Tool Chest part 3 ...sliding trays

[Peter Pedisich]

parts 1 and 2 can be found here:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?167834-Tool-Chest...-Purists-may-wish-to-pass
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?169279-Tool-chest-lid-with-saws-mounted&p=1740111&highlight=#post1740111

Hi,

I finally finished the sliding trays, again made from free-to-me scraps (solid cherry) that were too thick at 7/8", but they had a lacquer finish on both faces, and I decided not to (power) plane them down. The tray bottoms are 1/2" cherry ply, unfinished and thin cork roll is laid in - no glue.

The finished chest with all the tools is much heavier than I thought, and I expected it to be heavy. Still waiting for the cast iron pulls to be back in stock at Lee Valley... (patience, grasshopper)

The trays slide well considering their weight, as I oiled and waxed them.

Now that I'm done, and having purchased The Anarchist's Tool Chest, I've realized the error of my ways in making it out of plywood and mostly with power tools, and so now I am waiting for an opportune time to break the news to SWMBO that I must begin construction on it's replacement. If you live west of Allentown PA, the screaming should not wake you..pay it no mind.

I went crazy with pics. As I understand it, some folks here get some strange pleasure out of looking at old tools, never understood it myself.;)

-Pete

[Peter Pedisich]

Some additional pics, forgive the duplicate views.

[Jim Koepke]

Nice work. My back would ache after a few hours with the chest style of tool storage.

My other problem is not having as much storage as things to store.

It is getting better though.

jtk

[Mark Wyatt]

That looks great! Is the chest intended to move frequently or rarely?

[Peter Pedisich]

Mark,

I move it around my garage , and the chest lifts off of the base stucture, as it's just gravity holding it there. I have the small cast iron wheels like Chris Schwarz used (I built my chest before buying his book, and then found out we picked the same casters!) and they are 'crunchy' rolling across my cement floor, so I may switch to larger red urethane wheels.

Or, if I win the lottery, I'll get a shop with fir floors...

Pete

[gary Zimmel]

A fitting place for some nice tools... Nice work on the tool chest Peter.

[Keith Pitman]

Very nice. Dresses up the tool display too.

[Pedder Petersen]

Hi Peter,

great Chest, nic tools. I would be very proud, if i had made it.

Cheers
Pedder

[Mike Allen1010]

Peter, very nice work! And I for one really enjoy the picture of old tools -- looks like you have a great collection there for quality work. I hope you enjoy your new tool chest -- nothing like the satisfaction of using a "tool" you built yourself.


All the best, Mike

[Jim Koepke]

I for one really enjoy the picture of old tools

I also like the pictures of tools. As to old, there seems to be only a dozen or so that are older than me. Of course, I have not been fully rehabbed or fettled lately.

jtk

[Pat Barry]

Pete, that's a very nice tool chest. I like the tray idea too. I was curious about your statement related to plywood "I've realized the error of my ways in making it out of plywood ". What exactly is the error? Plywood is a perfect material for something like this isn't it?

[Peter Pedisich]

Pat, after I built it I purchased The Anarchists Tool Chest, and then I realized it would have been much nicer made of pine and dovetailed and left unfinished inside. But I certainly can't complain, I'm very fortunate to be able to have the chest and tools.

I was half joking also, and after waiting for a list of projects that were put on hold while I worked on this chest SWMBO would lose it if I were to start another. If I did start another it would have to be in another state.

-Pete

[Todd Chamberlain]

Thanks for sharing you pictures, looks really nice - great work

[Peter Scoma]

Peter, If you want to see some incredible joiners chests check out Jim Tolpin's book "The Toolbox Book."

Really nice work on your piece BTW. In terms of storage trays, one example in the book orients the tool trays 90 degrees to what is typical, so essentially the trays are riding on rails attached to the long sides of the chest. Seems to get a bit more storage out of it and says they slide more freely and don't bind as much.
Just an idea.

PJS

[Peter Hawser]

I just read the Anarchists Tool Chest and I am betting The Schwarz would approve fully of what you did. I know he has moved to almost all hand tools, but he doesn't preach that everyone do the same. Plywood or not, you made an excellent chest certainly in the spirit of the book and I would only build a new one when/if this one falls apart - which doesn't look likely at all.

P.S. I have some of the same tools. Note "some", meaning two or three. Certainly not all! :-)

[Jake Rothermel]

Peter, that chest looks like great work and that "collection" looks like it will give you many great projects. Well done! Well done, indeed. I have to agree with P. Hawser above that your choice of plywood is nothing to be ashamed of. Use the materials you have on hand or can come by cheaply. That's one of the Schwarz's [and others'] best pieces of advice no matter what the project.

Besides, plywood's stronger than pine of that thickness. If it's really that much heavier than you thought it would be, maybe it'll last longer that way!

[Lonnie Gallaher]

Peter, thanks for all the pictures. Looking at old tools seems to be a popular past time.

The larger claw hammer in the 3rd picture of the first set. It it a vintage hammer or a new one? Does it have a brand name on it? It has an interesting shaped head. I must confess, I like hammers.

Thanks for the sharing about your chest. Great build.

[Jim Koepke]

The larger claw hammer in the 3rd picture of the first set. It it a vintage hammer or a new one? Does it have a brand name on it? It has an interesting shaped head. I must confess, I like hammers.

One of my claw hammers has a similar shape. It is a Stanley from about the 1960s.

I have heard of it being called a "bell head hammer." It just came to me that monicker may be related to many of them being used by the Bell System when it existed.

jtk

[Evan Ryan]

Thanks for the pics, that's a sick collection of tools, and they look so clean.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Love the saw till in the top. A better tool chest is somewhere on my list of things to build.

[Stew Denton]

Peter,

Very nice job!

Like some of the others also pointed out, you took an approach that I and others also do, in that you used the plywood you had on hand. This approach uses up spare lumber to create a useful object, and also saves on expenditures.

Great job. It looks like you will have a very useful chest for many years.

Stew

[Peter Pedisich]

Peter, thanks for all the pictures. Looking at old tools seems to be a popular past time.

The larger claw hammer in the 3rd picture of the first set. It it a vintage hammer or a new one? Does it have a brand name on it? It has an interesting shaped head. I must confess, I like hammers.

Thanks for the sharing about your chest. Great build.

Lonnie, it's a NOS Vaughan Grayvik 16 oz. English Nail Hammer from Harry J. Epstein.

[Peter Pedisich]

Thanks guys, this is an old thread, and I've been using the chest for 4 year now and it's held up great. It protects the tools very well against rust. But even 2 grown men struggle to carry it. Next time I'll build it lighter!