Watching a Tool Box Get Made Is Immensely Satisfying

If you work on your own car, you probably own a tool box. The metal boxes on wheels are a mainstay for any handyman’s garage, and while they might seem simple, a lot of complex work goes into assembly.

The ChrisFix YouTube channel found out what it takes to turn a collection of metal into a fully functioning tool box with a recent visit to Craftsman’s assembly factory in Sedalia, Missouri. Chris, the channel’s host, is given free rein to walk the line, tracking steel as it’s cut, stamped, bent, welded, and riveted into what’s eventually a finished box. 

Craftsman uses a mix of robots and human labor to build each tool box, with most of the precise work, like cutting and stamping, being automated. Much of the actual assembly and the quality control inspections, though, are done by factory workers. 

The paintwork is fully automated, using a hanging monorail to clean the bare metal before applying paint via electrophoresis coating, which uses positively charged paint particles to bond with negatively charged metal. The bond occurs when the metal is submerged into the paint, cementing it to the metal on a microscopic level, according to Chris. 

Even if you’re not a huge DIYer, watching stuff get built in a factory is always entertaining, and usually educational. So we highly recommend taking a look.