Chisel storage?

[Mike Keers]

Hey gang,
I've recently changed my shop layout, and it's a hike from my new main bench location out in the open to the wall-mounted chisel racks I've used for years. How about some ideas or pics for portable chisel storage? I've seen pics (but can't recall where) of long racks with carrying handles where the chisels are stored butt-down.

I'm not really interested in cabinets or wall mounted methods, I need some ideas for portable units, something that might hold a coupla dozen chisels safely and be carried around the shop from bench to bench. Thx!
mike

[Johnny Kleso]

I thinking of making a tool cart for my most used tool since my workbench is outside the garage..

I'm thinking it would be used to stack the wood for the job in progress and below have drawers for my most used tools..

When I worked in a machine shop we had own main boxes on wheels and I was thinking that would work for my shop now..

[Graham Hughes (CA)]

Hey gang,
I've recently changed my shop layout, and it's a hike from my new main bench location out in the open to the wall-mounted chisel racks I've used for years. How about some ideas or pics for portable chisel storage? I've seen pics (but can't recall where) of long racks with carrying handles where the chisels are stored butt-down.

I'm not really interested in cabinets or wall mounted methods, I need some ideas for portable units, something that might hold a coupla dozen chisels safely and be carried around the shop from bench to bench. Thx!
mike

I use leather chisel rolls at the moment, which are great if you have to take them a good ways but overkill for walking 20'. I would go with the "it's a rack with a bunch of holes in it, a carrying handle, and a stand" style if I were you. If you plan on taking it into your car, maybe putting it in a box; I have a box for my Czech chisels which is quite nice but not terribly space efficient.

[Jim Koepke]

Hey gang,
I've recently changed my shop layout, and it's a hike from my new main bench location out in the open to the wall-mounted chisel racks I've used for years. How about some ideas or pics for portable chisel storage? I've seen pics (but can't recall where) of long racks with carrying handles where the chisels are stored butt-down.

I'm not really interested in cabinets or wall mounted methods, I need some ideas for portable units, something that might hold a coupla dozen chisels safely and be carried around the shop from bench to bench. Thx!
mike

Some will likely cringe at my method. I made boxes with soft pine bottoms. Then at the top, rows of dowel stock were installed from front to back and side to side. Depending on the size of the chisels or gouges, they can be spaced at about an inch apart. The grid of dowels keeps the chisels separated and I haven't noticed any degradation to the edges. These are easy to move from place to place and keep the chisels or gouges in order.

My other method is to drill holes in a board, taper the holes with a ream. The bigger chisels may need slots cut out to get them in place. The slot can either go to the edge or just cut out on either side of the hole. In the later case, there needs to be enough room above to match the longest chisel. It would be easy to put sides on either end of this and build a stand for it so it could be carried to the bench.

My bench does not have a tool trough. Been thinking of adding one. But for now, the bench has to be kept clear. So there is a free standing shelf and assembly with a desk area and shelves next to the bench to hold tools so I do not have to walk around looking for the often used tools. Having just moved into this property, things are still to be unpacked and my mind has not even begun to figure out how to lay things out.

jim

[Mike Keers]

Graham as come close to what I'm envisioning, some kind of rack with a handle. that could be used for regular storage or moved from place to place. I was hoping for some pics or plans of how others might do it. I have a rough idea in my mind's eye, but no sense reinventing the wheel.

Jim's box idea is interesting, but I was envisioning the chisels stored butt-down with dividers for the iron ends, in some kind of long tray with a handle.

I've been thru the leather and felt rolls, I have wall mounted racks I made, and even several small boxes that hold special sets, but my main supply of users still hangs in wall racks and I just get tired of wandering back and forth, and I eventually seem to end up with a dozen different chisels and gouges, plus mallets, planes and other hand and power tools all loose on the bench and attempting mayhem with each other. I don't have tool trays on any of my benches, and I'm just a cluttered kind of guy. :rolleyes:

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Mike

Since you have not had a lot of ideas, here are a few ...

I am not sure who designed these. They came off a forum -

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Chisels/chiselrack03.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Chisels/Chiselstorage3.jpg

And this one folds up ..

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Chisels/Chiselcase1.jpg

I was going to build the last one and set it in the cabinet. Now I prefer something more permanent. I have tried caddies in the past, but found that they get in the way. After all, you have to put them down somewhere.

So I favour keeping some chisels at hand on a wall rack, and the bulk in a chisel cabinet.

My chisel cabinet .. (Japanese chisels, OB mortice, Berg parers)

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Newworkshopchisels1.jpg

.. and Blue Spruce detail chisels on a wall rack over my bench, always close to hand (This picture was of the jointer I built, not the workshop..)

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Jointer-shopmade1.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Michael Pilla]

Now that's funny Derek! I was just thinking that I should post my rack and you did it for me. Thanks :D

The first rack in Derek's post is mine. I designed it so that a small french cleat holds it in the door of my overhead tool cabinet. I can reach up there and remove individual chisels or I can take the whole rack down to the bench. The base is a solid block of jatoba so it's nicely balanced. IT hasn't really been put though it's paces yet but seems to be working fine for me so far.



Michael

[glenn bradley]

This drawer unit is under my bench at the left hand end where I do most of this sort of work. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=89703&d=1212256136

A piece of scrap with some 1-1/8" holes and an old magnetic tool holder keep things still and relatively dust free :rolleyes:. I double stick taped the fixtures in to check for layout and ended up just leaving them that way.

[John Schreiber]

I've been thinking of the same thing. I'm moving my bench so that I can get to both sides of it and have been thinking about some sort of a stand to go in the tool tray where I will always have my most frequently used tools.

Lots of good ideas already. Keep 'm coming.

[Mike Keers]

Yup, now yooz guys got the ball rolling! I like what I'm seeing and hearing, keep it coming! :p

[Martin Cash]

Hi Mike,
Mine is nowhwere near as elegant as others but it does have a handle and holds chisels on both sides - so carries quite a few to wherever I want.
Works for me until I can build something a little prettier.
Regards
MC

[Wilbur Pan]

This isn't strictly a chisel stand, but it keeps a number of tools that I use a lot close at hand.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/2322486858_dfed9ea7fa.jpg

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Wilbut

I think that is just so striking - working art!

A name for it?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Chris Schumann]

If you were only to use a handful or so, you could use a small pail of sand or something. I'm pretty sure I saw that idea on a web site of 5,000,000 Best Shop Tips or something like that.

[Wilbur Pan]

Hi Wilbur

I think that is just so striking - working art!

A name for it?

Um...benchtop tool rack? ;)

Thanks for the compliment!

[John Schreiber]

This isn't strictly a chisel stand, but it keeps a number of tools that I use a lot close at hand.
I like that, but don't you ever bump it and it falls off the bench?

[Wilbur Pan]

Hi John,

The stand is actually more stable than it looks. Part of that is due to my putting the chisel hammer, which is by far the heaviest tool in the rack, right in the center.

There was only one time where the stand tipped over, and it was because I had taken everything out of the right side of the stand, and the weight of the chisels all on the left side made it tip.

If I were to do it over again, I would add some legs sticking back from where the two legs meet, sort of like an asymmetric X. Actually, now that I think of it, I might just do that this weekend. ;)

[Mike Keers]

...some great ideas and pics. I was blown offline for a few days, just got back on, and I'm impressed with the thoughts and pics that you all have shared.

I still can't find the picture I saw that inspired this thread, but one thing stands out. In pretty much everyone's methods, the chisels are stored irons down. This is how I've always done it too in my wall mounted racks, but run into problems with different shapes and sizes not hanging properly, and sometimes being able to cock and touch each other. In the version I saw 'somewhere', the chisels were stored butt end down. Kind of like a miniature vertical lumber storage rack, a long tray on the bottom, and each chisel stood on end with the butts just resting in the tray, and the irons all leaned into a rail higher up, with a carrying handle or rod higher still.

I was thinking about this yesterday while using a bunch of chisels, and a guy could simply use short dowels in the higher rail to position and separate the irons. It could be a two-sides carrying tray thing, with the chisels leaning inward from each side, perhaps staggered so the tips from each side didn't touch.

It's making the notches or holes to hold them fit properly withthe butts up that has been the weak link in my racks so far, so many different shapes of irons and ferrules and handles.

Just another gear in the works.

[Derek Cohen]

Mike

I think that a rack holding chisels bevel up could be very dangerous. At least when the blades point down they are protected.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John Baranowski]

If you were only to use a handful or so, you could use a small pail of sand or something. I'm pretty sure I saw that idea on a web site of 5,000,000 Best Shop Tips or something like that.
I would be afraid the sand would do a grinding job and dull the edges of my chisels, myself.

[Phillip Pattee]

It's a toolelabra

[Dan Clark]

...(This picture was of the jointer I built, not the workshop..)

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Jointer-shopmade1.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek
Derek,

Hmmm... There's lots of folks whose shop is smaller than that jointer! :D

Dan.

[John Keeton]

Michael, that is a neat idea with the "portability" of the rack. I had posted a similar query some weeks back on storage of carving tools, but this thread has picked up some meat. I am getting ready to do an overhead cabinet and appreciate the OP, and the replies.

And Derek, the area around your bench is awesome. Would love to see some more shop pics - can you post a thread? The plane looks like a work of art, as well. Obviously not your first.

[Jim Koepke]

Finally got one of them round tuits and hauled the camera out to the shop.

This is also a little bit of a gloat, since learning to use a lathe in a night class at one of the local high schools and being able to turn some handles for my socket chisels.

There is also in the picture under the long handled chisel of some practice work for making lovetails. Not sure if the little heart shape shows up. Saw them in an old FWW mag, thought it was worth a try.

Also in the picture is a rack similar to the first wall mounted rack that was made to hold my first set of chisels. It is just blocks of wood glued to a piece of wood. It works well on a bench to keep chisels organized and from rolling off on their own.

All the handles in this photo are ones that were made by me. The first ones made were the long handle and the second from the bottom. They are actually pieces from a broken chair adapted to be used as chisel handles. The rest were made in class. My first turnings are the ash handles, second and third from the top. The third one did not get finished as planned because it flew off the lathe before getting done. Same with the bottom one of myrtle wood. The tenon had a bad spot. Tried to salvage it, but it broke in the chisel, so it became a file handle instead. The one in the middle is also myrtle wood. The last two made are the red heart, third from bottom and the top one of maple.

Last week, a "want to buy" card was filled out and placed in one of the local super markets looking for a wood lathe. An elderly gentleman called and had a 50 year old Craftsman 10X36 lathe with tools and accessories for $100. So, now there is a lathe in my shop. Just have to put it together and then to work.

There is also a picture of one of my chisel boxes showing the dowels separating the chisels.

The last picture is a detail of the handle turned from maple.

jim

[Derek Cohen]

mmm... There's lots of folks whose shop is smaller than that jointer!

Hi Dan

Heh ..that's 30". It's not new. I built it about a year ago. Dropped it on the tote a few weeks ago. Amazingly it did minimal damage (the plane is Jarrah) but it did come loose. I took the opportunity to shorten the horn a little and ebonize it before the refit. That picture was my record of the new look.

And Derek, the area around your bench is awesome. Would love to see some more shop pics - can you post a thread?

Thanks John. The shop is undergoing a total refit. I have posted this information before (... 9 months of an office addition over the garage/workshop, which meant gutting the workshop). I have been at it for about 6 weeks but, as we all know, that is hardly any time at all.

I've built a few cabinets. Managed to re-use the main section over the bench, but it was severely water damaged (did I mention no roof in winter?). Only one cabinet has doors yet. I don't want to post pictures yet - rather do so when it is all done. I will post one teaser .. details of some marking tools hanging on the wall..

Colen Clenton is a wonderful artist and a generous individual. I was able to round off my squares when he traded this mitre square for a set of my marking knives (Rob Lee wrote a fun review on these recently, but I would have to link to another website).

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Workshoprebuild-squares1.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John Burnside]

I recently created this for point-of-use chisel storage. I'm in a rental house, so attaching the magnetic tool holders to the walls was not an option. This isn't the prettiest looking thing, but it is functional. There's a lazy-susan underneath, so I simply rotate it to find the chisel that I'm after. Items from Menard's, Harbor Freight and Lowes added up to less than $40 and it gets the job done.
304835304836

[Jeff Heath]

Sooooooooo.........I guess I better not post a picture of my chisels strewn all over my bench, then.......:)

[Jim Koepke]

John, Welcome to the Creek.


I'm in a rental house, so attaching the magnetic tool holders to the walls was not an option.

A friend with rental properties once asked me, "what do you call people who put nails in walls?" I didn't know, he said, "renters."

jtk

[John Burnside]

Sooooooooo.........I guess I better not post a picture of my chisels strewn all over my bench, then.......:)

Yes, and it is the volume of chisels that don't show in the picture that has me realizing that I need to go up one more milk crate high, perhaps two crates high, to accomadate them all. Will post a new picture when all the chisels have a home :)

[John Burnside]

I'll have to share that quip with my landlord, thanks for the welcome! :D

[David Ragan]

Several years ago Woodcraft had a great Pfeil chisel deal going for about 2 months. They made me buy a bunch and I wound up w about 75(!)
So, i made a tiered system that holds about 15 across and 5 rows deep, step wise each row behind is a little higher. Handle up
i put on wheeled base and keep a sheet over it.
I can take the racks off if i want-portable, like above
(Most of them i have never used)

[Tony Wilkins]

Fine Woodworking - in its latest hand tool edition - has a caddy that hangs over the edge and is secured with pegs in the front dog holes of your bench.

[Jeff Ranck]

Sooooooooo.........I guess I better not post a picture of my chisels strewn all over my bench, then.......:)

ok this is me spitting the water I was drinking all over my monitor.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Threads like this are why I come here. A lot of great ideas and excellent work here. My compliments to all.

[Jude Kenny]

304876

I keep seven chisels in a shallow tray that I keep in a tool well. Lid is for when they go to bed. Works for me.

[ian maybury]

This links a related thread run some time ago - my focus was to get some input on the best design for a universal socket in a rack to safely hold chisels. Lots helped out by posting then too: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?222017-All-purpose-nest-socket-design-for-chisel-rack&highlight=

I'm just starting making some racks to fit in a wall cabinet today, having spent last night measuring up the shanks of chisels. I'm hoping to come up with a single socket layout to handle all, but the realisation has dawned that it's not a simple problem to solve. Plan B is a custom socket for each chisel type, but apart from the extra labour it would impose the major requirement to always place a chisel back in exactly the right place.

Just heading out now to make some test sockets - so far it's leaning towards a conical hole with a diameter of maybe 25mm at the top, and about 13mm at the bottom in 18mm ply - with a slot through it for wider blades to slide in through. The thought is to try using one of those conical sheet metal step drills if the diameters work out. Failing that a chairmaker's conical cutter, or maybe even a DIY profile ground up from a wide spade bit. Google brings up other options - magnets for example which i'm personally not very keen on. The other basic rack type seems to be two parallel strips of wood separated by spacers to form a slot for the chisels to drop into - very universal but it doesn't separate the chsiels.

Two nice ideas from David, Derek and the guys were either a parallel parking rack to take two chisels in two holes one inside the other in a single slot, or deeper and less shallow racks one immediately below the other to deliver a similar effect. (see pics in the link) Blue Spruce offer some (expensive) ready made wooden racks.

The hard part with shooting for a universal i guess is the very wide variety of shanks found on different chisel types - even Japanese chisels with visually similar conical sockets vary quite a bit in size, while Euro pattern chisels and carving tools with cylindrical ferrules are potentially very different again. Another issue is that on narrow/light weight chisels the handle may be much heavier than the blade - meaning they may need a socket and to be supported at the highest possible point to stop them falling over...

[Chris Hachet]

Fine Woodworking - in its latest hand tool edition - has a caddy that hangs over the edge and is secured with pegs in the front dog holes of your bench.


That would be quite impressive, I think.

[Simon MacGowen]

The latest LVT woodworking newsletter has a chisel cabinet and I like the simple design and the use of magnets rather than slots to hold the chisels.

Simon

[Mike Holbrook]

Two ideas, sort of opposite ends of the spectrum. Look up German Work Box project on the internet. There is a set of plans Popular Woodworking published in their October 2003 issue. The plan is for a tool box on casters that can be rolled anywhere the tools are needed. The top of the box is hinged on the outside corners. The two top sections fold out to either side making a top tool box twice the size of the box itself. Inside there are lots of nice drawers. I plan to use one of these for constantly used medium size tools. The top has large open space that can hold whatever you need at that time.

I also bought a Festool Storage Systainer SYS-SB. The top parts fold out to either side, providing access to a fair number of smaller tools all at once. I place it and my Festool 9 drawer Sortainer on a Festool Systainer Roller SYS-Roll, cart made to hold systainers, along with whatever other tool systainers I need. The cart has four casters and can rotate in place, very handy for moving tools between work areas or around the shop.

[Stanley Covington]

Hey gang,
How about some ideas or pics for portable chisel storage?

I'm not really interested in cabinets or wall mounted methods, I need some ideas for portable units, something that might hold a coupla dozen chisels safely and be carried around the shop from bench to bench. Thx!
mike

You are asking, as I read it, for ideas for portable means to store chisels, something that can be easily moved around for purposes of using the chisels in various locations. I have tried several methods over the years, including rolls, boxes of various types, racks and cabinets, but they had shortcomings such as consuming workbench-top space, not being portable, and not protecting expensive chisels from dust, rust and dings. While not an original idea at all, I have settled on a couple of solutions.

The oldest tool boxes I have are of unfinished Japanese cedar and made Pre-WWII to hold precision measuring tools for the College of Artillery at the University of Tokyo. The department changed its name after the war, of course, and I picked these boxes off of a burn pile when I was a grad student there and adapted them for my chisels. What is most interesting about these boxes is their lids, which are kept flat by two cross-grain hardwood battens. These take up space inside the box, so I can't recommend them, but for some reason, the single-board lids never warp, nor have they split despite drastic changes in humidity ranging from Mojave Desert winters to Bangkok summers. All the chisels are Kiyotada.

The two green boxes are more recent. Made of Honduras Mahogany with frame and panel construction and finished with milkpaint, they are my third effort to make a better chisel box. The dividers don't look as handy as those in the older boxes, but I have found them to be more convenient and flexible, and I think they protect the chisels better. The lids never warp or bind and are absolutely stable. Most of the chisels are also Kiyotada.

Boxes have the advantage of being absolutely portable, stackable anywhere, chisels can be used right out of the box with no more setup required than opening the lid, simply closing the lids protects the tools from dust, and the box's shape helps contain vci rust preventative vapors instead of letting them flow out.

I dislike chisel rolls in the workshop, although they make sense for the jobsite when just a few chisels are needed. Cloth alone will not protect sharp edges, and wicks rust-inducing moisture. Zero protection from rust. Leather contains chemicals that promote rust. And the chisels need to be removed from the roll prior to use, even if only to check the blade's width and profile. Chisel rolls get cut up over time if used a lot, and are not economical.

For the last few years I have been using a small kiri chest of drawers for carving chisels. If works pretty well. The chisels are a mix of Kiyotada and Konobu.

Two cents, and worth every penny.

Stan