About 2 years ago I bought some American black walnut to turn into a tool chest. As various Christmases and birthdays went buy the pile got smaller and smaller, but as I've got 2 weeks off work I've decided to bite the bullet and get a move on.
The idea is to make a machinist's chest big enough to take all my measuring and marking tools, chisels and small handplanes - I've been using philly's for inspiration. The final dimensions will be about 12x12x20 ish, just the right size to fit in a space under my wall cabinets. It'll be entirely fitted out with drawers so I can put stuff on the top.
I started by planing up my (remaining) stock. Behind it you can see the veneer which I "borrowed" from my brother to make the panels with.
Then I got a bit carried away and ripped and crosscut the pieces to size. I'm using a coping bit in my router table to join the pieces. I got it for christmas ages ago, and this is the first time I've used it in anger.
All the rails and stiles done:
Now cutting the matching parts on the rails:
I was a bit worries about breakout on the back side, but it seems ok when I tried the test piece, so I just went for it.
All the bits dry fitted together with the MDF panels:
Now, onto the veneering. I've only done this once before, so here goes. first I jointed it between two scraps:
Then I joined two pieces together with veneer tape, then clamped it up with cauls and plenty of clamps
I'll take them out of the clamps this morning - fingers crossed!
The idea is to make a machinist's chest big enough to take all my measuring and marking tools, chisels and small handplanes - I've been using philly's for inspiration. The final dimensions will be about 12x12x20 ish, just the right size to fit in a space under my wall cabinets. It'll be entirely fitted out with drawers so I can put stuff on the top.
I started by planing up my (remaining) stock. Behind it you can see the veneer which I "borrowed" from my brother to make the panels with.
![IMG_0136.JPG](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/5ee/5ee6b41297a3e32a58b1e924bca12de0.jpg)
Then I got a bit carried away and ripped and crosscut the pieces to size. I'm using a coping bit in my router table to join the pieces. I got it for christmas ages ago, and this is the first time I've used it in anger.
![IMG_0138.JPG](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/2fb/2fb6576417f50aae955b810df7f78849.jpg)
All the rails and stiles done:
![IMG_0139.JPG](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/98b/98b723eaec13f3057a77b5f1f0d0d533.jpg)
Now cutting the matching parts on the rails:
![IMG_0141.JPG](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/f9b/f9b1e814e496df12cdf6ec1d882a95cf.jpg)
I was a bit worries about breakout on the back side, but it seems ok when I tried the test piece, so I just went for it.
All the bits dry fitted together with the MDF panels:
![IMG_0143.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/de4/de4cf36499c54d4f7cbf25a0d936f466.jpg)
Now, onto the veneering. I've only done this once before, so here goes. first I jointed it between two scraps:
![IMG_0144.JPG](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/026/0265e9e1d36aaa5560b2fcfbc189f947.jpg)
Then I joined two pieces together with veneer tape, then clamped it up with cauls and plenty of clamps
![IMG_0145.JPG](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/4c2/4c2f2a8c7a0c8421efee655b4cffd4fc.jpg)
I'll take them out of the clamps this morning - fingers crossed!