PDA

View Full Version : The "Zatoichi" Toolbox



Dan Kirkland
03-27-2017, 10:53 AM
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3759/33540167951_483ec7e344_z.jpg

The video explanation is here if you don't want to read my wall of text.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc0MnduwjAw&feature=youtu.be


Regarding the name of this project. Zatoichi is the main character from a series of movies by the same title. The first ones were made as far back as the 1960s and the most recent around the early 2000s. Zatoichi is a blind man who works as a massuese in Japan during several different periods. The majority of the stories take place in the Edo period of history which is the 1830s-1840s in Japan. Zatoichi although looking quite normal hides the fact that he is in fact an extremely skilled and dangerous swordsman. He combats Yakuza clans and all sorts of bad guys in his adventures across Japan.


The inspiration came from this character in the sense that the design is simple, but not plain. Minimal but it accomplishes the task at hand. And it has a few secrets (really just hidden things) along the way.


This project started out as a little thought. I absolutely love the design and appearance of the older Gerstner style toolchests/boxes but for what I do with my guitar repair work the drawers are always a little too small and/or too short and shallow.


However I love the traditional Japanese style toolboxes as well. But I still wanted something that had some drawers for organization as well as a western touch.


I wanted a box that combined what I love about several different things. The dimensions are very close to the standard Gerstner style chest. But with minimalist Japanese inspired aesthetics, design, and tailored for a more versatile toolset. I needed it to be able to carry my furniture making set as well as my guitar/violin repair tools when I need it to. Some of my luthier tools are also some basic tools for working metal when I need to make a tool for the odd job.


So to summarize this box is a modern Japanese minimal machinist luthier's woodworking tool box. Try saying that 10 times fast haha!


The wood choice was influenced primarily by the front panel. I picked up the piece from my local hardwood store for a few dollars. I think it's just mahogany with some really extreme figure to it. I would've liked to see the full piece it came from but overall I am happy with how it turned out. It's really tough to see the figure in the video but the pics should show some of the interesting grain patterns or lack thereof. Pretty interesting piece.


What I'm really sad about is that I had MANY more pictures of the build process but alas my phone died in an unfortunate concrete accident and I was unable to recover the majority of my progress pics.


The first major thing to do was join the back to the sides, this was my first attempt at doing finger joints by hand, I did have to fill alot of larger gaps, but as with all things practice is what is needed to improve.


I had planned on using some 1/2" Ash for the body wood, a very wise woodworker friend advised me to use a wood like Alder for the panels. I took his advice and I'm glad I did. The box itself is not nearly the same weight as the already mentioned Gerstner style chests. The lack of hardware I'm sure contributes to that but I think that using red alder for everything save the side runners and the front panel is the primary reason for this. My friend is a wise man in this manner.


A little note on the finger pulls. Instead of the metal style I simply canted the inside at about a 45-50' angle facing towards the inside of the drawer, so in essence the angle creates a finger pull inside the gap.


Below is a little photo blurb of the pics that I had saved of the build process before my phone bit the concrete dust of death.


Anyway, thanks for reading, this box will serve me well for a long time I hope.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2876/33422520096_ff7e959f63_z.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/761/32484397224_da09ca1262_z.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3790/33462942635_fb24d075fd_z.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2847/32619452584_8fde22bece_z.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2850/32856320693_74cd07f18a_z.jpg

Randall J Cox
03-27-2017, 10:34 PM
Very nice! Randy

Frederick Skelly
03-28-2017, 6:29 AM
Nice toolbox!

Dan Kirkland
03-31-2017, 5:53 PM
Thanks guys!

William Fretwell
04-01-2017, 8:02 AM
I think you achieved your goal, however all those sharp edges seem rather incongruous with a moving object. I would have rounded all the edges considerably and the struts carrying the strap severely. The top edges of the strap struts seems to be crying out for a simple yet elegant decoration that hints of the skill of the craftsman carrying it.
As a moving object it will get banged, those edges will chip badly; crying out that they should have been rounded to survive such inevitable impacts. Along the same understated elegance lines I would have sought out brass hardware and leather with brass fittings.
None of this affects the function of course.