Tool Chest Mods

[Scoony]

I built an anarchist tool chest many years ago. It replaced a wall mounted chest that I actually hated. I found that keeping my tools in a tool chest on the floor works much better for me. 
 
One thing that did not work well for me was handsaw storage. I had a saw till, but nothing for back saws. Another issue was the bottom till still got a little in the way when pulling out moulding planes. I needed it to move forward at least another inch of till movement to improve access to those planes in the rear. 

I have been contemplating how to modify it for improved storage. I ended up removing all the tray brackets and making some changes. The saw till was shortened and narrowed a bit. I made new lower till brackets to go the entice depth of the chest, and positioned a tool bracket in a position that would hold the backsaws just below the top till so it could be slid all the way to the front. I also made a spot for the mortise chisels. 

There was a solid panel dividing the saw till from where the bench planes are kept. Following some changes that Chris Schwarz, I removed that solid panel and replaced it with two strips. Now I can reach down under the saws in the saw till without removing them. I keep the saw sets, files, and guide blocks. I am also going to move the smaller speciality planes under that section to get them out of the way. The winding sticks in the right corner act as a till stop for the middle till. 

I keep a #5 and a #7 under the bench, but there is room for them on the chest floor.  
I also need to get that bottom till better organized. That small wooden 22 ammo box holds gimlets, spoon bits and other small drill bits.

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[Souperchicken]

Thanks for posting, I'm planning to finish out my tool chest shell soon and night make similar mods. I have the saw till built as described in his book but no trays or supports yet. Keep us posted on how you like the new changes.

[Scoony]

Thanks for posting, I'm planning to finish out my tool chest shell soon and night make similar mods.  I have the saw till built as described in his book but no trays or supports yet. Keep us posted on how you like the new changes.

I would look at lowering the saw till a little bit and if you went with a solid panel divider, using two strips makes a lot more sense and allows easier access to those little areas below the saws were you can store small items that are not often needed.

Check out the Lost Press blog on some of the mods they have done to the chests.

[AHill]

Nice job! I like how your stored your moulding planes standing up so you can see the profiles.

And where else can you find a tool chest with a box of ammo?

[mdhills]

This looks really nice (who doesn't love nice tools in a chest!)

What did you dislike about your wall cabinet?
Does it work to keep a few tools in a small wall cabinet, ready at hand, and keep the rest in your tool chest, or do you need them all collected in one place?

Matt

[Scoony]

This looks really nice (who doesn't love nice tools in a chest!)

What did you dislike about your wall cabinet?
Does it work to keep a few tools in a small wall cabinet, ready at hand, and keep the rest in your tool chest, or do you need them all collected in one place?

Matt

One complaint of the tool chest is the floor space it takes up, but a tool cabinet also takes up space. When I had a tool cabinet, I had it on the other side of the bench so I had to walk around the bench to get to it. The swinging doors are a pain and take up more space.  I ended up giving the tool cabinet to a fellow woodnetter. I was able to put a lathe in the place that the wall cabinet took up. 

With the tool chest, it sits near the end of the bench. I can access all the tools quickly. I do have a bad back, but being able to brace myself on the chest while picking up a plane from the bottom of the chest is easy peasy and painless. 

I am currently making a small box like contraption to hold the LN-98 & 99, then I need to remake a box for the Stanley #50 cutters.

[Stwood_]

Lookin good. I'm liking it.
Also looks like it's gaining weight.

[RonB1957]

Lookin good. I'm liking it.
Also looks like it's gaining weight.

Just curious. Do you retract the irons when you store your bench planes in the bottom of the chest, or leave them exposed?
Best wishes,
Ron

[bandit571]

Ready to join the crew..

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Wonder who is the Lead Carpenter...

[Martin S.]

That's a cool pic. Any idea of what year it was taken?