Steel Lock Box Plans
Following are some diagrams that show how I'm planning on building my steel lock-box to replace the wooden one I have in the back. Basically, the emphasis is on having a secure place to store all my tools/parts/equipment that I like to carry around with me, without having to worry about it. I drive around for nine months of the year with the top off, so it has to both look and be very strong and secure.
Please note that these plans are not final in any sense of the word. This is just what I am planning on doing, and is completely off the top of my head (i.e., I haven't actually built this yet, nor have I done any serious design work on it). Also, there are a couple of problems with this design that I haven't completely worked out yet, mainly dealing with how the lip on the lid and the rain lip are shaped relative to the arc that the lid passes through as it opens. This is just a rough start...
Here we have a rear
view of the box. The
part on the bottom,
which fits across the
bed of the Jeep, is 36"
inches across (which,
coincidentally, is how
wide the Jeep bed is). It
sticks out an extra 4" on
each side at the top,
which is enough to give
me a little more space
but not enough to interfere with the roll-bars. The bottom section is 11" high, and the top
section is 12" high. I'll be using a brass high-security deadbolt lock from a house door to
hold the lid down (one of the type with a triple interlocking bolt).The shelf formed by the overhang on each side will be extended inward about 8", to
form two upper shelves that are 12" wide by 30" long. These extensions will have a 3"
vertical lip along the edge, to help keep stuff that's on the shelf on the shelf. The shelves
will be made from expanded steel grating, to allow me to see what's hiding under the
shelving in the back corners. I'll mount a pair of compression struts on the inside to hold
the lid open, and I'll wire in a contact switch with an interior light on the lid.
This shows the side view, with the lid
partially raised. The entire box is 30"
long, which is enough to go to the front
of the rear fenderwells, and still provide
a 4" space behind it to put my
half-doors while I'm 'wheeling.Construction of the box will be 1/16" steel plate, with some angle-iron & plate reinforcement at appropriate places. It will be welded together, and will be completely watertight. It will be bolted into the Jeep bed, with appropriate sealents used on the attachment points to retain its water-tightness.
The lid will have a triangular anti-tampering
ledge next to it, running all the way around,
which will be part of (i.e., welded to) the main
box. This is to prevent people from attempting
to pry the lid open with a crowbar. It will also
have a gasketed rain lip, to help keep the inside
dry.