This “Gentleman’s Tool Chest” is based on a design by Chris Schwarz from Popular Woodworking. It’s based on a 19th century tool box common in the 19th century – used to hold household tools for use around the home. It uses simply dimensional lumber, nailed together with applied moulding.
- Cut two 18” long pieces of 1×8 and two 7-3/4” long pieces. Mark the pieces with layout square to keep the alignment complete. Clamp them into a box shape, drill three pilot holes through the long-grain, and nail them together
- Glue two cleats at the bottom edge of the front and back (clamp them in, then nail them in after the blue dries)
- Cut and fit a bottom piece to size (roughly 16-1/2” x 7-3/4”). Use a block plane to trim to size so it fits snugly. Then use a smoothing plane running around the top to level the top on all four sides.
- Cut the box top, roughly a little over 18” long and 9-1/4” wide. With that, Layout the butt hinges, 1-1/2” long, in the box top, and use a chisel and small router plane to cut out the mortises for the hinges. Repeat on the box body so that the hinges are inset in the mortises correctly.
- Now to help decorate the box and cover up the nail holes, use “outside L” trim pieces 1-1/4” x 1-1/4” to cover up the lower level (with 45 degree miters) and corners. In addition, the lid would have the same moulding pieces on three of its four sides (with the back area free for the hinges).
- To further decorate the top, a 13-1/2” x 5-1/2” panel, ½” thick is added. Measuring in 1” from each of its four sides, the panel is planed on all four sides to cut a bevel. It is then glued and nailed into place
- The box is finished with two coats of milk paint. I chose a colonial blue motive, and left the inside of the box clear, with just a coat of shellac to provide sealing for it.
- With the Hinges installed the box is complete. I was thinking of adding hinged handles on each side, but chose to just leave it “as is” so that a future owner could decide.