Tool Chest Beginnings...

[Jason Lester]

As I've acquired more and better hand tools, I struggled with where to safely store them. My wife got me the Anarchist Tool Chest book a couple of years ago. The dovetails scared me off though. I've tried them a few times, but was never satisfied with them. Part of the problem was that I just couldn't get my chisels sharp enough. When I would watch videos, the chiseled surfaces looked very slick and paring seemed effortless. Mine would bust up the endgrain and paring was nearly impossible. I finally broke down and got the Shapton set of stones, the Veritas jig, and a Worksharp 3000. The Worksharp allows me to quickly and safely grind to 25 degrees and then I use the Veritas jig to hone and polish it. With this setup, I could finally do what I saw in the videos. I made some boxes for Christmas gifts and hand dovetailed my first drawers in a project earlier this year.

I bought 100bf of poplar a few weeks ago. It's great stock, most of the boards are actually close to 5/4 and 12-13 inches wide. My jointer is 8", so I had to flatten one side by hand enough to go through my Dewalt planer. I got the stock all prepped and glued last weekend and started cutting the dovetails yesterday. This is the first corner I finished up. I'm pretty happy with them. I still struggle a little with going over my baseline. I'm not sure if I'm marking it wrong or just chiseling a little too deep. That's really the only problem I still have with them. Each set I cut gets a little better.

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[ken hatch]

As I've acquired more and better hand tools, I struggled with where to safely store them. My wife got me the Anarchist Tool Chest book a couple of years ago. The dovetails scared me off though. I've tried them a few times, but was never satisfied with them. Part of the problem was that I just couldn't get my chisels sharp enough. When I would watch videos, the chiseled surfaces looked very slick and paring seemed effortless. Mine would bust up the endgrain and paring was nearly impossible. I finally broke down and got the Shapton set of stones, the Veritas jig, and a Worksharp 3000. The Worksharp allows me to quickly and safely grind to 25 degrees and then I use the Veritas jig to hone and polish it. With this setup, I could finally do what I saw in the videos. I made some boxes for Christmas gifts and hand dovetailed my first drawers in a project earlier this year.

I bought 100bf of poplar a few weeks ago. It's great stock, most of the boards are actually close to 5/4 and 12-13 inches wide. My jointer is 8", so I had to flatten one side by hand enough to go through my Dewalt planer. I got the stock all prepped and glued last weekend and started cutting the dovetails yesterday. This is the first corner I finished up. I'm pretty happy with them. I still struggle a little with going over my baseline. I'm not sure if I'm marking it wrong or just chiseling a little too deep. That's really the only problem I still have with them. Each set I cut gets a little better.

Jason,

The tool chest or at least the first corner looks very good. The last bit of baseline remaining should be very thin and more of a paring cut than a chopping cut. Remember a couple of things: It's a tool chest, not your apprentice graduation project and more than likely the out side will be painted. Build quickly, store your tools in it and go to work. BTW, Poplar and milk paint were made for each other.

ken

[David Eisenhauer]

Looks good from here Jason and it seems that you are off to a good start. So what if the tool box ends up with a couple of "oopses" when it is all finished up? Let others worry about their own projects and you do the best you can do for you and yours. My wife and son were never interested in my pointing out my mistakes or less than superior results on a finished project anyway. Waste of time pointing them out. Are you chopping or sawing out the waste between the tails? As Ken said, the last bit of waste clearance should be a paring cut rather than a chop. I work mine from both sides when clearing the waste and like to finish up on the show side. I used to chop, but now saw down very close to the base line before paring to the line. When I chopped, I would totally remove the bulk of the waste from around 1/8" or so from the base line and then pare in to the line from there. The chisel went into the base line for the final 1/64" or so paring cut. I do not use a mallet on the chisel when it is in the base line and I believe use of a mallet too close to the base line will cause it to move back some.

[Jim Koepke]

I used to chop, but now saw down very close to the base line before paring to the line.

Same here, a coping saw or a fret saw can do wonders to improve your dovetail's consistency and speed.

Yours look better than some of my early dovetails.

jtk

[Jason Lester]

Thanks guys. I do use a fretsaw to saw out the waste. I was looking at my marking gauge last night, and I think I've been setting it wrong. I snug it up against the side of the board, but that probably makes it slightly too wide, I think? It should be even with the side of the board instead.

Also, it will definitely be getting a milk paint finish. I'm probably going for the bluish gray color that you can get. I'm putting the pretty side of the boards to the inside so I can see them every time I use it.

Jason

[Jason Lester]

Got it in the clamps tonight. I think I about used up all my 24" clamps.

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You can see some gaps on the inside corners, but the outside is looking pretty good.

Jason

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks guys. I do use a fretsaw to saw out the waste. I was looking at my marking gauge last night, and I think I've been setting it wrong. I snug it up against the side of the board, but that probably makes it slightly too wide, I think? It should be even with the side of the board instead.
[edited]

Jason

Some like to set the gauge just a hair wider than the board. This is to make the pins and tails proud. Then they can be trimmed down to the sides with a block plane.

Occasionally mine are left proud:

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The tails were left proud and rounded over. At the time the drawer was made for this small bench it was too cold to glue in the shop and too hectic to glue in the house. My plan was to glue it up come spring. It is still un-glued and holding up well.

jtk

[Jason Lester]

I'm pretty pleased with how it came out of the clamps. I used a #7 to level all the joints and then made all the bottom boards today. It's coming right along.

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One nail split really bad (the very last one of course), so I re-nailed and then glued and clamped it back. It can't come apart, but I hate seeing that split.

[ken hatch]

Jason,

It's on the bottom, if you do not point it out no one will ever see it . BTW, the bottom looks good, nice work.

ken

[Jason Lester]

I leveled out all the joints tonight with a #7. This is my first project using mainly hand tools, particularly planes. I did the milling with power tools, but I do now see the satisfaction in perfectly flattening and leveling a surface by hand.

[Jason Lester]

Worked the last couple of days on the bottom skirt. Schwarz has said it's the hardest part of the build. I was extra careful with my dovetails and they came out great. They're the first ones I'm really proud of. The most stressful part for me was gluing them to the chest. I got a little ahead of myself and nailed the rot strips to the bottom yesterday. That keeps the chest from sitting flat on the floor. That in turn made gluing the skirt to the chest a little stressful. I got it done, but the beveled part on one tail corner split a little. It goes right back into place, so I think I can glue it back with no issues once the clamps come off and I can flip it over.

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[David Eisenhauer]

Really moving ahead Jason. Good stuff on the dovetails and the split will not be the last one you ever have to re glue.

[Jason Lester]

Got the top and bottom skirts finished and attached, working on the lid tonight. I ordered some hand forged hinges for it.

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[David Eisenhauer]

Kinda looking like a tool box, hope that is what it is supposed to be.

[Jeff Ranck]

I'm enjoying this thread as I plan to make a tool chest at some point (after I finish my bench)