Made using dowel joinery with a single spalted beech tool drawer.
Contents
- Selecting the ash timber (for best overall look)
- Layout and drill for dowel joinery
- Glue, assemble & check for square
- Selecting the timber for the drawer
- Assembling the drawer
- Fitting and hinging the door
Selecting Timber
With the dimensions on the plan to hand (See bottom of page). select, layout and label all the parts for the main toolbox. Sawing the timbers to the required length. Use whatever method you have to hand, table saw, chop saw, handsaw.
Dowel joinery
You will need a Dowling jig for this stage. How much you want to spend on one is well? you could buy a cheap one, use it for this project, see how you get on and upgrade your doweling jig if you like this method of joinery. Me I’m a big fan of dowel joinery, one jig, one drill, that’s it, all fits in a workshop draw.
Dowel joinery has been around for well over a century. Its strong cheap and very effective. But it does require accuracy in layout and application. That’s a good thing !! exactly why I chose dowel joinery for this beginner’s project. Accuracy is king!
Both sides and the base have now been drilled & doweled. A 6mm rebate set 10mm in from the back edge is for the plywood back panel to slot into. The two dowels on the front edge will join the front panel to the side and base
Glue, assemble & check for square
With the sides, top, bottom and front board all ready to glue up. Fit the front board to the base first. Then lay the base on the bench face down to glue the sides, base and top. The back panels fitted latter. Once all the clamps are in place stand the tool chest up and check for square adjusting the clamps as necessary. Leave in the clamps overnight
Selecting the timber for the dowelled drawer
I wanted to add a little contrast and character to the tool chest. A piece of spalted beech 20m thick by 70mm depth for the draw front. 15mm for the sides. An offcut of ash 20mm thick for the back. With a 6mm rebate to take the plywood drawer base.
After planing all the parts to a 70mm depth sawing to length and using the shooting board to square all the ends. using a 6mm flat cutter in the router to create the groove for the plywood drawer base.
Using 20mm thick timber for the front leaves plenty of room to make a rebate joint. Preventing the end grain from showing in the front of the drawer. One full length clean drawer front when you open the tool chest.
Time to fit the door
First plane the door to fit exactly without the hinges. Using a jack or jointer plane and using a shooting board for the end grain. Blades need to be supper sharp when shooting thick 20mm timber across grain. Once I’m happy with the fit I mark out and install the hinges before final planing to fit.
Give the chest a good sand and a coat of clear wax and you’re ready to go. One great thing about this tool chest is? if you’ve made the beginners pine workbench then this chest will slot right in underneath. Put your shooting boards on top of the chest and your all set ready to create. “Happy Days”
Cutting List
Frame
- Top, bottom. length 795mm Width 123mm Thickness 19mm X 4
- Sides length 390mm Width 123mm Thickness 19mm X 4
- Door length 754mm width 113mm Thickness 19mm X 2
- Back panel length 769mm Width 364mm Thickness 6mm X 1
Drawer
- Front & back Length 753mm Width 70mm Thickness 20mm X 2
- Sides length 216mm Width 70mm Thickness 15mm X2
- Base length 735mm Width 188mm Thickness 6mm X 1
Thanks For Reading
Best Matt North
This tool chest was designed slot in underneath the beginner’s workbench Here
