[OP]
Contributor
Itching to get started building.....After the football bowl games is planned launch....
For materials for the carcass, back and front, what do you guys usually use?
Thinking solid hardwood for sides, carcass, dividers etc? and Ply for back and front panels?
What have you used? And how deep for main cabinet and the swing doors?
General DIMS would help too. Piano hinges or conventional?
Thanks, your general thoughts will get me started..
Jerry
Jerry
Contributor
My first thoughts on a wall cabinet is how will it be attached to the wall. A second thought for my humid area is how to install heaters (Golden Rod heaters come to mind) at the base and have airflow through the entire cabinet.
As far as depth is concerned the shelves or drawers should be deep enough to stow things like molding planes or rasps. For molding planes that means about a 10" depth between the front and the back.
My preference would be for piano hinges. Of course the doors should be able to hold some weight. Most likely the door would be a good candidate for a saw till and maybe storage of lighter tools. The doors may not be a good place for drawers or items on a shelf that may get dislodged if the door is closed with force such as a gust of wind.
If you plan to use layers as in the Studley tool box you will likely want to have turn buttons to hold tools in place. Also remember to keep the most used tools on the top layers and lesser used tools behind.
In such a case you also want to insure every tool can be reached or drawer opened, removed and replaced one handed.
Those are just a few thoughts...
jtk
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 01-01-2017 at 2:49 PM. Reason: wording, spelling
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
There is a good one shown in the latest edition of Fine Homebuilding or Fine Woodworking. Just saw it on the shelf at the supermarket. Believe it is a shop and tools edition.
Built by a woodworker and orthopedic surgeon, it is multi-layered like the Studley and others, but the rearmost leaves slide out side pockets on dovetailed ways. The doctor has quite the collection of chisels and gouges.
IMHO the only way to go about this is to clear a floor area and lay out your entire collection of tools, every last piece. Organize it into groups. Place them at close to the spacing you envision your storage unit will have. Only then will you get a feel for how many "leaves" you'll need.
Member
Based this on a photo of a cabinet from a German company called Wohngeist. I wish I'd devised a way to rearrange the tool hangers to accommodate new or different tools. It's walnut and canary wood, hung with a French cleat. Tool cab 1.jpgTool cab 2.jpg
[OP]
Contributor
Another beauty.....Almost too nice to USE...
Jerry
Contributor
This is a great thread. I have it in mind to make a tool cabinet, but I'm kind of liking the idea of repurposing an old armoire and installing tool racks and drawers within the existing carcass, should one happen to find a nice one at the right price.
My dilemma is I am always buying new tools and always afraid to build a cabinet and then change my mind on which tools to go in it. That's a horrible excuse, I do admit. I also just don't have time. That's a more honest excuse. I am soon going to be finished with this bench build now that my daughter has reached an age where she's a bit more independent (will be 4 in March) and I can break away for an hour to woodwork again. My to-do list after that is long. I MUST make a new front door and shutters (this is a double set of doors with a double set of storm shutters that close over the doors) and I have some saw plates that I need to make handles for. (4 of them). After that, I do believe the cabinet is next on the list, pending the other shutters on the house can last another year.
Contributor
This is a problem that runs through my mind all the time. Even the tools that see regular use will take up quite a bit of space. Does my tool storage solution need to take on a few traits of the minimalist? Do some tools need to be eliminated or stored in an alternate chest?Originally Posted by Malcolm Schweizer
Then comes the question of where to start?
With chisels and gouges, there are roughly five sets of chisels set up for different uses and then the duplicates. This doesn't include the gouges and carving tools.
With planes, of which one can never have too many, there are not only duplicates of many sizes, there are also many speciality planes for molding, rabbeting, plowing and trimming.
Where and/or how should all the squares, rules, marking gauges, braces and all the various other odd tools we accumulate be stowed?
How many drawers will be enough? How many sizes of drawers?
Some facets of the Studley toolbox are starting to look more appealing.
jtk
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 01-04-2017 at 3:33 PM. Reason: How many draws
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
That is a beauty Malcolm. Every scrap of space used.
Contributor
Beautiful job on the cabinet Todd! The pull out shelf at the base of the cabinet intrigues me. Other than the obvious answer of sitting objects on it, may I ask what you use it for?
Contributor
Todd, I'm also impressed with your cabinet! Thanks for posting.
Member
The drawers have small loose objects in them, like gimlets, spare marker and fret saw blades, shims for my spokeshave, etc. The drawers are shallow and there's no stop, so when I want something I just pull the drawer all the way out and set it on the shelf, which is lined with a piece of scrap leather.
Member
Here is my Frankenchest.....
It's a workin progress, started with a TV cabinet some friends gave to us. Was planning on building a real toochest out of maple and cherry, even have the lumber, but cold weather set in so I compromised.
made the doors to the design in my original plans, doing that ensures that I can build the carcass later without changing my design.
The draw raw back is the doors won't open a full 180 deg on this chest, no big deal really. If the doors had been designed for this cabinet, then it would not be an issue.
still working on the storage layout, and need to do some tweaking on the doors, but it gave me an incredible amount of storage, and got my tools off the wall. Plan on making some block plane cubby shelves inside the doors to free up some space on the plane till.
Again, it's under construction, just thought the pictures might give you some ideas....
Regards,
Andy
Frankenchest.jpgFC open.jpgFC Inside doors.jpgFC left.jpgFC right.jpg
Member
I did this around 2011, Schwarz design from one of his books and a magazine I'm sure.
The top section holds a #5, 6 and #7, remainder of the planes in the cubbies.
[OP]
Contributor
More great examples and ideas.....Thanks to all....Keep it going!!!
Jerry
Contributor
The chest that Gene Davis refers to above is featured in Fine WoodWorking Tools & Shops Winter 2017. The plans aren't included in the article. A video tour of that cabinet can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S409v9cOrBk
It is another great cabinet - designed for a rather extensive collection of chisels. It has tools nested 4 compartments deep. It has a neat feature that allows the third layer to slide out the side of cabinet (sort of like a pocket door).
Of course for the serious tool cabinet you have to check out Gary Zimmel's Neanderthal Haven (link to the end of the thread follows):
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...-drawers/page7
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