biminitwist

Let me start off by saying I’m no Capt. Ken, but I like to build my own stuff when the need arises. I hope this helps some of you if you have the same problem I did.
Like many of you, I have amassed quite a number of knives over the years and only a few (mostly hunting and fillet knives) have their own storage and transport container, i.e., a sheath.
So what to do with all those loose knives rattling around in the kitchen drawers and tackle boxes getting dull, chipped, and damaged? And when you need them, what good do all those blades do back in the kitchen? Here’s what I did for about five bucks. I made a knife storage bucket that meets my three main criteria:

• Functional
• Quick & easy
• Cheap

It’s kind of a take-it-with-you knife block, which holds a bunch of knives and gear.

Step one:

Go to Firehouse Subs and get 2 of their used five gallon pickle buckets (with lids). They cost $2.00 each and the donation goes to help buy firefighting gear. You’ll also need a small handsaw of some type and a pop rivet gun and a handful of rivets. You could substitute small screws I suppose, but I used rivets. A cordless drill and a small bit will help move things along faster. In a pinch, you could heat up a nail and melt a hole. And one of those Sharpie marking pens helps, too. NOTE: Ensure you do your ALL measuring before you do any cutting or riveting. Captions located above the accompanying photo.

Step two:

Leave one bucket intact, and set it aside. Take the other and cut the bottom off about two inches up. Cut out a hole leaving about 1 1/2 or 2 inches of flat “rim” in the bottom. Then cut the edge and rim all the way through as shown. This allows the bottom to be expanded to snugly fit inside the other bucket about midway up. Slide that rim piece into the other bucket and mark with the Sharpie where you want the blades to be held. Since my longest blade is about 10 inches, I put mine about 10 ½ inches up. Your mileage may vary. Cut off a small piece of scrap from the bottom hole center and rivet on the inside corners of the rim, as shown. Next photo shows more detail.
Saw the top off the same bucket that you cut the bottom from, about one inch below the handle ridge. You want that midsection about as long as your longest blade, plus about a half inch or so.




Step three:

Before you go any further, assemble the knives you want to carry and figure out the number and size of slits you need. I figure at least three or four knives, but you go with what you need. As you can see I went overboard here because I had a butt-ton of blades and got tired of them cluttering up my kitchen. I’ll post about the other drawer of knives later. That’s a separate project. Form the slits, using various lengths to accommodate your blades; long slits for the wide blades, short for smaller or narrower blades. I used the drill and bit to get them started, then cut the rest out with my pocket knife. Take the remaining mid section and slit it vertically as shown.




Step four:

Roll the midsection up and place it in the bottom hole you cut. Let it overlap an inch or two, mark it and cut off the excess. In this photo, the mid section is upside down, the notches go on the bottom for air circulation. The other bucket will have holes drilled in it (top and bottom) for air and drainage, also. Make sure you leave the midsection long enough to reach past the slotted rim, as this tube protects your other gear from the bare blades.



Step five:

Drill about 8 or 10 small holes and fit the slotted rim into place, and rivet solidly. If you like more space, drill and rivet the top section onto the other bucket as well. It creates a lot more space and adds very little weight.




Here’s another shot. This is with the inner protective tube in place – note the bottom notches. Have you noticed a problem, yet? It’s kind of obvious when you think about carrying it around and tossing it in the truck. The blades are free to rock and swing back and forth.




That’s right. Sharp, dangly bits, swinging to and fro, with blade edges banging into each other behind that tube. That’s hardly any better than the kitchen drawer.
So the next photos are how I fixed it, and how it works, cheap and simple. I pulled the tube out and zip-tied a short section of a pool noodle (about $1.00) to the bottom of the slotted rim. The blades don’t swing, get dull or rattle. The friction of the foam noodle holds everything in place nicely. When the foam wears out, I have enough left over for about two more replacements, all for a buck.







Yeah, it’s a bit of overkill. But when’s having extra knives on hand ever been a bad thing?

And here’s a couple of photos of the bucket suspended upside down with all knives inserted. I wouldn’t advise standing underneath it, but as you can see, nothing fell out.





Better view upside down:




The addition of the top section allows all the following additional items to fit in one bucket: Four silicone cutting mats, shelf liner to hold the mats in place, roll of paper towels, diamond sharpening rod, zip-loc baggies, oyster knife, poultry shears, knife steel, ice pick, Kevlar glove, hand towel and a few other minor items.
I can’t fit a cutting board in there, but I’ve already got that solved with another project.





Here they are laid out.






Almost forgot: For us klutzes, don’t leave your first aid kit (brown bag) behind. And don’t forget to drill drainage holes for moisture and air circulation (top and bottom).




I removed the bottom handle after the shot. Here is what it looks like buttoned up and ready for travel (you did save the lids, didn’t you)?



I leave it in the truck until I need it, then stash it back until I get home and keep it in the garage until the next trip. I suppose you could leave it on your boat or dock, if you’re able to secure it. It also makes a handy seat.
I think even the good Captain would appreciate it. Total time was about 2 hours start to finish, with no plans or anything but an idea. Now that you have the photos, I figure about 20 minutes, tops.
By the way, the orange mason’s twine on the knife handles is spar varnished to keep it water proof. Why the twine? All knives look alike. It lets me know that these items go back in my bucket. I have some more wrapped in green twine. But that’s for the other project (with the cutting boards) and for another day.
I’m happy to entertain any ideas for improving this or making it easier or cheaper, first run production and all that. It’s more of a proof of concept, really. Thoughts, comments and criticisms are welcome.

Hope this helps.


BT

ycanti

That is sweet

MrFish

+1 that's cool.

__________________
><((((º> Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.
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captken

I love it!
Where did you find that hot orange bucket!

__________________
Captken
http://www.panhandlefishingbooks.com/

biminitwist

"Where did you find that hot orange bucket! "


Firehouse Subs, $2.00 each. So far the only “down side” has been the pickle smell, which I suppose you could avoid by using another source for your bucket. It’s fairly strong and lasts a long time. The smell I mean. And the bucket does, too, now that I think of it. I built this some months ago (OCT 2010) and it still smells like kosher dills. But the smell doesn’t affect the function of anything in the bucket. Anyway, the circles I run in, smelling like food isn’t exactly a negative thing.

Glad you liked it.

BT

LastMango

very creative. i like it!

coolbluestreak

Ha, very nice creation

sykomommie

That is so cool. Excelant job.

Charlie2

An outstanding presentation.

It couldn't have come along at a more opportune time because I was about ready to throw some knives out.

Now; I can store them without cutting my hands while fumbling through a stack of knives to find the right one.

The pickle smell is the least of my worries!

Again; outstanding presentation. C2

Fish-n-Fur

Bimini, nice job.
Use the top as a cutting board, or throw a frisbie in the bucket for a cutting board. The frisbie has sloped up edges to contain blood, etc when cutting bait. Either way, the top or a frisbie makes for easy clean-up.
Might want to carry some dawn liquid detergent and lemon juice for clean-up and odor control. Again, good job!