My toolbox combines ideas from a number of other boxes that I’ve seen on job sites. It has flush handles in each end and one on top. This keeps the surfaces free of obstructions so I can stack things on it, use it as a work surface and, yes, use it as a step stool when being a little taller wouldn’t hurt. As shown in the drawing, there are beveled runners on the bottom of the box, making it slide easily on the bed of my truck.
The box is 11-1/2-in. by 12 in. by 32 in., so when it’s full of tools, it’s a heavy load. To save my back, I made a loop out of a 2-in. wide, 130-in. long seatbelt-type strap by sewing a 2-in. by 12-in. strip of touch fastener on each end. I slip the strap through the handles on the ends of the box so that the joint in the strap is sandwiched over my shoulder. That way, the touch-fastener bristles are forced together by the weight of the box. With my toolbox supported on my shoulder, it’s a breeze to open a door, climb a stairway or negotiate a tight spot.
—Rick Puls, Elkhart Lake, WI
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #54
