Hand Tool Storage Added

[David Eisenhauer]

I work from an 8' long free standing split top Ruobo style bench that does not have a "back wall" running parallel to the main run of the bench. I very much prefer the benefits of working from the free standing bench as it allows me to have different tasks on the go from different areas, but I don't have tons of tool storage close to hand. I have a tool cabinet mounted below the top on one end and I store planes, dovetailing accessories and a saw vise on shelves at the other end. I have been storing my chisels in a couple-three caddys that slide around in the gap between my split tops and I have a sliding tray to keep my marking gauges close by. I wanted to move the chisels from sticking above the split tops and bring in some more hand tools closer to the action so I built a rolling cart that lives under the least-used end of my bench for that purpose. Note that I hardly ever need to use a holdfast at that extreme end of the bench, but can roll the cart out if required. The top of the cart does allow for my bench dogs (on the left hand split top as it is viewed in the photos) to be used.

[ken hatch]

David,

Very nice. A good solution for no wall storage. I may steal some of it, not the roll around but the storage for the base unit cabinet for behind the bench.

ken

[David Eisenhauer]

Go for it Ken. I used up the last of my 3/4" ply scraps, el cheapo bottom-mount drawer slides and pecan leftovers to make the cabinet. I had to cobble pieces together to make the back. I dread having to PROBABLY (one day) haul another sheet of 3/4" ply to have in the shop.

[ken hatch]

Go for it Ken. I used up the last of my 3/4" ply scraps, el cheapo bottom-mount drawer slides and pecan leftovers to make the cabinet. I had to cobble pieces together to make the back. I dread having to PROBABLY (one day) haul another sheet of 3/4" ply to have in the shop.

David,

I'm with you, I will glue up panels before a sheet of 3/4" ply crosses the threshold of the shop. I'd rather have my butt beat than work 3/4" sheet goods although I occasionally find use for some thinner Baltic Burch. While a fitted drawer might look better than one with metal slides, the metal drawer slides work better for shop drawers. At least that is my story and I'm sticking to it.

ken

[Jerry Olexa]

Good work, David!!!

[Jim Koepke]

It is nice enough to make my shop jelous. :D

jtk

[Rick Erickson]

A plastic milk crate would make my shop jealous at the moment.

Beautiful stuff David. I too may steal some of that :-)



It is nice enough to make my shop jelous. :D

jtk

[Jim Matthews]

Very tidy.

Build a "riser" to stack on top at the same height as your bench to handle larger boards, carcasses, etc.

I envision a Neanderthal outfeed table.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Very nice, I particularly like how you are storing your chisels. What are those chisels, it looks somewhat custom based on the handles and ferrules.

My only concern is dust, but you could slap on a front that would take care of that if it turned out to be a problem (if the front would not get in the way).

I always really like seeing how people store their tools.

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks for the kind word Jerry.

[David Eisenhauer]

Jim/Rick: Thanks for the kind words. This is not (and was not intended to be) "nice furniture work". It is a plywood carcase glued and nailed together with a scrap wood face frame (OK, that is M&T together because it is too narrow to use a biscuit joiner on), dadoed and rabbeted drawers glued together and el cheapo metal drawer guides. I don't like to spend time on trying to build heirloom shop cabinetry but do want it to be functional and solidly built. I used up the last of some of my dropoffs from earlier projects. It does have a 3/4" ply back because I felt that I may want to hang stuff from the back one day. I wanted it to fit underneath the bench overhang so that it would not be another thing taking up floor space to work around.

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks for the idea Jim. I had not thought of using it as a mobile jack stand and I like your suggestion. I have used my roll around heater with a riser for that task, but this cart will be much better.

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks Andrew. The reddish handled chisels facing you in the photo are Ashley Iles (Mk 2?) bench chisels and the chisel ends you see are the LN socket handle bench chisels. I still need to add in some dividers between the chisel ends to keep them from making contact and haven't decided between chopping individual dados for them to sit in or simply plugging in some short extending 1/8" dowel rods to fence each chisel end in. The second drawer down has my rasps and files in it. I don't particularly worry about dust on my tools and don't see myself adding a door because I would not want to have to open it every time I wanted a tool. That's me, others may successfully do differently. I would love to have a wall behind the bench so that I could install a kitchen type upper/lower cabinets or shelves plus a counter top to temporarily put things on, but the shop is too crowded to turn the bench 90* and free up the wall space for the cabinetry.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

and don't see myself adding a door

I meant a face for each drawer that went all the way out to the edges, not a door per say. I agree that having to open a door would be annoying especially since it would have to open all the way so that you could then pull out the drawer.

Had not considered gluing some bits in place, fast and easy. I did something similar in one of my Chisel holders.

[Erich Weidner]

Nice, David!

Good inspiration to one day make something like this to get the rest of my wood working tools out of the craftsman roll around cabinet and closer to the bench. Being able to make the drawers the exact heights needed would be a boon (vs. too tall drawers).

[Mike Manning]

You've got a great bench David. It's obvious a lot of thought and experience went into it. Every time I have the chance to see it I think I spot some new thing/feature about it I hadn't noticed before!

Mike

[Kevin Adams]

Nice set up and really nice tools! I love the AI chisels. Who made the wooden planes, they look sweet?

Thanks.
Kevin

[Zach Dillinger]

Beautifully done. They look highly functional as well.

[David Eisenhauer]

Kevin - The moulding planes are from Matt Bickford, the joinery planes are from Phil Edwards and Steve Voigt. I also have a couple of Steve's bench planes. For me, all of these planes work as advertised and were worth the wait.

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks Zack. When can we expect the next book?

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks to you Erich and Mike. Come by and see/try out anything you want to. Have you noticed that we have fallen off of the 189* weather the last few days? I may actually start back doing a little work in the shop besides just opening it up and sweating.

[ken hatch]

Kevin - The moulding planes are from Matt Bickford, the joinery planes are from Phil Edwards and Steve Voigt. I also have a couple of Steve's bench planes. For me, all of these planes work as advertised and were worth the wait.


David,

I couldn't agree more all three makers make wonderful planes and are mainstays in my shop.

ken

[Kevin Adams]

David,

I couldn't agree more all three makers make wonderful planes and are mainstays in my shop.

ken

i don’t own any of Matt’s planes yet (one day!), but I have a few of Steve’s and they are just as good as they get. Also have a few from Jeremiah Wilding who makes excellent planes. And they are both great guys, so that makes it all even better!

Thanks.
Kevin

[Erich Weidner]

Thanks to you Erich and Mike. Come by and see/try out anything you want to. Have you noticed that we have fallen off of the 189* weather the last few days? I may actually start back doing a little work in the shop besides just opening it up and sweating.

A get together at some point would be nice. Yes, the rain brought some cooler weather. Unfortunately last weekend we tried to escape the heat by camping in New Mexico. Then, two days before we left we discovered that NM is the only Southern state with a quarantine and state parks are closed to non-residents. We quickly looked for something else, and found a nice national park camping area in the Ozarks in Arkansas.

The weather forecast was originally decent, some rain 3 days of the 7 day trip. After we arrived, this just kept getting worse. We packed up after 20 straight hours of hard rain and thunderstoms and headed home. I think I got a cold (or perhaps the Corona). Lots of napping during the remainder of my vacation. Back to work on Tuesday. Oh -well. :)

[David Eisenhauer]

I do lots of camping (pre coronavirus anyway) and the closest place I know that I can sleep in a tent without sweating in the summertime is Lincoln Natl Forest in the Cloudcroft NM area. You can camp up around 8,000 - 8,500 ft elevation and you better bring a blanket. Or, you can drive more northwest and camp at the bottom end of the Natl Forest located immediately to the east of Santa Fe. Same thing, elevation to beat the heat. Both drives are in the 11 hr range without making many non-fuel, etc stops. Both those places are familiar stops for me whole en route further west to Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming etc.

[ken hatch]

A place just a little farther west is Alpine, AZ. The Alpine valley is 8000' or so and it is near the northwest corner of New Mexico and the East end of the White Mountains. It is a beautiful place but just a little hard to get to.

ken

[Kevin Adams]

I sure wish Toyota would bring that vehicle back. Maybe they will with the Ford Bronco out again.

Kevin

[David Eisenhauer]

I have camped in the Gila forest and driven through Alpine, but never stayed there. That whole area is a nice drive. I have done Gila a couple of times already, so maybe it is time for Alpine Ken.

Kevin - I have been well pleased with my FJC for my desert/canyon/mountain/forest road camping trip drives. It has been a very, very trouble free vehicle and I have not taken it anywhere it could not go through. I do not claim to be dare devil-death defying rock climber of the Moab ilk, but it gets me where I go. I drove full sized pickup for forty years or so and I am enjoying the smaller, nimbler, easier to park size.

[Erich Weidner]

We were going to stay at Jemez Falls, NM. Friend has been there before and was chosen for the elevation/temperatures. It originally looked like the Ozarks would be about 10-15 degrees cooler than Austin, but other than when it was raining it was more like 5-10 degrees. With the high humidity, it wasn't comfortable. There was 1.5 nice days though. Enjoyed those days at least. (Even if still pretty humid). It was nice to be in a real forest again.

[Erich Weidner]

David, What is that trailer thingie?

[David Eisenhauer]

Check your PMs Erich.