DIY Tool Maker's Chest

[gus]

Gus : Looking forward to your build.
I have pondered dreamed of building my own tool chest. may still some day.
I Have some WW tools my son found me a table saw at a yard sale picked up a router at a yard sale. I have a couple really good WW supply stores not too far away. I have an old oak dresser that could be re purposed.

Call me lazy if you will or practical but Tin Man drove about ten miles to the local harbor freight store, Home shop machinist magazine in hand with coupons and for $60.00 USD and a couple bucks more for the Governor I came home with on of these.

The sad part is i priced the suggested materials for a lowes design tool box and it came to about $ 120.

The HF box is not a Gershner and if one likes to or needs to leave the till open you will need to add a folding lid brace or a pair. Also the drawer bottoms are flimsy Chinese Masonite type material. I am pondering making new drawer bottoms from aluminum sheet and have much stronger drawer bottoms.
That said This is my second HF box I have had the first one IIRC about a year with no issues.
Review of the HFT Windsor Tool Chest h:rant:ere.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/f13/hft-windsor-design-tool-box-17414/
Tin

Wanted to buy one of this but they won't ship to Singapore!!!!:wall:
Planned to make one some months' ago but my DIY ToolMaker's Chest will be a poor clone.:hDe:

My darling boss now wants a drawer in the kitchen cabinet to hold can food.

 

[gus]

If it would work you could use the plastic trays from your old box for dividers in the drawer of your new box. Maybe cut the plastic down to fit the new drawers or put one or two dividers in the new drawers to hold the plastic trays.

Took your advice and fit in the existing plastic tray.
I have lotsa junk to scrap.:hDe: Tray now has less scrap.
Honestly. Its true I made the ToolMaker's Chest wee bitty bigger and the trays fit in. Time and labour saved.

The third drawer will hold bulky items.
Note: The brass corner trims bought from TokyuHands adds up to aesthetics. Bought the brass corner trims in Japan with DIY Toolmaker's Chest in mind months ago.

 

[Swifty]

Looking great Gus. Good idea using the old trays as drawer inserts.

Paul.

 

[gus]

False fronts for drawers done. Top cover-lid done. Some fine tuning required. After the fine tuning done .Will turn the Aluminium Knobs.
For decorative purpose the Brass Corner Trim adds up.
8---10 April Gone Deep Sea Fishing. Looks like completion will be next week.

 

[Swifty]

Looking good Gus, it's amazing what you can do with a few hand tools. How thick is the ply that you are using?

Paul.

 

[gus]

Looking good Gus, it's amazing what you can do with a few hand tools. How thick is the ply that you are using?

Paul.

Almost entirely 5/8 plywood except the lip with 3/4 ply to close up on top to keep out dust. There is tendency for thinner plywood to warp especially thinner M.I.C. plywood.
Bought and used American Walnut Stained Lacquer. Top Lid lacquered to prevent stains from my greasy hands.Will do same for sides and drawers.
For now ,no plans to put in too good lacquer finishing. Aerosol Lacquer is so handy to use but no cheap.Will need another two more cans.

No big deal or super skills to assembled chest out custom cut to size plywood members.But when putting together the drawers,you must provide clearance to fit slides into the chest.

My ToolMaker's Chest will look great at a far distance. But when "macro-ed" some flaws will show up. However as long as the chest and drawers hold up when filled with hand tools and drawers slide out smoothly,Gus will be happy.

 

[johnmcc69]

That's a nice looking chest Gus. Great work! Good luck on your fishing trip.
the trout season is finally picking up here, the ice has FINALLY melted!

John

 

[ShopShoe]

Gus,

I think I see a wooden plane in your photos (Block Plane?) Are those more popular in your part of the world? In North America the norm is metal with screw adjustments, except for some very expensive wooden planes sold by specialist vendors. There are also genuine antiques. I've never used a wooden plane, but have seen comments about how well they work when the cutter is sharp.

Thanks, and sorry for the OT.

--ShopShoe

 

[gus]

Gus,

I think I see a wooden plane in your photos (Block Plane?) Are those more popular in your part of the world? In North America the norm is metal with screw adjustments, except for some very expensive wooden planes sold by specialist vendors. There are also genuine antiques. I've never used a wooden plane, but have seen comments about how well they work when the cutter is sharp.

Thanks, and sorry for the OT.

--ShopShoe

Here in Asia,most carpenters use Chinese Planers which come with cross handle bar while the Japanese Planers have none.It is hard to buy Chinese Planers as most carpenters make their own.Most carpenters go thru five year apprenticeship and on completion,their meister will present them a set of DIY Custom made planers which will last a lifetime.

I bought some Chinese Planers and found them to be poorly made.
Carpenter friend gave me two of his late father's long planers.

Came across Japanese Planers at TokyuHands,Tokyo.Bought one for fun and found it very sharp,easy to use and cuts like crazy but took me sometime to get used to them. Same planers cost me a bomb. I bought longer planer too.
Will also buy the even longer planer for levelling.
Jack Planers are designed for push cutting while Japanese are pull cutting.
For small jobs Japanese planers are best.

The bottom drawer of my DIY Tool Chest will store Japanese Planers,Japanese Chisels etc. Found Japanese Chisels very quality good.
The M.I.C. Chisels are poorly hardened/over-tempered while the Japanese Chisels stay sharp.

I also sharpen planer blades,wood chisels,kitchen knives with Japanese WaterStones to razor sharpness. Was watching Japanese Knife Sharpeners at work outside the Tsujiki Fish Market sharpeninng Sashimi Knives. Bought a set of four water stones from 400 grit to 10,000 grit. Cost me a bomb.
Besides the stones,you also need another to maintain/flat level same. A badly maintained stone is impossible to sharper wood planer blades.

 

[ShopShoe]

Gus,

Thank you for the information. Just as I like all engines and all things made by craftspeople of all kinds, I appreciate good tools and the mental attitude that goes with making them and using them.

If I ever get the chance to travel to Japan, it looks like TokyuHands is a stop I have to make, even if just to look.

--ShopShoe

 

[gus]

Gus,

Thank you for the information. Just as I like all engines and all things made by craftspeople of all kinds, I appreciate good tools and the mental attitude that goes with making them and using them.

If I ever get the chance to travel to Japan, it looks like TokyuHands is a stop I have to make, even if just to look.

--ShopShoe

Hi ShopShoe,
If you plan going to TokyuHands,Gus will be glad to give you directions.
Best to go to Shinjuku Outlet which has 7 floors. Wood/metal/leather/glass working is on 6 floor. Will give you the directions. At most train stations,the station masters speak English.Train stations have signboards in English.
If ever you got lost ,walk to the nearest Koban(police kiosk) or policeman and ask for directions. One must speeeaaak sslowwwly. Aussie accented English can be tough on a Jap Policeman.

 

[gus]

OK. ToolMaker's Chest done and only essential tools put in .Will try very hard to keep tidy w/o cluttering with tools that I really don't need.Files,hammers,spanners etc will be stored elsewhere.
Used American Walnut Lacquer to coat tool chest. Must admit Gus certainly not world best carpenter. Will leave lacquer coating as is. My lacquer work is certainly not professional.Lacquer coating was meant to prevent staining by my greasy/grimy hands and easier to clean up later.Had thought filling,staining,and lacquer hand rubbing.
But tool box as designed/made is user friendly and easier to access tools.
Built cost less labour is about US$40.00.

 

[Swifty]

Another job to be proud of Gus.Thm:

Paul.

 

[ShopShoe]

That turned out really well,

--ShopShoe

 

[gus]

Gus I am so sorry for your loss. It is always hard to have to let go of such a tired old friend.

Hi Cobweb,
The least I could do to remember an old friend was to transfer/transplant the usable trays.(Truth was this was the best option and would save time and labour. )
Been enjoying myself throwing away unnecessary items/junk collected over last
6 years.Meanwhile I have another old friend to discard.Will post.

 

[besser]

Just have to find the ply and flock and I have a path to follow

 

[gus]

My mini Storage Bin for fasteners has decided to quit on me. Never use solvent to flush engines to near Bin,the mini plastic drawers will gum and get stuck forever. All the bottom drawers and some mid too were stuck.
Never do heating too near the plastic bins.
Time to do overdued housekeeping on same bin. Took three hours to tranfer to new Storage Bin with lotsa fossilised items to discard.

Work bench cleaned up.

Next on the list would be to DIY a plywood version of Multi-Drawer Steel Tool Cabinet to place Storage Bin on top and next to the work bench to give ample working space for bigger engines and jobs.Same Cabinet would cost Gus
US$150 for flimsy M.I.C.version and US$250 for last forever Taiwanese Version.

The 4 inch bench vise must be relocated to extreme right of work bench to give more elbow room. Also planning for
holding device to hold wood for planing. This means a carpenter's wood vice which would be fun to DIY.

 

[barnesrickw]

Really like the chest. Will last you years.


Sent from my iPad using Model Engines

 

[gus]

Spent too much time lacquering the top lid. Would a waste of labour if damaged.There are two causes to undo and damage the coating.My grimy hands and the wall. Lifting device which took quite a few days to mentally design. Item must balance the DIY Alum. Knobs. Lift latch took half morning to cut/mill/drill/sand and screwed on.

DIY ToolMaker's Chest completed 17th April 2014.
On my list would be a plywood version of the full height sheet metal tool cabinet for bigger items.

Thanks for viewing,support and expert advice.

 

[bmac2]

My mini Storage Bin for fasteners has decided to quit on me. Never use solvent to flush engines to near Bin,the mini plastic drawers will gum and get stuck forever. All the bottom drawers and some mid too were stuck.
Never do heating too near the plastic bins.

Hi Gus. Nice work on the tool chest.
I feel your pain with your mini Storage Bins. A few years ago I had a similar accident using spray flux remover. At the time we would have a “Crash Kit” containing all the components for each of the circuit boards that we repaired in any volume. These kits where labeled plastic drawers (before someone asks, yes. anti-static) in a plastic carrier. It didn’t take much stray spray to effectively weld all the drawers permanently closed. Shortly after that, and reading the WHMIS sheet on the flux remover we switched to using isopropyl alcohol.
FYI. Sunny Alberta. April 16. -3 and snowing!