I throw myself at the mercy of the Toolbox Wars people: how does one go about doing the custom inserts for specific tools etc within the drawers of different shaped and sized drawers and toolboxes ‘levels’? I years ago it was dremmeled out foam and a heap of frustration. Are people 3D printing their stuff now? I’ve not done a single thing with 3D printing, so time, cost and being frustrated to trying to work it out… I’m also in a small country town where I can’t call on a specialist to help me out, paid or otherwise.
Kaizen foam is easy to cut with an Olfavknife (the kind with snap-off blades). You can set it to the depth you want and trace the object.
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Most people are either using foam or 3d printing. I do a combo of both depending on the need. Foam is great because all you need is a sharp knife and some patience. Foam is great for mobile applications. The downside is that once it’s cut you can’t change it without just replacing the foam.
For my box I started using the gridfinity system, where you 3d print a Grid and print inserts the plan on top. There are sites that will take pictures of your tools layer on a peice of paper and make the inserts. I’ve started using this method because you can adjust your layout much easier. So if you get a new tool it’s easier to rearrange.
The downside is you have to have a 3d printer and be proficient in using it. The inserts are two dimensional, since it’s only getting a top down view so some tools can sit weird in the inserts.
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The layered Kaizen foam and an assortment of knives is probably the easiest way to start, if a bit tedious and time consuming. Play around with different arrangements in your toolbox then take photos or trace it out on cardboard to transfer to the foam. Cut the outlines to the shape and depth you want and it turns out pretty well. There are heated tools you can use to smooth out the bottoms of the cutouts if you are so inclined but it usually peels away pretty cleanly.
I got the chance to use a CNC mill once to cut foam, which used a high speed drill bit. It was not any less time consuming because I was constantly having to stop the machine and clean remove foam from the bit but it was more repeatable.
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