Anarchist Tool Chest Build [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

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Mike Allen1010

09-26-2017, 5:17 PM

I may have an opportunity to teach a workshop on sharpening/restoring vintage saws at the local community college woodworking program. I’ve done this a couple times and I usually bring a bunch of saws for people to try out. My idea is guys will hopefully be more interested in learning how to sharpen their saws after they get a chance to experience how well tuned saw performs.

Previously I’ve wrapped a bunch of saws in towels to transport from the shop to the classroom which is a poor solution. I built this test to make it a little easier. Once I got started I figured it made more sense to build a chest I could use to hold a decent kit of hand tools I could use to work outside the shop. Some build pics of an Anarchist tool chest as described in Chris Schwarz book.

I built this out of “Whitewood” from the local Borg. Mostly white pine, but a couple boards that were much harder/denser – maybe Southern yellow Pine? Problem is I sort of overdid it – started with the dimensions in Chris’s book, and as I’m want to do, “scaled them up” a little: 47” long, by 27” high, by 23” deep. I should’ve known better -now that it’s done there’s no way I’m going to be able to lift this thing into the truck!– I usually run into problems when I start “adjusting” original dimensions.

My own shop is a single car garage and I prefer to have most tools hanging on the wall in till for easy access. Consequently I don’t think this chest will replace my current shop tool storage. Odds are probably ultimately going to end up as some kind of toy chest when grandkids come into the picture (not that we’re in a hurry for that). I had planned on posting so I didn’t take any pictures of the carcass build. It’s straightforward dovetail construction with aprons on top and bottom. Here are some pictures of building the chest lid, drawers and a compass rose inlay that turned out pretty good except for one important detail!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4380/37307316032_48e46a751b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YQHKhL)2 (https://flic.kr/p/YQHKhL) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4504/23485661038_663c83fdde_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMm9Nj)4 (https://flic.kr/p/BMm9Nj) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

The chest top is frame and panel construction with through M&T’s. The tennons are 4 inches long and this is when a 10 PPI panel saw filed rip came in handy for finishing the cheeks. I use an old paring chisel inherited from my Dad to establish the layout line for sawing shoulders.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4486/37307316262_2851e54036_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YQHKmJ)6 (https://flic.kr/p/YQHKmJ) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4436/37080754670_878437c49b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YuGyuo)7 (https://flic.kr/p/YuGyuo) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4333/37289922156_e35f103f5b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbAGm)8 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbAGm) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4426/37080754970_ee29577252_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YuGyzy)10 (https://flic.kr/p/YuGyzy) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4427/23485662118_f725eeb3c3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMma7W)11 (https://flic.kr/p/BMma7W) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4383/37080755360_44e5f77906_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YuGyGh)12 (https://flic.kr/p/YuGyGh) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Mike Allen1010

09-26-2017, 5:22 PM

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4481/23485662678_787b46f124_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmahA)14 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmahA) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Chopping the through mortises; woods screw helps prevent “blowout” disaster. I like pig sticker mortise chisels – they don’t take/hold the cutting edges good as my Japanese mortise chisels, but I prefer them for levering out chips.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4332/37289925976_d2836c5835_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbBQd)15 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbBQd) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Plowing the grooves in frame to retain the panel in the chest top. My 1970s era Record plow plane is a testament to why the English manufacturing economy went the way of the dodo. The fence only parallel the sole by accident.
Dry fit turned out okay. Another place where paring chisels are super handy for relieving the back so you get a nice fit on the mating edges of the show surface.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4445/23485663698_1071ee1015_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmaAb)16 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmaAb) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4410/37289926696_cdeac6555f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbC3C)17 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbC3C) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

As a hand tool woodworker, shop built panel gauge with pencil and large square our tools I couldn’t live without for laying out large panels to final dimensions.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4454/23485664488_979d517013_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmaPN)18 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmaPN) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4362/37289927136_26c1d1c876_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbCbd)19 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbCbd) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

This panel is some of the harder/denser stock I mentioned. I’m not exactly sure what it is, we don’t see much southern yellow pine here in southern California. I increasingly prefer shop built wooden planes. My Steve Voigt Jack plane is a marvel of time proven efficiency. For final smoothing I use a shop built 50° bed angle would be with a blade I got from Stu at Tools from Japan. I can’t remember exactly which blade it is, but it takes the sharpest edge of any plane in my shop, and is my go to plane for difficult grain.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4495/23485666658_700e58748c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmbtd)20 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmbtd) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

My favorite part of the design of this chest is the way the panel fits into the frame for the chest top. The plowed group in the panel allows tongues to fit in both the central plowed groove of the frame and also over the top of the frame – super strong and to my eye quite attractive. Here are some pics:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4398/23485667168_ec058558ab_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmbC1)21 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmbC1) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4446/37337104721_f01bfe82fa_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YTmqqR)22 (https://flic.kr/p/YTmqqR) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Mike Allen1010

09-26-2017, 5:27 PM

Dry fit turned out okay. Another place where paring chisels are super handy for relieving the back so you get a nice fit on the mating edges of the show surface.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4414/23485667668_ebc1cf32ce_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmbLC)23 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmbLC) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4410/23485668828_532f2bf10e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmc7C)25 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmc7C) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Next is a dovetailed “dust seal” that frames the top and provides a nice closed surface with the chest intersection.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4410/23485668828_532f2bf10e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmc7C)25 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmc7C) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Here are some pics of the compass rose inlaid into the chest top. I’ve tried this a number of times (and have screwed up plenty). My advice is: use 1/8th inch thick solid stock not veneer. This makes it easier to glue up the segments prior to scribing for the recess, and reduces the risk of planing through the inlay during final cleanup. A simple geometric shape with straight lines like this is easier for me to execute than something with curves. The hardest part is letters for the cardinal directions. I did these in ebony and saw them out on the bird’s mouth. For me, no substitute for magnification visor and super thin dedicated marquetry saw blades.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4418/37289929896_13188c12c0_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbCZN)26 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbCZN) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4341/36667746083_f2d3330424_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XScMqF)26 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/XScMqF) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4356/37307319632_b4e1192b9a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YQHLmQ)27 (https://flic.kr/p/YQHLmQ) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4373/37289930096_de3b799ef4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbD4f)28 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbD4f) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4420/37289930296_faaf3ae5a6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbD7G)29 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbD7G) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Mike Allen1010

09-26-2017, 5:31 PM

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4363/37289930516_682f675a38_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDbu)30 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDbu) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4387/37289930686_c98f8edc56_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDeq)32 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDeq) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4509/37289930866_6de082fa75_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDhw)33 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDhw) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4389/37289931266_4d1709702c_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDpq)35 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDpq) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

I use a Dremel tool with plunge router base to route the recess and chisels to finish the margins for the central inlay. For the concentric circles I use Lee Valley inlay cutter tool. As you can probably see, hardest part was banding inlay strips to fill the concentric circles. These turned out pretty messy.

Here’s some pics of the hardware.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4493/37289931436_9d59ca4964_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDsm)36 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDsm) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4331/37289931496_5a32a0eeba_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDto)37 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDto) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

I was blessed to have a super cool solid brass mortise lock gifted to me by a fellow Creeker (thank you Chet!). I couldn’t figure out how to engage the tongue of the lock if were mounted on the horizontal front surface so I mounted on the underside of the lid, engaging with the horizontal dust seal. I made a brass reinforcement to surround the tongue of the lock from an old saw back and added an ebony “surround” for the key opening (I can’t spell the right word for the “surround”).

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4483/37289931706_403375799b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDx1)38 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDx1) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4460/37289931786_aff96453f9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDyo)39 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDyo) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Mike Allen1010

09-26-2017, 5:36 PM

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4512/37289931886_50022dc737_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDA7)41 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDA7) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4439/37289932106_f47ed82d70_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDDU)42 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDDU) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4398/37289932266_3af95d362c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDGE)43 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDGE) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Next was 4 rails, out of increasing thickness for the trays to slide on. I added white oak strips for wear resistance.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4503/37289932506_37b4841846_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDLN)44 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbDLN) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4412/37289933366_70f339c763_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbE2C)46 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbE2C) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Here’s the pics of building the sliding interior trays.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4421/37307322572_4036d73792_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YQHMew)47 (https://flic.kr/p/YQHMew) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4334/37337114561_10c38ba327_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YTmtmv)48 (https://flic.kr/p/YTmtmv) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Mike Allen1010

09-26-2017, 5:40 PM

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4371/37289920736_33d14f3761_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YPbAgS)49 (https://flic.kr/p/YPbAgS) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4440/36667754423_55556afe48_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XScPUt)50 (https://flic.kr/p/XScPUt) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

I use an LV bevel up Jack plane to flatten protruding tales and pins, followed by block plane.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4512/37337115591_7f0d191755_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YTmtEg)51 (https://flic.kr/p/YTmtEg) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4412/36667754613_d3f96d7cb1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XScPXK)52 (https://flic.kr/p/XScPXK) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Because the trays are so long ~40 some inches, I added a central divider rabbit did to match rabbits on the inside bottom of the trays to accept quarter-inch thick plywood bottoms. Consistent with my aversion to math, I like to use sliding “story sticks” to capture internal dimensions.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4480/37337116161_8d9b85fb95_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/YTmtQ6)53 (https://flic.kr/p/YTmtQ6) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4418/36667755153_98933c340b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XScQ84)54 (https://flic.kr/p/XScQ84) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4439/23485677198_837f32db76_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmeAW)55 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmeAW) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Once drawers were assembled, I cut grooves for 3/16 inch thick solid wood dividers, primarily in the top tray, where I envision I’ll put chisels and carving tools etc.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4394/36667755313_2d7c0d166d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XScQaP)56 (https://flic.kr/p/XScQaP) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Mike Allen1010

09-26-2017, 5:44 PM

Here are the 4 trays; the bottom is tall enough to accommodate joinery, block, and finish planes. The top 3 drawers are all tuna half inches deep. You can see I haven’t finished one in this pic. I’d like to say I have an elaborate plan for how all store a carefully selected set of tools for each tray, but the truth is I kind of went with the general, whole number dividers, and all figure out individual tool placement as I go.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4437/23485677638_53c9610fce_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmeJw)57 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmeJw) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4379/36627703994_933ffca27c_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XNEyiQ)58 (https://flic.kr/p/XNEyiQ) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Here’s some pics of the finished chest. Finishing is my least favorite part of any project, for most things I like shellac, but thought given the wear and tear for a tool chest, thought more durable poly urethane would be more appropriate. Turns out it still feels like plastic to me.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4507/23485678598_611c62b2f8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmf25)59 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmf25) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4506/36627704774_9bebbc5d71_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XNEyxh)60 (https://flic.kr/p/XNEyxh) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

In an embarrassing fit of ego, I carved my name and date the front of the chest and highlighted with black paint.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4348/23485679968_2d2fb463c7_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMmfqG)61 (https://flic.kr/p/BMmfqG) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

True confessions: as you can see I cleverly inlay the compass rose upside down – ughhhh, I hate when that happens! Such are the perils of seat-of-the-pants builds where I scoff at the value of taking the time to plan layout; “planning, who needs planing? I’ll just bang this out right now”. For me, those words are almost always followed by “Oppps – that’s really stupid, how can I fix that now?” My neighbor suggested I could say it’s an “Australian design” with South intentionally placed at the top. Regrettably that feeble excuse does explain why East and West are upside down!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4373/23485658078_5c8349cfa5_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMm8Vh)62 (https://flic.kr/p/BMm8Vh) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4484/23485655118_65f31dbdf6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/BMm83f)64 (https://flic.kr/p/BMm83f) by Mike Allen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157847244@N02/), on Flickr

Thanks for looking. Cheers, Mike

bridger berdel

09-26-2017, 9:02 PM

When the lid is open the compass will be correct....

Christopher Charles

09-26-2017, 11:20 PM

Jim Koepke

09-27-2017, 2:52 AM

Nice chest Mike.

Maybe you can set it in your shop in such a way as the compass is pointing proper when the box is closed.

jtk

Rick Malakoff

09-27-2017, 8:09 AM

I was wondering about the compass also and thought maybe you had the inside track on something that we all didn't know!

All in all it's a great looking tool chest, thanks for taking time to share it with us.

Rick

Derek Cohen

09-27-2017, 9:54 AM

Another excellent build, Mike. Your attention to detail with really ordinary wood is top class ... and that wood that is soft and difficult to cut cleanly.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Jay Larson

09-27-2017, 11:42 AM

You can always say you designed the lid for an instructor, and that you would be at the head of the class. With the hinges facing the students and with the lid open, it is right side up...

Looks good.

Pat Barry

09-27-2017, 11:46 AM

Maybe you could rig up some sort of internal compass mechanism tied to your latch so the box needs to be oriented properly in order to be opened?

Just joking in previous comment of course. This is a very well executed project Mike! I really like the lid and the internal drawers. The finish is very nice also.

Kevin Perez

09-27-2017, 11:48 AM

Love it! (As an aside, I first read the title as "Antichrist Tool Chest Build" which made me think, "what in the world?")

James Pallas

09-27-2017, 1:20 PM

Well done Mike. The work and the write up are very good. Thank you for sharing.
Jim

Megan Fitzpatrick

09-27-2017, 3:15 PM

Very nice! I like your tray modifications (I'm a sucker for cubbies...)

Doug Hepler

09-27-2017, 6:32 PM

Mike,

Very nice job and write-up. I made one, but not as classy as yours. I was inspired by Chris Schwarz's article in PW and, like you, I made mine a bit larger: 26 x 18 x 20H, including a 2" thick lid. Smaller than yours, but still too heavy. It weights 40 lb. empty. I can't lift it very easily when it has tools in it. I thought that I would need it to ship tools back and forth across the country but now that I have one shop again it is a storage unit.

My point in writing is to say that I made a cart for it and it is now an excellent storage unit for frequently used tools. I like to have frequently used tools easily at hand. I use pegboards for that purpose, but for items that do not lend themselves well to hanging, this chest is really convenient Also, when I travel I can leave expensive planes, chisels, etc locked inside it. So, put yours on a cart to raise it up a foot or two and enjoy.

Doug

Mike Wilkins

09-28-2017, 3:19 PM

Could not resist could you? Had to show us that thin shaving pouring out of the smoother. I admire your sharpening skills. I hope to get there some day. Guess I will just have to keep practicing.

steven c newman

09-28-2017, 3:45 PM

Nice tool chest...needs something, though....
368704
Ah yes, a saw till in the lid?

Stew Denton

09-29-2017, 1:10 PM

Mike,

Beautiful Job, and the write up and photos were great.

Thank you,

Stew

Chet R Parks

09-29-2017, 4:59 PM

Mike,
As the many have said, thank you for sharing your skills, methodology, and time. Another great build you have no idea how much confidence you give me. I really like the trays with all the little dividers, a lot of little detail work there. Again thank you.
Chet

Mike Allen1010

09-29-2017, 5:37 PM

Love it! (As an aside, I first read the title as "Antichrist Tool Chest Build" which made me think, "what in the world?")

Kevin your comment scared the heck out of me! I'm entirely capable of making that kind of egregious spelling error -there are many in this post. Sometimes not sure if the auto spell correcter is a blessing or a curse.Glad to know I make this particularly horrible mistake.

Cheers, Mike

Mike Allen1010

09-29-2017, 5:42 PM

Nice tool chest...needs something, though....
368704
Ah yes, a saw till in the lid?

Thanks Steven for the suggestion. I love your toolbox! Chris Schwarz original plan calls for a saw till on the bottom of the chest along the inside front edge. I'm planning on doing something similar, but now that the "heavy lifting" part of the project is over, the chest is sort of languishing in the shop. I guess I'll have to decide if I'm going to finish out the final fitting for individual tools, or except the fact it's way too heavy for me to transport and and repurpose it for storing something else. I guess I'll have to see.

Best, Mike

Mike Allen1010

09-29-2017, 6:24 PM

Thanks all for the kind comments.. Since I personally enjoy build threads, I assume it's okay to share mine.

Sometimes however, I wonder if I'm inadvertently giving the wrong impression; I surely don't mean to imply my projects are anything special. I make lots of mistakes and there are certainly better ways to do things then I know how to do. Feedback on my posts from my fellow Creekers give me some comfort that I'm not completely wasting everyone's time.

I really value the SMC community as a place to talk about and share things we enjoy about woodworking. I grew up well before the advent of the Internet. I confess I enjoy reading a actual hardcopy daily newspaper (which my Boys think is hysterical!). It occurs to me regularly that this online community of shared woodworking value/interests is a real blessing.

For the last 30 years I'm sure my neighbors have thought of me as "the weird guy whose always in the garage covered in sawdust". Who knew there would be a place where I could find other people also covered in sawdust, who were also truly interested in "really great shavings"? Cheers to the SMC woodworking community!

Now about all those sharpening threads…

Best, Mike

Robert Hazelwood

09-29-2017, 7:03 PM

Thanks for sharing this Mike, and great job on the chest. I can tolerate any number of sharpening threads and which-plane-is-better threads so long as there are at least a few showing good work getting done, so as far as I'm concerned please continue to share!

Jerry Olexa

09-29-2017, 11:01 PM

Very nice results.....Good pics too..Thanks for sharing with us.....

Frederick Skelly

09-30-2017, 6:58 AM

Another great project Mike! I really enjoyed reading your build - thanks for taking the time to document it!
Fred

Mike Allen1010

10-02-2017, 7:12 PM

Fabulous build Mike, many thanks as always for taking the time to share.

Agree with Bridger about the compass and lid, you can say that you really did know the way...

Will look forward to hearing whether you end up working out of it and what you think about a chest vs. wall storage (if you end up using it).

Best,
Chris

Hey Chris,

It seems the universal law that tools will always expand to fill the available shop storage space is in effect and some of my less frequently used that were previously hidden away in the back of head high rolling tool cabinet are finding a home in the new chest.While exploring the dark recesses of my original tool cabinet I was surprised by how many smaller/less frequently used tools I forgot about because her just not visible..

I still prefer having my frequently used saws, planes and layout tools hanging on the shop walls for quick access, but it's turning out the new tool chest is pretty handy.I put some fairly hefty rollers on the bottom of the chest and it's pretty easy to move around even on the rubber floor mats. Also, it seems CS was right when he said in his book it's pretty easy to flip open the top and slide the tills back and forth to quickly access the tool you're looking for.

Looks like this chest will become a regular part of shop tool storage. Unfortunately that means I still have to find another solution for transporting tools to work outside the shop.

Best, Mike.

Christopher Charles

03-01-2018, 12:53 AM

Ron Bontz

03-01-2018, 8:39 AM

Nice work. ( as always ):)

michael langman

03-01-2018, 11:02 AM

You do such beautiful work Mike. I always look forward to your next endeavor, here on the Creek. Thankyou for posting the way you do things.

Mike Allen1010

03-02-2018, 2:14 PM

Hey Mike,

Came across this post again and a couple of thoughts:

1) that is one radical plow plane, looks straight off the set of the Jetsons!

2) how do you like working out of the chest now that you've had a chance to break it in?

Best,
Chris

Hi Chris,

You're absolutely right, my 1970s era Record plow plane looks like it could have come right out of the Jetsons cartoon! This was one of the first hand tools I bought when I was in college and I've had it for 30 years – I think it took me that long to figure out how to make it work! Tolerances for the guide rods/fence can only be charitably described as "approximate". This makes trying to adjust the fence parallel to the sole of the plane, and end up with the blade the correct distance from the fence an exercise in frustration.

If I had any brains I would try and come up with a shop built version that would be easier to use. I think I could figure out the plane body, adjustment rods and fence, but I'm stumped about how I would secure blades of varying widths against the bed of the plane. I would very much appreciate any advice, suggestions or plans for a shop built, wooden plow plane that might help me with these challenges?

To your 2nd question, I'm surprised how much I like working out of the chest. My shop is the equivalent of a one car garage and 95% of my work is with hand tools. Even though I have 2 workbenches and a saw bench in close proximity, horizontal surfaces are always in short supply. Seems like there always covered with tools "I'm sure I'm gonna need again in a couple minutes so no reason to put it back in the rack"".

The thing I like most about the tool chest as I can roll it right up next to the bench and put the tools I'm currently using for a given task (like making drawers for example), in the top couple sliding trays where there readily accessible yet off the benchtop. If I had to do over again, I think I would leave the top couple trays completely open, without dividers, so it's easier to put a broad range of different size tools where there readily accessible, and not having to fuss with divided compartments etc.

For example when making dovetailed drawers I've usually got marking knife, square, dividers, bevel/angle gauge, marking gauge, pencil, dovetail saw, fret saw, chisels, plow plane, etc. scattered about in easy reach.
Before I built the chest, these tools were usually laying on the benchtop and frequently got in the way of using devices, bench surface. Now, those tools all go neatly in the chest and the bench is a little less cluttered and easier to use.

This kind of layout might not work for someone that wants to use the chest as their primary tool storage. I like having my saws, planes, marking tools hanging on the walls where there readily accessible and I have a larger, stationary tool cabinet that holds lots of stuff at eye level, consequently I don't need to put everything in the chest so I can leave the top couple trays open for holding just those tools associated with the given project.

Thanks for the intro/comments. Didn't mean to make such a long post. I really enjoy visiting other shops/woodworkers see how they arrange their tools/workspace and thought it might be helpful to share what works for me.

All the best, Mike

Jim Koepke

03-02-2018, 2:47 PM

[edited for brevity]

You're absolutely right, my 1970s era Record plow plane looks like it could have come right out of the Jetsons cartoon! This was one of the first hand tools I bought when I was in college and I've had it for 30 years – I think it took me that long to figure out how to make it work! Tolerances for the guide rods/fence can only be charitably described as "approximate". This makes trying to adjust the fence parallel to the sole of the plane, and end up with the blade the correct distance from the fence an exercise in frustration.

All the best, Mike

This brings back memories of an old friend and me visiting the Whole Earth Catalog Store in south Berkeley, CA back then. They had this plane on display. The good part of it was they also had spare blades. My father had given me a type 6 #45 and these blades were compatible.

One of my solutions for the out of square fence problem with a Stanley #45 is to use shop made wooden gauges to set the fence. Another solution to a plane with an out of square to the body fence was a shim between the metal and wood on the fence.

Maybe it is time for me to do a write up on plow/combination/multi planes.

jtk

Mike Allen1010

03-06-2018, 3:21 PM

Maybe it is time for me to do a write up on plow/combination/multi planes.

jtk

Yes please JK!

Christopher Charles

03-07-2018, 5:33 PM

Hello Mike,

I'm still laughing a bit at the idea of George Jetson using a plow plane. That would make him a real working by hand in a future space age!

FWIW, you might try the new LV combo. I succumbed and am super impressed-miles better than my old record 043 which was super cute and did a fine job. Derek did build a wooden plow (uber impressive as usual) and it is on his web site i believe.

Thanks for your thoughtful and thorough reply to my question about the chest in use... just what I was looking for. I've been pondering because I'm in the process of shopping for a new house and working out of a chest may be part of the equation. I've been curious because, while a chest seems like a good idea, much of the world seems to favor tool racks/cabinets on the wall. I have a modest wall rack and till which I quite like. Having watched several trends wax and wane, I've been wondering if much of the recent attention for the chest has been deserved or not. You hit on an advantage that I have not yet heard discussed or mentioned. Your system sounds like it has the advantages of a tool tray in a bench without the mess!

I'd love to hear from others who work with/out of a chest too (even though this has been discussed before).

Thanks again,
Chris

steven c newman

03-07-2018, 6:07 PM

Have built two chests.....the lid seemed to gather all sorts of stuff, then it takes to long to dig a tool out....so, there is now a 5 drawer chest of drawers in the shop....Tools that do not have a til somewhere in the shop, go into a drawer. Beats bending our to get something out of the chest...

Jason Lester

03-07-2018, 7:45 PM

I have a large shop, but little wall space. When I finish the kitchen hutch I'm currently working on, I plan to build a chest similar to the one from the CS book. I have a split top Roubo bench and use tool holders that go in the split. It's fine until I need to work on a larger panel or glue-up. Then, I have to find somewhere safe for the chisels and marking tools. I think a chest that's easy to access beside my bench will really help. My planes, saws, and other large tools go on the bench shelf currently, but get covered in dust and shavings, so it will help with that too.

Wayne Collier

03-08-2018, 7:51 PM

Mike,

I'm really glad this thread popped back up as I missed the original. Thanks for documenting the great build. I hope to start a tool chest based upon my Great-grandfather's (early 1900s), which is similar to the one in the CS book. I plan on using sycamore reclaimed from my daughter's house and trim it in walnut I obtained from Kent Bathurst a few years ago. A cousin has the chest, but most of the tools have disappeared over the years. My mother, who was born in the house he built, said he had two chests; wish I knew what happened to the other one as I couldn't find any of his molding planes. I did find a Winchester No. 10 saw and what appears to be a handmade scraper.

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I really appreciate the detail you put into the build thread.
Thanks,
Wayne

Gerald Schram

03-09-2018, 6:22 AM

wayne that will be a nice project. sounds like it will look a little nicer than your grandpas painted one. i have a sweet little winchester back saw do you have any idea who made the saws for winchester? post pics of your bulid when you do it. jerry

Wayne Collier

03-10-2018, 3:55 PM

Gerald,

I've got to finish the vanity (2 drawers to go - the dovetails are getting acceptable) for our bathroom, build the closet system, and finish the wood trim on on the sailboat (its only 14' long), before I start the chest. His chest has survived a century with a lot harder use than mine will ever see.

Not sure who made the saws for Winchester, but I'm sure someone on here knows.

Mike Allen1010

03-14-2018, 10:27 PM