New Toolbox

[Doug B]

Looks a really nice well made chest, Ollie

But it hasn't got a handle on top :roll:

When has the obvious ever stopped pedantry ](*,) ](*,)

 

[woodbloke]

But it hasn't got a handle on top :roll:

Yes Brian, the irony is noted...but if it did :wink: - Rob

 

[Mr Ed]

Looks like a nice tool chest, the dovetails are very crisp.

Re the dovetails the wrong way round thing, basically I think its a red herring. Primarily because the box clearly has no handle so is intended to sit on a bench, not be carried around. That said, let's suppose for a moment it was designed to be carried I still reckon it would be OK, for the following reason;

I've been carrying this box with 35KG of tools around all over the place for the last 3 years - it's only box joints (so no wedging action at all) and there is not the slightest hint of any movement or opening of the joints at all.

ed-s-new-toolbox-t36536.html

The box here is many times lighter than that so I cannot see there being an issue. In fact, I reckon that you would have to try extremely hard to separate those dovetails if you wanted to, even pulling in the 'wrong' direction.

So in summary, no it will not fall apart, it will be fine and is also a nice piece of work.

'ed

 

[woodbloke]

Nice tool box Ed and I dare say you're right, but answer this...why do we build traditional drawers with the tails on the side and not on the front? The answer(s) of course is that aesthetically (in my view at least) it looks right, it's a way of presenting a clean drawer face (if lapped d/t's are used)...and it resists pull. Simple really.
As I said, nice box, but the jointing relies 100% on modern glue strength and having a decent mating surface 'twixt all parts of the joints. If for any reason a joint fails (which it may well do over time) there's every chance that the tool box will start to come apart. I made one of those in the 70's for college and used pine...correctly dovetailed at the corner and it took a hell of a lot of abuse over four years and was still intact at the end - Rob

 

[bobscarle]

I think that Ollie has produced a fantastic looking toolbox, I love the combination of walnut and maple. The joints look crisp and really well fitted. An excellent piece.

But, I have to agree with WoodBloke. I hate metal runners. This is a purely personal thing but I think it would have been so much better to have seen wooden runners.

Bob

 

[Mr Ed]

Nice tool box Ed and I dare say you're right, but answer this...why do we build traditional drawers with the tails on the side and not on the front? The answer(s) of course is that aesthetically (in my view at least) it looks right, it's a way of presenting a clean drawer face (if lapped d/t's are used)...and it resists pull. Simple really.
As I said, nice box, but the jointing relies 100% on modern glue strength and having a decent mating surface 'twixt all parts of the joints. If for any reason a joint fails (which it may well do over time) there's every chance that the tool box will start to come apart. I made one of those in the 70's for college and used pine...correctly dovetailed at the corner and it took a hell of a lot of abuse over four years and was still intact at the end - Rob

I'm not doubting that the wedging action of a dovetail is better, but my point is that maybe a box joint or a 'wrong way round' dovetail is good enough. The whole world is held together with assemblies that rely on glue nowadays.

 

[woodbloke]

Nice tool box Ed and I dare say you're right, but answer this...why do we build traditional drawers with the tails on the side and not on the front? The answer(s) of course is that aesthetically (in my view at least) it looks right, it's a way of presenting a clean drawer face (if lapped d/t's are used)...and it resists pull. Simple really.
As I said, nice box, but the jointing relies 100% on modern glue strength and having a decent mating surface 'twixt all parts of the joints. If for any reason a joint fails (which it may well do over time) there's every chance that the tool box will start to come apart. I made one of those in the 70's for college and used pine...correctly dovetailed at the corner and it took a hell of a lot of abuse over four years and was still intact at the end - Rob

I'm not doubting that the wedging action of a dovetail is better, but my point is that maybe a box joint or a 'wrong way round' dovetail is good enough. The whole world is held together with assemblies that rely on glue nowadays.

...and I think you're right Ed, but to my eyes at least the 'good enough, wrong way round dovetail' just looks wrong. Again, you're spot on about modern adhesives which are so incredibly powerful (in many materials, not just timber) it's something we take for granted, though it's been said by many that the sheer strength of glues will probably cause a lot of headaches for restorers in years to come - Rob

 

[flounder]

It just goes to show, different strokes for different folks. To me, for a bench sitting chest, the dovetails are aesthetically the right way. The North Bennett School get their students to make a tool chest with a dovetail carcass and they orient their dovetails the same way too. Nice work Ollie.