Traditional Tool Chest

oooooh myyyyyyyyyy goodness.

I saw the chest and though-ooooh wouldn't this be lovely in a living room or bedroom. It looks so, antique, so, solid, so classic, simplistic of line
And then we see inside… ha…. a whole new world: elegance, softness, complexity of design,

this is AMAZING… it's like a box of surprises; everywhere you turn there is something new.
Beautiful. Simply beautiful

Just like some people I know. Rough on the outside and a thing of beauty on the inside.

Thanks -

In my research for the design of my chest, I discovered that the traditional chest was often rugged and plain on the outside in order to stand up to the beating of being hauled in a wagon to the job site. But, the interior was meant to display the skill, and quality of crafting, of it's owner. A traveling "portfolio," if you will.

This chest is actually smaller than the traditional chest because it was dimensioned to fit the lumber I had on hand at the time.

Paul

Nice form and a surprise awaits.

Wow. nice, practical, and well researched. I like it very much.

I'm with Scott-- researched!!! Love it.

I just inherited my great grand fathers hand plans, about 40+. I now have to find a storage solution. This is a piece of art for sure.

40+ planes… you have some LJ's drooling!!

Look out, Wayne may be paying you a visit soon!

What a great tool chest!

I think I'm gonna be loving the LJ tool share. Did I mention I like handplanes as much as Don likes small boxes.

hey Wayne.. maybe you could stop by and fix up the old plane that I have from my Dad
It's just up there on the top shelf by my fishin boots.

I have my eye out for some parts…

I was looking what was going on in the community round about a year ago. Why not? I spotted this beauty worthy of bringing to the fore. It looks so authentic. I bought an original one at auction a couple of years ago, and then bought a second one cheaper on eBay so that, on average, they were both reasonably priced! <grin>. The insides are nothing compared to yours Paul.

That is exceptionally nice.

About a year ago, this was a much smaller community and it was easier to stay up with things. I've been very marginal in my participation lately.

Thanks for finding my needle in the haystack. It means alot coming from you Stewart. Thanks to Rikkor, too.

A few years ago, I won a prize from a national woodworking magazine in their "tool storage" contest with this chest. A professional photographer came over from a nearby community and took the pics for the magazine. I asked for a set a photos when he took them, but he never sent me any. If he's still around and in business, perhaps I'll still try to go find him again and see if I can get a set of good photos to update the post.

What a beautiful tool chest. Thank you for sharing.

I thought I should elaborate on why I entered this in the "One Man's Junk" contest. The only reference to the story of it's construction is when I mentioned above that I dimensioned the chest to the lumber I had on hand. The lumber I had on hand for the outer chest and chest lid came from a recycled set of pine bookshelves and a resawn heavy pine door that came off the church I was serving in Kentucky. (The church replaced the doors. I salvaged wood. You can see the white paint that was on the doors in the view with the lid compartment open.) The cherry for the tills came from the scrap pile of a woodworker friend. The resawn walnut for the till lids and the inner runners upon which the tills slide was resawn from some chunks of walnut given to me by my former sister-in-law that she rescued from the scrap pile of her uncle's saw mill. The till fronts and the interior of the chest are veneered with purchased cherry, walnut and holly veneer, of course, and I purchased the hinges and rollers. But the chest is 85%-90% recycled from three different "one man's junk" sources.

Very nice. Looks like a whole bunch of man hours. Should last forever.
wish it belonged to me !

Great job Paul. Good luck in the contest.