How's this handle made?

[Feet 'n Inches]

You need thin wall tube to make them like the one on the toolbox.

There's a bag full of unwanted, thin-walled steel tent poles at my local Shed so if I ever feel the need . . .

Good advice about the welded seam.

 

[bricol]

A lot of over-complication going on - its only a box handle. Take the above thin wall tube - squish, cold, in vice as suggested - more controlled, easier, than hammering - no marking too. Trim to length.

And as suggested - draw it out, work out the sequence and away you go - if I, as a mainly CAD jockey, can do it, then anyone with half a mind can I'd probably make the top first though, and make the rather easier lower section to match it.

Maybe just blast it, paint it, and re-present it back

 

[Will!]

Not so much miss them, with me. I just tend to skip them completely if it's above a short sentence or two. Crap attention span.

I get to the end of posts and I've totally forgotten what I'd written at the start sometimes.

I would heat the tube 'cherry red' and squash it in the vice (actually I'd do it in my 60 ton press but I'm assuming that you don't have a press!) - charcoal BBQ would easily do the heating.

Heed the good advice regarding location of the weld if it's not seamless drawn tube.

I have at my disposal for squashing: a foot, small Record No 2, a hammer, a car.

A lot of over-complication going on - its only a box handle. Take the above thin wall tube - squish, cold, in vice as suggested - more controlled, easier, than hammering - no marking too. Trim to length.

And as suggested - draw it out, work out the sequence and away you go - if I, as a mainly CAD jockey, can do it, then anyone with half a mind can I'd probably make the top first though, and make the rather easier lower section to match it.

Maybe just blast it, paint it, and re-present it back

Then I'll have given away the good toolbox and be stuck with my own wonky attempt.


Thanks for the advice. I'll not be folding mine, just making it from welded plate - I presume if I tack weld at a glacial pace, it'll stay straight!

 

[Agroshield]

With a box+pan folder, or press brake, with fingers sized to the job. So you can get in to fold the last two sides.

You cannot make it with a box and pan folder, fingers or no. The original has all four horizontal edges radiused (bent). A box and pan can give you only three of those four. The only welded edges on it are the vertical edges. Think about what was suggested: it equates to a seamless hexagonal tube with the ends bent down, welded up and then cut in half.

 

[bricol]

You cannot make it with a box and pan folder, fingers or no. The original has all four horizontal edges radiused (bent). A box and pan can give you only three of those four. The only welded edges on it are the vertical edges. Think about what was suggested: it equates to a seamless hexagonal tube with the ends bent down, welded up and then cut in half.

Before I leap in with "oh yes you can", you might have to explain your thinking in why you can't make the four sided box from one piece?

A very quick google . .

I waited a long time until I found my Edwards box and pan - makes such things so easy. I missed having access to a simple powered 6ft box and pan, and then a 3m hydroform when I changed jobs - arrived at the current place to find they had a 12" box and pan in crap condition!

 

[Agroshield]

Before I leap in with "oh yes you can", you might have to explain your thinking in why you can't make the four sided box from one piece?

Sorry. I did not explain very well. My original response was prompted by Mr PonyShoes comment that "If you want to get all the edges flush make it as one piece then cut it in half afterwards."

Now, the OP wants a facsimile of his father's original. If we look at that, it has four folded edges (all horizontal and all slightly radiussed), four pairs of welded edges (the vertical legs of the top and bottom) and four horizontal cut edges (lid/base joint).

It is the four horizontal folded edges that create the problem for the box and pan. You could make three of these edges, but the fourth one is where the beginning and end of the piece of sheet meet. That would have to be a different type of joint to a fold (welded, riveted, lock seam, etc.) and thus would not replicate the construction of the original.

I did not want him to start down a plausible-sounding road, only to find that it is actually a dead end. If it is to come out identical to the original, it has to be made as two loaf tins and the joint fitted together.

 

[Munkul]

I hadn't spotted the folded corners I assumed the usual practice of folding spot welding tabs on each side, and folding the sides up from the base.

I assume the base is made seperately with fold-up tabs, and welded/brazed/spot welded in place?

 

[awemawson]

You are worried about the fit of the lid. The lid sides are tapered by the look of your picture. Make the lid deeper than needed, press onto the base to the position that gives you a snug fit, and go round it with a surface gauge and make a line at that point and trim the lid back to the line. Magically you have a perfect snug fit.

 

[Munkul]

I hadn't spotted the folded corners I assumed the usual practice of folding spot welding tabs on each side, and folding the sides up from the base.

I assume the base is made seperately with fold-up tabs, and welded/brazed/spot welded in place?

Going back to the OP, the corners are oxyfuel welded, and presumably linished back to give that nice rounded look. So it's a conventional construction with the sides folded up from the base, and welded.

 

[bricol]

Sorry. I did not explain very well. My original response was prompted by Mr PonyShoes comment that "If you want to get all the edges flush make it as one piece then cut it in half afterwards.".

Ah - apologies. I hadn't actually taken in his post - your comment makes sense now. I knew how I'd do it - the same as you, two folded tins.