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Four travelling tool boxes

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Four travelling tool boxes

Postby derekcohen » 21 May 2022, 15:13

A decade ago (!), while road testing the new Veritas chisels (then only O1 was available), I built a box partly to house them and partly to demonstrate them in use ...

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Then one weekend recently, I was due to be part of a dovetailing workshop, and decided that it was time to build a new box for these chisels. These are the chisels I use in demonstrations, such as wood shows.

For one thing, the number has grown from 5 to 7 chisels (I had made a 1/8" from a spare pre-production 1/4" - this was before this size was available from Veritas - as well as a 3/8" fishtail chisel. At some stage Veritas will be producing their own version. I do not have any details).

A second factor was that I thought the existing box was a little OTT, and wanted something more subtle, and less in-your-face. The fact is that the joinery in the replacement box is far more demanding than the first box, but only those experienced might recognise this.

The light wood is Jacaranda (in both boxes), which is the last harvested from a tree on our property several years ago. It is softish, not so nice to saw and dovetail, but planes beautifully. The darker wood is Makore. Another wonderful wood to work with.

The construction of the box is mainly mitred through dovetails - all lower corners and the end upper corners. This makes it easier to plough through grooves for the base and top. The mitred corners are also, in my view, far more aesthetic, lending a balanced presentation from the top.

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The finger depression was carved with chisels ...

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Inside the box, the chisels are held very firmly with a combination of rare earth magnets and individualised spaces for each chisel ..

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The original chisel box was repurposed for marking tools. Inside are a two cutting gauges, a 12"/300mm combination square, a 4"/100mm double square, dividers, marking knife, sliding bevel, and two dovetail gauges - all those needed for setting out any joinery.

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Note that these tools are to be used in demonstrations at wood shows and workshops. They are not jewellery boxes. I decided that their construction might present a sample of different corner joints as part of presentations.

The third box is for a couple of dovetail saws, in particular a Veritas 20 ppi and a Veritas 14 ppi (which I have re-filed from 14 degrees of rake to 10 degrees of rake and 15 degrees of rake for the first 1 1/2" of the toe). The 20 ppi is excellent for thin board and softer wood, plus works well for crosscutting (such as the shoulders). The idea behind the progressive rake in the 14 ppi saw is to make it easier to start in hard, brittle wood, and then cut more aggressively.

The wood here is US Black Walnut, and the 20 ppi saw was used. This is another with mitred through dovetails. The feature is rounded edges at the top.

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The last of the four tool boxes features simple mitred corners. The notable feature is is that there is no spline or reinforcing. Instead, the end grain corners are sized and glued.

Sizing involved a layer of glue on the end grain, allow to near-dry, then add fresh glue. The glue fills the straws and the joint avoids being glue-starved.

Black Walnut and Hard Maple.

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The opening to the top in at the end facing the camera ...

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Knew Concepts 5" Titanium fretsaw with one of my custom handles, and a kerfing chisel.

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Regards from Perth

Derek
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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby AJB Temple » 21 May 2022, 15:20

proper skills on display there. I wish I was this good.
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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby AJB Temple » 21 May 2022, 15:23

To add - I can sometimes do good work, but it takes me ages. I can't guarantee getting fine dovetails spot on perfect every time either, so there would be a good chance I would have to remake at least one part.

I know some people use jigs for dovetails. I never have. I was given a Leigh jig once and it took so long to set up and adjust that I just gave up. I really admire accurate fine hand work like this.
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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby derekcohen » 21 May 2022, 15:38

Mitred through dovetails are wonderful for cases. Here is an example ...

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The mitres at each corner lend a symmetry that is neater. However, this is like a though dovetail fitting in three dimensions rather than two ...

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... and simplifies making the rebate at the rear ...

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Regards from Perth

Derek
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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby thetyreman » 21 May 2022, 20:36

I agree about how much easier and more convenient it is to use mitred dovetails when you need to rebate the back especially, I think it's my favourite form of dovetails, I still need a lot of practise though before I reach this level :eusa-clap:
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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby droogs » 21 May 2022, 20:49

Run out of 9" nails again Derek :o


seriously though luvvly jubbly as Del Boy would say.
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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby Dr.Al » 22 May 2022, 07:11

Beautiful as always Derek. I shall have to try mitred dovetails.
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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby johnward » 22 May 2022, 09:00

Really amazing work Derek. I've never tried to make a mitred dovetail. You have inspired me to have a go.

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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby Phil » 22 May 2022, 09:29

Excellent work Derek :eusa-clap: :eusa-clap: 8-)

I still have some Jacaranda in stock (round) for the lathe.
It turns and finishes well. (smell not that great)

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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby derekcohen » 22 May 2022, 13:30

johnward wrote:Really amazing work Derek. I've never tried to make a mitred dovetail. You have inspired me to have a go.

John


Thanks John. I wrote up a tutorial on making this joint:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ ... able2.html

Of course, I complicated it at the time by rounding the dovetails .. which meant that I could not fudge the joins! :)

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This was a wedding present for a nephew ...

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Regards from Perth

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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby derekcohen » 22 May 2022, 13:33

Phil wrote:Excellent work Derek :eusa-clap: :eusa-clap: 8-)

I still have some Jacaranda in stock (round) for the lathe.
It turns and finishes well. (smell not that great)

Groete
Phil


Groete Phil

Ek is 'n ou Kaapenaar, omtrent 40 jare tevore. Waarvandaan is u?

Groete van Perth

Derek
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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby Jonathan » 22 May 2022, 20:26

As always Derek, stunning craftsmanship, if I had just 1% of your skill I would be proud.

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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby Phil » 23 May 2022, 08:15

derekcohen wrote:
Phil wrote:Excellent work Derek :eusa-clap: :eusa-clap: 8-)

I still have some Jacaranda in stock (round) for the lathe.
It turns and finishes well. (smell not that great)

Groete
Phil


Groete Phil

Ek is 'n ou Kaapenaar, omtrent 40 jare tevore. Waarvandaan is u?

Groete van Perth

Derek


Derek, ons bly in Pretoria Oos, verre noord-oos.

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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby derekcohen » 23 May 2022, 11:38

Die land van die Blou Bulle!

I was last there when visiting the University of Pretoria in 1978. That was a long, long time ago. My Afrikaans is very rusty.

You may appreciate this story: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Commentary ... ntein.html

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Regards from Perth

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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby Cabinetman » 23 May 2022, 13:51

Yes strange it’s not the original blade, that wood is very red -as is your rounded edge cabinet, is it the phot/reproduction or the wood? Ian
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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby derekcohen » 23 May 2022, 16:05

I do not know what the wood of the plane is. The "cabinet" is Jarrah, which is from Western Australia (about 3 hours south of Perth).

Here are a few more photos of that coffee table - the fiddleback Jarrah is quite stunning ...

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Regards from Perth

Derek
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Re: Four travelling tool boxes

Postby Phil » 24 May 2022, 09:19

derekcohen wrote:You may appreciate this story: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Commentary ... ntein.html
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Regards from Perth
Derek


Nice plane 8-)
Maybe the timber came from a railway carriage?
I was given an old carriage door support which was teak. Unfortunately I had to pass it on as I could not do anything with it - equipment limitations.
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