I need to build a tool cabinet

[Scott Winners]

Long story deleted, I want to build a case or cabinet about 36" wide, at least 12 inches deep, maybe 16 inches deep and about 40 to 44 inches tall, total. Dovetailed case. Stopped dadoes for shelves.

A bit of that height is going to be 5" casters on the floor so I can move it around. Height will be tall enough for my saw till to sit on the top of the case, but low enough I could mount my saw till to the wall and just "park" this case under it.

Inside the case, I am planning for the top shelf to hold my joinery planes, I have a router plane and a rabbet plane here, with a plow plane on backorder at Lee Valley. My shoulder plane could go there too.

I want to store heavy stuff ( maybe cut nails in drawers) low in the case to lower the center of gravity. Back panel is to be decided. Likely my plow plane will get here before this item is in service, so T&G or shiplap boards accross the back is reasonable, especially given the current price of plywood.

So two questions.

1. I am going to build in either hickory or white oak. Local prices on these haven't changed while 2x4s are in the stratosphere. Knowing I want to pile heavy stuff in the bottom to keep my saw till from tipping over, would 4/4 stock be adequate for the outer case, or would you look for 6/4 for the case and use 4/4 for the shelves?

2. What other crap can go in there? I have looked at my electric router and small bit collection a couple times. I probably have 50# of cut nails on hand. Besides rabbet, router, shoulder and plow, what other joinery planes should I really plan to make room for? I have thought about a tongue and groove plane a time or two, but I ordered the TG irons with my LV plow and will try those out first. Woodies are out of the question, humidity swing here is too extreme. My spoke shave and draw knife collections seem to be growing.

Let me take another stab at a short version of the long story I already deleted. At my dream shop, standing at my bench with my leg vise under my non dominant hand I want to have my saw till, my sharpening station and my "ugly tool organizer" (recent thread in projects subform) easily to hand, like within 4-6 feet of where I am standing.

The space on the floor under the saw till is empty. It isn't big enough to store rough stock of any respectable size. I don't have a good place to have my joinery planes in easy reach, or my braces and auger bits. I probably will build a classic tool chest or three 'someday' but since I have a shop I don't need my tool storage to be tightly packed and portable; and I don't like bending over for stuff I use often. Whatever classic chests I build will most likely be full of well oiled, dust protected stuff I don't use often.

Appreciate Neander input, thanks.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

How much total weight are you planning on putting in this?

To me, it feels like thicker 1" feels like overkill.

Consider the "cheapish" kitchen cabinets that I have. There is a lot of particle board in there yet it is hanging on the wall with a bunch of canned goods, which are not light. Although I have seen pictures of kitchen cabinets that have come apart or come off the wall, it should give you a feel for what even that can handle. My largest concern when I hear about weight is related to the shelf thickness or drawer bottoms if the span is large.

[Daniel Culotta]

Agree with Andrew, 4/4 will be fine. Think of kitchen cabinets, bookshelves, etc that hold tons of weight. Most are 3/4 or 4/4. 50# in the middle of an unsupported 36" shelf may cause a little bow, but WO and hickory are stout. I think you're good. If you're worried about shelf sag, there's that online sagulator program you can plug values into to see what type of deflection you'd be looking at.

For question 2, 36x12-16x44 is a good amount of space. What else ya got? Measuring/marking stuff (maybe in drawers/tills)? Boring tools? Chisel rack? Sounds like you're covered on joinery planes. If you are interested in woodies, I live with large seasonal humidity swings and mine need minimal tuning, so don't count them out just for that.

[Thomas Wilson]

Based on the success of “ugly” tool organizer, you should probably trust your own design instincts.

On another subject, could you send some of that white oak to the lower 48?

[Curt Putnam]

I have huge piles of stuff in my cabs. They are over 12" deep. All done with pocket screwed plywood. Just put a 24" deep x 8' storage/tool section over the tool chests. Took a chance on Chinesium, cheap veneered pky from the Borg. Even though the ply is crap, nothing has yet fallen.

If you go thicker than 4/4 put it in the shelves. Regardless, check the sagulator for your shelf weights.

[Jim Koepke]

+1 on what Daniel said,

If you are interested in woodies, I live with large seasonal humidity swings and mine need minimal tuning, so don't count them out just for that.

Humidity issues here and my molding planes do fine. At worst the blades and wedges may need resetting if they have been unused for a while.

jtk

[Hilton Ralphs]

I've always thought this cabinet was pretty cool. No fancy dovetails but you can surely modify to your heart's content.

tool_cabinet.jpg

Fine Woodworking #188

[Jerry Olexa]

I've always thought this cabinet was pretty cool. No fancy dovetails but you can surely modify to your heart's content.

tool_cabinet.jpg

Fine Woodworking #188

That is a beauty!!!

[Tom Bender]

Scott
It sounds like you are in an acquisition phase of your WW hobby, with much growth in the future. If that's right you may be best served with something flexible, which argues against the stopped dados.

Can you make it bigger, cause it's going to get full fast. 48" wide with a center divider will allow more adjustment to the shelves and they will be stiffer at only 24" long. Hardwood shelves 1/2" or 9/16" thick won't sag much.

A lot of shelves should be shallow since most tools are short. You'll want the shallow ones at prime heights and the tall ones down low.

Doors will look nice and keep out dust but they will always be in the way.

[Scott Winners]

with much growth in the future.

Oh I hope not. I really truly hope I am wrapping up my acquisition phase. If I can get lumber storage figured out I would a whole lot rather be bringing in truck loads of white oak and hickory rather than more edges to maintain.

When I page through a primer type book by say Paul Sellers or Chris Schwarz, I got one of everything basic. I don't love my block plane and that impetuous shaver seems to have it in for me as well, but I have one, it is as sharp as I can get it. When I find another better block plane I am taking this one to my black smith to kill it myself. I'll be making a door stop out of that rat after I heat it up to a white hot heat to match my white hot hate. Then I will beat it into a wedge shape with a large hammer and gusto. But I do have a block plane.

And so on. I do have some really nice tools in the mix and some that I will upgrade when I wear the current one out. I think all that I really need to get on the top shelf of the planned cabinet is joinery planes. Shoulder- Rabbet- Router- Plow.

It helps, I think, that I know what I want to make. I want to make small-medium-large staked tables, and I want to make Forrest/Windsor/Welsh stick chairs. I do have a lathe with accompanying rabbit hole away from my bench. I have a dedicated sharpening station that needs to get bigger. I have good lights. My collection of adzes and scorps and drawknives and travishers will end up in a fairly classic toolchest between chair events.

I should probalby build an axe rack. I enjoy restoring old axes, hatchets and hammers. I need to both store my collection and start selling off completed duplicates.

My most urgent tool need is a dedicated screwdriver to free plane irons from chipbreakers, I use that size often and it is time consuming to go hit my assortment of gunsmithing bits. Once my dustcollector is hooked up I want a hose, a whip I hear them called, within arms reach of my bench so I can vacuum the benchtop without having to go get the shop vac. Last will be a thickness planer that can run on 110VAC. When I get more room I am thinking about a contractor table saw to assist ripping 8/4 stock to table leg widths.

If money was no object I would bring in spare sharp irons for #3, #5 and #8, upgrade the jigs on my bench grinder, a couple spare reamers and tapered tenon cutters from Lee Valley and then buy a bigger property so I could build a bigger shop for the tools I have.

You scared me Tom, but I think I am OK. I have the basics to take on anything, and the specialty tools to do what I want to go do. I am about to find out how many clamps I need to glue a Windsor back together for instance, but that is down the road a few weeks.

[steven c newman]

Maybe go look inside of my Tool Chest?

Sneak peak...
The Tool Chest, East door.JPGThe Tool Chest, take a step back.JPGThe Tool Chest, upper West wall.JPG

[Scott Winners]

Maybe go look inside of my Tool Chest?

I saw that thread earlier today. I am happy for you. If a thing makes you happy you should do it.

I lived out of my car for about ten years as a travelling contractor, with furnished apartments at my various desitnations, so I needed to bring sheets and pots and pans but not a dresser or bed frame. I embraced the lifestyle.

From my point of view, once I have the tools I absolutely need, I would rather have the remaining available space for lumber storage and a place other than my bench top to put clamped glueups while I am waiting on the glue to dry.

I have passed up some pretyt good tools on rust hunts, but I didn't need them.

[steven c newman]

wood.jpg

I just do not have the room for something like this......