Kind of Old Project - Tool Tote

[Alex Reid]

Her's a picture of a tool tote I made back in November. Walnut, bubinga and birch. I used dovetails, and wedge joints.

Thanks for looking.

[Ed Nelson]

That's a really nice tote! I need to make one, but I'm thinking along the lines of pine!

[Frank Fusco]

You took a basic, old design and turned it into a work of beauty.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Alex, great looking project. I really like the look of the handle. Very nice!!!

[Robert Schaubhut]

Hi Alex,
Gotta give you credit, that sure is pretty, nice job!
Shaz

[Travis White]

That looks real nice Alex. Thanks for showing it.

[Alan DuBoff]

Very nice Alex. Nice handle! Wood choice is exceptional. I hate to think what a person pays for that type of wood in Japan...:eek:

Me and my wife were given some sake cups for our wedding, from in-laws in Kagoshima. They're made from some type of cedar, that is evidentally not common in Japan but grows in some areas of the soutern region. I've seen some cedar used in furniture also, possibly port orford cedar, not sure.

In the time I spent in Japan, I rarely saw exotic woods as you used in your tote, unless it was in some type of commercial establishment, and even so, in those cases was mostly the more common softwoods that were native to Japan.

[Reg Mitchell]

Hi Alex. Thats a nice tote. I like the dove tails on the bottom and the large boxy loints on the sides with the pin....very nice
Reg

[Alex Reid]

Thanks for the comments. This tote sure beats carrying (and dropping) all my tools when doing work in the house.

Alan - exotic hardwood is not as pricey as you would think. Asia has a lot to choose from and Japan imports a lot of exotics from Africa and elsewhere. The cedar you are referring to is probably YakuSugi. Named so for the region it comes from - Yakushima Island off the southern coast of Kagoshima. There is still some old growth there and I have made the hike up to JomonSugi - to see Japan's oldest living tree. YakuSugi is quite a beautiful cedar but the old growth is not harvested anymore as it is a protected heritage site now.

Do a search on Jomon Sugi to see Japan's oldest living tree.

[Stuart Ablett]

Alex that is a nice tote, almost too nice to be banging tools into it, I think maybe I should come and get it and take it back to the Dungeon for safe keeping ;) :D

Love the look of the handle, looks like it wants to be picked up :thumb:

Alan, don't let Alex fool you, if you want to buy some bits and bobs of exotics here, you can get some deal (Alex has been so kind to point me towards one guy selling such on Yahoo Auction) but if you need a fair bit, say to make some furniture, well it is not cheap, compared to some places in the US.

I know a friend of a friend, who builds summer houses for the rich, out in the countryside, the ski areas a bit North West of Tokyo, he brings in container loads of wood from the US, it is well worth the savings, and I guess he has the space to keep it, as he lives out in the countryside.

What is stupid is if you go to Tokyu Hands, they have the exotics for sale, a piece of nice wood, say 3/4" thick, by 2" wide and 6" long, and they want $40 for it........ :eek:

That kind of thing makes you just shake you head and wonder :wave:

[Alex Reid]

Ya Stu's right about that. Thing is I am always buying bits and bobs so it all adds up. Right now I am making a dining table out of bubinga. Top, legs and skirt will be solid bubinga from stuff I bought off the auction site. :thumb: This is all stuff I bought slowly but it all matches up nicely. Also most of it it is 10/4 so I can resaw and bookmatch. But if you go down to the store or local mill to buy hardwood you pay high prices for sure.

[Homer Faucett]

Very nice, indeed. I agree with everyone else, though, I would be afraid to use it to bang tools around in!

[Chris Mire]

very nice alex. i too would be scared to let my tools beat up such a nice piece of craftmanship

thanks for sharin
chris