Are you still carrying around that beat out old tool box? Are the other racerslaughing at you and that dinosaur you are lugging around? Can't find anythingwhen you need it? Leaving things you need at home because the old fishing tacklebox is full? Does your slot box smell like fish?

If you answered yes to any or all of the above then SlotSide cansolve all your problems.

The plans that follow allow anyone with access to a table saw and a modicumof woodworking skill to walk into the local raceway with his head held high.Best of all you won't have to lay out the considerable cash most shops are askingfor a decent box. You're better off spending it on that new group 27 set upyou've been eyeing.

The SlotSide box neatly stores 6-8 cars in the 2 columns. Handtools tuck away in one drawer while small parts are organized in the seconddrawer. A shelf below the drawers may be used for larger tools like solderingparaphernalia. If you are serious enough to own a power supply it fits belowthe shelf in a spacious cubby. I use this space for a dremel and various otherclunky items. The car columns can also be used for any sized controller,even the formidably sized Omni fits in the small slot at the bottom. The doorsfeature shelves like those found on refrigerator doors and are used to storespare tires, tire glue, oiler or the myriad of other items that can be storedin film containers. I find this very useful, but for those of you who wantto save work the doors can be simplified to hinged boards.

A few words about construction and materials. The whole thing can be builtfrom:

• 4x4 1/2" plywood preferably with a oak or other hardwood veneer
• 4x4 1/8" hardboard for the dividers, shelf and back
• 2x2 1/4" plywood with hardwood veneer for door fronts
• 30" of 3/4" brass piano hinge
• Wood glue
• Stain and polyurethane finish
• Luggage handle, found in any shoe store
• A little patience
  Total cost about 20 bucks.

• Table saw, although a radial arm or sliding mitre saw will also do nicely. If you want to use hand tools then you better be skilful enough not to need my plans.
• Dado blade, although repetitive cuts with a standard 1/8" carbide will also work to make the dados and rabbets
• Framing or squaring clamp. You will need to fit the box to the two boxed doors so both better be square. You will also need the framing clamp for the drawers.
• All the various hand tools like a good tape measure, mallet etc that you need around the house anyway.

A few construction tips:

• It is not a hard project so go for it!
• When cutting grooves for dividers and drawer slides in the carcassset your fence and make all the cuts required at that distance before movingthe fence. For example 4 cuts 1/4" deep are needed for each car divider atthe same distance. That way everything will line up neatly.
• Use a little paraffin in the grooves where the hardboard slides. This can be done just by rubbing a candle into them. Your dividers and drawers will then slide like new shoes on a locker room floor.

The plans follow...

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4