I am making a tool box cake for my husband's company picnic (he works at a Ford dealership). I want to make one of the stand up tool boxes (like the ones mechanics use). What would be the best way to get one high enough? Make several 9x13s and fill and stack them? Should I use dowels to keep them sliding around? I had read that I should use bc filling to help stabalize the layers instead of other fillings....what is ya'lls take on this? This will be my first attempt to do a "sculpted" cake. I am planning on using MMF to cover it. This will help on the sturdyness (word?) of the cake won't it? One last question....where can I get the candy molds for the tools like the ones in the galleries? They look almost full size but our local stores don't carry any. I've started hunting the internet, but no luck yet. Sorry about all the questions and thanks for all your imput and advice.
Bake Well!!
Sorry I can't help with the molds, but for stacking and sculpting here is my suggestion... you will hopefully get some other recommendations also.
1) Chill or freeze all of your cakes (if a lot of carving I would just chill)
2) Stack all the cakes/layers and carve shape.
3) dissasemble and put your filling between (for something sculpted I suggest just BC, but I am sure you could use another filling as long as it isn't really soft
4) Restack your layers, But every two layers put dowel and then cakeboard/support under the next to layers.....
5) Once stacked ice and decorate
Ok let me see if I can explain #4 a little more as that even sounds confusing to me and I know what I mean 
a-One layer
b-Filling
c-One layer
d-Insert dowels to heigth of cake
e-Get next two layers ready on top of cakeboard
f-Set layers ontop of dowels
g-continue steps d, e, f until all layers are stacked
On to step 5
HTH if any questions or you need a picture of what I am talking about let me know, I can draw and take a picture of it =)
Leily
I can't help you with the construction of the cake, but here's a candy mold that might be what you're looking for. They're not quite full size, but they're fairly large.
http://www.cincicakeandcandy.com/product.php?pID=3965
The whole mold is 9 1/2 inches long, so I'd guess the saw is probably about 7 inches, wrench probably 6 inches, others slightly shorter.
They're carpenter's tools, you might not need the saw, LOL, but the wrench, pliers, screwdriver and hammer would probably work . . .
hth!
Laura.
ok...construction is just that stack layers.
in the sketch I suggest 4 for the bottom and 3 for the top. (can change number of layers to get desired height.) The trick is the top three are not as wide as the bottom four. (see photo)
cakeboard under the top extension. dowels under cakeboard for support
two dowels all the way through top to bottom on extension side.
filling, BC that is stiff will hold better as opposed to jam/jelly/curd type filling...BUT you can blend those into a really stiff BC to get a firm "mousse" type filling.
mmf will cover nicely and allow you to add the detail like the handles etc.
and don't foget the "dusts" to get the silver accents, etc.
this site has a tool mold that may be what you need:
http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/mini.aspx?T=16&SubCatId=914
Hey Doug you took a picture of my toolbox! How did you find it? I just got the top part for my birthday a few months ago and the bottom one is even the exact same one I have =)
Good choice!
Leily
Edit: Ok so it is close, Mine has the griplatch handles also... Soo close!
May I please ask a stupid question? If the top 3 cakes are doweled and on a board, and the bottom four are doweled and possibly on two boards, how do you get support dowels to go all the way from top to bottom? (you can tell I don't stack tiered cakes, can't you?!) Thanks for answering-love the drawing!
have pencil sharpener...will sharpen dowels
and then hammer them in all the way to the bottom.
if really good at aiming...can preslit cakeboard w/ slit slightly smaller than dowel (my aim NOT that good.....sooooo....I sometimes preattach dowels to base and then lower tiers down over them.)
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