

Would those be gold plated bearings with jeweled insides you are talking about?

Look up the price on small bearings, they are very expensive. Bigger ones, like the ones in the link above that are over an inch in outside diameter can be bought for a couple dollars each. Find one that has an outside diameter of 3/8" and you better be saving up for a while. I was going to make a swivel knife a while ago and was shocked at the cost. In this project, a bushing would be available (or could be easily made) for pocket change. It would functionally work as well or better than a bearing. If high speed was involved (like in a hard drive) a bearing would be better. But something that is realistically going to be moved less than 10,000 times in forever and only a 1/3 of a revolution a bushing is a more functional choice. More expensive and overbuilt does not always better, sometimes simple is the best choice.

Edited August 1, 2013 by electrathon

[WyomingSlick]

LOL I am a bit of a machinist so you are "preaching to the choir"! 3/8 bearings (shielded radial steel) are around 4 bucks from ENCO and can be had quite a bit cheaper on eBay from Hong Kong Suppliers and importers. Check out :

http://www.ebay.com/...2#ht_302wt_1394

Here are 20 of them for under $20 incl. shipping. Perhaps you can now reconsider making that ball bearing swivel knife.

Edited August 1, 2013 by WyomingSlick

[electrathon]

LOL I am a bit of a machinist so you are "preaching to the choir"! 3/8 bearings (shielded radial steel) are around 4 bucks from ENCO and can be had quite a bit cheaper on eBay from Hong Kong Suppliers and importers. Check out :

http://www.ebay.com/...2#ht_302wt_1394

Here are 20 of them for under $20 incl. shipping. Perhaps you can now reconsider making that ball bearing swivel knife.

I should have looked on Ebay when I was looking for knife parts. I will likely order some and make a knife just because. I really like making things myself far better than buying stuff. It is odd that he has it listed at the top for 20 and when you read the posting it says there are 10. Either way they are cheap.

[immiketoo]

Electrathon, so if bearing cost is no longer and issue, and mass production costs are not either, wouldn't you rather build something to be the ultimate expression of your abilities? I operate my leather business with that philosophy and as a consumer, I look for that quality in the tools I buy. Cutting corners to save cost is what's wrong with society today and that mind set has permeated our culture. Wal-Mart mentality, I think it's called. I agree that a bushing of some kind would probably save a bit of money but I'm not sure I agree with your assumption that the box would only be opened 10K times ever. I'd probably exceed that just playing with a a well made item, before I ever put tools in it If costs are exorbitant or something is being mass produced and the cheaper item doesn't affect perceived quality or performance, then go for it, but why beat Shtoink down for building it his way?

He made me a swivel knife using the same mind set as this box, and it is an amazing piece. I have quite a few knives from different makers and his is the smoothest by far. That translates into easy to use and is therefore one of my favorites. Post up you swivel knife once it's done. I'd like to see your interpretation.

Edited August 1, 2013 by immiketoo

[electrathon]

, but why beat Shtoink down for building it his way?

Did not know I was beating him down, thought it was a discussion. Shtoink, I apologize to you. Aaron