I’ve always dreamed of building a tool chest for all my valued hand tools, but have always held off knowing that soon I would acquire another and therefore have to reconfigure. But when reading Tyler Chartier’s article on his chest, he stated that he built his attache to hold only the tools he uses everyday. So I made a list of tools that I would qualify as indispensible. 38 of them (and counting?). Take a read and let me know what you would change. They are not in any order of importance.
1) Wheel marking gauge 2) Double-edged striking knife 3) Large saddle square 4) 3″ engineer’s square 5) 14″ try square 6) Sliding bevel 7) Mechanical pencils 8) Scratch pads 9) 10′ Tape Measure 10) 3′ Yardstick-in-a-can 11) 6″ steel rule 12) Beam compass heads (used with 3/4″ stock) 13) 6″ digital fractional caliper 14) 4″ brass caliper 15) 1/16″ detail chisel 16) Set of bevel-edged chisels (1/8″, 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, 3/4″, 1″) 17) Polyurethane-head mallet 18) Pair of skew chisels 19) Low-angle block plane with 25 degree blade 20) Low-angle jack plane with 25 and 50 degree blades plus 25 degree cambered blade 21) Small router plane 22) Standard spokeshave 23) #80 Cabinet scraper 24) Selection of card scrapers 25) Burnisher 26) Mill file 27) Honing guide 28) 4000/8000 water stone 29) 8″ 600/1200 diamond stone 30) General purpose knives 31) Rare-earth magnets (always handy) 32) Awl 33) Medium Yankee Screwdriver with screwdriver and drill bits 34) Tweezers 35) Brass wheel marking gauge 36) 1/4″ and 3/8″ mortise chisels 37) Dividers 38) Japanese dovetail saw
Chris @ flairwoodworks
– Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert Schweitzer
Edited 1/6/2008 1:53 pm by flairwoodworks
Replies
No saws?
No combination square?
Edited 1/5/2008 5:09 pm ET by perizoqui
Hmmm. There was a 14" combination square which I mislabeled a try square. I seem to have forgotten a saw. I'd probably go with a Japanese saw of some sort. Probably a dovetail saw. Thanks.Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Why don't you go through a week or woodworking, putting aside everything you use in a designated area, and use that as your base? Add to that pile anything else you consider indispensable, and you're there.
If space is at a premium, I would exclude the saddle square, the yardstick (or the tape measure - this is doubling up), beam compass heads (do you use them every day?), 4" brass caliper, 1/16" detail chisel (will you use this every day?) and 1" bevel edge (I prefer to use paring chisels up to 3/4"), low angle spokeshave (replacing it with a higher angle - more versatile).
I would add:
LV LA Jack with three blades (25 straight for shooting, 25 cambered for hogging, and 50 degree for smoothing). You could then exclude the LA Smoother
a small brace/eggbeater and bits
two saws, an 8" rip dovetail and a 12" crosscut tenon (or perhaps one of Mike Wenzloff's halfback saws - crosscuts and spacesaving in one).
two mortice chisels - 1/4" and 5/16"
a 1" firmer chisel
a wooden mallet
a second wheel marking gauge (I find that two are usually needed).
and a pair of dividers.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Edited 1/6/2008 4:50 am ET by derekcohen
Derek,
Thanks for your feedback. Some items were included simply because they are often useful and take up little space, though they are not used daily (4" caliper, 1/16" chisel). I find that the1" bevel chisel is one of my most used tools. It was a toss-up between a low angle and standard spokeshave. I think that most standard spokeshaves are easier to adjust than a low angle, so I'll change that. I was also torn between the low angle smooth and jack. I like your suggestion for a cambered 25 degree blade. I can buy drill bits for a yankee screwdriver which will probably make the eggbeater redundant. I prefer Japanese saws for fine work. I think I'll take a dovetail saw. I agree that a mortise chisel would be useful, buy why a 1/4" and 5/16"? They are so close in size. Maybe a 1/4" and 3/8" instead? I like my 1" bevel edged chisel just fine. I mostly use it for light cuts - trimming to fit. I have a polyurethane-head mallet listed. I prefer it to a wooden mallet as it is quieter and bounces a little less, transferring more force. I'll add another marking gauge. Beam compass heads replace dividers in this case and are also more versitile, though they may be more cumbersome when working with small measurements. But considering how much space dividers take up, I'll add a pair.Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Stretching it a bit but how about a place for your personal protection items. Safety glasses, Etc.
Paper, Pencil, Triangle.
Will,
You're absolutely right. Earplugs, a dust mask, and safety glasses are important, though I've never seen a french-fitted compartment for them.Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
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