Tool Box Construction?

I am making myself and two sons tool boxes out of QSWO using a Gerstner box as a basic concept and using some of the traditional Gerstner joinery. Mine will house a collection of small tools and supplies I use for model making. Those tools currently reside in cigar boxes and that no longer meet my needs. The boxes will have five full width drawers and no split drawers and will be around 13” long, 12” tall, and 8” deep. Dimensions are not fixed yet at this point. Got my inspiration from this old Gerstner box.


Attachment 416400

I think I will use box joints for the top, bottom, and ends of the case. The front face will pull down and slide under the bottom drawer for storage. The front face will be a rail and stile, raised panel construction as is typical of the Gerstner design.

I think current Gerstner production for the fixed rear face uses plywood, glued in grooves in the case. I like the idea of the rear face being glued in for the structural integrity that provides, but would like to dress it up a bit. I was thinking about making the rear face match the front rail and stile construction but use ply – to which I can add a sheet of QSWO veneer so it matches the rest of the box – as a flat panel.

My question is how to best attach the rear face to the case. Could cut a rabbet in the rear edges of the case to accept the rear face and glue it in. Or, could cut a groove in the case instead of a rabbet and mill the exterior edges of the rear face to fit in the groove. Or, could just glue in the piece of ply like Gerstner does, add the QSWO veneer, and then glue on fake rail and stile faces to make it look like traditional construction.

Your opinions?

May I suggest you search the North Bennet Street school toolbox? It's the first student project in Fine Woodworking.

FWIW - I own few tools small enough to need little drawers.

Jim,

Sorry, not ignoring you. I thought I posted a response a week ago, it is not here. Thank you for the point, Matt does a really nice job; both workmanship and explaining what he is doing. I'm not sure ship lap is what I'm looking for, but certainly an option.

Tom

When I built this I just cut a rabbet in the back and attached a plywood panel with brads so it could be removed. The back hasn’t seen the light of day for 15 years so it’s no big deal.

Attachment 416945

Thanks Rob. I think i'll go with a ply back set in grooves and trim it out with "fake" rails and stiles.

Tom