Toolbox - Tray Inside a Tray

[Bill Satko]

Last July, a week before leaving for another class with Garrett Hack I realized I needed a traveling toolbox. I was tired of hauling my tools in an assortment of bags and cardboard boxes. I quickly dovetailed up a box and slapped some sides to it. That was all I was able to complete before having to take off. Did not even have a handle, so I just bear hugged it around.

I started last weekend, but finished yesterday, a sliding tray for the toolbox. I did not want to use any plywood in making this toolbox, so it was taking me a while to figure out how to do the bottom. I wanted to minimize using up the depth of the tray, so a solid panel fit into a groove was out. I then saw the sliding tray Christopher Schwarz was making and it seemed the perfect solution. A bottom comprised of two panels joined by an overlapped rabbet joint also was a good solution for the 6" limit in re-sawing that I had.

http://blog.lostartpress.com/2010/12...n+Working.aspx

I used machines for the initial wood prep and for re-sawing the material for the bottom, but used hand tools for all the secondary wood prep and joint construction.

Here is the tray before nailing the bottom.





Here is the completed tray.






Here is the tray in the tool box.




In completing the box, I realized that it would have been better to have installed the bottom the other way where the rabbets would be running the width instead of the length. It would have made the box stronger, stiffer. This will work though. If you look at the back of the tool box you will see that is how I built it. The rabbeted joints run the width of the box.

[Peter Rideout]

Neat.
You just added about 50% more capacity to your toolbox Bill, and you can still retreive everything underneath!
Nice dovetail work. At this stage I have no concept of "quickly dovetailed up a box..."
Peter

[larry merlau]

nicely done bill now add some nicks and dings and some grime from sweat and yours will be like the old ones and made pretty much the same aswell. wished i lived where yu do.. would have had some of those classes that you mention..

[Cynthia White]

That's really nice, Bill.

[Tom Niemi]

I like that as well Bill, nice job on it when you fill it up post another picture for us so we can see all it will hold

[Brent Dowell]

Very nice and clean solution!

(Beautiful Dovetails as well...)

[Bob Gibson]

That came out great. Looks like it will last for generations

[Toni Ciuraneta]

Great job Bill! I haven't noticed you mentioning what sort of finish are you going to apply if any. Or are you going to leave it raw and let it pick some patina?

Making a travel tool chest is something that is on my "to do" list, but the hardest part is finding what tools should I put on it and what tools shouldn't.

The more the better because there is always that situation where one swears for that tool that left behind thinking; "No way I'm going to need that".

[Bob Gibson]

[larry merlau]

very nicely done bill,, the shaving alone make the room smell good..made some myslef last night..