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Machinist tool chest

Project by Roger Strautman posted 971 days ago 1069 views 3 times favorited 21 comments Add to Favorites Watch

I received an old machinist tool box from my grandfather after he got to were he couldn’t use it anymore and I liked it so well I reproduced another like it with a couple changes. I made this out of African ribbionstrip mahogany that was left over from a church trim job we did and I used Deft spray lacquer to finish it. Instead of using wood bottoms in the drawers I used 18 gage sheet metal to gain more space in the drawers. I used contact adhesive to hold them in place. This was one of those projects that I had to really had to make sure everything was just right or I would have been in real trouble.

-- " All Things At First Appear Difficult"


21 comments so far

View Obi's profile

Obi

2191 posts in 1133 days


posted 971 days ago

On a scale of 10… you get a 10 1/2

That’s the stuff that put Gerstner on the map. And they sell theirs for about $1000.00

So how much time and money do you have invested in this item?

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

View Chip's profile

Chip

1058 posts in 988 days


posted 971 days ago

Really beautiful Rog. Another great piece. One question though, where’s the carving? Or is this a bit of a break for you?

-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.

View Roger Strautman's profile

Roger Strautman

534 posts in 1029 days


posted 971 days ago

Obi, I made this about 18 years ago and at that time I probably had around $30.00 in the hardware and the wood was FREE! I think I spent around 2 weeks in the evenings and on the weekends.

Chip, this piece I made before I started the chip carving thing but I will have to admit that I have been eyeing it for sometime now and my knife keeps getting closer and closer.

-- " All Things At First Appear Difficult"

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

14159 posts in 1056 days


posted 971 days ago

gosh golly..
amazing!

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

View dennis mitchell's profile

dennis mitchell

3790 posts in 1210 days


posted 971 days ago

View David's profile

David

1982 posts in 1035 days


posted 971 days ago

View DrSawdust's profile

DrSawdust

231 posts in 994 days


posted 971 days ago

Wow. I have always wanted to make something like this. I can only imagine what the original piece from your grandfather must mean to you. My older brother has my Dad’s very first workbench that my Dad made. I have made him promise me that he will never throw it out (my brother is not a LumberJock, but he promises me he is taking good care of it.)

The Tool Chest is amazing. Way to go!!!

-- Making sawdust is what I do best

View oscorner's profile

oscorner

4572 posts in 1207 days


posted 970 days ago

Sweet!

-- Jesus is Lord!

View Dick, & Barb Cain's profile

Dick, & Barb Cain

7037 posts in 1195 days


posted 970 days ago

That’s one of the nicest tool chest’s I’ve ever seen. It looks like new yet.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

View Karson's profile

Karson

25802 posts in 1296 days


posted 970 days ago

Great Toolchest Rog.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

7654 posts in 1114 days


posted 968 days ago

Great job! I did a less-sophisticated version and I know how it hard it is to get everything lined up just right with that kind of drawer/slide combination.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View Jon3's profile

Jon3

439 posts in 1001 days


posted 967 days ago

This is definitely on my to do list! Fabulous!

View Diane's profile

Diane

483 posts in 1019 days


posted 952 days ago

So beautiful, it does still look new!!

Diane

-- http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/DMarcella/

View woodspar's profile

woodspar

705 posts in 995 days


posted 952 days ago

Picture three says it all.

-- John

View biggist's profile

biggist

12 posts in 861 days


posted 857 days ago

Wow

View Bob #2's profile

Bob #2

3041 posts in 917 days


posted 857 days ago

I saw one of these for the first time up close at a low end tool store here on the weekend. (made in China and of extremely poor quality.)
It’s nice to know that some treasures exist out there.
Great job!
I am contemplating a more modern version for my shop to house my calipers,meaures and miniature drills etc.
I am curious as to how the front panel is attached as it seems to slide out for a working surface?

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

View mot's profile

mot

4903 posts in 932 days


posted 856 days ago

Great tool chest. I learned some woodworking from a man that had one of these. I always admired it.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

View Don's profile

Don

2590 posts in 1073 days


posted 852 days ago

Roger, this chest just falls within the outside dimension of my definition of a small box, good thing too, because I just love small wooden boxes!

I particularly like the use of the chest hardware – gives the piece an “old world” look.

I note some very tricky joinery, small finger joints holding the bottom to the sides, and the top rail on the side panels seems to be dovetailed to the panel (hard to tell from the picture).

All in all an exceptional piece.

Thanks

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hilsbiblechurch.org/

View Dorje's profile

Dorje

1767 posts in 893 days


posted 852 days ago

I love machinist’s tool boxes and this is certainly a nice one! Glad that biggist dug this up a few days ago!

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

View Dusty56's profile

Dusty56

3470 posts in 584 days


posted 473 days ago

great job indeed !

-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .

View SteveKorz's profile

SteveKorz

2030 posts in 610 days


posted 473 days ago

Wow, fantastic work… a true craftsman.

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

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