Anyone building anything?

[Derek Cohen]

Mike, you're likely right that this tool cabinet will add a goodly bit of weight to the bench

Well, this is about the fourth mitred through dovetail case I've built in about 18 months. I must be getting the hang of it now, since this was straight off the saw. No tweaking needed. The wood is Merbau, which is hard and has no give at all ... did I tell you that I love that I can re-fresh my chisels on the power buffer? What a different it makes to chop and pare with really sharp chisels.





Just to prove to myself that it was no fluke, it happened again ...





Regards from Perth

Derek

[Ben Ellenberger]

Derek,

I’m enjoying following your build of the tool chest. I’ve got a somewhat related question about your bench. How stable does it feel when you put weight on the tail vise end?

My current bench is under 5’ long, and I’ve thought a 6’6” long bench with a bench crafted tail vise would be really nice for the kind of things I like to make. I think yours is about that long.

When I sketch out a 6’6” bench with ~18” overhang for the tail vise, it looks like a long overhang. A rough estimate shows that it would take over 200 lbs down at the tail vise end to tip the bench, so I think it would be ok, but it would be nice to get some confirmation.

[Derek Cohen]

Ben, the bench is extremely stable. The base is hefty, and Jarrah.



Note that all I have are stub tenons. Just enough to locate the 3 1/2” thick European Oak top. That is heavy too.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Ben Ellenberger]

Thanks, it’s nice to get that confirmation. I did a rough estimate for a 24” x 6’6” bench with a three inch top and got a total bench weight of around 200+ lb for hard maple, before you add any hardware. Every extra inch in top thickness adds about 40 pounds. It seems like that should be pretty solid.

of course, then I go back and forth and think that I’m getting by ok now without a tail vise, so maybe the extra hassle of adding one isn’t worth it...

[Derek Cohen]

Ben, this is a personal choice. You can get by without a tail vise. I use mine all the time.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Christopher Charles]

Hi Derek,

The chest looks great. Curious-your plan for drawers does not include any shallow drawers to hold chisels and measuring tools and such. Will those remain elsewhere or will you have trays in the drawers?

Best,
Chris

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks Chris.

My plan is to reduce the number of drawers by building in sliding trays. That will not only lessen the build time, but also lower the clutter and enable tools to be grouped together.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Christopher Charles]

Nice, will look forward to seeing your progress and design. I suspect your progress will be faster than mine...I've been working on a tool chest for a couple years now!

[steven c newman]

Well, apparently....I MUST be working on something...bench is filled up..
December project, start up.JPG
When and resawed all the Ash scraps worth saving....
December project, thin stock.JPG
1/2" thick and some thinner stuff...
December project, jointer plane.JPG
Jointed a few edges....for a glue up...
December project, last glue up.JPG
or..4..
December project, 4 sides glued up.JPG

Have to wait and see just WHAT will happen with these.....finger joints, by hand? A tray....couple of handles? Some sort of lid?

Might be another "Build-along" thread in the works?

We'll see.....

[Derek Cohen]

A little update.

All four sides are dovetailed. Through dovetails with mitres at each corner. And every one went together off the saw ... well, almost - one mitre required a smidgeon of a mm pared away to close tightly. All tight and square. I am quite chuffed.



This is the difficult part - to get the mitres to close along with the sockets ...






Inside the bench ...






I am not sure if anyone here wants another tool chest build. Let me know if you are interested in creating a separate thread. It is being recorded on my website.


Regards from Perth

Derek

[steven c newman]

Have a box made..
December Project, outside is done.JPG
And a tray for the inside...
December Project, tray complete.JPG

Currently working on the lid....
December Project, lid glue up, topside.JPG
And..have ordered a handle and a couple latches from Hobby Lobby....

Lid sits on 4 dowels...
December Project, inside detais.JPG
Just a small tool box, to carry household tools around in....and use up a stack of scraps...


getting there...
December Project, lid is attached.JPG

All hinged up...
December Project, hinged up.JPG

[Rob Luter]

......I am quite chuffed....


Regards from Perth

Derek

For those of us whose lexicon is absent Aussie slang, that's a good thing?

[Derek Cohen]

Rob ...

chuffed

/tʃʌft/


adjectiveINFORMAL•BRITISH

• very pleased.

Definitions from Oxford Languages



Where did chuffed come from?

Etymology. 1957, from dialectal (northern England) chuff, originally meaning “puffed with fat”.


Regards from Perth

Derek

[Rob Luter]

Thanks Derek, I'm a little smarter now. In addition, I am apparently a bit Chuffed as well. The Thanksgiving feast left me a bit puffed with fat.

[Thomas Wilson]

A little update.

All four sides are dovetailed. Through dovetails with mitres at each corner. And every one went together off the saw ... well, almost - one mitre required a smidgeon of a mm pared away to close tightly. All tight and square. I am quite chuffed.



This is the difficult part - to get the mitres to close along with the sockets ...






Inside the bench ...






I am not sure if anyone here wants another tool chest build. Let me know if you are interested in creating a separate thread. It is being recorded on my website.


Regards from Perth

Derek

I see you spliced some short boards to make the bottom and left side of the case. How are they joined? Butt, biscuit, or domino?