Synopsis: This tool chest is the first major project for students studying cabinet and furniture making at Boston’s North Bennet Street School. Though simple in design and appearance, it has valuable lessons to teach. Students are limited in the size of the box and the materials they can use, so they focus on the craftsmanship and not the overall design and dimensions. Here, instructor Steve Brown gives details on machining the dadoes and rabbets, fitting and installing the horizontal dividers, cutting and fitting the vertical dovetailed partition, and installing the lid and its hardware. Not designed to be portable, the chest looks great on a countertop, or fits neatly under a typical workbench.

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Originally conceived simply as a place to put your tools, the tool chest project has become a familiar step in the two-year Cabinet and Furniture Making curriculum at the North Bennet Street School. Though simple in…