Many years ago as a boy apprentice,
most of the men I trained under
had large tool chests neatly placed
at the foot of their benches. Their airtight
lids stayed firmly shut except when a
special tool was needed for a particular job.
Next to (or on top of) these chests stood
their traveling tool boxes, which were more
compact than the larger lift-lidded chests.
Through the years I've designed and made
many such boxes. Here's a simple version
that can be made in a day using hand tools
or machines.
This type of tool box was traditionally
painted matt black and several of mine are,
but I chose Ronseal's water-based
Woodstain because of its quick-drying yet
durable waterproof qualities. I also like the
warm colour and feel of the antique pine in
a satin finish. You can of course make it
from hardwood, or stain a less attractive
wood such as spruce or pine if you wish.
Typically these chests were made from pine
because weight was important - no one
wants a box that's heavy even when empty.
Fig 1.
Box design
In earlier times, the front and back facings
of the box were made from frames that
enclosed loose panels of solid wood. These
fl oating panels allowed for the shrinkage
and expansion caused by changes in the
moisture content. The panel rested in a
groove around the inside rim of the frames.
Back in the late 1950s, as plywood gained
popularity, many woodworkers began to skin
their boxes with plywood. Rough joiners
would simply glue and nail the facings on;
others would screw the facings on and then
fill the screw heads with Brummer stopper
before sanding and painting the boxes. They
also painted their names in the top
right-hand corner in old English script.
These toolboxes are as useful today as
they ever were, and I still use mine for
working in customer's homes and for
traveling to do demonstrations. Often my
students copy mine, or write to me for
plans, so here's how to make your own.
Selecting the wood
I've made this box from spruce because of
its strength-to-weight ratio, which is the
highest of any known wood. It's still
relatively inexpensive and is easy to work
with. I've picked out fairly straight-grained
material to make it easier for hand planing.
Redwood would be fine too.
1. Cut the two rebates first…
2. …then cut the parts to length
3. Measure in 22mm from each end…
4. …and square a line across it
Cutting the box parts
Prepare the stock for the box frame to the
cross-section given in the cutting list (165 x
20mm). Then form a 12 x 9mm rebate on
each edge along the length of the board,
photo 1. I find it easier to rebate the whole
length and then to cut the pieces to final
length afterwards, photo 2. You can of
course use power tools for these jobs if you
prefer, and this applies to every stage
throughout the project.
5. Mark up the dovetails on each end
6. Extend the lines onto the faces
Marking out the dovetails
On all four pieces, measure in 22mm from
each end, photo 3, and mark a line across
the work with a square, photo 4. This line
represents the depth of the dovetail pins
and tails. Use a sharp pencil for the initial
marking out. These lines will later be
redefined using a marking knife, which will
give a perfect seating for the corresponding
joint part. Mark out the dovetails on the
ends of both the short pieces (see figs 1
and 2 and photos 5 and 6).
Cutting the dovetails
Cut down the lines to the shoulder line as
shown. Leave the pencil line in by cutting
just on the waste side of the lines,
photo 7.
Remove the bulk of the waste between
the tails with a coping saw, taking care to
cut just above the shoulder depth line,
photo 8.
It's best to remove the outside sections
next to the dovetails with a dovetail saw.
Here you can cut exactly to the line, again
just on the waste side, photo 9.
Using a sharp knife and square, mark the
shoulder line on both faces of the board and
trim out any remaining discrepancies with a
sharp chisel to create a perfect shoulder,
photo 10.
7. Cut down to the shoulder line
8. Trim out the waste with a coping saw
9. Cut off the outer sections with a dovetail saw
10. Mark the shoulder line for final trimming
11. Use the tails to mark out the pins…
12. …and extend the lines onto the faces
Creating the pins
Transfer the shape of the tails to the top
pieces using a very sharp, long-pointed
pencil,
photos 11 and 12. I prefer a pencil
to a knife on pine because pencil shows up
better, and the pine recesses can be cut
slightly 'fat' because pine compresses more
than most hardwoods. In harder, more
dense-grained woods I always use a knife
because hard grains take a knife mark well
and of course the denser woods are less
tolerant of tight-fitting joints.
Cut down the lines with a tenon or
dovetail saw, staying just on the waste side
of the line, and then remove the bulk of the
waste using a coping saw, photo 13.
Using a sharp knife and square, mark the
shoulder line on both faces of the board,
photo 14, and trim out any discrepancies
with a sharp chisel as before. Test the joint
dry to make sure it fits well, photo 15. If
any trimming is needed, use a sharp chisel
to get a perfect finish, photo 16.
13. Again trim out with a coping saw…
14. …and square off the shoulder line
15. Test-fi t the joint dry
16. …and trim the pins if necessary
17. Glue up the frame corner by corner
18. Tap the joints together one by one
A test run
Repeat the joint-making process for the
other three corners, labeling each pair of
components (A-A and so on) so you don't
get in a muddle. Then assemble the box for
a dry fit to make sure all of the components
fit together well. It's easier to make any
adjustments now rather then when you
have glue on everything.
When you're happy with the fit, glue up
the box corner by corner, photo 17, and
drive the glued joints together with a
hammer and scrap of wood, photo 18.
Clamp the assembly if necessary and check
that the box is square by measuring from
corner to corner.
Skinning the box
With the dovetails completed, you're now
ready to fit the 9mm plywood skins into the
recesses you rebated earlier. Begin with the
back skin. Cut the plywood with the saw
and test its fit,
photo 19. Trim and fit if
necessary with the plane,
photo 20.
Glue the panel into the recess, photo
21, and nail or screw it in place. It's better
to screw it, but 25mm panel pins will work
fine too, photo 22, and they're easier to
punch and fill than the screws, which must
be countersunk and filled.
19. Cut the rear skin and test its fit
20. Trim it if necessary with a plane
21. Apply glue all round the rebate
22. Pin the panel into the recess
23. Make the curved cuts in the frame sides
24. Trim all the frame edges with a plane
Fig 2.
Cutting the fall front
It's now time to mark the cut lines of the
fall-front box lid (see
fig 1 again). You must
cut the internal round corners on each of
the sidepieces with a coping saw before you
skin the front of the box. So go ahead and
cut the rounds now,
photo 23, but leave
the straight line cuts until after the panel is
glued and screwed in place.
Cut the plywood front panel to size and
trim it for a perfect fit. Glue and pin it in
place and leave it to dry. Then trim the box
with the plane, photo 24, fill and screw
and nail heads, photo 25, and sand all the
surfaces smooth, photo 26.
Extend all of the layout lines for the fall
front onto the plywood face and cut through
it with a tenon saw, photo 27 and panel
saw, photo 28. I used an older saw because
the saw kerf is thinner, but if you don't have
a thin-kerfed saw any saw will work as long
as it's not too thick. The saw kerf thickness
is usually just enough to leave the exact size
gap need to prevent the lid from binding, so
don't worry too much about this.
Follow the lines all the way through to
the rounded corners from both the front
face and the top line of the box lid and the
two will soon be separated, photo 29.
Reverse the saw direction as necessary
Trim up any saw marks with the hand
plane, photo 30, or a file, followed by
sandpaper, photo 31. Try not to take too
much off the curves, as a large gap will be
unsightly.
25. Fill all the nail or screw heads…
26. …and sand the surfaces smooth
Adding the hinge rails
You can now add two 30 x 19mm hinge rails
to take the hinges and stiffen the plywood
edges. Mark their lengths directly from the
box,
photo 32 and the lid,
photo 33, in
case there are any minor discrepancies in
the box construction.
Cut the pieces to length and glue them to
the edges of the plywood on both the lid
and the box, photo 34. I also screwed and
clamped these rails in place, photo 35, to
add to their strength because these edges
are subjected to a lot of stress when the box
lid is opened and closed. Countersink the
screw heads, fill them after the screws are
driven in and sand flush when dry.
27. Start the separation with a tenon saw
28. Switch to a panel saw at the corners…
29. …and complete the cut to separate the lid
30. Remove the saw marks with a plane
31. Sand the curved cuts to a smooth radius
32. Mark one hinge rail to fi t the box…
Marking up the hinges
I use 60mm brass hinges, but any hinge
around that size will do. I set my hinge
60mm from the end of my box, the same
distance as the hinge length. That way you
can use the hinge to set the starting point of
the recess, and to position the second mark.
Mark the hinge position with the lid in
place on the main box so you can mark both
the box and the lid at the same time, photo
36. Place the hinge in position on the box
lid and mark both sides of the hinge with a
sharp knife, photo 37.
Instead of setting up a gauge to mark the
front-to-back width of the hinge flap onto
the door, I use the hinge itself and run my
knife along the edge of the hinge as shown,
photo 38.
Set a marking gauge to the thickness of
one of the fl aps and mark it onto the face of
the box lid. I am actually using a cutting
gauge because it cuts through the layers of
plywood and sets a lip to guide my chisel,
photo 39. Remove the waste wood with a
chisel to form the recess, photo 40.
33. …and the other to fit the lid
34. Apply glue along each hinge rail
35. Screw and clamp it in place
36. Mark the hinge positions on box and lid
37. Mark both sides of the hinge with a knife
38. Then run the knife along the hinge edge
Fitting the hinges
With the lid hinge recesses completed, use
a bradawl to start the screw holes,
photo
41, and drive in the screws. Remember
when using slotted screws that you should
always line the slots up length-ways with the
direction of the grain.
Set the lid in position in the box and,
using a sharp knife, mark on either side of
both the hinges as before. Remove the lid
and cut the recesses into the rail using the
same procedure as before.
Screw the hinges into the recesses, fit the
catches, photo 42, and open and close the
lid to check its action. Adjust the hinges to
make sure that the lid and box align
perfectly without you having to force the
catches, photo 43.
Complete the job by making the till (see Fig 3),
and your tool box is ready for
its finishing touches, photo 44.
39. Mark the recess depth with a cutting gauge
40. Remove the waste wood with a sharp chisel
41. Use a bradawl to start the screw holes
42. Attach the two catches so you can…
43. …check that the lid closes accurately
44. Your tool box is now ready for fi nishing
Fig 3.
Making the till
I usually have two tills in my box, but
one may be all you need. I often
make my top till narrower to hold my
chisels and other such long, narrow
tools, but in this case I made the till
60mm deep because it doesn't have
very much depth from front to back.
Mark the long till pieces to length by
marking directly from the inside
faces of the main box. Mark the
shorter till sides directly from the
inside face of the back of the box to
the front edge of the box sidepieces.
Cut the pieces to length using a
fi ne-toothed tenon or dovetail saw.
Mark out the dovetails, fig 3, and
cut them following the procedures
detailed for the main box earlier.
With all of the dovetails prepared,
run a 6mm groove around the inside
bottom edge of the till pieces, 8mm
up from the bottom and 6mm deep.
Fit the 6mm plywood bottom and
dry-fit the till together with the
plywood in place to make sure all
the joints seat together well.
If they do, glue up the dovetails
and cramp up the till if the joints are
at all loose. When the glue has set,
sand all the surfaces smooth and
apply a matching finish
Finally, screw the two softwood
cleats that support the till to the
inside faces of the box sides,
allowing 1mm for clearance between
all of the components.
A decorative finish
Paint the box if you want to. This helps to
keep the box looking presentable. This is
where I keep my cuppa during the day, and
the inevitable mug rings will soon disfigure
bare wood. When you're done, replace the
catches, add the handles and install your
precious tools in their new home.
BIGPRICEY
