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Mother & daughter toolbox

13K views 39 replies 19 participants last post by  TheFridge 
#1 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
 
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#2 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
Nicely done and the documentation is perfect.
Welcome to Lumber Jocks
 
#3 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
Well with such and organized approach I suspect you will be a dyed in the wool woodworker soon enough. Welcome to LJ
 
#4 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
welcome to L J enjoy and have fun :)
while you are at it then make two boxes at the same time
one for her and one for you
one thing to remember messure twice cut before cutting
there is several pieces that have to have the same lenght make them at the same time
by using a stop block in the mitterbox

take care
Dennis
 
#5 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
That's a well designed toolbox. You'll be up to par in no time. Welcome to Lumberjocks.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 
#6 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
Thank you everyone. Well, the bottom box is nailed and glued together, and the top handle is in. I had a terrible time holding it steady for nailing, and I won't say the joints are nice looking. It's also only sort of square. However order has been restored as that part has now been painted pink, which seems to be the essential thing.

Must get my camera out and working.
 
#7 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
Dennis: mitre box you say? Hmmm, that sounds interesting. I didn't cut my boards with one of those.
 
#8 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
you use a saw in a sort of box where there is made one to three cuts
that define the angle you will be sawing usealy 90 degree and the 45 degree´s to each side
but can be made with the angles you want
there is mittrebox´s on the market where its possiple to set it in all angles you want to make a cut
as well as there is electric saws with the same feature some call them chopsaws for now I can´t remember the right name … sorry
if you want to go the old way only just with handtools a good workingbench is needed ….
not a fancy one just one that is steady with some clamping possibillity´s
benchhooks and shoting boards together with handplanes
as well as here on L J you can learn alot from the different blogs and on you-tube how to work with
and tune your tools

Dennis
 
#9 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
Thanks so much for continuing to comment, Dennis! I have been looking at mitre boxes since your previous comment. One of my "woodworking for kids" books has a mitre box as a project, but just with a 90 degree angle (which seems silly to me) and without the bench hook. I might make a slightly more advanced one with 45 degree angles. I guess we can manage a bench hook too!

I've worked with a chop saw / mitre saw before, they are great but I don't want to use power tools right now…

As to workbench - well, I have a Workmate clone which, although irritatingly unstable, is doing the job we need right now.

I am enjoying the toolbox build so much. Can't wait for our next fun project - we'll make the workbench tools as we go along, I guess.
 
#10 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
I think Mafe (Mads) is showing it in one of his blogs about being in Paris
you can use a half sheet of plywood (or so) place the workmate outfolded
on it at the legs on the outside you make four blocks with holes the workmatesfeet can stay in
and right under the workmate in the mittle you make two slices in the plywood
and add a stropclamp thrugh them up over the beam so the plywood and workmate
become one unit ..... when working on the bench just stand on the plywood to waight it down
this will help alot but it still too small and low for most work as you have descovered :)

there is a tread on a L J forum that is named knockdown workbench I think
read through it with all the coments and you will learn a ton about benches
as well as there is a ton of bench projects here both the fancy and not so fancy :)
for years I used two sawhorses , two 2×4 and an old door ….. not so steady either … lol
but good enoff with electric handtools for diy work

Dennis
 
#11 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
Dennis, very much obliged. Off to find the thread!
 
#12 ·
How a novice plans a first project

Hello everyone - my first blog, my first project! I have very little woodworking experience. I sew a lot and am a "crafty" sort of person, but the turn to woodworking has been prompted by my daughter and the little set of tools she got for Christmas.

I decided we'd make a toolbox, intended for the 9 "Red Toolbox" tools we got, plus various things like nails, screws, a pencil, sandpaper and glue… (The tools are: little saw, little hammer, little rasp, 2 clamps, 2 screwdrivers, measuring tape, and coping saw).

The design is a classic one, a simple box with an upper tray with a dowel handle and a removable tray that sits in the lower box. The tool silhouettes are painted in the tray bottoms. I used a plan from the Australian Better Homes & Gardens as inspiration.



However I also took inspiration from Ana White's site and redesigned the toolbox to be more decorative. The sides of the box are made of decorative mouldings and the whole thing will be painted a bright red. The tool silhouettes are done in a light pink. Or vice versa. Charlotte's initials and the date will be on one end.

The Better Homes and Gardens plan said "you can cut everything from two sheets of plywood" but me and my cr*ppy handsaw are not at all dealing with giant sheets of ply. No how, no way, not dealing. And since this project is all about working with Charlotte, no power tools. I modified.

Here's our shopping list from the local Travis Perkins. Here's where I remember that everything in England is supposedly metric but secretly Imperial:
  • One board 25×200mm (which is actually 21×193) - also called an 8×1; we needed 1.4 metres so got a 1.8m board. Cost £9.45 (seriously?) + 20%VAT…
  • One strip of moulding 25×63 (again, 21×59) - I guess this is 2 ½x 1 in old money; we needed 1.8m so got 2.1m (£4.04)
  • Two 12×25mm (1 x ½) strips for internal dividers and such. They should be 1 ¼ x 1 but they had not got such things - 2 x ½ was the next size up. Two 1.8m strips. (£1.74)
  • A 4×2 sheet of hardboard - for tray bases. We didn't need nearly this much but that's the smallest size they had. (£3.69)
  • Sample tins of red and pink paint - Dulux "Red Stallion" 3 and 6. (£3.57 ea)
  • Mopstick - 15/16" or 24mm x 48" (£1.80)
  • Wood glue, nails, wood filler, sandpaper and a sanding block - expensive, actually, but generally if you do woodworking I guess you have these.

Cut list, modified from the BH&G plan as follows to account for the moulding - meaning I put the moulding over the ends, rather than the ends over the sides, as the BH&G plan has it. Also modified for our sizes of timber and other choices.

CUT LIST
ITEM PART SIZE MATERIAL
A Main box ends (2) 300×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
B Main box handle 442×24mm dia Mopstick
C Tray ends (2) 100×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
D Main box base 400×193 x 21 Pine (8×1)
E Tray base 400×193 x 3 Hardboard
F Top box base 400×100 x 3 Hardboard
G Main box sides (2) 442×59 x 21 Moulding
H Tray sides (2) 358×41 x 12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
I Tray handle 400×24mm dia Mopstick
J Top box sides (2) 400×43 x 19 Moulding (trimmed)
K Main box dividers
x 41×12 Pine (strips, glued edgeways)
L Cross dividers
x 20×12 Pine (strips)
M Locators 400×20 x 12 Pine (strips)

At this point most everything is cut.
So impressed (read jealous) with your organization skills! As others have already said, if you approach all of your projects with this level of detail you'll be making complex projects in no time!
 
#13 ·
Some things are assembled

In which the efforts of a novice and a five-year-old combine to build… something.

So a couple of things are done; we have been inhibited by the snow on the balcony or "workshop" as I call it, and the fact that we are moving countries in under a week.

We have glued and nailed the main box together. And painted it pink. Photos are in bad light, sorry.



From this I have learned:

  1. I have no idea how to both hold a box together and nail it and the same time. How on earth do people do this? I am thinking some type of clamping device but I wasn't able to work it out. I just kind of gyrated around the workmate and the floor. Very unsatisfactory!

  1. My daughter is good at nailing. (She's not yet very good at sawing though)

  1. I am about as good as my daughter at nailing. (But much better at sawing)

  1. We like painting.

  1. I wish I could find my tools - all I have are a bad saw, a drill, and my combination square. I know that somewhere I also have a tenon saw and a plane, and more clamps. Not to mention a freshly sharpened set of chisels. I guess I will find them as the move progresses. They are in a big orange cardboard box, it shouldn't be that hard to spot.



Here is the base of the tray with the tool silhouettes painted on. This was a lot of fun to do! We drew the silhouettes together, then I painted the outlines and she filled in. I have yet to clean up the outlines though. For various reasons this is the only base we've painted yet.

Here's the rest of the project, under the coffee table. The paper gift bag on the left currently has her tools in it. Classy, no?

 
#27 ·
Holes and cuts and left-handed question

In which the five-year old discovers the delight of making holes in wood, and the novice doesn't have to do very much…

So, I found my tools! Amongst which is a Japanese ryobi saw, the kind that cuts on the pull stroke and has a disposable blade. My woodworking teacher 6 years ago must have recommended this, because I had totally forgotten I had it. In my mind I have a tenon saw, but not in my box. I must say the ryobi cuts a lot cleaner than the bad saw we've been using and the pull stroke is much easier for the girl. Recommended if you have kids! We cut the sides of the tray to length today. I'm pretty sure they are the right length, also. I mean, I made this cool cut list and I have been trying to stick to it (and checking it along the way - it's been right so far).

But irritatingly, we walked into the Swedish department store Åhléns and what should they have but wooden tool totes (see below)! So I say to the Girl "Ours is much better," and she says "No, it's not." So much for "quality time" eh? And it's only 129kr, about $15.



Anyway, amongst the found items in the big orange cardboard box that holds MY tools were a brace and several bits, and a hand (eggbeater) drill. Girl has always been frightened of my power drill and was afraid that these would also make noise. Her joy on seeing how quiet the eggbeater was was unconfined. She bored several holes and loved it and we even did one from both sides that actually met in the middle first time! How cool are we? Brace and bit were more difficult, she doesn't have the weight for it, I think.

Oh: so Girl is kind of left-handed, which I keep forgetting. The eggbeater drill can only be used right-handed. Is there such a thing as a left-handed hand drill? Or is there some ratchet you can switch to go back and forth that I don't know about.

Next time we can assemble the tray and paint more things pink, I think.
 
#28 ·
My very first drill that I had back in the late 1950's was an egg beater drill. I still have it..Don't use it anymore…it is just a wall decoration now.. but it is a right handed drill and I am left handed. Just learned to use these tools in a right handed style.
 
#31 ·
Getting distracted and sidelined

Does your inspiration come from children's books? Yesterday in the library we happened upon a book called "Castor snickrar" (Castor does carpentry) which is a child's illustrated book about a beaver who is building a toolbox on his grandfather's cabinetmaking bench. Much of it focuses on the names of the tools he uses, very handy since a) they are the very handtools that we have (eg brace and bit, hand drill, mallet) and b) I don't know the names of any of these things in Swedish!



Anyhow ol' Castor screws the sides of his toolbox on after boring holes for the screws. I got to thinking that would be a lot more long-lasting than our bent nails. Plus my daughter likes drilling. Unfortunately it turns out I don't have a drill bit that's small enough. Even more unfortunately for the actual finishing of said toolbox, it got us on to drilling again. We now have a board with a lot of holes in it.

Then daughter caught me watching Paul Sellers planing wood, and demanded to know the name of this tool. Why don't we have one, she said. We do, I said. I have two, I said. She says, give me one. No, I say, they are sharp. Show me, she says. Now you know that my planes aren't sharp. So then I make some dust with the plane on the board with holes in it. Off to find the what I have to sharpen. My sandpaper tile is god knows where. So sharpening is done at the kitchen sink with a waterstone. I also apparently purchased a honing guide, which I used (contrary to Mr Sellers's opinion, but I didn't feel up to it.) Some happy time sharpening later, shavings were achieved, but not uniformly.

So the toolbox didn't really progress.
 
#36 ·
We are a lot further along!

My daughter had the brilliant idea of moving all the tools from where the workbenches are, out in the barn attic, to where the giant plywood table is, in the shop in the basement. So I went with it, and we've spent some time now finishing up our toolbox. Oh, it is badly constructed. Very badly. It is the opposite of a thing of beauty. And, it is far too heavy for a six-year old. But it is actually done! It is painted pink and red and has her name on the side, and the tools all fit in (sort of). It is super-overconstructed, with three trays. But it's finished! It's painted! The tools are in! We are on to the next project!

We also have been reading Castor Snickrar and the companion volume Castor Målar (Castor Paints) again. We are always inspired by woodworking animals.
 
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