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Thread: NBSS Tool Chest Build

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621
    Hi all,

    I have recently returned to the tool chest after sheet rocking and painting the shop. I've also added a heater, insulated the doors and added a whole bunch of lights and electrical outlets since moving in... Here are a couple quick before and after photos:

    IMG_3152.jpg

    IMG_3151.jpg
    Before, with the bench against the wall (and the tool chest pieces stacked under the bench)

    IMG_6617.jpg
    IMG_6618.jpg

    After: the new set up with the bench back out in the room, the tool wall moved into the corner, and rearranged machines. This set up is essentially one side of a slightly oversize two car garage and I could get a car in the other side if needed...
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Austin Texas
    Posts
    1,957
    Christopher, like yours, my main bench is also free standing and I like the ability to work both sides of the bench. What I don't have is a wall behind one side so that I can have tools hanging and/or drawers below to hold tools close by for use. Sounds like you are starting to get a handle on the shop reno work. Thanks for the photos.
    David

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621
    Thanks David, the shop renovation is a process

    In January, I was able to finish the carcass dovetails and glue up the case, using cauls of scrap.

    IMG_6552.jpg
    IMG_6556.jpg
    IMG_6555.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Christopher Charles; 02-05-2020 at 4:28 PM. Reason: swapped picture
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  4. #19
    Chris,

    The sheetrock and lights look good. Nice to have a bright shop.

    ken

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    The old pueblo in el norte.
    Posts
    1,844
    Quote Originally Posted by ken hatch View Post
    Chris,

    The sheetrock and lights look good. Nice to have a bright shop.

    ken
    Agreed. I don't want to hang rock, but these pics are convincing
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    West Tennessee
    Posts
    99
    I've now built 2 of these chests out of white oak, one for myself and later was requested to build one for another, I finished a couple weeks ago. I will admit hand cutting those dovetails in the white oak case is humbling ... I stepped back and used box joints for the drawer construction ..
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Don Coffman; 02-06-2020 at 9:45 AM.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Austin Texas
    Posts
    1,957
    Very nice toolboxes Don.
    David

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621
    Mike, I really don't like sheetrock either. I do really like the brightness of the white walls...

    Don,

    Those boxes look great. How do you like them in use? Would you change the size of the drawers? I'm committed to the drawer depths, but have been wondering about the bottom drawers sticking/racking since they are wider than long and it would not be too add vertical dividers and more drawers.
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    West Tennessee
    Posts
    99
    Quote Originally Posted by Christopher Charles View Post
    Mike, I really don't like sheetrock either. I do really like the brightness of the white walls...

    Don,

    Those boxes look great. How do you like them in use? Would you change the size of the drawers? I'm committed to the drawer depths, but have been wondering about the bottom drawers sticking/racking since they are wider than long and it would not be too add vertical dividers and more drawers.

    The drawers are so close fitting I haven't noticed any racking, although I always use a liberal amount of paraffin on these type drawers. The upper drawers work well for small items as designed, if height wasn't a concern I would increase the uppers. Personally I prefer to build drawers with thicker sides and cut a dado with the guide on the case, but I didn't deviate from Tommy Mac's design.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621
    Thanks Don. I also plan to stick to the traditional drawer design for these.

    The drawer dividers have bridle joints which are hidden, a great chance to practice that won't be seen. I've cut lots of dovetails but not so many tenons by hand, so I decided to do some practice.

    IMG_6638.jpg
    Nice white wood--no blue tape needed, but I did trace the gaged lines with a 0.3 mm pencil.

    IMG_6637.jpg
    Start on a diagonal, working to saw right up to the line.

    IMG_6641.jpg
    The first one was not too hot...

    IMG_6640.jpg
    But did better on later corners. Discovered my new favorite chisel.

    In the end, the practice piece will get turned into a photo frame...

    IMG_6639.jpg

    And the divider pieces squared, cut to length and ready to mark:

    IMG_6636.jpg
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621
    Over the past couple weeks, I have made some progress on the drawer dividers. My sawing has been improving, though a bit of paring has been needed as I've tended towards being a bit conservative to avoid the need for scabbing on shims. However, the paring and fitting was only taking a couple minute for each corner by the end and was becoming second-nature for a couple reasons. Key has been using deep knife lines, which I trace with a 0.3 mm pencil (no blue tape here since the wood is nice and light). This made the fat spots easily visible.

    I left one side of all the pieces rough off the bandsaw and this was helpful for keeping track of the reference face.

    IMG_6648.jpg

    And easily pared, going cross-grain with my new (to me) secret weapon.

    IMG_6649.jpg
    IMG_6651.jpg
    This was an ebay find, along with another paring chisel and is quickly becoming a favorite. Anyone know the manufacturer? (Boy, do I miss having Stan around!).

    IMG_6652.jpg
    And here are the three dividers ready to glue up. Hope they are patient because I'll not be back in the shop for more than a week...stay tuned.

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

  12. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Christopher Charles View Post
    Thanks Don. I also plan to stick to the traditional drawer design for these.

    The drawer dividers have bridle joints which are hidden, a great chance to practice that won't be seen. I've cut lots of dovetails but not so many tenons by hand, so I decided to do some practice.


    Nice white wood--no blue tape needed, but I did trace the gaged lines with a 0.3 mm pencil.


    Start on a diagonal, working to saw right up to the line.

    IMG_6641.jpg
    The first one was not too hot...


    But did better on later corners. Discovered my new favorite chisel.

    In the end, the practice piece will get turned into a photo frame...



    And the divider pieces squared, cut to length and ready to mark:
    Chris, you the man. Thanks for the not so good photo.

    The bridle joint while easier than a M/T to make because it is open, is much more difficult than a M/T to make well. Yours look good.

    ken

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621
    Thanks Ken, I agree since only the shoulders matter on a tenon, while these need a good shoulder and everything under the hood shows as well. These bridle joints are great for practice because they get buried in the case. If they were for doors, I'd have been hesitant to do by hand. But having done just a few for this project, I would probably just go for it.

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

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N. Idaho
    Posts
    1,621
    Hi all,

    Anybody remember this project? It languished through the summer (and the building of two sheds plus yet more shop renovation and rearrangements).

    I have completed the carcass and am currently milling stock for the drawers. I was definitely rusty, with one mistake inviting another....

    The last tasks for finishing the drawer dividers and carcass was to add walnut facing, dovetail the ends into the carcass and fit a vertical partition. I cut dovetails into the frames, cut the sockets after directly marking them, and then to my horror discovered that I failed to account for the fact that the base of the dovetails are inset into the carcass sides, leaving a ~1/8" square gap

    IMG_8079.jpg

    OK, so hiding mistakes is the sign of a good craftsperson, right? I ripped the frames down ~1/4" and added a new face and tried again. My marking was _still_ rusty, but not too bad by the third one. More opportunity to become a better craftsman with some 'make pretty' work at the end...

    IMG_8169.jpg

    The good news is the vertical partition went well.

    IMG_8177.jpg

    And of course there was glue-up drama. As I was pounding the frames into the dovetail sockets, I fortunately noticed that I didn't account for the fact that the new faces were thicker than the amount I had ripped off. The back of the frames were sticking proud into the space that had already been rabbeted for the back panel. I was able to knock the dividers so they were all flush in the back but proud in the front. And I was grateful for hand tool skills because flushing the front would have been a puzzling fix for powertools (unless I had access to 15" resaw on a bandsaw). 15 minutes with hand planes with the carcass on a box and held with a holdfast to the bench side (hidden in the carcass) and all is good.

    IMG_8175.jpg

    As this is my first attempt at a complex carcass, getting to this point was a big relief because I know how to do drawers

    Best,
    Chris
    Last edited by Christopher Charles; 10-20-2020 at 2:30 PM.
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Location
    Camarillo, CA
    Posts
    417
    That’s looking good! Getting to the point where you start making drawers always feels like a milestone to me.

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