Which size toolbox to make?

[john brady]

Hi Guys,

I want to build a wooden (Gerstner style) toolbox and would like to get some recommendations or suggestions on a size and layout. I want to be able to take it along with me when I go out on "calls" (general woodworking and repairs). I'd like one that will hold enough of my hand tools, but that's not too large to be a burden to haul around, but then again not too small that I can't fit in what I'd need. I'm currently using either a cloth tool bag or an open carpenter's A-frame style box.

I've looked at the Gerstner boxes. The large (92) looks to be too big for a take along box, but the 41 looks small, but is the style/layout I'm leaning towards maybe just making a tad larger.

I use a set of the steel (craftman) tool chests for all my hand tool storage, so this box will be strictly used for takeout (at least that's the current plan). So to try to come up with a size box I'd need, I laid out all the tools I usually take out with me onto my workbench and tried to picture how they fit in a box like that. I think I can get then into a box about the size of a Gerstner 41 or slightly larger.

I considered making it like the dovetailed wormy chestnut box in the WWJ issue (June '08) so I could use the plans and not have to start from scratch. I like the dovetailed corners, but think the full 3/4" thick stock they used on that box makes it look a bit heavy, and think the thick stock would take up a lot of the space of the box. I like the more minimalist look of the (1/2" thick?) frame of the Gerstner boxes, but think I'll try to incorporate some dovetails (such as sliding dovetails for the small drawer frames).

I'm also going to make mine out of mahogany for the frame and main parts, and maple for the inside. Mostly because I have those woods, and won't have to buy any material except for the hardware. But also because they will match the woods of my workbench (I built that last year).

Anyone here that's made one and can give me some suggestions or recommendation on the size or layout? Any tips or considerations I should be thinking about as I work on my design/drawings?

Thanks in advance for the help...JEB

[Matt Evans]

John,


Welcome to Sawmill Creek!

It might help if we knew which tools were going in the box. I know that everyone has a different methods of working, so they use different tools. If you have a list of your tools you take with you it would assist in any design.

Also, If you have the tools, how about weighing them up, just for grins? I was going to do the same thing for myself, but decided against it due to the sheer weight of the tools I take to any given job. I thought the toolbox would be heavy but manageable, but after weighing them and coming up with roughly 275# worth of tools I figured out that there was no way I would be able to lift the box by myself.

[mike holden]

John,
I built a box to carry my tools to classes. I decided that I needed to carry a #7 bench plane among others, so I built a box that was 24 X 18 X 6deep - far too large! I wound up using it twice then using a kennedy clamshell box, would only swallow a #5 but that is enough. If I need something larger, than I will carry it separately.
Make sure that what you build is something you can carry and put in your vehicle at the *END* of the day.
Good Luck!
Mike

[David Gendron]

In Tom Fidgen new book, " Made By Hand", the first project is a tool box and realy well tought of! you could build two if you need more tools, and at least you can lift them! http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2008/04/traditional-style-tool-chest.html
You can find it here, I think it is a realy nice one that could be modify in size easily!

[Chris S Anderson]

Those are beautiful. This gives me an idea to build one with with a bench top with a small...very small vise and a few holes for bench dogs. It's 50 degrees in my garage right now, so if I could build a tool chest with a custom top for holding small stock, I could do woodworking in the house and my wife would not cry about a huge workbench upstairs. She didn't like the idea of the workbench that was a serving cart. One that I could carry around with me would be cool. :rolleyes:

[Bruce Haugen]

thinking that it would be a warm-up for my own. He wanted one for his reloading equipment http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=37003" (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=37003), so I picked the size Gerstner shows for a "shooters companion" and then added a few drawers and stuff. Anyway, my own tool box will be something entirely different, closer to Bob Le's box (http://daikudojo.org/Archive/howtos/20080101_woodworking_my_toolboxes/). It's much easier to carry and will hold only those tools I need for a particular project, when I have the need to carry them about.

[James Taglienti]

If it is available, ash might be a good choice. It is light and strong. I have looked at many vintage and antique tool chests and a lot of them are GIGANTIC 36x36x50 and stuff like that. Even the smaller ones, 18x28x26 get really heavy when you load them with cast iron. I started building one from walnut at about 18x18x26, just big enough to fit a framing square and a #7, but i quit. My wife is "recycling" the lumber for an apothecary chest she is making. but i digress. think long and hard about what tools you will certainly need on a call. i mean, i would LOVE to use my #7 or #8 jointer in a customer's house, i can just see the look of wonder on their face now, but is it quite unlikely that it will be necessary. most of that kind of work comes back to the shop.

[Richard Gonzalez]

I admire this one that was designed and made by Yeung Chan. His is filled with tools he made, but the concept of a box that converts to stand is clever. His houses all the tools he carries to do demonstrations and classes.

http://www.bayareawoodworkers.org/gallery/chan1.html

The lid converts to a stand. If you are a subscriber to FWW website, there was a good article about it in FWW 167 (2004 Tools & Shops edition)

http://www.finewoodworking.com/Workshop/WorkshopPDF.aspx?id=2888

[Aled Dafis]

Hi, I hope you don't mind me linking to another forum, but I think that this toolbox built by Ed Sutton is really great.

http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=36536

I'm sure that this design could be modified so that it could be made from Mahogany and Maple, it would look stunning!!

I wouldn't mind making one of these myself some day, it seems ideal for jobs away from the workshop.

Cheers

Aled

[David Gendron]

Thank you Aled, it look realy good and I like the good deal of tools it house!

[Chris S Anderson]

That seems like a lot of weight, and the handle/wheels combo looks like you would have to stoop to pull it. I'm thinking a modular box with the ability to lose half of itself would be better. Maybe a box that slides into the bottom, so you could carry it in parts if you had to take the whole thing to a site, or only take the half that you needed.

[David Gendron]

What about two smaller boxes? I'm thinking even, that you could build them in a way that once at the jobe site, you could put them some what together so it could kind of form a work bench top... with even a small vise maybe? I have to think of something here!

[john brady]

Hi Guys,

First I need to apologize. I don't know how I ended up with my post in the Neanderthal Haven forum. I meant to post it in the Projects forum. I had problems getting myself logged in, so must have click the wrong link somewhere along the line. But then again, I guess it could be relevant to the hand tools. Again... I apologize.

I appreciate all the great suggestions and the links to other boxes. They'll help me with my decision on what to build. Thanks so much. It seems (at least for me) the hardest part of a project is the early design stage-- trying to come up with one that's functional, but is my own.

Thanks for the wood recommendations. I believe ash/oak/maple would probably hold up better than my mahogany choice, but I want it to match my workbench that I made from the same material (see attached). I don't intend to use it a lot, it will probably be more of a shop storage box than a tote box, but would like to use it that way.

I like the idea of making two boxes. Considering making a second box like the Gerstner base. Maybe putting a recessed handle or side handles in case I want to tote it around.

Matt - As I mentioned, I did lay out all the tools on my workbench that I'll be putting in the box to get an idea as to whether they would all fit in the small box (#41). They're all mostly small items: a set of chisels & mallet, 2 planes (block & smoothing), cabinet scrapers, marking knives, measuring devices, etc. Probably the largest items would be the large plane and chisel mallet.

Bruce-- your toolbox is really nice - I'll bet you hated to give it to your brother-in-law after it was finished! I know I have that problem. I'll build something intended for a certain person. Then it turns out so nice, I hate to give it away!

Chris - It's tough when you can't go out and work in the shop. I use to have a nice big shop I built above my garage when I built it. It was 24'x24' with 8' ceiling. Lots of space, but just like you-- not much heat. I had an old kerosene stove, but it never heated enough, and I had to run it half a day just to make it warm enough. We moved a few years ago to be closer to the grand kids. I had to give up my nice big shop for a smaller basement shop, but in the end, I like this one much better. It keeps a pretty even temp all year round. It's cool in the summer, and warm in the winter, and it's easily accessable, even to just work for an hour or two. CRAMPED--- but WARM!

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions. I'll post my box after I get it finished (in a few months).

JEB

[David Gendron]

John, I don't think you would have any problem with the mahogany! BTW that bench look realy good...And the shop... realy clean;)!

[Bruce Haugen]

but I didn't mind giving it away. That experience was what made me decide that style of toolbox wouldn't work for me. It's more suited to machinist's tools, but many of the things I carry from home to work are bigger than the little bitty drawers. My BIL's wife hardly lets him put tools in it. She thinks it's for display, not use. Heck, to me it's just another tool.

Having said that, I particularly like the ones posted by Aled and David. There are several designs in Jim Tolpin's book that would work, too.

[harry strasil]

This is a small chest I made for my son in laws father who is a carver to store and transport his tools in. There is no metal of any kind used in its construction and the Clear Old Growth boards it is made from started their life as basement shelves in 1896 or so in a clothing store.

The finish is Danish Oil and it soaked up the first four heavy coats like a sponge.

Bob occassionaly sets up in a Woodworkers Store in San Antonio, Tx and the box created more interest than his carving and when he showed the note about the wood and its construction, the people at the wood store said it had to have either nails or screws in it and tried using a stud finder to find them. They were only convinced when a police officer came in and he used a metal detector wand on it and couldn't find any metal. They still don't believe it I think.

The carrying handle serves as a support for the lid when it is open and there are two latches sticking out midway on the handle that locks the top lid in place.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/bob1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/bob2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/bob3.jpg

it has already been posted in a thread a long time ago on here.

[David Gendron]

nice work Jr. What is the size of the maine "boxe"?

[harry strasil]

was made a long time ago, its basically a 6 board chest, I think its about 2ft long by 1ft wide and tall. CRS