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Thread: NBSS Tool Chest Build

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621

    NBSS Tool Chest Build

    Hello all,

    I'm currently in the middle of a shop renovation and have not had any real quality shop time in months. Let's just say that 'drywall' is a four letter word right now...

    More than a year ago, I decided to build a tool chest to go under my bench, prior to moving shops. The carcass and drawer fronts are local air-dried walnut and the secondary wood is from a birch tree that was in my old front yard.

    While I usually like to design on my own, I knew I would be moving shop and in the bit of a chaotic year(s) when I was starting the project and so decided to go with this plan for a North Bennett Street School tool chest by Tommy Mac written up in PWW by Megan Fitzpatrick:

    https://www.popularwoodworking.com/a...c-toolchest-2/

    As it turns out, the plan is just the right size for under the bench, giving enough clearance for holdfasts above and a spot to 'park' the sliding deadman while accessing all the drawers. Here's some of the progress so far. I'm afraid this will be a two-year build by the time I'm done!
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621
    Stock prep in the old shop: the birch logs, selecting walnut boards, and resawn birch (done on the bandsaw)
    IMG_2540.jpg.
    IMG_2569 (1).jpg
    IMG_2562.jpg
    And all the stock cut, just prior to closing up for the move (along with stock for another project on the right).

    IMG_2564.jpg
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  3. #3
    Chris,

    Stock looks good, I understand"drywall".

    ken

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
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    Thanks Ken.

    Stock prep ended in March 2018...After moving to the new shop and getting through a few other house-related projects, I got back to this project in November. I decided to prep the carcass with hand planes. Pretty standard stuff-get a reference face on each board, edge joint, glue up the panel, and then scrub and flatten the other side to bring to thickness. You can see the rest of the stock patiently waiting and adding ballast under the bench...

    IMG_3433.jpg
    IMG_3642.jpg
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,450
    Quote Originally Posted by Christopher Charles View Post
    ...
    While I usually like to design on my own, I knew I would be moving shop and in the bit of a chaotic year(s) when I was starting the project and so decided to go with this plan for a North Bennett Street School tool chest by Tommy Mac written up in PWW by Megan Fitzpatrick:

    https://www.popularwoodworking.com/a...c-toolchest-2/

    ...
    I am not sure if it is possible, or even if you want to attempt this, but the rear of the dovetailed boards should ideally be mitred. This will enable the rear to be easily rebated - all the way across each side - to hold a back panel. If you do not mitre the back, only two edge can be rebated across and the other two will need stop rebates. You do not need to rebate the dovetails at the front.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  6. #6
    That's going to be a beauty! Lokking forward to seeing it come together!
    Fred
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    West Tennessee
    Posts
    99
    I built that chest, although I wasn't as energetic with my planes ... really a useful chest, well designed. Here's a pic of mine prior adding pulls ...Toolbox1.jpg
    Last edited by Don Coffman; 07-13-2019 at 7:22 AM. Reason: Added picture

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
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    Don,

    Good looking chest and very glad to hear you find it to be well designed. What did you decide to use for pulls?

    Best,
    Chris
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
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    Skip from last November to last February when I cut the tails...

    IMG_4539.jpg

    And March when I cut the dados for the drawer dividers in the case sides:

    IMG_4558.jpg

    The dadoes included misadventures detailed in this thread. Unfortunately, with the shop refurb, I have not yet had time to retune the combo plane and get my technique dialed in.

    https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....bination+plane

    Derek, thanks for suggesting mitered corners on the back to make the rabbeting easier. I did decide to miter all the corners and did through rabbet the back (though don't have a good photo). Marking the pins required some extra clamping to bring the case panels back into flat after another couple months of inactivity on my part. The parts did have a weight on them and were not too badly out of flat. Next time I'm planning to try the plastic bag trick Bob Van Dyke mentioned on one of the FWW podcasts.

    IMG_4677.jpg
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    N Illinois
    Posts
    4,602
    Good choice...Back when PW was better.....Also liked your Yogi quote
    Jerry

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    West Tennessee
    Posts
    99
    Cristopher, I ended up with some inexpensive round wooden knobs, felt they complimented mine better than anything else I could come up with.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
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    Thanks Dan. I haven't decided yet. I may make some pulls or go with something brass.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
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    Cutting dovetails for the carcass was pretty standard, with the twist of a guide block for the mitered corners. Blue tape and Derek's tutorial were invaluable.

    IMG_4680.jpgIMG_4679.jpg

    I'm getting better, but this may pins and tails has meant some careful paring work. I still have about an hour or two of fiddling before the case will be ready to glue up.

    IMG_4684.jpg

    And here's where the project's been for the past couple months... now sitting in my bedroom cuz darn near every piece of wood is cleared out of the shop right now

    IMG_4751.jpg

    Thanks for watching. Will return after finishing the shop refurb. Here's what it looks like right now...

    IMG_5368.jpg

    Best,
    Chris
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  14. #14
    Chris,

    The case looks good. Good luck on the shop refurb. More photos to follow?

    ken

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621
    Thanks Ken. And, yes, I'll post on the new digs after cleaning the paint from under my fingernails
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

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