Portable Hand Tool Boxes and Chests

[Alan DuBoff]

Have been looking at various styles of toolboxes and chests that folks use for transporting their hand tools. Would like to see some of the solutions that some of you have come up with.

I hope Harry Sasil posts some pics, many he's posted in the forum and he's probably got some others hiding...;-)

What I was trying to decide is that if I was going to make a portable toolbox, would I keep the saws together with the planes and chisels, like the sea-chest style patter makers boxes which folks seemed to use for migrating to the "new world".;-)

I would like something more usable, where most of those chests don't seem practical from the aspect of working with the tools.

It seems that chisels might be better in a machinist style toolbox, but proper spacing of course. Somehow to have trays that pull out and function as stands. I like Yeung Chan's box that was pictured in one of the mags is nice, that's what seems more practical in some ways than a toolbox or chest.

Anyone have any comments or pics of solutions you've built?

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

I've been thinking about this a lot, especially since I have a hand tool class and I can't fit everything I need in one bag. :)

I noticed that several other people have smaller workbags, but more of them.

I was thinking about a small saw till for the three saws I'm most likely to need in class, plus one or two other cases.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi Alan, In a perfect world where I had the time and money to acquire a duplicate set of hand tools, I would make myself a nice fancy traveling tool box for doing demos and going to classes. As it is, with one set of hand tools and a few duplicates, I have to always return everything to its home on the tool wall behind my bench. The result is that I took the easy way out and have used 2 of the trayed mechanics tool boxes from Sears to carry my things. The overflow gets wrapped up in old cloths and thrown in an old duffelbag if needed. It certainly is not an elegant approach, but it works fairly well for the two or three times a years I need it. Like just about everone else, I always have a "roundtuit" list that is too long and seems to never shrink.

[Christian Aufreiter]

The term "portable" is probably a little bit misleading in the case of my box but nevertheless here we go.

http://home.eduhi.at/user/holzwerkstatt/index.htm//pictures.htm/Kiste2.jpg
http://home.eduhi.at/user/holzwerkstatt/index.htm//pictures.htm/Kiste3.jpg
http://home.eduhi.at/user/holzwerkstatt/index.htm//pictures.htm/Kiste4.jpg

The pics were taken more than two years ago. I bought several new tools that should be stored in the box and I'm in the process of building a second box (on casters) in order to transform those boxes into a mobile cabinet, so to speak.

Christian

[harry strasil]

Alan and others, I am not sure I should post pictures of my boxes and their contents, my tools are all old user tools and shop made ones, I have very few all metal planes except for the 45's and 55's and a few odd ones. And I prefer to use the all wood or transitional planes and have non of the fancy high dollar tools that people seem to prefer. I have no complete sets of chisels by one mfg, just what ever I can find at flea mkts and antique malls. I could scan the pics I have taken in the past of some of my stuff I guess if there is enough interest. I just don't want to hog the thread with a lot of pictures etc.

[Tim Leo]

I could scan the pics I have taken in the past of some of my stuff I guess if there is enough interest. I just don't want to hog the thread with a lot of pictures etc.


I don't think you will be hogging the thread...and I am interested.

Thanks,

[Michael King]

Alan,
I'm in between projects right now but as soon as I get everything cleaned up and tuned up I'll be making this
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/uploadedimages/fine_woodworking_network/image_resources/cms/img301-img600/IMG465_th.jpg
for the chairmaking tools I've been slowly acquiring. I'm taking a 2 week chairmaking course this summer (did I mention I have the summer off?:D)
and I want something nice to keep the tools in seperately from my other stuff. Is it portable? Won't know till I try. But mainly I just love the look and style of a simple chest like this. If it turns out to be not so portable, I'll find another use for it.
Mike

[John Scull]

I remember some years ago FWW had an installment about tools cabinets and storage. I of course was impressed with C. Becksvoort's cabinet. He said that he was not a "itinerant" woodworker and did not need to be carrying his tools job to job. In the same issue M. Roderiquez had his tool kit and it was appearant that on occassion he was an "itinerant" woodworker. His kit was made up of tool rolls and boxes. It was a good issue and gave insite to different methods.
I still think about Ben Seatons tool chest and of course Duncan Phyfe's. I have to admire D Phyfe's double till, but as far as mobility-does not seem to be a happ'n thang.
Right now I am in Florida working and my handtools are sitting in Minnesota, I go home every so often to visit them.
John

[Alan DuBoff]

Deirdre, I have a bag I got from Woodcraft not long ago, it works but is small and many of my edge tools are left with exposed edges when I put the stuff inside, so I end up wrapping them with old t-shirts and such (got a lot of those from the dot-bomb era;-). I have a chisel roll that I use, but the couple longer paring chisels (i.e., 740s/720s) stick out.

Dave, it's never a perfect world, in my experience.;-) Sounds like that works ok for you, just not ideal. I have a soft tool bag as mentioned, and it works ok for a few tools. For more, and for better protection I've been thinking about a better setup, then Harry teased me with his wonderful chest with a beautiful saw till in the lid.

Christian, nice! I consider that to be portable, even though it might be heavy, yes...tools are heavy I've noticed...;-) The one thing I'm curious of is that your chisels and other tools appear to be on boards that pull out. Do those function as tool stands when pulled out somehow? Chisels are an obvious problem in this regard, and many folks use trays and/or drawers for that. Your chest looks functional, and is clean, I like that.

Harry, you can't wiggle out of this one so easy!:D You have a wonderful chest, and I love the setup you have for saws. As mentioned in PM, I'm contemplating seperating the saws from the rest of the tools to create a more mobile, or better portable storage, I'd like to have a large saw till that might fold in half, opening to a stand to display the tools when in use.

John, It is chests like the seaton chest that made me realize that they're good for transportation, but not as functional in use. For folks migrating to (insert sound of Dvorak) "The New World", they worked fine. My thought was that if you took a chest like that around with you, say to a jobsite, it will be 1) heavy, and 2) not fuction well for in-use work. In comparison as toolbox simialr to Yeung Chan's which opens up and creates a stand from the box makes sense. So, I was thinking it might be better to have more smaller boxes like that, than one large one like a seaton chest. To me, Christian's chest looks like a better compromise than putting even more stuff in there as the seaton chest was designed.

[Maurice Metzger]

Harry, as far as I'm concerned your pictures are always welcome, the more the merrier. I do my woodworking outside and the weather's just now allowing me to get back out there - if it hadn't been for pictures like yours on this site I would have had serious withdrawal symptoms over the winter.

For example I really liked the picture of your jointer plane (for lack of a better word - it's more like a jointer table).

Also, I might have one plane that's younger than I am, but I think it's just the one. So I'm interested in your old tools.

- Maurice

[harry strasil]

Well, here comes another long winded reply (at Alan's request) so blame him.

Tool Chests or boxes were of many different sizes according to the type of Woodworking a particular Craftsman did,from very large down to very small.

Tool Chests especially large ones were a means of protecting, storing and organizing the Craftmans tools and often were taken to the job at hand and left at the jobsite till the job was completed. Thus the reason for the larger ones. Even if the Craftsman worked in a shop everyday he still had a Tool Chest to store and keep his tools handy to his work station. Even a large work bench with under neath drawers and compartments is a form of Tool Chest for storage and organization of ones tools.

Rough Carpenters, Bridge Carpenters, Timber Framers also called Joyner or Joiners, Finish Carpenters, Furniture Makers and Cabinet Makers were just a few of the type of Craftsmen in the Woodworking trades in Days of Old. And each had specific tools they used in their type of work, Although some types of woodworking tools were used by all, there were specific differences many times such as the length and size and types of chisels and saws.

Generally speaking all Tool Chests were made out of Pine as it is a tough easily worked wood and easily obtained and had iron reinforcement and protective trim to help it withstand rough use. The tills (drawers or lift out trays) were another story, this is where the exotic and finer woods were used. Often the upper level of Craftsmen used exotic and fine woods to embellish the inside of the top lid with beautiful designs of Parquetry, Marquetry and varios Inlays. You sometimes see these beautiful old Chests in antique places, gutted of their precious tools and tills and sold for high dollar amounts as blanket chests. I have even had some very perplexed and angry women come up to me when I am demoing and literally cuss me out for putting those dirty old tools in that beautiful blanket chest. I have so far resisted the urge to cuss them back, as my huge laughing fit seems to enrage them more. LOL

I have scanned these pictures from photographs and resized them and run them thru 2 programs to make them more presentable and less fuzzy.

This is my first attempt at an actual Tool Chest, and I quickly outgrew it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/boxA.jpg

I graduated to this one which is 4 ft long and takes 4 men to move around easily, I built my half scale high wheeled farm wagon for the express purpose of moving this toolbox, I had aluminum channel iron ramps for the back of my suburban to roll the wagon up inside with the toolbox inside it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox01.jpg

A view with the top open, the front door removed and showing all the saws stored in it. the bow says were dissassembled for storage. Incidently the two bottom saws in the lid are Old Brand New D-23's I found in my fathers shop when I took over, one even had the original paper protection and the original box. I believe the price tags said $2 dollars and some odd cents.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox02.jpg

Some of the other tools stored in the top section.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox03.jpg

The top drawer showing stored tools.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox04.jpg

The tools stored in the right partition laid out.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox05.jpg

The tools stored in the other compartments.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox08.jpg

The second drawer showing the stored tools.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox06.jpg

The tools stored in the second draw less the chisels.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox07.jpg

The bottom drawer showing the tools stored.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox09.jpg

[harry strasil]

It would only let me post 10 pictures, so here are the rest.

The tools laid out.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox10.jpg

There is a compartment under the bottom drawer where most of these tools are stored.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/Bbox11.jpg

[harry strasil]

Diedre, here is what I use when I need only a few tools, it could be made a little wider for more storage and still be small enough to carry.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/handybox1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/handybox2.jpg

[harry strasil]

This is a small chest I made for my son in laws father who is a carver to store and transport his tools in. There is no metal of any kind used in its construction and the Clear Old Growth boards it is made from started their life as basement shelves in 1896 or so in a clothing store.

The finish is Danish Oil and it soaked up the first four heavy coats like a sponge.

Bob occassionaly sets up in a Woodworkers Store in San Antonio, Tx and the box created more interest than his carving and when he showed the note about the wood and its construction, the people at the wood store said it had to have either nails or screws in it and tried using a stud finder to find them. They were only convinced when a police officer came in and he used a metal detector wand on it and couldn't find any metal. They still don't believe it I think.

The carrying handle serves as a support for the lid when it is open and there are two latches sticking out midway on the handle that locks the top lid in place.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/bob1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/bob2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/bob3.jpg

[Scott Raasch]

Harry - you are my new HERO!! Thanks for the pics! Those are really nice!

It's amazing how immoblie a "portable" toolbox can become. I made one last year. I got the idea from the Toolbox Book by Jim Tolpin. The overall size was what I felt appropriate for a tool box after seeing quite a few in antique stores. Of course, I thought it would be a good idea to pack as many tools as I could into it. Now it resides on top of a cart with wheels so that I can move it around. :) It weighs a TON! But it is still handy because I roll the cart up next to my workbench and it does have most of the tools that I like to use.

Here are some pics:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/MuckyMutt/NewToolBox10.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/MuckyMutt/NewToolBox09.jpg

and it has a drawer in the center - a very long one - but very handy.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/MuckyMutt/NewToolBox08.jpg

[harry strasil]

that is one beautiful box scott, I especially like the joinery, fabulous work indeed. The pull out till is a great touch, give yourself an A+ please.

[James Mittlefehldt]

I recall seeing that tool box and I believe another variation in Tolpin's book Scott. Would you mind terribly elaborating on what changes you did make and why. I think yours looks great.

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

Very nice! The saws I'm carrying are smaller, so it'll be something like that but shorter. :)

[Alan DuBoff]

That last one Scott posted is just splendid, it looks like it would suite me just fine, has room for a good assortment of planes, chisels, hammers, bits, brace, saws, etc...

And I love that sliding drawer, that's very nice.

Harry, Please post all pics you like, I certainly enjoy seeing them.

All of them are finely crafted, superb work!

Thanks for posting, I'm sure others enjoyed as well.

[Dave Williams]

I do not have as fancy a toolbox as the ones above but it is much easier to work out of in my opinion. The tools might be a bit jumbled but none of them ever gets marred and every thing’s in plain view, and in easy reach. It’s also quite simple to build as well. The large handle allows for quick balancing for uneven loads.
At the time of the photograph it carried two 30 inch cross cut saws, a backsaw, keyhole saw, jack plane, block plane, two drills, an auger, try square, dividers, cutting gauge, mortise gauge, marking gauge, beam compass, two bevels, spoke shave, 16oz hammer, 9/16 inch mortising chisel (protected by simple paper towel and tape sheath), various twist drills and auger bits. It can hold more but those tools were employed else where.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/Mr_Zoot_Suit/sideview.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/Mr_Zoot_Suit/otherside.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/Mr_Zoot_Suit/frontview.jpg

[Dan Racette]

Lon Schleining's Book Treasure Chests really has some wonderful options as does Jim Tolpin's Toolbox book.

They are definitely a functional item, so too much pizzazz one might not end up using them!!!

[Scott Raasch]

I recall seeing that tool box and I believe another variation in Tolpin's book Scott. Would you mind terribly elaborating on what changes you did make and why. I think yours looks great.

James, the only real change I made was that I did not do the pinned bridle joints on the top (where the handle is attached). Didn't want to go through the trouble when I figured through tenons would be just as functional and still keep with the overall design. Of course, I laid out the interior specifically for the tools I had - that took a while and some good planning.

The only other comment I have is that I don't really care for the long rails underneath. The first time I had it in the back of my truck it tipped over. :( Now I have to tie it down in the truck. It does not give it a very stable base.

[Clay Craig]

Alan,
You mentioned Yeung Chan's chisel box/stand. Here's something I did to hold just a few current-use chisels, rasps, etc. at the bench, 'cause I'm the worst for 'losing' tools that are directly under my nose. Like everything else, there's a lot I'd do differently, but this was just for a 2-day project in a design class.

This walnut really popped once I finished the details and oiled it, but I don't think I have any pics with it finished.

Clay

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/miamiclay/caddyv.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/miamiclay/caddyh.jpg

[Scott Raasch]

Clay, that is really nice!! I like it! Functional and beautiful.

[Alan DuBoff]

Alan,
You mentioned Yeung Chan's chisel box/stand. Here's something I did to hold just a few current-use chisels, rasps, etc. at the bench, 'cause I'm the worst for 'losing' tools that are directly under my nose.Clay, that's something I would like, similar to what you've done. It looks like it would work well to hang on the wall as well as using as a stand. I like it a lot!

Thanks for sharing.

[Clay Craig]

Thanks, guys!

This was stone-easy to make - from a solid block saw off just three 'scales,' from the front, back and bottom, cut 4 wide vertical grooves in both faces of the remaining block, (leaving you this cross-section |-|-|-|-|) glue the scales back on, and cut the top profile.

Nice thing is that it's very forgiving: No matter if the thickness of the scales is uneven, or the slot grooves are ragged, all sins are pretty much hidden down in the slots - even up the thicknesses of the visible end grid with a file, and all is peachy.

The handle's verticals are each just half the offcut from the top arch. (Serendipity - I drew them straight, but when I saw the curved offcut, I realized ... .) The disk is endgrain palm. I also tucked a little square of neoprene in the bottom of each pocket.

Clay

[Alan DuBoff]

Clay, I might have to try one, doesn't sound very difficult, and I could use one. I really need to get another bench built before I do anything else though. On my bottomless list though, of things to do. :D

[Christian Aufreiter]

Christian, nice! I consider that to be portable, even though it might be heavy, yes...tools are heavy I've noticed...;-) The one thing I'm curious of is that your chisels and other tools appear to be on boards that pull out. Do those function as tool stands when pulled out somehow? Chisels are an obvious problem in this regard, and many folks use trays and/or drawers for that. Your chest looks functional, and is clean, I like that.

It’s hardly portable for a single person but two people can handle the box.
Correct, the boards that hold chisels, screwdrivers etc. can be pulled out. But they don’t functions as tool stands (yet). Currently, I’m in the process of “collecting” at least two tools of each kind. You know, two sets of pliers, two sets of chisels etc. One range of sets is dedicated to the tool box and the other one is stored at a tool panel right above the work bench.

@ Harry, Dave, Clay & Scott: Thanks for sharing your boxes. Those are real beauties.

Christian

[Tyler Howell]

This is gettin good. Picture police seal of approval.
Keep em comin:cool:

[harry strasil]

Some pictures of the 3 tool chests I carry in the demo shop trailer. They are stacked on the left side in the trailer, all have custom made canvas dust and scratch covers for the top and there are carpet protectors between the chests so they don't injure each other from road vibration.

The first two are made from recycled packing crate lumber.

The smallest and also the first one I made for demo tools.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/box1A.jpg

(note- don't start doing Parquetry with triangles.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/box1B.jpg

The two tills nested in the top.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/box1C.jpg

The second slightly longer chest.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/box2A.jpg

The second attempt at Parquetry.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/box2B.jpg

The four tills nested in the top.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/box2C.jpg

The bottom is for plane storage.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/box2D.jpg

The third and largest chest, mainly to protect the 2 old Disston saws and to catch the over flow from the other two.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/box3.jpg