Since starting to do more traditional woodworking over the past year, I have built up (amassed) a set of hand tools. They had no home in my workshop. Some were on a pegboard, others on shelves, under my workbench, in boxes, etc. I think I spent more time moving things around to make room and hunting for tools than actually making anything.
The upper unit stores all of my hand tools. The lower unit stores a number of the handheld power tools I use, including a router, random orbital sander, and a jigsaw (thought I can’t remember the last time I used the jigsaw for anything). These had been scattered around the shop in various tool bags. Using the lower unit for these adds good weight to the bottom and keeps the shop organized.
The hinges and lifts are from Lee Valley. The hasp, casters, and the cabinet lock for the lower unit are from the BORG. The finish is Lexington Green milk paint from Old Fashioned Milk Paint. Two coats, sanded 320 in between and topped with paste wax. The top silhouette is from a photo my wife took of our two cats sitting in a window.
I still have a few finishing touches to do on it, including an upper saw till for panel saws and some storage for pencils, marking knife, and similar. I may add chest lifts to the lower unit as well.
Addendum: The chest and bottom casters. However the floor of my workshop is most definitely not. Shims are added to keep everything appropriately upright.
The carcase is dry fit to ensure things are linked up prior to gluing. That’s a union No 7 plane for size reference in the front. I thought I had everything square when I did glue up, but it turned out that the sides narrow a bit toward the top. I would definitely proceed a bit differently regarding glue up if I were to build this again. I glued the shelf and dovetails at the bottom all at the same time. I’m thinking I should have glued the dovetails (and ensured squareness), then done the shelf (using its length to correct anything out of square).
Pre-hardware closed chest.
I finished the finish tonight… this is Lexington Green milk pain from Old Fashioned Milk Paint. Two coats mixed 2-1 water to powder, sanded at 320 between coats, rubbed down with paper to knock off the dust/chunks, and paste wax on top. I finished installing the hinges tonight. I am still deciding whether or not to to go back and install a hasp. If I do, I’ll need to cut a mortise for the barrel and plate into the lid.
The lifts came with a thick black coating. I wasn’t a fan so I took a wire cup wheel to them to remove some of the coating. They were then topped with paste wax to protect the cast iron.
The empty upper interior. I made a double rack. The back (slotted) portion holds various measuring devices, including a small double square, my 12 inch combination square, a few sets of dividers, inside and outside calipers, bevel gauge, and protractor. The front portion holds chisels, marking gauges, screwdrivers, an awl, and, center punch, additional dividers, and a depth gauge.
I was originally going to try to fit 4 saws in this till. Three in the front part and a small gents saw underneath. While it would “fit”, there was no way to actually get the saw in an out. The dividers in here prevent my planes from banging around. Because the sides of the chest are only 3/4″ thick, the #12 screws holding the lifts on came through. I cut the ends off with a hacksaw blade and filed them flush with the sides.
Now it’s time to build the lower unit. I’ve already cut out the top, bottom, and sides as well as and planed square. Here, I’ve gang cut tails on the two side pieces.
Now it’s time to build the lower unit. I’ve already cut out the top, bottom, and sides as well as and planed square. Here, I’ve gang cut tails on the two side pieces.
First set of matching pins cut. They required a bit of paring to get a good dry fit.
All four corners are cut and the carcase is dry fit.
Carcase all glued and clamped up. It ended up being much more square than the top unit.
The carcase is now glued up and cut nails were driven into all of the tails. The front pieces and back pieces have all been cut to length and cleaned up. After choosing board order and jointing edges, the back boards now need tongue and groove cut into them.
The back and front boards are joined to the case with #8 wood screws.
Slight gaps were left between the tongue and groove boards to allow for wood expansion. You can also see that the boards (front and back) extend 3/4″ above the top of the case. This will be used to hide the cleats from the upper chest.
Adding a chamfer to the cleats for the top of this unit.
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