PDA

View Full Version : Mechanics Tool Chest



Brad Maudlin
06-28-2010, 7:53 AM
Any down side to using a rolling mechanics tool chest to store hand tools? Security and portability in the shop would certainly be a plus, but there could be an issue with rust?

John A. Callaway
06-28-2010, 10:00 AM
Its not unheard of.... I would cut thin luan panels to lay in each drawer though.... the metal on metal with sharpened edges cant be good....

And, its kinda a thing.... you as a wood worker MUST spend most of your time building things for your shop out of wood....tell the spouse those shop cabinets are "skill builders"

Matt Radtke
06-28-2010, 11:04 AM
My primary tool storage is a mechanics chest. Works very well. Some of my tools have a tendency to rust in there during the humid, summer months. I think the problem is that the chest is too good--too little air movement. I have since placed some anti-rust agents (silica) in the problem drawers and things are much improved.

My only words of advice are: Don't overpay. Buy used or visit Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/13-drawer-red-industrial-quality-roller-cabinet-90320.html) or Menards (just like the HF model, only green and you need to be in the right part of the country.)

I have personal experience with both and am quite pleased with them. They destroy anything that Craftsman can offer on price/performance and I'd need to go through 10 of them before Snap-On becomes a better deal. I'm not a pro mechanic, so the drawers do not see near-constant use. 3 years later and mine still looks, feels, and performs brand new.

Bill Houghton
06-28-2010, 11:36 AM
All my chisels and small planes are in a Kennedy rolling tool chest, and small tools in a Craftsman top chest. I also have three other rollaways and two other top chests for the other tools needed to maintain cars and the house. If the makers of these allowed customizing drawer depths, I'd get a wide one (at least 24" inside the drawers, for my No. 8) with two or three 7" deep drawers, two 4" deep, and a bunch of 2". Alas, they build them for auto mechanics' tools, and they're rarely the right combination of depths for wood tools. So eventually, I'll probably build one from plywood myself.

Where I live, in north coastal California, summer humidity is not a big issue; it gets very cold and damp in winter. I've never had a rust problem in any of the chests, and, in fact, have had more rust issues when things were out on shelves.

I got some of that plastic foamy shelf-liner, but am not altogether pleased with it - it tends to get sticky over time and peel off onto the soles of the planes. I have thought about, but haven't gotten round to, trying the vinyl carpet runner my hardware store sells in bulk.

I've seen, but have not yet tried, the suggestion of little blocks of camphor, which apparently offgasses something that prevents rust. Apparently, you can get camphor at drugstores.

Matt Radtke
06-28-2010, 12:47 PM
The two chests I recommended above have large top drawer, 41" wide by 6" deep. See a previous post of mine, second picture:

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1184914#post1184914

It's more full now and holds a 3, 2x4, 2x4.5, 5, 5.25, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 40, and 78.

Graham Hughes (CA)
06-28-2010, 3:14 PM
I'm told by my father that getting those with ball bearing slides is important. I have a full sized one (about 5' tall) that I housed my tools in for a while, and now have one and a half toolchests (the 2nd one isn't quite finished yet). On the whole I vastly prefer the toolchests, although it's difficult to express exactly why. I think they're better adapted for woodworking hand tools than the typical mechanics chest—separating chisels, etc. And if you have even a few wooden planes it's hard to find a mechanics chest with a drawer deep enough that you can actually see the plane's sole (and thus distinguish them).

No real rust problems yet, but then I'm in a part of California where nothing seems to rust much.

brian c miller
06-28-2010, 7:52 PM
My only words of advice are: Don't overpay. Buy used or visit Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/13-drawer-red-industrial-quality-roller-cabinet-90320.html) or Menards (just like the HF model, only green and you need to be in the right part of the country.)

I have personal experience with both and am quite pleased with them. They destroy anything that Craftsman can offer on price/performance and I'd need to go through 10 of them before Snap-On becomes a better deal. I'm not a pro mechanic, so the drawers do not see near-constant use. 3 years later and mine still looks, feels, and performs brand new.

I'll second to vote for a HF chest. I usually hate HF with a passion but read some good review on these and I am not at all disappointed. This replaced a crapsman ball bearing and there is no comparison. They often go on sale so save your 20% ticket and you can get out the door for about 3 bills.

John Coloccia
06-28-2010, 8:05 PM
The only downside for me is it makes me feel like I'm working in a stranger's shop or on site. I just don't feel at home and unpacked when everything is all closed up. I don't feel that way about hand tools in general but it really bothers me with woodworking tools for some reason. I don't even like a wall mounted cabinet. I know, it's weird.

Gene DiNardo
06-28-2010, 10:08 PM
Me too John,
Like everything out where I can see it and at hand.

Frederick Gross
06-30-2010, 10:16 AM
I use a mechanic's style tool chest to keep my hand tools in, mainly because I was in the military at the time. I have since retired, but still have it because it is handy and does a nice job of protecting the tools.

I have not had an issue with rust (even when I lived near the ocean) but keep dessicant bags in the drawers for insurance.

A couple of the drawers are deep enough for a No. 8 and another long enough for hand saws.



http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y213/usmcbombboy/Woodworking/Planes.jpg

Brad Maudlin
06-30-2010, 9:49 PM
Thanks to all for the input. It's a case of the proverbial Catch-22. I would like to build a nice wooden cabinet to hold all of the hand tools, but I have to many unfinished projects in the till already.