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Started this project last August with a small stack of rough cut cypress. Now, just over 6 months later, a finished chest to hold all my tools. I made this primarily with the idea of being able to keep all of my hand tools in one place in case we had to evacuate. Just grab the tools, the cats, and the wife, and away we go.

Most of the work was done with hand tools. I planed the cypress boards to get one flat side and a square edge. I used a thickness planer and table saw to finish the other side/edge. I am not good enough at thicknessing by hand yet to risk wasting wood on mistakes! Aside from long rips on the table saw, all else was hand work. Along with the cypress a fair amount of pine went into the construction.

The box was made with 40 hand cut dovetails, each one a bit better than the one before it. Definitely a learning experience, one requiring no small amount of wood putty. But, by the end, I was cutting the dovetails in the 1/4 inch thick boards for the tills with no problems. Practice makes perfect! The bottom is tongue and grooved using my wooden planes, and attached with hand cut nails. The bottom moulding is cleated to support the bottom as well.

Each saw and plane has a nook and cranny to fit into, and the two tills hold all my odds and ends. All that is needed is a pair of iron handles, a nice pair from Van ********************'s Restorers.

Finished it off with two coats of milk paint and water based poly. The logo on the lid I hand painted, it's my Chinese astrological sign, the rat on the beam.

Gallery

Comments

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767 Posts
Very nice work. Definitely a lot of dovetails there. I like your priority of what to grab in an evacuation too. lol
 

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12,450 Posts
Rusty, a fine job on the chest and welcome to the club.
 

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23 Posts
Very nice job. I especially appreciate the hand cut dovetails.
 

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The chest looks great.
 

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Looks Nice
 

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Great looking chest, I also like your priorities, first the tools, then the cat…
 

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This is a great looking box. I love the priorities too. Replace cat with dog and you would have my list…
 

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"Just grab the tools, the cats, and the wife, and away we go."

In that order? Love the chest, looks great, I can't imagine making the 40 hand cut dovetails.
 

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Life is all about priorities HA! Of course, I MUST save the wife. Where else would I find one who would put up with my silliness?
 

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2 absolutes here, and a darn nice looking chest.

The box was made with 40 hand cut dovetails, each one a bit better than the one before it. Practice makes perfect!

- rustythebailiff
Life is all about priorities HA! Of course, I MUST save the wife. Where else would I find one who would put up with my silliness?

- rustythebailiff
The first one is a lesson learned in doing the work. If you cut a corner every day of your life, before a year ends you will be expert in hand cut DTs.

The second one, if I need to do any splaining, well I'm sure she will set you straight.

Nice chest.
 
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