Lunenburg Co. Carpenter's Chest

[Ian Gillis]

Hi

As promised, here are some pics of an old carpenter's chest I mentioned in a previous post. As you'll see, the chest is divided into upper and lower compartments.

I remembered to measure this time :)

It is 41 1/2"W X 21H X 21 1/4D (105cm X 53 X 54)

The material is pine. The larger board in the top is 15 1/2" wide (39.5cm)


By sheer luck I found keys for both upper and lower locks in a lot of handtools that had been taken from the owner's garage :D

This baby would have needed the proverbial "2 men and a boy" to move it if it was anywhere near full.

Cheers

IG

[harry strasil]

Nice tool chest

[James Mittlefehldt]

Thanks for posting the pics Ian that is truly a nice tool chest, I assume that saws and planes would be in the bottom and smaller tools in the top section. Do you have any good idea of the age of the chest. I have never seen one quite like that but the design seems very practical.

[Ian Gillis]

Thanks for posting the pics Ian that is truly a nice tool chest, I assume that saws and planes would be in the bottom and smaller tools in the top section.

Unfortunately I never got to see the chest with all the tools inside. The auctioneer pulled out almost all the tools. There are only 2 good clues as to where tools went. In the upper section there is a spot that looks like it held the man's transitional jointer/foreplane. It's very tough to see in the photos, but when the bottom is open you can see 3 wooden buttons on the bottom side of the top section. I puzzled over these a bit, but they hold a standard framing square perfectly.



Do you have any good idea of the age of the chest?

I have an idea, but I don't know if it's any good :) Judging by the set of transitional planes that came out of the chest, as well as a book on house construction which was printed in 1905, I think he probably got his journeyman tools and built the chest around 1900 +/- 5yrs. This is pretty speculative but if seems reasonable. A carpenter would continue to add tools throughout his working life, but the fairly complete set of transitionals would be the point of departure, I think. Could be older, but I think the man lived into the 1970's. I may go cemetery snooping to verify his dates, because I am curious.

The paint on the top of the chest is quite shiny. I like to think that that it was polished by the trousers of the carpenters who took their lunches on it. Seating is always limited on a construction site.

Cheers

IG