Work is slowly progressing on the set of drawers that will go in my Tacoma. The drawers, carcass, glides, latches, and stops are complete. This week I'll put the top on it and cover it with rubber matting.
August Workbench
- Thread starter Eric Patterson
- Start date
Those are looking great! What's your estimate of final weight?
Great work. Every truck owner should be so lucky as to have a set of your custom drawers. Or anything else you build.
BTW, some day I intend to steal your shop.
BTW, some day I intend to steal your shop.
Henry
I haven't weighed it but guess all said and done it will be around 150 lbs. Adding the top and rubber pad to it and the drawers will add some more weight along with the tops to the sides (not made yet). The real weight will be the contents like socket sets and wrenches and tractor pins and gear.
Huntindave McCann
Well-known member
That's going to give you plenty of traction for those 6 inch snow storms.
I had wondered what you were using for drawer slides. Didn't ask because I figured you were on top of that. Nice work all around.
Only thing I might alter is the latch. As built, the default position is in the "unlatched" position. Spring fails, gravity pulls the latch open. Adding a bit of weight to the proper end will reverse the default, to be "latched", until manually rotated against both the force of the spring and the pull of gravity.
Dave
I think my saving grace with the current design is the tailgate is up 99.9999% of the time I'm driving and it traps the drawers. Otherwise your point about the spring being a single point of failure is correct. I hadn't even thought about it until you mentioned it. Having a drawer slide out while travelling 75 mph down the interstate with tailgate down would be a bit of a downer.
I think my saving grace with the current design is the tailgate is up 99.9999% of the time I'm driving and it traps the drawers. Otherwise your point about the spring being a single point of failure is correct. I hadn't even thought about it until you mentioned it. Having a drawer slide out while travelling 75 mph down the interstate with tailgate down would be a bit of a downer.
Tom Barb
Active member
Nice work Eric. My only real complaint with my 23 Tacoma is the rear springs when carrying weight. I have a Leer Cap on full time, and I was going to go this route with making my own drawer slides before changing my mind and bought Sumo Springs to support the extra weight. They make it ride a bit rougher but definitely help when it is loaded down.
Tom
This is going in my 2013 hunting/work Tacoma. I have a 2023 daily driver too. I added air bags on the rear springs of the 2013. Toyota wimps out on the factory ones.
Thanks.
This is going in my 2013 hunting/work Tacoma. I have a 2023 daily driver too. I added air bags on the rear springs of the 2013. Toyota wimps out on the factory ones.
Thanks.
The drawer project is done. This one turned out better than I envisioned.
Richard Lathrop
Well-known member
Eric,
I am always impressed with your work.
Rick
I am always impressed with your work.
Rick
Rick
Thank you. This project was pretty straightforward. Careful measuring kept me out of trouble. This is the first project I've ever used European hinges. I'm glad to have broken the ice with them and will use them again.
Thank you. This project was pretty straightforward. Careful measuring kept me out of trouble. This is the first project I've ever used European hinges. I'm glad to have broken the ice with them and will use them again.
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Eric~
Great work all around, but.... From that second photo, it looks like you are in dire need of some tools to fill it up....
All the best,
SJS
Steve
Don't worry, I plan to hit estate sales in search of tools. I'll probably have two basic loads, one with tools for working at the hunting property on tractors, attachments, and blinds. The other load will be for hunting season and include, ammo, clothes, waders, propane bottles, heater, snacks, drinks, recovery straps, etc..
Don't worry, I plan to hit estate sales in search of tools. I'll probably have two basic loads, one with tools for working at the hunting property on tractors, attachments, and blinds. The other load will be for hunting season and include, ammo, clothes, waders, propane bottles, heater, snacks, drinks, recovery straps, etc..
That's pretty darn nice. You definitely have a retirement second career as a cabinet maker.
SJ
Thanks. I move too slow to be profitable at anything like that.
I still have to make tool trays. Something that will hold wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, etc., and stack. I fired up the dovetail machine last night to help a friend make a guitar amp. With it fresh on my mind I'll probably use it for joinery. Or I might just buy some tool rolls and skip the tool trays. Haven't made up my mind.
Thanks. I move too slow to be profitable at anything like that.
I still have to make tool trays. Something that will hold wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, etc., and stack. I fired up the dovetail machine last night to help a friend make a guitar amp. With it fresh on my mind I'll probably use it for joinery. Or I might just buy some tool rolls and skip the tool trays. Haven't made up my mind.
Dani
Well-known member
Eric, you did a great job with that build. I have considered something similar for the back of the Chevy. The two "problems" I have is that the cap is not really waterproof when it rains...water comes in from the back window somehow and I have yet to figure out the why....and I think that the wood on the bottom would just eventually rot. The other "problem" is that to have storage like you have, the dog crates will no longer fit in the back of the truck because they are too tall. So, I either need to get smaller crates (thus dogs that are always about Belle size and not Reggie size) or figure something else out for dog crates if I were to have storage like that.
The only thing I might consider is the handle holes for your flip up doors. Changing those to some kind of handle. Perhaps like a marine flush mount handle. I can tell you from experience getting something caught in holes like that is a major frustration when you are just trying to get one thing out of the back of the truck but end up having to pull out half of the truck because something is caught in a hole that you can't get out. That really is the only recommendation that I would make.
Dani
The only thing I might consider is the handle holes for your flip up doors. Changing those to some kind of handle. Perhaps like a marine flush mount handle. I can tell you from experience getting something caught in holes like that is a major frustration when you are just trying to get one thing out of the back of the truck but end up having to pull out half of the truck because something is caught in a hole that you can't get out. That really is the only recommendation that I would make.
Dani
Dani
Thanks. The reduction is height under the cap is a real limiting factor in most cases. I own two trucks and the other has no cap so I'll just use it when the new system won't work for what I'm hauling.
My caps leaks a bit too but I'm thinking the rubber mat and paint will protect it for the amount of water that it will see. Time will tell.
Flush mount pulls is a great idea. I knew I didn't want knobs because I could envision them getting knocked off when loading plywood.
Thanks. The reduction is height under the cap is a real limiting factor in most cases. I own two trucks and the other has no cap so I'll just use it when the new system won't work for what I'm hauling.
My caps leaks a bit too but I'm thinking the rubber mat and paint will protect it for the amount of water that it will see. Time will tell.
Flush mount pulls is a great idea. I knew I didn't want knobs because I could envision them getting knocked off when loading plywood.