Time to buy some new tools

[Ron Coleman]

I just finished this new tool chest and now it's time to go shopping for some tools. This one really isn't for shop tools, but for a collection of antique drafting instruments.

Built from resawn air dried 8/4 walnut, all from the same tree. Lots of precision woodworking to get it all to fit. I made the hinges and front latches from solid brass along with the lid stay. I bought the brass chest handles and drawer pulls. The finish is water based poly over shellac.

The best secret I learned from building it is the secret of applying the felt lining. Forget the spray adhesives and sticky backed felt. Without a doubt, hot hide glue works with the least mess and bother. Just brush a coat on the wood and drop the precut felt in place. I was on a roll by the time I got 25 drawers done. Works like a charm. A hot iron and a little water will soften the glue for repairs too.

Ron

[Ken Werner]

Drooled on my keyboard Ron. Nice work.

[Bruce Page]

Very nice work! I need a towel..

[keith ouellette]

that is great work.

Is there a mechanism that holds all off those drawers shut while the box is in transport or is it really just supposed to be stationary?

[gary Zimmel]

Now thats a tool chest....

Beautiful job Ron. Did you use a plan?

[Ron Coleman]

that is great work.

Is there a mechanism that holds all off those drawers shut while the box is in transport or is it really just supposed to be stationary?

Thanks Keith

If you raise the front panel into place and close the lid, the drawers will only move about a quarter inch. Closing the lid engages two small pins that lock the panel so nothing falls out.

Ron

[Ron Coleman]

Now thats a tool chest....

Beautiful job Ron. Did you use a plan?

I studied a few online sets of plans but most of the design is based on the H Gerstner and Sons tool chests. Most dimensions were just done by eyeball. Stock thickness was mostly half inch for the body of the chest. I spent most of my time laying out the drawers and the drawer dividers full size. The chest measures 24 wide 18 tall and 11-1/2 deep.

A few views of the construction.

Ron

[John Thompson]

Excellent detail and it looks fantastic. You got some coins tied up in just hardware alone.. much less hours of detail. But.. it paid off from the results.

Sarge..

[Dewey Torres]

LN and Vertias are about the only modern tools worthy of that baby! Happy shopping.

[Jim Kountz]

This is an excellent job, I have been putting this project off for a long time. Then going back and forth between a wall hung or benchtop like you built. You really have me thinking about one of these now!! I gotta finish the lowboy Im working on first though!!. Once again, fantastic job, it looks great!!

[John Eaton]

I made a similar chest many years ago to hold art supplies - not as nice as yours as it was made entirely of walnut scraps and reclaimed cedar flooring - one difference in my design - I let the top front overlap a rabbit built into the front lid so the top basically holds the panel in to prevent the drawers from sliding out. I also put full partitions between the drawer layers as I didn't want anything to prevent the drawers from sliding out. Also I used a piano hinge as mine is much thicker and I have a few full-width drawers (one thin for drawing triangles and another for compass sets) and the back panel is plywood. I never really completed the box - there aren't any lid stays to keep the lid from flopping over backwards on mine - I just lean it against a wall. You may have inspired me to complete it. Where did you buy your hardware - the side handles? Did you make the lid stay because you couldn't find one that worked? I had an issue with that as well - almost just screwed a chain in there.

-- John

[John Keeton]

Ron, that is beautiful! Lot of work involved, but it certainly shows. Not sure if it is more attractive with the drop down door open or closed!

Great work on the hinges as well. Did you machine them or cut them by hand? Solid stock drilled for the pin and worked down?

[Ron Coleman]

Where did you buy your hardware - the side handles? Did you make the lid stay because you couldn't find one that worked? I had an issue with that as well - almost just screwed a chain in there.

-- John

John

The side handles are from Lee Valley and are solid brass. They are very nicely made and only $18.50 for the pair. It's interesting that these handles are an exact match to the handles on a cedar chest my dad made 79 years ago when he was in high school. The ones on the cedar chest have a copper finish and I'm not sure if they are brass or cast iron but they are a perfect match.

I ended up making the lid stay. I found some online but most of the really nice ones were too big and didn't have the right type of end attachments. Plus they were big bucks, some over $70 for a pair. I made mine out of a few dollars worth of brass and probably ended up only costing me about $700 in labor.

[Ron Coleman]

Ron, that is beautiful! Lot of work involved, but it certainly shows. Not sure if it is more attractive with the drop down door open or closed!

Great work on the hinges as well. Did you machine them or cut them by hand? Solid stock drilled for the pin and worked down?

Thanks John.

I saw some really nice Japanese knuckle hinges on the web but they were $36 each. Wow this tool chest was going to cost a small fortune by the time I got it done.

The hinges were made from 5/16 round stock and 3/16 flat bar stock and silver soldered together. The tricky part was getting a nice fit at the solder joint. I don't have much in the way of metal working equipment except a good supply of files and know how.

I used my wood lathe to drill and finish the round pieces and bandsawed the flat stock to shape on my 16" Jet. Then it was time for lots of filing. The actual joint between the round and flat parts was made by filing a cove on the edge of the flat stock. I silver soldered the parts as pairs with a stainless steel pin between them to keep things lined up. Would you believe you can actually melt brass with a propane torch, Oops.

[Larry Fox]

Wow Ron - that is a REALLY nice box. Lots of wonderful detail there. Love the walnut.