Hand Tool Cabinet

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Once I’d accumulated enough hand tools to do anything useful I found myself in a very cluttered shop.  My tools covered every flat surface, and they were always in the way.  Since I’d read “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest”, I’d assumed I would eventually build a traditional tool chest to store my tools.  But I found myself without enough floor space to a tool chest, and ample wall space (well, after a lot of re-organizing and about a dump runs).

As it turned out, a wall-hiung cabinet met my needs better, and in an interesting turn of events I built it almost without using any hand tools.  I did “cheat” and use hand tools to dovetail the drawers.

Anyway, it all started with a SketchUp model.

Tool cabinet design — without the doors

Construction was straightforward, although manipulating the think for glue-ups and finishing was a challenge.  It’s about four feet square, and with the doors about 15″ deep.  For a size check, that’s *one* of the doors on my table saw.

One door with a coat of shellac, the main body of the cabinet is in the background

I spent several enjoyable hours making tool holders for the inside of the doors.  The chisel rack came out the best.  The rasp rack (well, the first version) I built was a near disaster, if you opened the door a little too quickly the rasps would fall off the holders.  They are expensive, and pointy, and I nearly skewered my foot the first time I yanked the right hand door open.

Freestanding Chisel Rack, hangs on a french cleat on the right hand door

The drawers were great dovetailing practice, making six drawers that were half-blind at the front and regular dovetails at the back really helped progress my hand tool skills.  By the sixth drawer I finally had the proportions and fit worked out.

Drawers prior to installing the pulls and finishing

In the end, this holds all of my hand tools with ease.  I have more drawer space than I need, and I’ll need to make some organizers to go in the drawers someday to keep them from collecting junk.   I still want to make a traditional tool chest some day, and probably a dutch chest too.

Completed tool chest – before I added the drawers

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