# My $25 Dresser Tool Box



## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

I purchased an old dresser for $25 from a garage sale about 6 months ago, and I finally thought of a good use for it… awesome tool storage for the shop/garage . The finish on the top was peeling and nasty, so I scraped and sanded it off, then stained and finished (minwax stain, then a tung oil / poly mix) it to pseudo-match the rest. The drawers slide on weird rounded-dovetail sections, most of which needed sanding for smooth movement. Now I have a good space for my tools, unlike the plastic rolling drawer pos I had before.










Another shot (notice the chisel box I made, as well 










Now to make the rest of my "shop" suck a little less. Next step is a proper workbench, I hope.


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## KayBee (Jul 6, 2009)

Cleaver idea and cheap too. All that and looks good.


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## scrappy (Jan 3, 2009)

I got one for $5.00

The only problem with it is, It is the ugliest pink I have ever seen. Good thing it is covered in saw dust. haha

They do make for great storage.


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## Beeguy (Jun 11, 2008)

My shop is filled with old dresser type furniture. I also found a small desk along the roadside, in the middle of nowhere, and use it as the base for my 60+ year old lathe. With the exception of one piece, I would be willing to bet all of these units are older than middle aged me. My miter saw is mounted on a sideboard server, and my main workbench is large credenza. Yes they may have had some value if refinished/repaired, but to me they are worth a lot. I know where they came from and saved them from the trash. I even have an old metal kitchen sink unit (avacodo green). Got rid of the sink and replaced it with a top. My drill press is mounted to one side with drill bit storage just underneath in the silverware tray.

I know I can spend the time and money to build cabinets for the shop, but having these old relics around is kind of neat. Two of the wall cabinets were from my parent's first kitchen, and were built by my dad. I also have a simple plywood shelf unit that my dad built to store canned goods in their basement. It sits on top of the sink unit and I put pegboard doors on the front. They all have memories. More than once I have actually referenced them for a drawer measurement or size comparison. I do better seeing object rather than just looking at demisions on a drawing.

The only problem is I tend to fill them with stuff I will probably never use. A pack rat's heaven. I pity whomever has to go through all this after I am gone.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

Neat idea!


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

Clever use of an old dresser.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Nobody can find a use for something everyone else would throw out like a woodworker! In time you can also modify it one drawer at a time to make it look less like an old dresser and add custom slots and holders for the tools!


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

and think I passed one there was dubble as big four years ago before I started to
get interressting in woodworking :-( that wuold have been a great thing to have now
cep on hunting nothing is better and cheaper than recycling 
take care
Dennis


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Drawers always work well for storage. Good thinking.


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Hey! Where's the beer frig? Aren't you getting the cart before the horse? lol Wax the bottom of the drawer slides and they will really glide smoothly. You can't build that storage for $25.


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Thats a nice idea. Although, that dresser looks better than the one I have in my bedroom


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Nice save!

Two of my major pieces of shop furniture are a chest of drawers and a credenza, both of which were plucked from curb after hurricane Katrina. Each had taken just a couple inches of water at the bottom and were fine otherwise.


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## DeckApe (Jan 18, 2013)

I cleaned out a retiring Doctor's office. I was able to salvage 2 each metal swinging 2 door cabinets from each of 12 exam rooms (24 in total), 3- 4'X8' patient Steel file shelves, these were all about 18 gauge steel. Plus about 6 small (24") wood cabinets with Formica tops, and a dozen stainless steel wall hung trash receptacles. All for FREE! I'm still not done setting up the shop…. too many choices to pick from! 

Keep track of your local businesses, they are glad to have someone come strip out the old stuff when renovating! Do it for the salvage rights, and no pay, you'll get the job every time. It may cost you a trip to the landfill or dump with the trash but what the heck?


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## coachmancuso (Feb 10, 2013)

I have a dresser that my scroll saw and band saw sit on. It works good


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Stellar idea…...stellar job…...A good tool chest is a must in a shop….I think you covered all the bases with this one…....Thanks for sharing…........


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Guess I will have to get busy









And make some shelves, or drawers









as these are getting full









Price? Found it IN the basement, when I moved in…


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Forgot the "BIG" drawer


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

I've been using this chest now for a few years and like it a lot. Here are some pics of everything I have on it:









The top contains my drill press, spindle sander, tool box, flex shaft grinder, scroll saw, and fire extinguisher.









The top drawers contain accessories for the tools above, files, and some safety equipment (ear muffs, safety glasses, etc).









The next set of drawers contain more drilling supplies, sand paper organized by grit in folders, and sharpening/cleaning supplies.









The last set of drawers contain random tool manuals and extra parts that I don't use often, and various hardware.

Someday I plan on building a hand tool cabinet to hang above this thing… right now I have a stanley 8c attached to the wall, but the rest of my planes are elsewhere.


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