# Alternative methods-project #3-machinest chest



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Today marks the beginning of the 3rd project in the Alternative methods challenge. I have to say, that the shop time today was filled with measuring, test cuts, dry fits and a huge thought process that I thoroughly enjoyed. It all started like this..........................



I've decided to make this tool chest from red oak so with that decision out of the way, I pulled down a rough sawn 8/4 piece of red oak from the wood rack.










I then installed my ripping blade and made sure that it was square to the table. From there, I ripped the piece of oak down to a rough size. In this case, I cut it down to 8" wide, which also happens to be the maximum size that my jointer can handle. How convenient.









In all of the previous tutorials and build threads that I have done, I always stress checking the fence or the blade to make sure that it is 90 degrees to the table. This next photo illustrates why. I'm not sure what happened here. I could have knocked the fence when I was setting up, or bumped it "just so" with the heavy piece of oak, but either way, this fence is in no way, shape or form, 90 degrees to the table. It only took about 10 seconds to check and another 30 seconds to rectify, but it saved me a great deal of frustration down the line.










Once I got the fence of my jointer 90 degrees to my table, I face jointed the oak, checked for flatness, then edge jointed and checked for square. Once I was happy with the results, I moved on.









I then set up my band saw for some resaw action. Mounting my home made resaw fence and checking that the blade was square to the table. You can see here, that I have used my set up blocks to set the distance from my fence to my blade. You will be seeing a lot of these blocks in this thread. They are another one of my best buddies in the shop and I love my setup blocks.


----------



## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Oh man, Ken. I haven't even begun to think of starting any of these projects, and you're into the third build already.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

After setting up my bandsaw, I ran the oak through the saw to provide me with 3 pieces of 5/8" stock. 1/8" is a little excessive, but I like to joint the pieces after resaw, and the extra 1/8" gives me a little more to play with.









I then headed over to the thickness planer and planed the boards down to the required 1/2". You may notice that the board that is going through the planer in the photo, is nowhere close to flat on the top. This was the last end cut of the resaw and there wasn't enough to resaw again, so I jointed the one side and got it flat and planed the opposite side.









Here we can see the boards planed down to 1/2" and ready to go.









I then set up my miter gauge and installed my fine cross cut blade and made sure that it was square to the table. I then squared off the stock and cut the parts to length for the sides and the bottom of the chest.









At this point I had to prepare to do the finger joints of the chest. I made a finger joint jig out of 3/4" MDF and some scrap walnut and attached it to my miter gauge. I also installed my dado blade in a 1/4" width configuration and made some test cuts.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

After cutting a set of test joints, I wasn't really happy with the results. The fingers were a little loose for my liking. So I made some adjustments to my jig and tried again. Here we can see the loose joints.









After adjusting the jig, I recut the finger joints and this time, I was content with the fit of the joints, so I moved on.










It was not time for the real deal. I cut one side of the bottom board, then used that board as the spacer to start the finger joints on its mating piece. Once I finished routing the mating piece, I tried for a dry fit and repeated the process with the other side of the bottom board.









Here, we can see the quick dry fitting. The edge of the boards are not lined up, because they have not yet been cut to there final dimension of 7 3/4". You can also see a lot of chaulk marks on the board. I use the chaulk markings to help me in keeping the boards properly alligned and to make sure that I don't accidently reverse a board.









Seeing that I already have my dado blade set up at a 1/4" thickness, I set the height of the blade to 1/4" and set my fence to cut the dado for the front retaining board of the chest. Once I got this dado cut, I installed my ripping blade, squared it to the table and ripped all of the boards to their 7 3/4" width as called for in the plans.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

It was now time to use the router to cut the dados required to house the top shelf and the front rail board. I took some extra pictures of the router set up here because I wanted to show the ease of setup, using my set up blocks. So, here we go. The router bit is required to be set at a height of 1/4", so I use my 1/4" setup block, with a different block on top of it. I raise the bit until it touches the overhanging top block. The router bit is now 1/4" above the table.









The dado is required to be 3/4" down from the edge of the board. It's as simple as grabbing the 3/4" setup block and placing it against the fence of the router table. The fence is then moved in until the setup block touches the bit. Lock down your fence, and you have the bit 3/4" from the edge of the work.









The stop block is required to be 2" from the back edge of your bit. Using the variable set up block (1", 2" and 3" settings) lay the 2" side, flush with the back edge of the bit, and slide your stop block up to the setup block. Clamp the stop block down and there you have it.









From there, I routed the dado to accept the tenon of the front rail. I then used the 2" block to set up my stop block on the opposite side and routed the dado for the opposite side.









With those two dados being done, I needed to rout the dados that will accept the top shelf of the chest. In order to set the stop block, I placed the bit into the previously cut dado, slid the stop block up to butt against the board, and clamped the stop block to the fence. The longer dado has to end at the same spot as the shorter dado, so using the shorter one as a guide is perfect. As far as setting the fence, I used the 1" and the 3/4" set up blocks. I placed them against the fence, and slid the fence until the bit came in contact with the blocks. I tightened down the fence and viola.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

At this point in time, you should be looking at something like this. If you look at the plans and cutting list, you may note that the top shelf calls for a 1/8" thick piece of stock. I wanted a thicker piece for a little more stability and less sagging, should I choose to place heavier tools in the top. I had to adjust some of the measurements for the dados here for those who might think that my measurements are not the same as the plans. There were just a few adjustments to allow for a thicker shelf.









I then used my 1/4" chisel, sharpened to a stupid sharp state, and cut the rounded dados to a sharp corner. You may notice some fuzzy edges on these boards. At this point in time, there has been no sanding done at all.









I was now time to cut the front rail piece. I cut a piece of 1/2" stock to the required 2 1/4" width and cut it to length at 16 1/2". The front rail requires a dado to accept the top shelf. The distance from the top of the rail to the dado is the same as the previously routed longer dados that we did in the side boards. Seeing that the router table is already set up for this, now is a good time to rout the dado.









I now had to set up my dado blade in the table saw. The width of the blade wasn't important to me here. I was only concerned that it be more than 1/2". I also set up my miter gauge and started to cut the various rabbets needed to form the joinery of the front rail.









At this point, we have the front rail completed and ready for a dry fitting.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

And here we are, with the dry fit of the cabinet. There is still a lot to do here, but it is nice to see that the walls are square and that the front rail fits nicely. The dados to accept the top shelf are all alligned beautifully and I'm quite happy with the fit of the joinery. Tomorrow, there is a lot of sanding to do and I have to continue on the interior of the cabinet, including the drawer rails and supports. This has been a great project so far and I'm really enjoying it. I have to say, that the final dimensions of this tool chest are a lot smaller than I pictured, but it will be perfect for what I have planned for it. I hope you are enjoying this thread and I will be posting more tomorrow.


----------



## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Kenbo,

Nice shop, nice tools, nice workmanship, nice tutorial so far.

You are a "gadget" person I gather. I was wondering about that inclineometer that you use to check your fences for square. If your jointer or table saw is not sitting perfectly level then the meter would not give you square, or do you set on the horizontal surface fist to calibrate it? I've just always used a square to check the fence then check a test piece after the first cut.

These tutorials are kind of fun to do. I've learned that you have to make a commitment to the tutorial process before you begin the project and stick to it as you proceed.

Keep up the good work. Bret


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

To answer your question, when I use my digital meter, I first set it on the table of the tool and zero it out. By doing that, it doesn't matter the level of the tool because you are now using the table as a reference point, not its relation to level. To zero out the meter, it's as easy as pressing 1 button. Done.
Thanks for the kind words.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Oh, and by the way, I do like gadgets if they are useful to me.


----------



## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Not only a master craftsman he is also cranking out projects at a stunning pace, a skilled photographer and very good at writing tutorials.
Great reading as always!


----------



## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Nice uses for your 1-2-3's.BW


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Yep*



Longknife said:


> Not only a master craftsman he is also cranking out projects at a stunning pace, a skilled photographer and very good at writing tutorials.
> Great reading as always!


Might even have a career in woodworking? Ken, what's your day job? We know what you do nights and weekends...:laughing: bill


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

woodnthings said:


> Ken, what's your day job?


 
I'm a full time electrician Bill. It's been a great trade that has keep me in (pretty much) full time employment for many years. Defnitely a great job that provides me the opportunity to work a lot of overtime.


----------



## Warnock (Apr 4, 2011)

Looking fine here Ken. Keep up the good work, I think there are more folks watching than are commenting.

Oh yeah, don't forget to breathe between the full time job and the other full time activity.....:laughing:.


----------



## lawrence (Nov 14, 2009)

geeez, you're like a robot set on full throttle , keep up the great work . you are a master!


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

*I'm back*

As I said earlier, I decided to go with a thicker panel in the top shelf, so I started of the day, by cutting the top shelf to size.









As it has been with everything else in this project, I then did a dry test fit to make sure that everything fit properly.









I then needed to rip some 1/8" thick strips of maple. I used my 1/8" setup block and placed it against the tooth of my ripping blade. I then placed my combination square in my miter slot and adjusted it until the blade of the square was flush against the setup block. I then tightened down the combination square.









From there, the square is placed in the miter slot, and with the stock against the fence, the fence is adjusted until the stock touches the blade of the square. The fence is then locked down and the cut is made.









A quick check with the calipers shows the correct thickness.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I then laid out the lines on the underside of the top shelf to mount the 1/8" thick cleats that will accept the drawer divider of the chest. A little bit of glue and some clamps will take care of this perfectly.










I then laid out the lines for the notch in the drawer divider that will be cut to accept the front rail.










Being the adventurous type, I decided that my tool of choice would be the scroll saw to cut out the notch. I'm always a little happier when I'm sitting at the scroll saw.










I was planning on using an 8" bastard file to finish the notch and square up the corner, but the cut on the scroll saw was so clean that the file wasn't needed.










It was now time to rout the decorative grooves in the front edge of the drawer divider. I placed a V-groove bit in the router table, and using my setup blocks, I set the height of the bit to 1/16".


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I then needed to set the fence so that the tip of the bit was 1/8" from the fence. Using a 1/8" setup block, I placed the block against the tip of the bit, slid the fence until it contacted the block and locked down the fence.









I ran the outside front edge of the drawer divider through the router setup, then reversed the divider and ran the other side through to get the decorative grooves. 









It was now time to drill the holes in the top shelf for the screw that will attach the drawer divider. I marked and center punched my holes and drilled a 1/8" hole from the under side of the shelf.









I then flipped the shelf over and drilled the counter sinks that will allow the screws to sit flush to the shelf once they are installed.










You should have something that looks like this.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

A quick test fit of the drawer divider proves to be a perfect fit. 










It's time to cut and install our drawer rails for the tools chest. I set up my miters gauge, checked my table saw blade to ensure that it was square, and cut some 1/2" stock to the correct length, making sure that the board was square. You might notice the finger joint cuts on the one side of the board. This was my test joint piece and I wasn't about to let the stock go to waste.









My combination square was still set for 1/8" strips from before, so I used the same method as I described previously to rip the 14 drawer rails that are needed for this chest.









Here's we can see all of the drawer rails cut and ready for the next step. I cut an extra 2 for the oops factor. Turns out, I never needed them but I'm sure that they will be used for something.










I then sanded all parts to a grit of 220. I wasn't that concerned about sanding the outside of the chest, as it will require more sanding once the cabinet is glued together. The inside, however, should be sanded as if it was its final sanding.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

This is where it gets funky. I decided to mount my drawer rails with a combination of screws and glue. I drilled and coutersunk holes in each rail, 1" from the ends of the rail. I chose to use #4X3/8" brass screws for the mounting hardware. The first rail on the cabinet sides, is required to be 2 1/2" down from the top of the side board, and 3/4" in from the front face of the cabinet. It is important to have these rails square to the frame so I started by using the setup you see here. A steel straight edge to mark the reference at the top edge of the side panel, a 2" and a 1/2" setup block against the straight edge. The 1/2" rail that we cut earlier, and a 9" square, clamped to the panel to mark our second refernce point. A 3/4" setup block is used at the front edge of the panel to set the rail back the proper distance. Glue is then applied to the back of the rail and the holes center punched. The screws are installed and all set up blocks are removed. The rail is then checked again for squareness to the side panel. This process is then repeated on the opposite side panel making sure to keep the panel properly oriented.









The drawer rails continue to be installed using the 3/4" setup block, and the square, clamped to the side panels. The rails are all 3/4" apart, so a 1/2" and a 1/4" setup block are used for the gap, while the 3/4" block keeps the setback from the front edge consistant.









The configuration of these rails is not identical between the two side panels, due to varying size of drawers. Be sure to pay attention to the orientation of the drawer divider when installing the rails and be sure that the rails are parallel.









Once all of the rails are installed, it is time to glue the cabinet frame together. Notice the different layout of the drawer rails between the left side panel and the right side panel. I placed painter's tape on the inside corners to assist with the squeeze out clean up. Once the project is together and clamped, the painters tape can be removed and there is very little squeeze out to clean up because the glue is mostly on the tape.









I then assembled the chest, using a couple of clamps.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Once the glue had set, I unclamped the project and sanded the outside to a grit of 220. There were a few small gaps in a couple of the finger joints. I squirt a little bit of wood onto the gap, rubbed it into the gap, and while the glue was still wet, I sanded the area. The sawdust created by the sander, mixes with the wet glue to make a wood filler paste that fills the small gap with a perfectly colour matched wood filler. This is where we are at now.


















Using the setup that I described earlier, I headed over to the band saw to resaw some more oak. Here we can see the boards after the resaw process, ready for planing down to their final thickness.









That, however, will be a job for tomorrow. The next step will be to cut the pieces for the front and the back of the chest, followed by the lid. I will hopefully be posting more tomorrow.
Hope you're enjoying it.


----------



## Bwest (Aug 9, 2011)

Very interesting to watch your progress on these projects.


----------



## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

I'm enjoying it... BIG TIME! As I also enjoyed the others. This is teaching me some new tricks. Your method for laying out the drawers is very different from the way I do it. Yours looks easier too...

and that tape trick to catch the glue...... :thumbsup:


----------



## lawrence (Nov 14, 2009)

good going...you're almost to the place I am but yours looks so much cleaner...I'm beginning to regret my wood choice some...that chestnut is dry dry dry and mills funny.any finish plans on yours yet?

btw how do you stay in the shop so much.....I have a regular search party out after me every half hour...lol


----------



## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

This is coming out real nice! Excellent choice of wood for this project. I also like your method of using setup blocks, very clever. I wonder if they are available in metric sizes as well?.....


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Thanks guys. No plans for the finish yet Lawrence but I'm thinking about it as I go. As far as spending time in the shop, I have a very understanding wife who knows how much I love my hobby. The evenings and weekends are mine to do my hobby and I spend the evenings with her and the kids. We've been together for 22 years, married for 19 and I can tell you that shop time has probably contributed to the success of my marriage. 
Longknife, I'm not sure if they come in metric. I'll check it out for ya and see what I can find.


----------



## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

As usual, Ken, excellent work and a great write-up. Looks like you'll be finished with all three projects before I even have a chance to start one of them.


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Yep*



frankp said:


> As usual, Ken, excellent work and a great write-up. Looks like you'll be finished with all three projects before I even have a chance to start one of them.


In the immortal words of my favorite friend and supervisor
"In order to get finished, you have to get started"

But look who you have for competition.... no chance, that's why in my own words "If Kenbo is in, I'm out" :thumbsup: bill


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

*Day 3*

Here we are on day 3 of this project and although I didn't get as much done today as I would have liked to (due to time restrictions) I got far enough that I could post a few more pictures.
Yesterday, I ran the boards through the band saw to resaw them to rough thicknesses for today's work. Today, I set up my planer and seperator and planed the boards to their final thicknesses.









You can see here that I planed the boards for the stiles and rails to 1/2" thickness.









Because I already had my planer set up, I planed the boards for the front and back panels to their thickness of 3/8".









I then installed my ripping blade and checked that it was square to the table.









Once I was satisfied with the blade being square, I ripped all of the 1/2" boards to their final width for the stiles and rails of the front and back panels. I then labelled all pieces with chaulk to keep me from mixing them up.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I then installed my fine crosscut blade and made sure that it was square to the table.









I then set up my miter gauge, and squared of the ends of each of the previously ripped boards.









After each cut, the board was checked for square. With the type of joinery that is involved with the front and back panels, it is important that the boards be perfectly square so checking as you go, can save you some serious frutration and possible waste of stock later on.










I then finished cutting all of the rails and stiles to their final dimensions. I also cut the panels to their final dimensions as well, and refreshed my chaulk markings for organization.










Following along with the organization theme, I then stacked the pieces for each panel, in seperate piles, and cleaned up my shop for the night.









Tomorrow, I will be cutting the joinery of these panels and assembling them for their final installation. Thanks for hanging in there guys and tomorrow is another day.


----------



## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

It continues as a perfect example of how it should be done.

I'm going to be following this one closely as I need to make one for my own shop soon and watching your progress will be a big help.


----------



## cody.sheridan-2008 (May 23, 2010)

Ken as usual another amazing project and write-up! 

I very much appreciate you write-ups as every time I read them I learn something even if I am only flipping through (which is hard to do with your threads cause they are that brilliant)!


----------



## Warnock (Apr 4, 2011)

Kenbo said:


> You can see here that I planed the boards for the stiles and rails to 1/2" thickness.
> View attachment 29718


Question here for you Ken. I notice you have the digital scale set to read fractions. Interesting to say the least, but what is the tolerance in the scale? By that I mean, .500 inches = 1/2 inch. But if your scale reads 1/2, what is the range the scale will accept as being 1/2? .480 to .520? Some other values? Curious as I still run with pure decimal values but can see the value of having the fractions show up on the face of the scale.

Thanks, and I am really enjoying watching your work and progress.


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Not sure about Kens digital calipers, but the ones I have read down to 1/64" or 0.015625"


----------



## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Kenbo, Where can I buy some of that dustless wood you are using?

Bret


----------



## cody.sheridan-2008 (May 23, 2010)

ahh imperial... metric is so much better than you


----------



## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Kenbo, your work is so precise and about as high quality as it gets. Thank you for sharing with us. Your skill and attitude are very inspiring.

Hey, your Veritas setup blocks... are they metal or plastic? I may have to obtain a set.

And would you mind telling me the brand and model of your table saw miter guide? That thing looks SOOOOOOOOO much better than what came with my Ridgid. I really need a good miter fence. Yours is probably going to be out of my price range but I'd like to look into it. Who knows, Christmas is right around the corner!

Finally, what is your metal block with all the holes in it for? Is it intended to be a setup block? It looks cool, whatever it is.









And that, my friends, is the Happy Camper poster child!


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

*Day 4 and the train keeps a rollin'*

Happy camper poster child. :laughing: If that's the worst that I'm called, then I did alright in life. :laughing: 
Now I'm going to answer a few questions before today's post.




> Question here for you Ken. I notice you have the digital scale set to read fractions. Interesting to say the least, but what is the tolerance in the scale? By that I mean, .500 inches = 1/2 inch. But if your scale reads 1/2, what is the range the scale will accept as being 1/2? .480 to .520? Some other values? Curious as I still run with pure decimal values but can see the value of having the fractions show up on the face of the scale.


I love these calipers. They have a tolerance of .0005", .01mm or 1/128th of an inch. They are easily converted from fractional to decimal, to metric with the touch of a button. For what I use them for, they were fairly reasonable at about $25.00. I have pretty much retired my other calipers now, and only use them for rough measurements.





> Kenbo, Where can I buy some of that dustless wood you are using?


Walmart.





> Hey, your Veritas setup blocks... are they metal or plastic? what is your metal block with all the holes in it for?


 
The setup blocks are metal and the one with all of the holes in it is just another setup block in the set. The normal blocks are 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4. Then there is the block with all of the holes that has a 1", 2" and 3" surface for quick setup. I love these setup blocks. They're awesome.




> And would you mind telling me the brand and model of your table saw miter guide?


 
My miter gauge in the Incra Miter 3000 SE. It is bang on accurate with increments of .5 degrees in either direction. Fully adjustable fence and stop blocks etc. Was a little pricey, but I'm worth it. I've really been able to expand my woodworking methods since getting this gauge. I don't think I've used my miter saw for anything other than hacking off boards since getting this gauge. It makes table saw joinery a joy.



Okay, now that the questions are done, on with the build. :thumbsup:


I started off the day in the shop by setting up a 1/4" dado blade and setting the height at 1/2" using my (you guessed it) setup blocks.









I then set my fence at 1/4" from the blade, and ran a piece of 1/2" scrap through the set up. Once I was happy that I had a 1/4" dado, 1/2" deep, centered in the 1/2" stock, I ran the inside edge of all the rail and stile boards through the setup. Don't be a hero guys, use push pads, not your fingers.









We can see here, that the 1/4" dado is centered in the board and the walls of the stock are 1/8" thick. A perfect setup.









I then place all of the stiles to one side. This is where the chaulk labelling really comes in handy. I then set up my dado blade to a 3/4" thickness. I set the blade height at 1/8", and using my miter gauge, I set the stop so that the dado would cut 1/2" in from the end of each of the rail boards. 









A quick dry test fit, reveals a clean joint that I was happy with. I then proceeded to cut all of the rail boards in the same fashion. Just remember, if you are doing it this way, the rails are different lengths and you will have to readjust your stop on the miter gauge for each set.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

A quick test fit of the rails and the stiles, showed a nice, square frame that I was happy with.









This is where the raised panel part comes in to play. I don't have one of those fancy bit sets, because I just can't justify the price for the amount that I would use it. With that being said, I had this bit in my collection of bits. I don't even know the name of it, but if you have one that is similar, you can use it.









I placed it in the router table, and set the height of the bit at 1/8".










I then set my fence at approximately 1" from the outside edge of the bit and made a pass on one of the 3/8" thick panels that I cut yesterday.









I continued this routing on all four sides, and then used a 1" chisel, sharpened to a "stupid sharp" state and trimmed down the little lip that will be left around the 4 edges. I trimmed down the edges until the were approximately 1/4" thick. This picture shows the edges before they were trimmed with the chisel.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I then clamped and glued the front and back panels together after a dry fit.










I also checked to see how my panels were fitting in my tool chest, and so far, they look great. By the way, Mrs Kenbo made a craft today and she came out into the shop to show me. Her craft photo bombed me. :laughing:









This is all that I got done for today, because of a little mishap. I wasn't going to post about it because I didn't have any photos, but I thought that if someone could learn from this mistake, then posting it would be worth it. Earlier, when constructing my cabinet, I made all of the pieces and test fit them all including part "C", the front rail. It turns out, that when I made this part, I cut the dado to accept the top shelf on the wrong side of the rail. I also made this piece in reverse. Doing this, really screws up the way your cabinet goes together. I didn't realize it until I did a test fit of the raised panel front and back. They were all out of whack and nothing fit flush. After looking through the exploded diagrams about 50 times and talking out loud like a lunatic, I found the front rail problem. The rail was glued in, the drawer divider was also glued in, as was the top shelf. Now what? :huh: Simple. I got out the hand saw, and cut the top shelf, and the front rail in half. Once this was done, I took a dead blow mallet and beat the rail like it owed me money. I got lucky and the wood that broke off was from the end grain of the rail. I was able to clean up the stopped dado with a chisel. The drawer divider started to crack, but I was able to repair it and run it through the table saw to regain it's original size. The top shelf and front rail had to be recut and you can bet your bottom dollar that I made sure it was correct this time. Everything fit back together perfectly and if it wasn't for this post, no one would be the wiser.

Pay attention to the orientation of your parts for this project guys. I got lucky. You don't want your hard work to be ruined.


----------



## lawrence (Nov 14, 2009)

lol Ken....I put tenons on two STILES before I realized what I was doing.

panels look great...keep up the good work


----------



## cody.sheridan-2008 (May 23, 2010)

looking good ken!


----------



## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

Excellent write up, Kenbo! Superb set-ups and pics, too.

One thing though, could you edit your title to say Machin(ist) Chest?:laughing:


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Thanks for the kind words guys. I got a little done today, but not much. Had to cut the grass when I got home and it really cut into my shop time. I'm buying a goat. 
Either way, here we go again.


I set up the dado blade again to a width of 1/4" and to a height of 1/4" as well.









I then measured the distance needed to match the dado for the top shelf that is in the sides and front of the cabinet and set my fence to that measurement. From there I ran the back panel through the setup to get the dado pictured here. This dado will accept the top shelf once I rabbet the sides and bottom to recess the back panel.









I then increased the width of my dado blade and set its height to 1/4". I then cut a 1/2" wide rabbet cut, 1/4" deep on both sides and the bottom of the back panel. I used my fence as a guide to cut these 3 rabbets.









I then sat my front panel in place, and measured the distance that it stood proud of the front rail of the tool chest. This measurement will be the width of the rabbet cut that is made on the bottom, front of the front panel. The depth of the cut will be 1/4".









Here, we can see this cut complete. The lip that is left, will fit into the 1/4" dado that we cut earlier in the bottom plate of the cabinet.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

And finally, I sanded both panels to a grit of 220 and glued and clamped my back panel into place.









Then I had to come in for dinner. I'm going to head out now and see if there is something else that I can get done tonight. Hopefully, there will be something, even if it is just picking out stock for tomorrow's adventure. Thanks for looking in guys. We're in the home stretch now.


----------



## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

This is really looking good. As always, a great write up as well. Your write ups are always filled with useful information.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Well, I did get out to the shop but I didn't get much done. I unclamped the case and sanded it thoroughly to a grit of 220. I also installed some 1/8" cleats for the drawer dividers on the back panel. I also test fitted the front panel and sanded it to a grit of 220. This is what the case looks like so far.


The back panel fully installed










The front view without the front panel.










And the view with the front panel in place.









I also managed to pick out my stock for tomorrow's build of the lid. While I was out there I also cleaned out my DC filters, and emptied my seperators. I ended up with 2 large garbage bags of sawdust. The good news is that everything is clean and ready to go for tomorrow.


----------



## lawrence (Nov 14, 2009)

great job as always....looks so clean...and the documentation is better than the magazines


----------



## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

lawrence said:


> great job as always....looks so clean...and *the documentation is better than the magazines*


+1 on that. Not to mention the pictures, they are excellent.

BTW Ken, don't buy a goat. They will eat everything except the grass. DAMHIKT.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I returned to the shop after work today with one goal in mind. I wanted to finish the lid so that tomorrow, I could move on to the drawers. I started out by setting up my bandsaw to resaw some oak that I selected from the wood rack yesterday. I only used my bandsaw's fence for this as the pieces were only as high as the fence.









I then set up and headed to the planer, to plane the stock down to its required thickness.









We can see here that it is 1/2" thick, as required.









I then installed my ripping blade in the table saw and ensured that it was 90 degrees to the table. I then jointed one edge of each strip and ripped each strip into the 1 1/4" width as needed.









I then installed my fine cross cut blade and ensured that it was square to the table. I also set up my miter gauge and started to cut my stock to length.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Here, we can see the pieces of the lid sides cut to their proper length, which in this case is 8" and 17".









I installed my dado blade in a 1/4" thick configuration, and raised the blade to a 1/2" height using my setup blocks.









Using the finger joint jig that I made earlier in the project, I started the process of cutting the finger joints for the lid. The process of cutting them is the same as it was for cutting the sides and the bottom, with the exception of the fact that I used a square for each and every pass on these joints. It's far too easy to have a skinny piece like this tilt off square so to help prevent this, I square every piece and clamped it to the jig for each cut.









I dry fit the lid's frame and clamped it together. I laid it on top of the chest to check it for fit and square. I was happy with the results, so I glued up the finger joints, and clamped the frame together.









Before the glue had a chance to set up, I made sure that each corner was square. A corner that is out of square at this stage in the game, could spell disaster in the steps that follow.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I set up my band saw to resaw some stock for the lid's top. I used my home made resaw fence for this as I would be resawing 8 1/2" stock. I checked to make sure that the blade was square to the table and that the fence was also square. I then cut the slab for the lid's top, leaving enough extra stock for the final thickness planing. In this case, I left a little extra as there were some imperfections in the wood.









Heading over to the planer, I planed the board down to a thickness of 1/2". I then headed over to the jointer, and jointed one edge of the piece to give me a good square reference point on one side.










I installed my ripping blade and squared it to the table. I set my fence and ripped my stock to a width of 8".









I then installed my fine cross cut blade, squared it to the table and cut my stock to it's final length of 17".









A quick dry fit showed that everything was coming out roses.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I installed my dado blade in a 3/4" width configuration and raised the blade to a height of 1/4" using my set up blocks.









I set up my miter gauge and set the stop so that my dado blade would cut a rabbet 9/16" in from the edge of the stock. I cut this same rabbet around all 4 sides of the lid's top.









After dry fitting, I applied glue to the parts and clamped the lid together, making sure to clean up as much of the squeeze out as I could.










Once the glue had set, I sanded the lid to a grit of 220.









Another dry fit of the completed lid shows that we are right on track.









That was as far as I got for tonight, so I guess I accomplished my goal of getting the lid completed. Tomorrow, I will install the retaining pins for the lid and front panel and start the construction of the drawers.


----------



## tymann09 (Mar 4, 2011)

wow! very nice build thread. i will be checking back to see updates. I just wish i had a shop as nice as yours. i'm dealing with 30 year old equipment. PS. i don't think you have enough clamps:thumbsup:


----------



## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

What can I say? Its looking great. I like it... send me one.


----------



## ctwiggs1 (Mar 30, 2011)

Kenbo said:


> Once this was done, I took a dead blow mallet and beat the rail like it owed me money.


The real lesson here is to never borrow money from Kenbo.


----------



## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Coming out really good :thumbsup: What's your opinion of the lid? Do you agree with Lawrence that the lid will be to weak to have a handle on it? After all a chest full of tools will be quite heavy. On the other hand in the plan there is metal reinforcements of the corners. Maybe that's enough.


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*top handles aren't good*

side handles are best. JMO. A wooden or brass lift tab to open the lid would be good. If fully loaded it could weigh 50 -75 lbs too much for the hinges, joints etc. The side handles always look cool on the Kennedy tool chests. I don't really think they were meant to be carried much or very far. :blink: bill


----------



## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

Kenbo, here's a link to one of the finest machinists boxes in the world.

Gerstner, is the Holy Grail in Machinists Chests.

Here's their hardware:

http://www.gerstnerusa.com/hardware.htm

These would go great with that chest, because it looks like that's where they got the design anyway.

Are you going to add the mirror, on the inside of the lid??


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I agree 110% that this design is not the best for its handle suggestion. I've decided from the beginning that I didn't want a top handle and I was content to not have a handle at all, as I intend for this case to be stationary in my shop. With that being said, I like the side handle idea, so I may be looking into that. As far as the other hardware (hinges and clasps) I picked them up today and hopefully, they will suit the project. Suprisingly, without seeing H.A.S's link, the hardware that I chose is remarkably similar to the ones in the link. 
Thanks for your input guys. It is important to me and I do take into consideration each and every suggestion. My opinion isn't the only one that matters to me and there have been many of my projects that have been improved by me taking someone else's suggestions. Keep em coming. As far as the mirror.......................no. If you looked like me, you wouldn't want a mirror in your shop either. :blink:


----------



## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

You have a reflection? As much as you do with a real job, family and all these projects I thought maybe you were one of those night people with no reflection....:laughing:

I'm sure whatever hardware you picked out will look great. I think I'd leave any handles out of it myself. Once its filled with tools its going to be too heavy to carry by handles unless you drill through and use stove bolts with washers and nuts on the inside. Just screws would pull out (IMO).


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*mirror = early warning system*

It's to see who sneaking up behind you or coming through the door when your back is turned.
The biggest problem will be closing it on a protruding tool or other object and breakin' it. So, probably not the best idea. Just hang the mirror on the wall. You're not a bad looking dude Kenbo so don't worry about it as long as the wife thinks your "hot" who cares. Our opinion don't count when it gets down to it on that anyway. :no: bill


----------



## lawrence (Nov 14, 2009)

I dont plan on putting tools in it or lifting it alot, but I do intend to epoxy and screw handles on the side


----------



## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

If anyone is interested, here's a video from Gerstner's factory:


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Thanks for the video link. I thoroughly enjoyed watching that and now understand why I was being asked if I was putting a mirror in mine. :thumbsup:

I didn't get much done tonight, but I will post what I did get done.
I picked out a bunch of off cuts and scrap and resawed them all to prep them for thickness planing.









I then planed down all of the boards to a thickness of 3/8"









I then jointed one edge of each piece to give me a square reference point to start cutting them to their final dimensions.









And lastly, I drilled the holes required for the retaining pins and inserts in the lid and front panel.









Not exactly exciting, I know but I was feeling a little tired after work today so I had a little nap before dinner. After dinner I was feeling refreshed and headed out to do some work. After doing the small amount of work that I did, I was starting to feel a little dragged out, and that is always my sign to clean up and get out before an accident happens. I don't work if I'm tired. Tomorrow is another day, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how far I get with this cabinet's drawers.


----------



## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

In my life time I have often looked forward to getting into a nice set of drawers....

Usually not wooden ones....

Its always best to leave the shop alone when you're feeling tired. Better that then have an accident.


----------



## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

johnnie52 said:


> In my life time I have often looked forward to getting into a nice set of drawers....
> 
> Usually not wooden ones....
> 
> Its always best to leave the shop alone when you're feeling tired. Better that then have an accident.


But I suspect "wood" did play a role.

100% agreed on not working with power tools when one is not fully mentally alert.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

So the day started off by setting up my table saw to rip the pieces from yesterday into their nominal widths. In this case, 1 1/4" and 2 1/2".









Here we can see all the 1 1/4" wide pieces ready for the next step. I made extras to use as test cuts for the joinery of the drawers. I then ripped all of the 2 1/2" pieces.









I set up my table saw with my fine cross cut blade and squared it to the table. I then used my miter gauge to cut all of the stock to its required lengths.









With all of the pieces cut to their lengths, I moved on. There are a couple of good reasons for using my miter gauge for this step. One, is getting perfectly square cuts and the other is repeatibility. By setting my stop on the fence, I'm able to get all of the pieces exactly the same. It's for this reason that I make sure that the first cut is exact. The fence will repeat screw ups as well.









It's now time to make a simple jig for cutting the dado required in the ends of the front and back pieces of the drawers. I simply used a scrap piece of 3/4" MDF and screwed a piece of 1/4" MDF to it, making sure that the 1/4" was square with the 3/4".


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I set the height of my blade to 3/8" and set my fence so that, when using the jig, there would be 1/8" of material left on either side of the cut. I then clamped a front piece of the drawers into the jig, against the 1/4" MDF and cut the dado in each end. I repeated this step for each front and back piece of the drawers.









Each end, of each front and back drawer piece, should now look like this.









I then lowered my blade height to slighty over 1/8" and using my miter gauge, I set the stop so that the inside of the blade's teeth would be at the 1/4" mark on the previously dadoed stock. This will leave 1/8" of material for the "locking" section of the joint.









If that was a little confusing, you should have something that looks like this. The cuts are reapeated on the opposite end of the piece and then the same cuts are made on all other front and back drawer pieces.









I set the stop on my miter gauge so that the outside of the blade's teeth would be at the 1/8" mark and cut a dado 1/8" deep in both ends of every drawer side piece.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I checked the fit and was happy with it, so I moved on to the next step. I would like to point out that all of the set up was done over several attempts on the extra 1 1/4" stock that I cut earlier. I was able to get the joints fairly tight on the first try, but I needed a couple of tries to really fine tune it.









It is now time to cut the dado that will receive the drawers bottom plates. I set my ripping blade to a height of 3/16" and set my fence so that the bottom of the dado would be 1/4" from the lower edge of each drawer. I then cut a 1/8" wide dado in the inside of each drawer piece.









I cut some 1/8" thick hardboard into the required sizes for the bottoms of the drawers.









I now need to cut the dado in each drawer side to receive the drawer rails that I installed much earlier in the build. I installed my dado blade in a 1/2" configuration and set the height to 3/16". I set my fence so that the edge of the dado would be 1/4" down from the top edge of the drawer sides. It's important to keep an eye on orientation at this point. Take the extra time to lay out all of your pieces so that the cuts will all be in the right spot. Cut this dado is all side pieces of the drawers.










After a dry fit, I glued all of the drawers together, making sure that each one was square. A few of the joints were a little too tight, so I adjusted the slightly with a 1/8" thick bastard file. Be careful not to take off too much material.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

With the drawers all glued together, I need to use the dado blade in the same thickness as before, and carefully cut out the back of the drawer so that our drawer will accept the glide. Do not cut all the way through to the front of the drawer.










I sanded all the drawers and fine tuned each one to ensure a good fit. I then placed the drawers into the case and continued to fine tune them. There is still some fine tuning to do tomorrow, but for tonight, it's good enough. There is still a lot more to do with this project and hopefully, tomorrow will be as productive as today was.


----------



## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

I'm liking this one. Well done Ken.


----------



## Ted Tolstad (Feb 20, 2011)

I have not been on here much lately. Life gets crazy when you are two weeks from having a child.  

I have missed seeing your projects. This is as incredible as always. I am looking forward to seeing the finished project. I love how you pay so much attention to detail. You do awesome work. Thanks for sharing this build.


----------



## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

A great job Ken. I like the way you cut those joints at the able saw. I've only done it using a router.

One question though. Why did you run your jig with the vertical piece forward of the work piece? I would think it would act better as a backer to help hold the piece and prevent blow out from the blade going through the back of the piece.


----------



## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

I'll say it again... Good Grief! You Are A Machine! Excellent work, Ken. I'm thinking this is the project I will try to get started because I've been telling my sister for 10 years or so that I'd build her a case similar to this for a hand fan collection. We'll see if I actually do anything other than write up the comparison article...


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

johnnie52 said:


> One question though. Why did you run your jig with the vertical piece forward of the work piece? I would think it would act better as a backer to help hold the piece and prevent blow out from the blade going through the back of the piece.


 
Thanks for the kind words guys. This has been a fun build so far. As far as the jig Johnnie, I agree with you 100%. This picture is a little deceiving. The 1/4" MDF is the lighter coloured board and it sits proud of the 3/4" MDF and supports the work piece at the back, just as you described. 

Frank, 2 things. One, is that this project takes a lot more time than I thought that it would. I spent almost 10 hours on it alone today. The second point that i want to mention is that this chest is a lot smaller than I originally thought it was. I would get your tape measure out and get a mental image of its size before you start planning for your sister's hand fans. They may not fit. For example, the small drawers only have a usable depth of 7/8". The deeper drawers have a usable depth of 2 1/8". Add some felt lining to these drawers and that depth decreases even more. Just wouldn't want you to give a gift with a specific purpose, only to find out that it is too small. I plan on using this chest for my measuring tools so it will be perfect for that.


Good luck with the baby Ted. I hope everything works out perfectly.


----------



## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

Wow, Kenbo! Very impressive craftmanship there.:thumbsup: Wish I had the time to start such a project. Really like how the drawers turned out, that's the hardest part.....for me anyway.


At first, I thought you were going to add 1 deep drawer for the Machinery Handbook, you know, the BIBLE!


----------



## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Such great work Kenbo. It looks terrific! I'll add to the chorus of thanks for taking such great care in documenting and posting as you work through the process. For those of us without a mentor to work with these builds provide a great deal of learning.


----------



## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Shop Dad said:


> Such great work Kenbo. It looks terrific! I'll add to the chorus of thanks for taking such great care in documenting and posting as you work through the process. For those of us without a mentor to work with these builds provide a great deal of learning.


+1.

You sure don't cease to impress. Absolutely beautiful. Super craftsmanship. Just fantastic. Excellent writeup too (as usual). Thank you.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I really want to thank you guys for all of your kind comments. I don't think my write ups are anything special, I just think that they are picture heavy. I think after today's update, there will be 146 photos. That's nuts. :laughing: The fact that you guys are so appreciative is what makes documenting these projects a pleasure. So for that reason, I thank you.



I started today with a bit of a dilema. I've been thinking about the drawer handles and how to attach them. I've thought of using a forstner bit, but wondered if I could go deep enough with the walls of the drawers only being 3/8" thick. I also was unable to find the recessed handles that these plans call for. I did find some that were of higher quality, but they were over $21 EACH!!!!!  I came up with an alternate and did some test cuts, but the tests didn't survive. They were just too thin and fragile. I was sitting in the shop looking around thinking about what to do, when I saw the cuts in my shop drawers and realized that this was the type of handles that I wanted. I tried to make the recessed finger holes with the router table. EPIC FAIL!!!! Blew my test stock to kindom come with all kinds of tearout.

So, I started out by setting up my oscillating sander with a 1" drum in it.









I marked the inside center of each drawer and marked out a 1 1/4" semi circle. I then proceeded to sand each drawer front to form the finger hole "handles" that I had pictured. You can see the drawer that gave me the inspiration for these drawers in the background.









It didn't take long to get the drawer to this stage.









I then sanded the finger hole in all of the other remaining drawers. This is what I ended up with at this point in time.










I installed the side clasps on the case and made sure that they held the lid firmly in place.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I then installed the hinges on the back side of the case. I used stop hinges for this case which stop the lid from opening any further than 95 degrees. 









You can see here how far the lid opens.









I set up my hand held router with a 1/4" roundover bit and set the depth of the bit.










Using stop blocks clamped to the edge of the case, I routed all of the edge profiles, leaving enough unrouted edge to apply my decorative corners.










All of the roundovers, end the same distance from the edge of the cabinet. You can see how much I left unrouted here.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I laid one of my corners on the lid of the case just to see how it would look when installed. I think it's going to look great.









I installed a V groove bit in my router table and set the fence to 3/4" from the tip of the bit. I also set the height of the bit to 1/8". I clamped a stop block 2 3/4" from the tip of the bit. Don't use quick grips for this, use something more substantial like C clamps.










I then routed all of the decorative V grooves in the right hand side of the drawers. 










I then reversed the set up and routed the left hand sides of the drawers. For the middle grooves on the larger drawers, I used basically the same setup, except there is a start block and a stop block. Here we can see all of the drawers with their decorative grooves. We can also see here that I have routed the same 1/4" roundover profile on all of the finger holes. I used climb routing for all of the roundovers, to minimize tearout.










I then mixed up some 2 part epoxy to glue in my pins and pin retainers for the front panel and the lid. I save small unusable scraps of plexi to use as pallets for mixing epoxy. It works great.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I placed some epoxy in the holes of the lid and used some scrap stock and some C clamps to support the edges of the lid while I used another C clamp to press the retainers in place. The scrap stock and C clamps are to help prevent the lid from splitting. I also place some epoxy on the shelf pins and glued them into the front panel.










At this point, I removed all of the hardware and prepared the case for the final sanding which will be tomorrow. That's enough for tonight. Tomorrow is the Canadian Thanks Giving so I have the day off work. Looking forward to another day in the shop.


----------



## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

I was wondering how you would do the drawer pulls. Nice deviation....


----------



## Warnock (Apr 4, 2011)

I really like this idea Ken, and I just bought a spindle sander at a garage sale for $20, with all the attachements. 

Used it to try a few things, and didn't know what I was missing by not having one.

This is looking just great, Ken. I continue to learn just by reading these threads.

Enjoy your day off, and keep safe in the shop.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Today, the final sanding and drawer adjustments were done and I applied the first coat of the finish. Here are a couple of pictures of the chest on my finishing board, waiting for the application of the finish. My finishing board is just 2, 1/4" pieces of hardboard, which I drilled holes in and pushed a 1 1/4" nail through each hole. I then applied contact cement to the boards and laminated them together. It hangs on the wall and whenever I have larger finishing jobs or something that requires spray finishing, I bring it out. It also works well as a bed for my wifes cat. The cat doesn't like lying on it very much so you have to push down on her really hard to get her to stay put. :shifty:























Tomorrow I will apply the second coat of finish as well as working on the drawer liners. Stay tuned guys, there's more to come.


----------



## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Kenbo said:


> It also works well as a bed for my wifes cat. The cat doesn't like lying on it very much so *you have to push down on her really hard to get her to stay put.* :shifty:


Hehe. That's just wrong. And that's why I like it so much! :laughing:


----------



## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Ken, thanks for the heads up on the drawer sizes. I haven't really dug into the plans yet but I have several "invisible" modifications in mind already so slightly different sizes won't be a problem. We'll see if it will work out. New baby is due in less than a month so my time is going to be severely limited.


----------



## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

I love your cat bed err finishing board. :laughing:


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)




----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

And, it is with this final photo that I say goodbye to this project. It is finished and I have to say, that I love the way it turned out. I have placed all of my favourite setup and marking tools in this case and that is where they will reside from here on in. Thanks for looking at this thread. Your comments and encouragement are greatly appreciated. Woodnthings (aka Bill) suggested that part of this challenge should be to list the tools used to make this project and I agree. So, here's the list..............

Table saw, fence and miter gauge
Tilt box digital angle meter
Jointer Planer
Large bandsaw for resaw
Various squares
Thickness planer
Dado blade set
Various clamps including spring clamps, quick grips, c clamps and frame clamps
Set up blocks
Router table
Chisels
Combination square
Calipers
Scroll saw
Drill press
Random orbital sander
Straight edge
Oscillating spindle sander
Cordless drill
Hand held router
1/4" straight router bit
1/4" round over bit
V groove bit
1/8" drill bit
Counter sink bit
5mm drill bit
7.5mm drill bit


----------



## cody.sheridan-2008 (May 23, 2010)

Just loving this! brilliant work Ken! I a speechless


----------



## Taylormade (Feb 3, 2011)

Man, that's just spectacular looking finished, Ken. Great job! The felt really sets it off beautifully.


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Kenbo, you the man! Three awesome projects and three even more awesome write ups.


----------



## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

My, my, what a beauty! Wow. I loved watching it come together and the end product is stunning. Nice choice of felt colors. Another great project to use and be proud of. Bravo.


----------



## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

I have always wanted to build one of these. Even bought the spring loaded drop locks a few years ago. Thanks for the re- inspiration, the great posts,pictures etc.
Again a fantastic job as we have come to expect from you.


----------



## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Wow, thats absolutely fantastic. Not only the end result but also the whole process. It's very inspiring to see how you work, your methods and your way of paying attention to details. I've learned a lot from this. (I've even started to clean up my shop every now and then :laughing


----------



## slicksqueegie (Feb 9, 2011)

Very nice Kenbo! Great work!


----------



## kpo101 (Aug 5, 2011)

Kenbo, Another great looking project but i was curious to know if you may have cut out another one while you were working on this one? Maybe one to keep and one to sell later?


----------



## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Kenbo said:


> my *wifes* cat


That thar says it all! :laughing:


A gorgeous piece Kenbo. Wow. That will be enjoyed for many, many years.


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

kpo101 said:


> Kenbo, Another great looking project but i was curious to know if you may have cut out another one while you were working on this one? Maybe one to keep and one to sell later?


 
Nope, this is the only one that I made. Mrs Kenbo said that she would like one for her crafting stuff and I laughed. I would gladly instruct her while she makes her own, but I told her that if she doesn't want to make her own, she'll have to wait until I'm dead for this one. Thanks for the kind words guys.


----------



## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Ken that is truly a beautiful piece of workmanship. Well done. 

Were we supposed to list the tools we used with the final photos of the finished projects? I missed that part....

Oh well, Ken, you are an inspiration to all of us.


----------



## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

once again, Ken.......:notworthy:

Thank you
Tom


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Thanks very much for the kind words on this project guys. Your comments during the build and after its completion are what keep me motivated. The fact that I am complimented by skilled woodworkers such as yourselves, is humbling to say the least. I've already had several people ask me if I could make them one of these tool chests and I have had to turn them down. This will most likely be the one and only tool chest that I make and I have to say, that I am quite proud of this one. "Too nice to put tools in" to quote my father. Again, I thank you all for your kind responses.


----------



## Ibangwood (Feb 25, 2010)

That is simply amazing i think so cool to see I think


----------

