There is a reason why dovetails outlast screws and nails :)
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I was hoping that my using some 8mm or 10mm dowels they would basically act like little mortise-and-tenon joints. Maybe I'll use epoxy to glue the bottom on as well. This will be a tool chest that will sit on top of some drawers mounted on wheels. I don't see the point of making a nice saw bench only to put the tool-chest on top.
Sort of committed to it now that I had lengths of 285x19mm pine cut to 660mm lengths. Yes, I know that dovetails and dados would have been better, but I need to get it made. I have increased the height slightly, so that it is sort of in-between the "small" and "large" versions from the Chris Schwarz article. More like 26" so I can put a layer of 2-3" deep drawers in the lower compartment for small items that would otherwise end up buried.
If it doesn't work out, you can say that you told me so, and I'll have to just buy some more wood and do it again. I'm not going for an historical reproduction, just something I can store my tools in and that I can move by myself if I have to.
Good luck with it, I'm sure it will be fine.
Did you buy a shoulder plane in the mix?
If you knife cut a groove in the edge of your backing boards, you can start cutting a rebate by canting the plane over and bringing it back to 90 degrees over a couple of passes. Gives you your lap joint. That might be an option instead of waiting for the T and G planes. Just a thought.
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Well, marking out the sides with the 30-degree angle and figuring out the height of the floor of the upper compartment.
And I am glad I had these sides cut to 660mm, a bit taller than the original plans, because it turns out that the totes on my antique Mathieson planes make them taller than the usual Bailey style that most people use. I will still get myself a nice drawer at the top of the bottom compartment and plenty of room for my specialty planes. I have an Ovolo and a couple of beading planes, and recently won a combination plane brand-new-in-box off eBay for a good price.
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Build has progressed in small stages as I obtain the materials. I've also been building a small garden wall for Mum.
Dowel joinery was a bust. Couldn't get the little bastards to line up. In the end, I put some dowels in each corner of the bottom piece to give the stainless steel decking screws something stronger to bite into. 10 screws hold the bottom to the sides. The screw heads are then concealed with pine plugs. Lots more concealed screws hold the front boards to the bottom and shelf. Dovetails might have been stronger, but I think that the glue-and-screw construction will hold well enough. After I've put the back panelling on, I will screw some 42x19mm Tasmanian Oak skids to the bottom which should further secure the structure.
I made the "sliding tool tray" (it is NOT a drawer! Drawers conceal things!) is made from 65x12mm Tasmanian oak with a 12mm marine plywood bottom. The plywood came from an off-cuts stack at a local furniture/cabinet shop in nearby Wetherill Park. No joinery either - just glue and nails. I also attached some 20x4mm TasOak strips to the bottom to act as wear strips on the 30x19mm TasOak runners. Again, glue-and-screw. For the runners I used some 30mm brass screws to attach them. The strip in the centre is not a runner. The intention is that this tray is taken out of the box and placed on the bench when working, so this strip just supports the centre a little to avoid sagging.
I used a 1" Jennings pattern Auger in the bit-brace to make the finger-holes. I found that placing the wood vertical in the vice and drilling horizontally, leaning against the bit brace with my belly or hip made for the easiest drilling. The snail on that particular bit is a bit worn and doesn't act as a lead screw all that well.
I scored a new-in-box combination plane on eBay as well as a set of wooden tongue-and-groove planes. Waiting for those to arrive in the post so I can make the back panelling and the fall-front. I also have brass hardware on the way (I love polished brass).
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Having a think about the placement of my six saws into this chest. Options are:
1.) Panels saws on lid, back-saws in a till behind the planes.
2.) Panel saws in till behind the planes, back-saws on lid.
I have the wood for the lid already. I am using a pre-made pine panel. It worked out nearly the same cost to buy the timber anyway and saved me the hassle of cutting to length and glueing up. I was also fortunate that I found a panel made up of almost entirely quarter-sawn stock. The only other job I can really do to progress the build is make the fall-front. The big part holding up the build is my combination plane which is coming in the post some time next week.
Pictures of the possible saws arrangement on the lid.
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Long term plan for the small saws is to replace the Irwin saw with a 6" flush-cutting saw from Lynx. I also plan to obtain a 14" Tenon (rip-cut) and 12" Carcass saw (cross-cut). The only other saw I have not yet accounted for is a coping saw.
Your build is looking great!
I made the chisel rack double depth, then cut out sections so the back saws could drop through vertically at the rear. It does reduce your drawer depth a little, but that has tended to have too much stuff in it anyway. I have 4 saws in there (5 if you count the japanese flush cut saw stuffed in) I have a 14in tenon and a crosscut saw I was going to mount on the lid but never got around to it, with all the plane totes sticking up would make it a tight fit. I think one of my photos shows it.
Interesting idea, but that that the "SLIDING TOOL TRAY" - it is NOT a "drawer" - I avoid drawers at all costs - some say that is why I wear a kilt!
Sorry, where was I? Ah, yeah, now that the tool tray has been built I can't do the back-saws sliding through the shelf at the back. It is an interesting idea though.
I think once the case is finished and the tool rack installed, then I can look more closely at the arrangement of the saws. I may be able to put the two hand-saws on the lid and put all the other small saws into a till behind the planes. Just remembered that I had not allowed a space for a coping saw yet!
Made and fitted the fall-front yesterday afternoon.
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Postie brought me these the other day. So I tested them out on some pine scraps. In the same parcel, but not shown were a pair of 1/4" hollow-and-round planes, so I also took the opportunity to cut a decorative bead on the tongue side of the board. Will go down to Bunnings tomorrow and get myself some planks to make the back.
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Here's some pics of the SIL's dutch tool chest.
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More progress. Started on the T&G boards and even put in a decorative bead. Used old wooden moulding planes for this. These seem easier to use than the combination plane, which takes quite a bit of work to set up properly. I think these old wooden moulding planes are overlooked because of power routers, which are undoubtedly quicker. However, these give you shavings rather than dust, very little noise and don't need to be plugged in!
Should I make the tool rack at the back out of pine or Tasmanian Oak?
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Should I make the tool rack at the back out of pine or Tasmanian Oak?
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It looks great. I would use whatever you have left over. Mine is pine. It isn't like it's being worn away.