Tool Chest Build Underway

[Will Brauneis]

I just got started on my tool chest from the plans in my last post. I had to make some changes to the plan. Instead of having solid sides dovetailed together I will be making the sides and back frame and panel. I decided to do this because i realised that the door hinges would have to be screwed into end grain and I was afraid that they wouldn't hold and plus i think it just looks better without the two different grain directions meeting. I made the rails and stiles extra beefy to withstand the force of the handle will exert on them when lifting the chest.

Here are some pictures of the lumber I'm working with. It is red heart western maple it all is from a local tree. Its beautiful stuff the pictures don't quite do it justice. Most of the boards are 12" wide and the widest is 19" which will be used for my panels.

Today i only got the rails and stiles cut to rough size and dimensioned i didn't have time to do much else but hey its a start. They are planed to 7/8" thick and he rest of the dimensions are in my sketch. I'm afraid i had to cheat and use my band saw to rip them to width and my planer to surface them. I did hand plane one side flat before running them through so its only half cheating right? lol I don't like to use power tools much but the lumber is rough sawn on the back and i just don't have the time to spend taking an eighth of an inch off to get them flat.

Hopefully if all goes well i will have both sides mortised together and the panels in place by the end of this weekend so i can post some more progress.

Thanks again everyone for motivating me to get this project underway!

[George Sanders]

That is beautiful wood. I'm sure your project will turn out well with all the planning and preparation you've done.

[Rick Erickson]

Beautifull wood Will. I'll be keeping my eye on this one. I building one as well and enjoy these threads. Mine is sure taking a lot longer than I anticipated.

[Will Brauneis]

So I have finally made some progress on my tool chest! I just finished 1 side of my chest. Boy did i seriously underestimate how long it would take to make.:o
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Myfirst step was chopping the mortises out to 3 1/4" deep. This is where most of my time got eaten up. After the first 2 inches I became a real chore to get the waste out. It took about an hour for each mortise.
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Next I cut and fitted the tenons. I don't have a shoulder plane so i had to use a wooden rabbet plane, it works ok but isn't the most accurate thing in the world so I finally broke down and ordered a real shoulder plane so hopefully that will get here soon.
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Finally I cut the panel to size and used my Stanley 45 to cut a rabbit 3/8 deep on the front and 1/8 deep on the back leaving a 1/4" rabbet running around the panel. Then I used my # 5 1/2 and #4 to raise the panel. I normally just bevel the panels all the way to the edge, but I decided to try this way because i wanted to make the panel as strong as possible. This did leave a little lip running around it where the planes couldn't reach about 1/32 high but I left a little breathing room on the long grain sides so there shouldn't be any issues with the panel not being able to expand.
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In total it took about 14 hours to complete this one side. hopefully i can cut it down to about 10 on the other side. I love spending time in the shop though so the amount of time it takes really is inconsequential.

Step two is to complete the other side and the back. Hopefully that will be done in two weeks so stay posted!

[Roy Wall]

Will -

That is a beautifully made panel -- the tool chest is going to be an excellent piece. Nice WORK with those hand tools!!

[Jim Koepke]

Oh and how do you put pictures in the text? I cant seem to get it to work right.

After you have all the pictures uploaded, you then select where you want a picture.

My way of doing it for long posts is to compose off line. Where a picture is wanted, a marker with the picture's name is inserted.

------- Rusty Plane ------

The text is highlighted and then the selected picture is inserted by clicking on the arrow next to the paper clip and selecting the picture you want to use to replace the highlighted text. The text can actually be just a space or even where the curser happens to be at the time.

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Hope this helps.

You can even go back and edit later. You have about 24 hours to edit a post. If you want to change the pictures, you have to select the edit button and then the "go advanced" button to add or rearrange images.

jim

[Will Brauneis]

Thanks for the help jim I got it all fixed now.

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks for the help jim I got it all fixed now.

Your welcome and BTW, good looking panel.

jim

[Will Brauneis]

Thanks for the compliments Roy and Jim!

[Paul Incognito]

That's going to be a nice tool chest.
I'm going to enjoy your updates as I'm planning on building a tool chest myself. ...And a saw till, and a plane till, and a...
So many projects, so little time.
And thanks Jim, I was also wondering how to put the pictures in the text.
PI

[David Keller NC]

Will - Nice (one's spectacular) boards. Just an FYI (though no one will beat you up for it on SMC), a "rabbit" is a large furry rodent named Bugs. In woodworking parlance, the british term is "rebate", and the americanization of it is "rabbet" for a stepped retangular groove on the edge of a board. ;)

[Will Brauneis]

Yeah I hear you Paul. Seems like there are always more projects than time lol I have bunch more waiting in line after this one.

Thanks for the correction David I don't know why I spelled it like that I knew it was spelled different but i guess it just slipped through lol

[Paul Incognito]

Maybe you won't have to cut any more. :)
PI