Tool Chest Mods

[bandit571]

Was found on the US Forestry site....

[Scoony]

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

Mostly.      I will admit that I am sometimes lazy and don’t retract, but I am working that.

[adamcherubini]

I do not retract irons of molders. I think a better approach is just to elevate the toe or heel. But I don't do that in the well of my tool chest and have never seen it done. I DO do that on the shelf under my bench which is dirtier and used more frequently.

BTW- Thanks for sharing pics of your tool chest. I love to see tool chests and love building them.

Also loved the pics of the carpenters and how reverently the saws are displayed and stored. I'd guess that pic is before 1900- possibly even 1880. That looks like a Stanley #34 on the left. They date from 1870, so had to be after that.

Can't really make out the stuff in the foreground- I see a mitersaw and a boring machine. The lead carpenter is very likely the guy with the storey pole/straight edge. My barn was built around 1910 and is insanely accurately built. I'm quite sure the carpenters who built my barn used a story pole to set stud and joist spacings.

I like the shorter carpenter on the right hand side. He has shorter saws in the chest in front of him. There are also tall chests and low chests like mine - likely with only a single sliding till vs the several stacked tills in the other boxes.

[bandit571]

Contrary to popular belief....I am NOT that short Carpenter on the right....

Bottom left, right in front of the 1st tool chest...that little box on the ground....looks like a combination plane?   Maybe an early #45?

There are 2 miter boxes with saws.   I think I counted at least 5 No. 34 trans. planes.....7 carpenters = 7 tool chests.  This crew MIGHT have been the one that built the house in the background?

I found a place to stash all my wood bodied planes...

   
yep...at one time, the shop also had a tool chest.....was getting a bit much on my back...

   
What it looked like in use....

[Scoony]

I have seen more focused versions of that photo. What amazes me are the super long planes some of them have.

[adamcherubini]

I have seen more focused versions of that photo. What amazes me are the super long planes some of them have.

Mentioned this in another thread. I'm NOT surprised to see these. I'm surprised we don't have them and no one seems to be making them.

One of my lessons learned working in an 18th c shop was "long makes straight". Want a flat surface?? Get a LONG plane. Want a straight cut with a hand saw? Lay it down in the kerf so the length of blade in the kerf is longer.