Originally Posted by
Stew Denton
My wife and I go on trips to see the kids and grand kids when we can, and neither set are just a short way away, both are a ways off. I sometimes take tools along to do work on something or other. It usually is a gut wrenching ordeal to clean out one of my carpenters tool boxes, find everything needed for the job (and usually a lot of things ending up not needed), it takes a lot of time to get it ready to travel, and sometimes I end up with 3 full tool boxes. What a pain.
I am thinking of a box that would be good for lots of general maintenance carpentry jobs, but not big jobs. It would be good for stuff like going with some from our church to do maintenance on the area church camp, where you have no idea what to expect when you get there. On some of those type deals you have several folks, but most long on good hearts but short of building trades skills. So most end up doing painting, clean up, etc., and a small number of us do the carpentry, etc.
I am thinking of a box that is nicely done, won't scratch stuff in the car, won't take up tons of room, and you could just grab and go.
Lately I have been thinking about setting up something permanent, a carpenters tool box made "on purpose" for just that kind of thing, with some tools more or less living in it permanently, but with a place for my electrical tool belt, and a tray with a minimal number of divisions for things like chisels, nail sets, etc.
The idea is to be able to do a lot, general carpentry, lots of flexibility, but not be set up for really big jobs.
My little 16" Disston #7 crosscut saws got me started thinking about this. They can do a very good job of full sized work, well, you give up some speed for sure compared to my full size carpenters saws, but you could do a lot with 2 of them, probably an 8 point rip and and a 10 point crosscut. (Finer teeth seem to work better on these smaller lighter saws.)
Obviously you take one 16 oz claw hammer, but my framing hammer stays home. Other things I thought about; nail sets, a couple chisels, combination square, and maybe my 1/2 size framing square, 16' tape, block plane, jack plane, brace with a small set of auger bits and an expansion bit, egg beater drill and a small set of bits, chalk line, 2' level, screw driver handle with hex bits, a stud finder, plumb bob, pliers/diagonal cutters/needle nose pliers, cats paw nail puller, utility knife, 3 or 4 quick grip clamps, a 1 lbs coffee can or small box with a supply of nails and screws, a fine point center punch....you get the idea.
Years ago I bought a very old carpenters tool box of that type, I think the original owner was a very old time carpenter out in the country I grew up in, and you had to carry your tools with you to the job, this was before the days of cars. His box was made of clear pine, and planed fairly thin where strength did not matter. It was completely enclosed and somewhat weather resistant, the top closed over the box, and in the top was a place for two panel saws laying flat wise in a small till. It was a long time ago, but the box was a bit over 2' long as I recall, probably 10" wide, and maybe 18" high, and I think it had handles on each end. Something of that sort, but smaller, would be ideal I think.
What are your thoughts? What should be in such a tool box? (This is for carpentry not fine woodworking.)
(A second, bigger box would be needed for bigger jobs that you would also take if you had reason to believe bigger jobs were likely, such things as a good but small to medium size miter box with back saw, small vise, full size carpenters saws, 1/2 inch drill, extension cord, ect.)
This project will have to wait a while though, too many irons in the fire, or maybe, is the whole idea not worth the trouble?
Stew
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