Christian Tool Cabinet Complete!!!!

[Bob Jones]

Worked on this since March and I am finally calling it done. There are things that can be done still, but it holds everything I need for now. I am really not posting this to gloat, I am posting because I suspect the pictures could help others who plan to build a tool cabinet. I stole almost every idea here. Invent nothing, right? :)

The cabinet is 40inx30x16 and it holds all the hand tools that I use regularly. I think I am really going to enjoy working out of it. I would like to thank others on this forum who have taken time to post pictures of their cabinets because they were all really helpful in the design process.

It is funny to me that the initial "inspiration" came from the Anarchists Tool Chest. This cabinet is the complete opposite in some ways, but similar in function. I may not agree with all of Chris S. views, but I like his take on woodworking. (I vote and love going to church)

Anyway, If you have any questions, just post and I will try to answer them. Here are the pictures of the plane hangers and chisel rack and file rack.


See here for pervious posts of the build progress, if interested.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?191564-Hardware-advice-needed-tool-cabinet-coming-together&highlight=

[Bob Jones]

Next up, picture of the sawmill (hanging on a french cleat), and the empty cabinet with the middle door on the left and right.

[Bob Jones]

Here is a shot of the "inlay" I used. It was my first attempt at inlay. It is 1/8" square walnut and maple ordered from inlay banding.com Great place. the stuff was really 1st quality. Also a picture of my bench with all the tools that go in the cabinet and a shot with the doors closed. I used a heavy brass latch to close it and it works great.

[Bob Jones]

Here is the money shot. The "full" cabinet. I actually still have plenty of room to add more tools that I "need", like the new LV screwdrivers. The three pictures have the middle door open to each side, then out in the middle.

[Bob Jones]

I think it is worth noting that I put a lot of time into design and planning this cabinet. More time by far than any other project. I arranged the tools to fit the space and to be grouped by usage. Layout tools that I used most often are at my left (dominant) hand when standing at the bench, chisels are too. Large scale layout tools are on the right door (never covered). I position the 3rd door so I either have access to bench planes and all tools for "shaping" wood or joinery tools on the other side.

I'm no HO Studley, but I'm pretty excited about using this cabinet. :)

[Tony Wilkins]

Turned out very nice.

[David Myers]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing. I always enjoy seeing tool holding solutions.

[bob blakeborough]

Very nice cabinet! I am a wee bit confused though...What makes a "Christian Cabinet"? Is is something so obvious I am missing it? lol! Sorry... Serious question...

[Tom Scott]

Nicely done Bob. Great job of planning the tool layout also. I built one within the past year and still haven't figured out all the spaces yet.

[Sam Murdoch]

Good for you. A great cabinet and especially nice piece of work. You have built yourself a wonderfully useful tool and a family heirloom too!

[Mark Wyatt]

Bob, great job on the cabinet. I hope you like yours as much as I like mine!

[george wilson]

Great work!!! Be careful of those black "ropes" if they are elastic. They will rot and let go someday if there's latex or rubber in them. I can't tell what they are.

[Todd Burch]

Very nice Bob - well laid out - not too crowded - large capacity - zero floor footprint - minimal wall footprint, and good looking! Well done!

[David Myers]

Very nice cabinet! I am a wee bit confused though...What makes a "Christian Cabinet"? Is is something so obvious I am missing it? lol! Sorry... Serious question...

My interpretation is the title is a nod to CS's Naming his "The Anarchist's Tool Chest". Both titles reflect more on the mindset of the builder than they necessarily do on the specifics of the (fine) work itself.

[Bob Jones]

David Myers got the name mostly right. In addition, when the doors are shut you can see a cross. The shakers used something similar and called them Christian Cabinet doors.

George - good call. No rubber in the strings. They are heavy duty boot laces. I was a bit nervous at first, but they are doing well. Thanks for the kind words.

[Rodney Walker]

Great use of space. Nice job!
Rodney

[bob blakeborough]

David Myers got the name mostly right. In addition, when the doors are shut you can see a cross. The shakers used something similar and called them Christian Cabinet doors.



Ahhhhhh I see! Well it is an awesome piece Bob!

[Chris Griggs]

Wow! That look very very well designed and beautifully executed. Really well done Bob!

[Carl Beckett]

Beautiful!

[Harold Burrell]

Super job! I would REALLY be interested in any plans, since I am planning to build something similar.




BTW...I also appreciated your plug for church. ;)

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

That looks gorgeous. I've been watching your build threads and really love the finished project.

Where this cabinet really shines, and where my recent build has been lacking is the attention to detail inside and out. I put a modicum of work into making my cabinet look nice-ish from the outside, but really kind of half-arsed it on the inside in an effort to get tools into *something* ASAP. The effort and attention to detail, both in choice of lumber and execution, on the inside of your cabinet really makes it shine. My plan is to sort of replace brackets as I go forward, and I've certainly drawn a lot of inspiration from your work.

You've certainly put a lot of work into the layout of your cabinet as well, and it shows.

A beautiful piece of work. You should be proud.

[Gordon Eyre]

Well done, I like it a lot.

[Chris Griggs]

Since you made a Christian tool cabinet I think I'm going to make an agnostic tool cabinet.

Of course, who can really say if this tool cabinet will ever actually exist. And if it does get built I really can't say for sure what the design will be, what it will be made out of, or what I will keep in it.

Or maybe, I could take the atheist approach and refuse to have any tool cabinet at all, opting instead to have all my tools out on the bench at all times so I can fully enjoy them in the moment.

A Buddhist tool cabinet might be nice. Then again, it would require me to detach myself from all my tools, since my attachment to my tools is the cause of all my woodworking suffering.

Your Christian tool cabinet is definitely very nice and I would consider a Christian tool cabinet myself, but I am afraid it would ask me to sell all my tools and distribute the money amongst the poor.

Oh I know, just thought of the perfect solution! I will take a polytheistic approach and put my tools in multiple cabinets!

[Todd Burch]

Chris, I think you should do a little of each, so you'll be covered. :p

As for me and my workshop - I'll take the Christian cabinet!

[Zach Dillinger]

A Buddhist tool cabinet might be nice. Then again, it would require me to detach myself from all my tools, since my attachment to my tools is the cause of all my woodworking suffering.



Did you see my discourse on the Four Noble Truths of Woodworking Suffering? I blamed it on scrapers, so you might be able to avoid detaching yourself for your tools. But you could also look at in another way. Buddhists believe that suffering is caused by attachment to things that you will not always have, but that detachment from attachment doesn't necessarilly mean you have to eliminate them from your life. It just means that you have to recognize that all things are impermanent. I.e. someone else will own your planes someday, so that you must experience joy with the items you have in the recognition that you will not always have them. A great attitude, with regards to tooling... :)

[Chris Griggs]

Did you see my discourse on the Four Noble Truths of Woodworking Suffering? I blamed it on scrapers, so you might be able to avoid detaching yourself for your tools. But you could also look at in another way. Buddhists believe that suffering is caused by attachment to things that you will not always have, but that detachment from attachment doesn't necessarilly mean you have to eliminate them from your life. It just means that you have to recognize that all things are impermanent. I.e. someone else will own your planes someday, so that you must experience joy with the items you have in the recognition that you will not always have them. A great attitude, with regards to tooling... :)

Yes I saw your post yesterday, and loved it. I was halfway through writing this one and suddenly thought "this sounds really familiar" but couldn't remember why. I think your post may have subconsciously prompted mine.

LOL!!!

[Chris Griggs]

As for me and my workshop - I'll take the Christian cabinet!

You still need to decided what type of Christian tool cabinet - there is a broad spectrum...

On one end you have you could make a Catholic cabinet in which there is a highly ordered structure of tool storage, and where one tool at the top shelf of the cabinet would dictate the placement of all the other tools...

On the other end you may choose to make a Quaker tool cabinet where all tools are on shelves of the same level - no tool sits above any other in this type of cabinets structure...

[Jim Koepke]

Looks like a great piece.

My worry about a tool cabinet is what happens when a few more tools barge into the shop.

jtk

[Matt McCormick]

If I were to make such a fine cabinet.... I would consider myself to be ....... ahem...... Studley.:D

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Looking again, the other thing that jumps out at my is that you obviously trust yourself more than I do, with the exposed sharp edges of the chisels being accessible. Less of an issue than on my cabinet, because the tools aren't packed nearly as closely as mine, but on my cabinet, I protected the tips (and just as much, myself) by having them tucked behind a rabbeted piece of wood anywhere a chisel hangs and I'm may be removing a tool from below it.

[Christopher Charles]

Agreed! Or if not willing to admit full Studley, at least Stud!

I'm still particularly fond of the angled walnut door panels.

Congrats!

[Bob Jones]

Harold, plans would not do you very much good. I designed this cabinet weighing out several options that were specific to me. Consider how much wall space you have, what materials you have access to, which tools you really want inside, and how you want it too look. I know you may not think that helps but that is the best answer I can give. Good luck on your design!

[Bob Jones]

Joshua, the chisels are a big concern for me. For now I'm just going to be careful but a tip guard is on my short list of upgrades. I still have a few things to fit too, but I want to build a few projects with it to see how I like the layout before I do any more.
thanks everyone for the kind words. I was expecting more "why spend so much time on a shop appliance" :)
m

[Tom Scott]

I was expecting more "why spend so much time on a shop appliance" :)
m

Nah, you will enjoy it every time you go out to the shop. Mine is not nearly as nice, but I still like opening opening it up.

[Carl Beckett]

I was expecting more "why spend so much time on a shop appliance" :)


You forgot who your audience was here..... ;)

Heirloom quality boxes for a rusted tool picked from a yard sale..... and the audience all understands why this is appropriate.

:D

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Joshua, the chisels are a big concern for me. For now I'm just going to be careful but a tip guard is on my short list of upgrades. I still have a few things to fit too, but I want to build a few projects with it to see how I like the layout before I do any more.
thanks everyone for the kind words. I was expecting more "why spend so much time on a shop appliance" :)
m

The tips don't need much guard to protect them, particularly if your chisels are of similar lengths. (or a graduated lengths so a straight line can still cover the front of them) The quite varied length of mine made things difficult, and I also used my guards to cant the blades closer to the back wall, allowing me to get the next row of chisels below them closer.

But simply a strip of wood mounted floating from the back wall of the cabinet where the chisels are mounted, floating in front of the blades, and going low enough to cover the sharp bits does the job. No need for anything fancy. I suppose you could still cut yourself if you were reaching up behind that piece of wood, but why would you be doing that? That strip of wood keeps your hands from grazing in the path of the sharp edges pretty well, and keeps the metals parts of other tools from whacking and dulling an edge if the gap isn't too wide.

[eric mah]

Very well done. My 2013 project goals are a new workbench and cabinet. I think your cabinet has inspired me to move in that direction first.

I really like the interior door on the left.

Thanks
Eric

[Bob Jones]

Your Christian tool cabinet is definitely very nice and I would consider a Christian tool cabinet myself, but I am afraid it would ask me to sell all my tools and distribute the money amongst the poor.


ah, you see straight thru my hipocracy (sp)! Certainly the only thing Christian about my cabinet is the doors. ;)

[Steve Branam]

Gorgeous! I missed seeing this earlier. You'll get pleasure every time you reach into this for a tool. Equally as beautiful as the other Christian tool cabinet being discussed here!

[Chris Griggs]

ah, you see straight thru my hipocracy (sp)! Certainly the only thing Christian about my cabinet is the doors. ;)

Well it may not be the only thing, but regardless it remains a fantastic project. I am very humbled and inspired every time I look at it. I'm really glad you documented some of the build and posted the pics. I've seriously never had any intention of building a super nice tool cabinet but now I look at yours and think, man that sure would look nice in my dank basement shop and would be very very handy as well.

[george wilson]

Such work is an inspiration every time you go into your shop. It is a lot nicer than the LN under discussion elsewhere here,too.

[Harold Burrell]

Well it may not be the only thing, but regardless it remains a fantastic project. I am very humbled and inspired every time I look at it. I'm really glad you documented some of the build and posted the pics. I've seriously never had any intention of building a super nice tool cabinet but now I look at yours and think, man that sure would look nice in my dank basement shop and would be very very handy as well.

I would NEVER put that thing in my basement shop!

I mean, not that it isn't nice enough...

Or not that it is TOO nice...

I just don't have a basement.

:o

(Sorry...feeling a tad silly today...)

[Chris Griggs]

(Sorry...feeling a tad silly today...)

Nothing wrong with silly. I cracked up at you quoting yourself in that sharpening thread.