Thread: My first tool cabinet

The Tool Holders.


Just as I was doing what everyone whom builds a tool cabinet does - laying out the tools within the carcass to understand where things would go.....I slapped myself in realization that I forgot to include a shelf and the provisions for 2 drawers. Fortunately I had some left over stock from the carcass, which i cut to size.
I then routed and chiseled out slots for these to slide in, and then glued them into place. A little bit of hand planing, and a few coats of Estapol later and we were good to carry on.
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Well, sort of...until I realized "Hold on, perhaps it would be a good idea to mount the darn thing on the wall".

As the tool cabinet would have to come down a lot for me to keep adding the tool holders, as well as the fact that it was being mounted on an uneven brick wall, it was a no brainer to use french cleats. I wont bore you on this, basically Is a cleat running across 1/4 of the way down from the top of the main body of the tool cabinet, it is fastened using 2 x 10 gauge Spax steel screws, in pure shear these are beyond sufficient for the load bearing required.
I removed the door to the tool cabinet and put it in storage out of the way.
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Onto the tool holders...at long last.
While the layout was to be as pragmatic as possible, I'm still a firm believer of making things pretty where possible. My goal was and still is to try design and build things that function but are also beautiful to look at...because on a hot sweaty day when I'm all pissy about my normal day job and want to throw the towel in, I want to be able to look at my toolbox and see something beautiful to change my mood and feel inspired to work the wood. As long as it does this to me, I dont mind what others think of it.

Very quickly I got excited, starting with the plane holders. Because I tried to maintain as shallow a tool cabinet as possible to keep the footprint to a minimum, the planes have to be vertical ensuring that the handles dont interfere with the items hanging on the door. Starting with the No.7, I created a prototype before I figured out the right balance of clearance and spacing. I'm an engineer by trade, so a test bed was in order...which came in the form of a small pine plank off an old bunk bed. This allowed me to easily screw the holders at various spacings, and take note of observations.

For my holders I was fortunate to gain a piece of Brigalow and some small bits of African ebony. I havnt got an array of powertools, so all the thicknessing and dimensioning is done by hand with a handsaw and sharp planes. It is slow work, but if those blokes could do it 300 years ago this way, I would feel so silly to complain. The keen eyed will notice that these were still all done on the welding table in a metalworking vise. With the basics and a dose of patience it can be done.
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I've found my designs come from my father's Southern German alpine influence combined with the Islamic and Hindu architecture in Indonesia where I would go to visit my mother's family. This and using a combination of uncommon timbers hopefully yielding a unique take on the humble tool cabinet. The final touch is having countersunk brass slotted head screws that were tediously countersunk with a bit and brace to get them perfectly flush....time consuming - yes, but worth it and a good skill builder!
7-Up (The Stanley, not the softdrink!)
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Soon to follow was the holders for my No.4 Jack and No.4 Smoother.
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But wait....there's a gap between them....it was for a reason, stay tuned to find out why (if I havnt already bored you!)

Cheers,
Siggy

Nice to see such care taken with shop furniture. Very attractive

Thanks mate! I do appreciate it.
I believe its nice to be surrounded by nice things, be it in the lounge room or in the laundry or workshop....
especially considering most of us perhaps spend more time in the workshop than in the lounge room

Originally Posted by lyricnz

Nice to see such care taken with shop furniture. Very attractive

Not hard to see the influence of your German father, precision and quality in every facet.
It's a shame to see that beautiful bench inside and being covered with plants. I hope the tool cabinet is not going to end up the same.
I look forward to your future tool holder designs (and your excuse for the gap as I'm sure it wasn't a mistake). I too like my things in the shed to look nice but you are going to the next level.

Hi Dallas,

Thanks for the kind words. My father is a pretty amazing guy, I'll have to do a write up on another part of the forum for him. Many folks would here would find him interesting. I was never really into the woodwork as he discouraged me away from it as he always claimed it would be an easier life by being an engineer.
I more recently told him I wanted to learn and he gave me all his old textbooks (he did an old fashioned apprenticeship in the South of Germany in the early 60s as a 14 year old, then worked as a Gaselle and became a Master before coming out to Australia) and I am trying to develop my own curriculum of projects to build the woodworking skills.
If I could...or somehow won the lottery, I would submit an application to study at the Krenov School or the Sturt School for Wood and make a career change at the drop of a hat.....

As for the gaps, stay tuned, I'll try type something up.

Nicely done thanks for sharing.

I just went back and found your work bench build thread so I will have a read through that tonight as there certainly isn't anything on TV worth watching.

Before I go further, here is a quick internal shot of all the internal pieces for the No.4 holders. The bottom holder has about 9 individual pieces per plane. Patience with the paring chisel ensures no gaps.
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The gaps between my hand planes as mentioned at the end of my last post....were planned, yes sir!

The one between the No7 and No4 is intended for my HNT Gordon trying plane, which required a different holder design, so I used some shims to carefully leave just the right amount of space to come back to it.

Perhaps 2 weeks later I made the holder for the HNT Gordon as shown below. It fits just like a glove and clicked right into place.
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Next was perhaps the most treasured plane that I have - a Norris gunmetal 50G smoother, which I found at a fraction of its value at a 2nd hand shop. These smoothing planes are a bloody nightmare to mount, I understand in full why most folks build shelves for them, but, I saw this as a challenge. 2 prototypes were made out of pine scraps trialing positions upside down and right way up, with and without a latch/restraint, before I landed on the final design.
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After some more careful chiseling and and laminating atop my trusty piece of scrap ply...this was my solution. the horizontal piece of Ebony is held within the briglow via a tiny bridle joint on each side that is hidden to prevent it from twisting. The other pieces of ebony were cut with a small hand held fret saw, and using a small fishtail chisel and the edge of a sharp scraper I chamfered everything. This is consistent across all the Ebony pieces in the tool cab.
It was a fair bit of work, but the problem solving aspect is what I was hoping to develop.

After this came my last full sized plane, my HNT Gordon 1" Shoulder plane. This holder is based off the German Werkzeugschrank design and is extremely easy to get such a skinny plane in and out of whilst remaining very secure. On my trusty test bed the plane only slipped out of its restraint when I approached 35 degrees from vertical - which should never happen.
The design for this one cascades down the side of the tool chest carcass and looks rather effective. The ebony is fixed with brass pins that were individually filed down flush. All affixing brass screws were again drilled, countersunk and set in using a bit and brace too ensure they are perfectly flush - a cordless driver removes any sensitivity.

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And so completes the mounting of my complement of full sized planes (I have 2 block planes yet to mount).

Ah, i figured I should explain what all those pieces of ebony are for, perhaps if you havnt figured it out already. They act as skids. Ebony is widely known for being dense, hard and wear resistant. Perhaps not as much as Lignum, but certainly moreso than Blackwood. To prevent damage or scratching to the tool cabinet, I utilized these ebony skids. I havn't actually seen anyone do this to my knowledge, perhaps its an Aussie first (in my limited exposure to woodworking). They are placed in a way that when you lift the plane in and out any higher risk areas of contact are protected. Yup, its moreso the engineer in me coming out. This is not necessary in woodworking.
But, it also gives me a way to express my creativity in how the skids are shaped, arranged and positioned relative to complementary colored timber used in the project.

All the internal tool holders are finished in Livos Wood Sealer oil.

Feel free to ask any questions or give your feedback on the tool cabinet.


Cheers,
Siggy

Next: A partition within the cabinet was necessary due to the new acquisition of tools. Got to stay flexible and fluid with the design.

I wont blab on too much for this post.

A Partition.

So as I realized it was quite a deep cabinet, opted to try make full use of the depth by including a partition.

I was gifted some blackwood offcuts from a true gent who is on these forums. I planed them to thickness and cut them to size. A scrap piece of pine 800mm long with a cleat screwed to the bottom clamps into my metalworking vise, and i sink 2 small screws into the pine toward one end acting as a planing stop. Surprisingly effective for pieces upto about 500mm.

I then cut some dovetails into one end, and chiseled out a groove and planed up a spline for the ends that fix into the tool cabinet. I glued the dovetails with hide glue together whilst clamping it in-situ to keep things square. I did not glue the partition into the cabinet to future proof it in case i need to remove it.

The idea i had was to use the partition for chisels. Have a door on it onto which my standard bench chisels hang, on the inside of the door would be the lesser used paring chisels, and then some small carving and whittling tools at the very back of the partition.

The door was promptly made again using some leftover blackwood. The joints are all mortise and tenon'ed, similarly glued together with hide glue.

I must say, the switch to hide glue is due to the fact that I get staining with PVA when gluing blackwood....perhaps its the tanins.

The hinges were inherited from an deceased estate, as were the screws.

The partition is held to the cabinet using some very small ebony brackets i made up. Scrap thicknessed to 3.5mm, then cut out with a fretsaw and chamfered using a whittling knife. Screws are brass round head slotted 3G 1/2 inch. The only way to screw them in was to drill all holes using a pinvise and modify an old screwdriver handle to get close enough to the wall...one 1/4 turn at a time.

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Next Step: Make a rack for the chisels to hang on the door, a door stop and also a knob/catch.

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas on this long term project, please let me know, I'd love to hear!


Cheers,
Siggy

Beautiful work Siggy, you've done credit to the lovely timbers too.

Made mine recently but out of Vic Ash, all I could afford. But it is lovely to have a 'nice home' for our beloved tools. It sure gives us motivation.

Still stunned hearing that you allowed that lovely bench to go inside and suffer the indignity of bearing up houseplants, not at all sure I can forgive you for that one

Thanks Bob, I do appreciate the kind words.

Wow, a tool cabinet from Vic Ash? By the sounds of it, you took great care in building it and have built a nice home for the tools. Have you any photos?

Oh the bench debacle....aye....
The one positive though, is that the missus appreciates looking at it and thus affords me more workshop time got to play it a little strategically!

Cheers,
Siggy

Originally Posted by Bendigo Bob

Beautiful work Siggy, you've done credit to the lovely timbers too.

Made mine recently but out of Vic Ash, all I could afford. But it is lovely to have a 'nice home' for our beloved tools. It sure gives us motivation.

Still stunned hearing that you allowed that lovely bench to go inside and suffer the indignity of bearing up houseplants, not at all sure I can forgive you for that one

Very humble compared to yours Siggy but yes, couple here. Still plenty of room for the tools in the wish list Would have been nice to use good timber for the panels but Ply was all I could afford at the time. I spent up on the two Veritas planes last year though, using some 'found' money.
I just used a piece of scrap walnut for the chisels in the door holder. Forstner bits to make appropriate size recesses for each chisel. Works quite well.
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Looking forward to seeing more of your very spesh looking build

Nicely done Bob! It may be "just" ply, but the way you've used it looks very effective and good! I am envious at the size that you were able to build that thing.
Wow, Veritas! Mate, you certainly arnt doing it in halves. I also noticed that you've got two of their nice saws hanging up there. Lovely work on the handles too, they look really good! And im glad to see im not the only chap hanging my planes vertically!

I am actually up to the stage of making a chisel holder. Forstner bits do seem to be the way to go, but...as I dont have any, Ill have to wait a few weeks until i can visit a friend to borrow his.

Yes, very fortunate with those planes. I rescued an old IBM XT PC from the dumpster at work nearly 30 years ago and stashed it in my shed. Sold it for $600 and spent the money on the Veritas Low Angel Jack and the block plane too. The saws and a few Veritas marking tools were similarly bought with 'found money' some years ago. It's a long time between drinks so to speak but we have to be patient

Keep sharing on that build you are doing. would love to see close ups too!

Originally Posted by Siggykc

Nicely done Bob! It may be "just" ply, but the way you've used it looks very effective and good! I am envious at the size that you were able to build that thing.
Wow, Veritas! Mate, you certainly arnt doing it in halves. I also noticed that you've got two of their nice saws hanging up there. Lovely work on the handles too, they look really good! And im glad to see im not the only chap hanging my planes vertically!

I am actually up to the stage of making a chisel holder. Forstner bits do seem to be the way to go, but...as I dont have any, Ill have to wait a few weeks until i can visit a friend to borrow his.