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TTTTT - Tiny Table Top Tool Toter

A small table top tool tidying system

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I have a few different areas I work in (inside room and a couple of small sheds) and invariably there are numerous small tools I use regularly that at any time are in a different space to the one I am in! I have lots of larger tool boxes but realised a small desktop tool organiser that can move would possibly save me some frustration! The TTTTT was born! As I am learning FreeCAD I decide I would use the LC interlocking workbench to make the design fit together with tabbed joints, which would work well cut on a lsercutter, but I cut this on my small CNC router (don't have a laser at home)!

The TTTTT main body assembly was drawn in FreeCAD and I then used the LC interlocking workbench to automatically add the tabs and slots to fit it together. I've been learning about this addon workbench and made a short video about it's use here.

Having used the tools to generate the tabs and to flatten the design into a single plane, I then used the Path Workbench to set up toolpaths to cut the main parts of the TTTTT. I also used the dog bone dress up tool in FreeCAD to add small extra cuts to make sure the internal corners of the pieces didn't contain a radius left by the tool. The TTTT is assembled from 3.1mm plywood and I cut all the pieces with a 1.5mm endmill... as it's what was in my CNC router at the time and I'm lazy. :)

side_3mm_tool_caddy.FCStd

The 3d printed tool caddy FreeCAD file. The holes in this are sized to 3.8mm to allow 1/8" tools to fit with some clearance.

x-extension-fcstd - 47.44 kB - 08/03/2020 at 10:41

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dremel_bit_caddy_TTTTT.stl

The rotary tool caddy (other brands than dremel are available...) STL file.

sla - 1.94 MB - 08/03/2020 at 10:39

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end_wall_5hole_holder_flattened.FCStd

This is the tool hanger shelf FreeCAD file that is fitted to the end of the TTTT.

x-extension-fcstd - 18.16 kB - 08/03/2020 at 10:39

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TTTTT.FCStd

The main assembly of the TTTTT FreeCAD file

x-extension-fcstd - 87.84 kB - 08/03/2020 at 10:39

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  • The Handle

    concretedog08/03/2020 at 10:46 0 comments

    I originally wanted to add a wooden handle but realised that to make a handle strong enough in wood it might have to be quite a large diameter, so I decided to add a metal handle. The handle is made from some 4mm threaded rod with a sleeve of some 6mm aluminium and a couple of nuts. It works well, is very slim so doesn't block access to the TTTTT main box and is strong enough to not flex even when the box is full. That's it for now... I might make a couple more accessories for the box but for now its just gone straight into everyday usage!

  • Adding the 3d printed tool holders

    concretedog08/03/2020 at 10:37 0 comments

    I wanted a way to be able to carry small rotary tool bits on the TTTTT without them just being chucked into the box to rattle around and not be found! Thinking about it I designed a quick slot on 3d printed part that had some holes to receive rotary tool bits. It needed a couple of iterations as I made the holes to shallow in the first attempt. It now holds the rotary tools well with them sat in a 24mm deep hole. The slot is a loose sliding fit so it has some retention when the TTTTT is being carried but it can be slid along the walls or removed really easily. I plan to make a couple of other accessories using this approach at some point, a through holed screwdriver holder and perhaps a small lidded tray for holding screws. 

  • Adding accessories - The tool hanger

    concretedog08/03/2020 at 10:32 0 comments

    Having put the main section together I designed and added some accessories to the assembly, I wanted to have a shelf on one end to hang tools like pliers off of so again I designed and cut this using FreeCAD (see the main details for a video on using the LC interlocking workbench to automatically add tab geometries to your projects). 

    I then continued to CNC rout this part and asseble and glue it onto the main body, it's certainly strong enough as it is but I would probably incorporate this into the main design next time adding tabs into the actual body of the TTTTT. I considered adding one of these to each end of the TTTTT but I like that you can push the flat back of the TTTTT up against a wall or back edge of a desk which you wouldn't be able to do if there were two of these. 

  • CNC'ing the main section

    concretedog08/03/2020 at 10:25 0 comments

    This is my first project on hackaday.io and I've already added a log item to the details section! Apologies... Will continue here!

    Having cut the main sections of the TTTTT on the CNC router I checked fit and glued them up. The first couple of panels required a little light dressing of the tabs as they were too tight having cut them with no tolerance/clearance. I adjusted the toolpaths so that I did a minus 0.2mm cut on subsequent parts which made them fit. It would be better if CNC routing to separate the paths so that just the tab sections are cut undersize rather than the contour of the whole part, but its definitely good enough for this project!

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