Long story deleted, I want to build a case or cabinet about 36" wide, at least 12 inches deep, maybe 16 inches deep and about 40 to 44 inches tall, total. Dovetailed case. Stopped dadoes for shelves.

A bit of that height is going to be 5" casters on the floor so I can move it around. Height will be tall enough for my saw till to sit on the top of the case, but low enough I could mount my saw till to the wall and just "park" this case under it.

Inside the case, I am planning for the top shelf to hold my joinery planes, I have a router plane and a rabbet plane here, with a plow plane on backorder at Lee Valley. My shoulder plane could go there too.

I want to store heavy stuff ( maybe cut nails in drawers) low in the case to lower the center of gravity. Back panel is to be decided. Likely my plow plane will get here before this item is in service, so T&G or shiplap boards accross the back is reasonable, especially given the current price of plywood.

So two questions.

1. I am going to build in either hickory or white oak. Local prices on these haven't changed while 2x4s are in the stratosphere. Knowing I want to pile heavy stuff in the bottom to keep my saw till from tipping over, would 4/4 stock be adequate for the outer case, or would you look for 6/4 for the case and use 4/4 for the shelves?

2. What other crap can go in there? I have looked at my electric router and small bit collection a couple times. I probably have 50# of cut nails on hand. Besides rabbet, router, shoulder and plow, what other joinery planes should I really plan to make room for? I have thought about a tongue and groove plane a time or two, but I ordered the TG irons with my LV plow and will try those out first. Woodies are out of the question, humidity swing here is too extreme. My spoke shave and draw knife collections seem to be growing.

Let me take another stab at a short version of the long story I already deleted. At my dream shop, standing at my bench with my leg vise under my non dominant hand I want to have my saw till, my sharpening station and my "ugly tool organizer" (recent thread in projects subform) easily to hand, like within 4-6 feet of where I am standing.

The space on the floor under the saw till is empty. It isn't big enough to store rough stock of any respectable size. I don't have a good place to have my joinery planes in easy reach, or my braces and auger bits. I probably will build a classic tool chest or three 'someday' but since I have a shop I don't need my tool storage to be tightly packed and portable; and I don't like bending over for stuff I use often. Whatever classic chests I build will most likely be full of well oiled, dust protected stuff I don't use often.

Appreciate Neander input, thanks.