Maker's Magic Toolbox

I am proud to present my latest project, the Maker's Magic Toolbox!

The Toolbox is a variant of the classic Magic 8 ball game, with an inspirational maker angle. I really tried to pack the Toolbox with good Maker positive advice while keeping it fun. I hope that some makers manage to get something positive from the experience.

Stick around to the end for a demonstration of the Toolbox in action!

• CNC
• Fusion360
• 1/32" endmill
• HDPE cutting board
• 1 beautiful board
• Latch and hinges
• Handle (or steel to make one)
• DIY snowglobe
• Yellow food dye

I started the toolbox project by prototyping a 2” triangle with the raised words “MAKE SOMETHING”.

I modeled the triangle in Fusion360 and carved it out of a cheap hdpe cutting board with my cnc, after first testing to make sure it floated. The size of the letters are tiny, and I needed to use a 1/32” endmill bit. Because the bit is fragile, I kept the speed at 15ipm and depth to .01” per pass.

The triangle came out great, but it would make a huge die so I downsized it to 1.5”. Next I cut out 7 more.

I beveled the back of each edge of each triangle on the belt sander.

Using hot glue, I stuck 4 triangles into a pyramid shape, and did the same with the other 4.

After filling each side completely with hot glue, I stuck both halves together into an octahedron.

The die needs to be filled, otherwise it will be too buoyant and it would leak bubbles into the globe.

Note: The original 8-ball toy had a die with 20 sides, but that would have been too large so I went with 8 instead.

I modeled the entire Toolbox in Fusion360 and used it to create toolpaths for each part. From the end view you can see that I made the inside of the box smaller than the globe by pushing the walls in then subtracting the overlap from the insides.

The wood used was a rough cut board of white oak burl. Each piece was surfaced flat on one side with the cnc, then flipped and carved into shape with 3d adaptive clearing paths.

Each of the outer sides of the box also got a thin horizontal line with a v-bit at the same height, to give the appearance of a lid.

First I cut the negative text into the roof about .1" deep using a 1/32" flat endmill. VERY CAREFULLY. As in 10ipm and .01 depth per pass carefully. Then using the same bit and settings I cut the positives .15" tall from mahogany. I used a flush trim saw to remove the letters from the block, and pushed them into the negative with some glue. Since the letters were taller than the negatives, they stood proud of the surface allowing me to sand them down to perfectly flush and smooth!

Note: This step can be optional, if you buy an off the shelf handle.

I started with a sheet of 22 gauge steel, and used an angle grinder to cut it into strips.

I beat it into submission (and the proper shapes) with a hammer, then welded them together to form the handle.

Each end got a small metal dowel, and a small box which anchors into the lid and allows the handle to pivot while supporting the weight.

The handle was painted black, and the anchor blocks gold.

Once all the pieces were carved, I glued it together with wood glue. The angles were all awkward, so I just used tape to clamp it while it dried.

While the pieces were very accurate and fit well, I did end up with some small gaps on a couple edges. These were closed up by working wood glue and sawdust into the gap, then burnishing it with the side of a screwdriver.

The back panel is separate and is only attached with magnets, in case I spring a leak later I can access the globe. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

The next step was to add two coats of Simple Finish. It just wipes on with a rag, and excess is wiped clean 20-30 minutes later.

Now that the wood was gorgeous, I screwed on a faux latch and hinges to complete the look.

The handle was attached by the two end anchor blocks. The edges of each anchor block go at least 1/8" into the lid and are glued in with 5 minute epoxy.

With the toolbox complete, the last step was to fill the globe. I placed the die into the DIY snowglobe, and added two entire bottles of yellow food dye. The rest of the space was filled with filtered water.

Note: the original 8-ball toy is filled with alcohol, but I suspected that would be a potential problem for the hot glue eventually.

Once the globe is filled and all air bubbles have been worked out, the globe can be put into the Toolbox and the project is complete!

The Toolbox die will now magically choose one of the 8 answers that makers need to hear.

I chose questions to ask the Toolbox and answers to match them based on ideas that were positive and motivational, or maker related humor. They are as follows:

I'm bored, what should I do today? -Make Something

How can I take my next project up a level? -Try a new skill

The board is too big for my saw. What should I do? -Buy a new tool

Should I tell my wife how much the new tool costs? -Eff no

I'm feeling bummed out, what can I do to cheer myself up? -Help Out a Friend

My project didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. -Make next one better

I finally finished my project, what should I do next? -Pick up the mess

Is Because We Make the best maker podcast? -Hell yeah

I hope you enjoyed the process of making The Maker's Magic Toolbox. I also shot a video of me demonstrating the Toolbox in action, with added commentary on the positive motivational messages.