it's been a while here's my first unplugged project

[Vinnie Lopez]

400755400756After quite some time collecting tools and learning what sharp really is, I started practicing my sawing,chisel work and dovetails. A month ago I finally got down to work building this Dutch tool chest to house my tool collection. It is my first real project and while it's not perfect it is solid and functions as I need it.

[Robert Engel]

Nice work.

Hand tool work can be quite therapeutic!

[Vinnie Lopez]

400757My dovetails were not perfect but I think they came out ok for only being my third set of hand cut dovetails everything else has been on small practice boards. I'm certain I will continue to improve the quality of my work in the future.

[Brian Eaton]

400757My dovetails were not perfect but I think they came out ok for only being my third set of hand cut dovetails everything else has been on small practice boards. I'm certain I will continue to improve the quality of my work in the future.

Those look pretty good to me!

[Vinnie Lopez]

Thank you after some practice on small boards I took a different approach to chopping out the waste that really reduced the amount of time I spent removing waste. Rather than chopping out the waste close to the scribe line I would take one chop near the line taking care that my chisel wouldn’t drift into and past the line. Then I would chop from the end remove that sliver and repeat. I found it to be much faster. Then flip the board and repeat from the other side. Finally some minor cleanup up to the scribe line. This may sound trivial to more experienced woodworkers but for a newbie a breakthrough that gives you that ah ha moment is beautiful.

[James Pallas]

Nice work Vinnie. That tool case will last a very long time. The dovetails look fine. It is nice to feel that you have mastered a task to the point that you don’t have to worry about it failing and concentrate on doing it faster and better. Tools in hand, tools protected, sharpening mastered, your good to go.
Jim

[Jim Koepke]

Nice chest Vinnie. What is a guy supposed to do when it would take about a dozen of those to hold all their tools? :eek:

jtk

[John Schtrumpf]

Agree, Nice chest Vinnie.


...What is a guy supposed to do when it would take about a dozen of those to hold all their tools? :eek:

jtk
Make a bigger one, mine is 30" by 36", yours would be about the size of a wall :)

[Frederick Skelly]

That's a nice chest Vinnie! The dovetails look just fine. I like the brass trim on the top too.

There are 4 nails or screws visible in the upper portion of the front panel (the part that looks like a drawer front but probably isn't). What are those for?
Fred

[Vinnie Lopez]

In the original plans I had that part was screwed into place. If I did it again I wouldn’t have screwed it in place

[Frederick Skelly]

In the original plans I had that part was screwed into place. If I did it again I wouldn’t have screwed it in place

There's nothing wrong with what you did. It looks just fine and I'd be glad to own that chest. I can't tell if those screws are steel or brass, but you could use brass and call it a design element.

[Vinnie Lopez]

They are steel the brass screws I found locally where of poor quality. I also added handles on the sides400841

[Frederick Skelly]

I like the handles too.

[Vinnie Lopez]

400842I made this crude mallet yesterday out of maple and walnut. My other mallet has a much shorter handle I like a little bit longer handle as I find it balances better for my hand