Zachary Taylor Project 1: Tool Tote

My project in "How to Make" was a tool tote that I have been working on for the past three weeks. I designed it in CAD during week one, then built it in the Makerspace during weeks two and three. I had worked with hand power tools expensively in the past, but never while following a CAD design, so this project was a wonderful opportunity to learn a new way to aid handmade builds! This post will go over some of the process from CAD design to finished tool tote, as well as the results and some reflections on what I could have done better and will try to improve in future projects.

Process. 

This design started on the computer with Fusion 360. I followed Ryan Hodge's tutorials to create the basic design for the tote, tweaking some dimensions (like the handle) to suit my own needs. I used parametric design for ease of changing dimensions in the future should I find the need to do so. After creating the CAD design, I created a drawing to print out and use while creating the tool tote in the Makerspace. I added measurements to show me how big pieces needed to be, and what I needed to do to assemble it.

After CAD design was finished, it was time to build! I planned by cuts by taking measurements on the provided plywood material, then used the chop saw to make the initial cuts. I used the band saw to cut the smaller pieces, then sanded everything till it was the right size. For the middle piece with the handles, I made the first piece by hand, then used a table router to make an identical piece from the reference part. I had never used a router before, so it was a great learning experience.

Taking Measurements

Cutting on the band saw

Sanding parts to size

Copying a part on the router

After the pieces were all cut to size, it was time for assembly! I used clamps to hold the outer box frame in place while I drilled guide holes for the screws, then used an impact driver to screw the whole thing together. I countersunk the screws for a nice finish! By doing the outer box first, I ensured that everything would fit snugly inside - when fitting the handle section later, I sanded it until it made a nice interference fit, then clamped it and screwed it in place. Finally, I screwed the bottom on. At the very end, I ran the bottom edge of the tool tote on the table router to bring it to its final size, and to make it flush with the rest of the tote. It turned out nicely!

Fitting the handles to the outer frame

Assembling the handle section - I'm pointing to where I'm going to drill the holes!

Cleaning up the bottom on the router to bring it flush with the rest of the tote

Results.

In the end, the tote turned out quite nicely! I made sure to sand all the surfaces with an orbital sander, and to round off all the edges that one might come into contact with during use. My tote is study and flush at all its joints, and I am proud of the payoff from all the hard work over the past three weeks!

Here are a few more photos of my tote to show off my results:

Rounded corners

I tried my best to make the corners look great!

Flush bottom

Reflection.

I definitely made some mistakes along the way that I would like to work on in the future. For starters, I should have known that the chop saw's blade is about 1/8th inch thick! When I was taking measurements, I didn't take this into account. This added about an hour of re-fitting and re-measuring to the process, ultimately sizing down the entire project by around 1/8th inch all around due to this error. In hindsight it was silly to assume that the blade would have no thickness!

I now think I should have constructed the outer perimeter first, just like when I assembled. That way all the measurements would have been easier than trying to be precise from the beginning - all I'd need to do is get the outer perimeter correct and then the other pieces could just be fit to that. Ryan ended up suggesting this along the way as well - what a great idea! It certainly would have sped up the process.

Overall, this was a great experience and I really enjoyed building my tool tote. As a bonus, I'll actually get to use it as well! It isn't often that your schoolwork results in a useable tool - this is much better than an essay!