heya all,

Had been thinking for a while about the toolbox or two floating around in the back of my boot and my plans to put a sub or two in, in the near future.

Not wanting to get rid of the toolbox's (accidents do happen and you can need a random tool) I thought of the next best place to have a toolbox.

Best idea and the most practical was to have it in the wheel well, sitting in the spare wheel.

Today i went to work on my ideas and it has worked!

Tools needed:
* Rivet Gun + rivets
* Tin snips OR metal cutter (I ended up using a metal cutter as the snips just bent the galvanized I was using)
* Compass
* Ruler
* Marker
* Drill

Total cost (based on hoping you have a drill at least)
$36 from bunnings

Ok guys, so enough of boring you with that!

NOTE: Pictures are linked offsite and are around 1mb each

1] Go and get yourself a 600 x 600mm sheet of Galvanized Sheet ($16 from bunnings)

2] Rule and draw out the shape of the inside of your wheel
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2532.jpg for picture of the wheel I used
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2533.jpg for picture of shape stenciled
NOTE: MY wheel inside is 35cm wide (w/ room)
NOTE 2: I actually used a piece of rope and a nail for my Compass, it works but the shape is a little off

3] Grab your snips or metal cutter and cut out the bottom of the toolbox
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2534.jpg for picture

4] Make sure for gods sake that it actually fits once you have cut it!
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2535.jpg to show that mine does! :P

5] From the sides of the 600 x 600mm sheet you will be able to cut 1 x (600mm x 140mm), 1 x (400mm x 140mm) 2 x (100mm x 140mm) pieces.

6] Line out that on the bottom of those 140mm pieces you will have a 20mm fold and some over lay for connecting to the other pieces

7] Cut out pieces from the 20mm section so you can bend the sheet without folding stuff

8] Bend the sections left at 90 degree angles so you can attach them to something haha
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2536.jpg to see what I mean
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2537.jpg to see more of what I mean

9] OK - You are half way there now, now you need to start attaching the sides to the base. Drill through the base through one of the folds with the appropriate drill size.
Then proceed to rivet it in place with a rivet that fits.
Rinse and Repeat
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2538.jpg to see what it should start to look like after a couple

10] Continue around until you run out of sides and then need to attach another side

11] Drill two holes through the side of the toolbox and rivet the two pieces together

12] Continue step 9 until you have now used both the 60cm and 40cm pieces (it is 116cm circumference)
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2540.jpg to see what I mean

13] Now grab one of your 10cm pieces (it is actually larger than 10cm) and repeat step 11 but on BOTH sides so it is now a whole side peice and then rivet it on the base
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2543.jpg to see what I mean

14] If you flip the toolbox over it should like completed
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2541.jpg for almost completed toolbox

15] Find the centre of the toolbox and proceed to drill a big enough hole for the screw in the middle
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2532.jpg for where the hole should be lol

16] Fit the toolbox in the wheel to make sure it still fits
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2544.jpg

17] Test to see that the huge **** screw fits in to the hole you made
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2545.jpg

18] Wheel now goes back into wheel well in boot (now with added toolbox and screw as well)
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2546.jpg
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2547.jpg
- See http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2549.jpg

19] Add tools and you are almost done!
See - http://www.mercness.net.au/stephan/toolbox/IMG_2550.jpg

20] Sit back and have some beer and admire your handy work!
- Don't have pictures of this because YOU will be doing this lol

Total time to do this project: 2-3 hrs

At least I can be happy now - i am not wasting any room in the wheel well now!

Steps after this:
* Insulate the toolbox with something so I dont hear the tools clanging around
* Put a lid on (even tho the board above it fits well)

I have one of those leather tool holder things, that way there is no noise.... I also have a toolbox on the backseat :(

Looks a bit rough, and I know how sharp that sheet metal can be, but functionality is 10/10!

yer, that was one of my main reasons for doing it as well.

No room at all in the back seat for anyone to have feet - If you don't have feet you're fine!

yer, that was one of my main reasons for doing it as well.

No room at all in the back seat for anyone to have feet - If you don't have feet you're fine!

Lol, my toolbox gets it's own seat :P

Great idea!
If you were concerned about the upper edge of the tin, there's flexible mouldings (like older model car door trim), or even the old "split garden hose" trick.

I think Bunnings etc would have rubber - possibly self-stick - you could line it with.. OR (in NSW) Clark Rubber (of inflatable backyard pools fame) have had offcuts of neoprene quite good prices a while back.

Best idea I've had was using the old bulky "Motorola Bag Phone" bags as tool bags - most of the club are probably too young to understand what I'm talking about - LOL!! They were a vinyl bag about 30cm x 15cm and 10cm or so high - they held the battery/brain of early analogue mobile phones, with handset on top under the vinyl/velcro flap. I've got 2 of em for the "every day" and "back-up" set of spanners etc.

Nice work.

Personally get yourself a welder, and weld one up with a lid but hey, atleast its functional.

If I need to bring my tools, I just chuck my toolbox on the backseat, all 40odd kg of toolbox/tools......so damn impractical lol

Best idea I've had was using the old bulky "Motorola Bag Phone" bags as tool bags - most of the club are probably too young to understand what I'm talking about - LOL!! They were a vinyl bag about 30cm x 15cm and 10cm or so high - they held the battery/brain of early analogue mobile phones, with handset on top under the vinyl/velcro flap. I've got 2 of em for the "every day" and "back-up" set of spanners etc.

those phones were awesome

great idea to, those bags were made to carry weight.