Tool chest indecision

[Gerard Scanlan]

Sometimes I wish I could just trust someone else's plans and build something they had designed and yet I know that if I do not research a new project properly and integrate at least a good proportion of my own ideas I will end up stewing in dissatisfaction. On my travels through books and the internet I came across a website by a cabinet maker called Tony Konovaloff. He has a sink-the-titanic-before-it-hit-the-iceberg heavy tool chest with some great and some over-the-top features. It might look like some anarchic you already know but wait until you see inside. His tills slide end to end instead of side-to-side which is nice and practical. I am not convinced by any of the methods for securing saws. I know these are traditional chests but a modest scattering of magnets might improve the rattle of saws and perhaps also make them less cumbersome to access. Tony's website tonykonovaloff.com is certainly worth a look if you are considering a venture like mine and even if you are not - because his other work is very nice. No doubt the more experienced makers already know all about Tony.

 

[undergroundhunter]

I have made a smaller version of Chris Schwartz' tool chest and find this very practical for my needs. The problem with tills that slide side to side is you try and put a long plane in the bottom without removing all the tills every time. Also my saws are stored in the bottom in a kind of rack, this way they are nice and safe. A tool chest is a very personal thing, it all depends on how you work and what tools you want to put in it, for instance I will be making another chest to store my growing collection of wooden moulding planes as there is no provision for these in my original chest. I may just make a full size anarchists tool chest, and use my smaller chest for my excess of moulding planes.

Matt

 

[AJB Temple]

Very interesting website. Thanks for that tip. Not exactly what you might call a portable chest, unless you have a form lift handy, but lovely work.

I think his design is really for the OCD tool user though. Most of my stuff is in double width filing cabinets!

 

[DTR]

I have made a smaller version of Chris Schwartz' tool chest and find this very practical for my needs.

+1, works for me

 

[Cheshirechappie]

One advantage to the Anarchist's Tool Chest version (full size or smaller) is the flexibility of tool storage. Tools can go in wherever you like and however you care to 'organise' them, so if more tools are obtained (found, made, inherited etc) then within reason, they can go in somewhere. On the negative side, you have to think a little more about protecting cutting edges, both to preserve the edge and to protect hands from sharp edges.

The downside of the very 'fitted out' chests (or cabinets, come to that) is that they tend only to fit a fixed kit of tools - much less flexibility. Conversely, it's usually easy to arrange edge protection.

 

[t8hants]

Have you considered the 'Dutch' style tool chest?
These can be made with both opening top and drop down front, and with forward planning stackable like the mechanics tool boxes.

 

[Gerard Scanlan]

Thanks you for all your suggestions.
I had considered creating compartments in the tills for chisels to stop them rolling around to protect the edges as I have already encountered that problem.
I have a lot of moulding planes that had planned to store in the bottom area.
The Dutch style chest is nice, so too is the Paul Sellers chest with drawers. I am starting to sense that the right design all depends on where the tool chest is going to sit in the workshop. If it is level with a workbench then a Dutch or Seller chest (with drawers) is good but if it is going to stand on the floor the anarchist style might be better. If I go for a floor standing model I am certainly going to put it on casters. There is always the possibility of making a stand on casters on top of which the tools chest resides.

For the interior layout of the chest I have been keeping an eye on which tools always seem to be lying on my bench at the end of a project. It would seem sensible to me if they were easiest to access even though they might make the layout appear random. Then at least I can side step any accusations of tool collection disorders.

 

[ED65]

Thanks for the link to Tony Konovaloff's site Gerard, I hadn't seen that before.

Have you ever seen "The Toolbox Book" by Jim Tolpin? I got the chance to peruse this for the first time the other day and I was very impressed with it, it is very much the toolbox equivalent of Schwarz's book on benches and there's tons of inspiration for a whole range of workshop storage, including standing tool cabinets, rolling carts and traditional tool chests. Not that you need them I'm sure but there are numerous tips on construction throughout.

 

[Gerard Scanlan]

Thanks for the tip about the Jim Tolpin book. Always nice to add a little more indecision to the design. I'll check out a copy.