308-peruvian walnut tool chest

8/3/2019 308-Peruvian Walnut Tool Chest

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David Marks shows how to make a tool chest from Peruvian walnut using some of those verysame tools. Storing the many hand-tools used in woodworking -- like chisels, scrapers,calipers, gauges and hand-saws -- can be a challenge.

Dovetail joinery dates back to ancient Egypt and is the strongest form of joinery used inwoodworking.


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Preparing the Stock and Laying Out the Joinery Pattern

Peruvian walnut is ideal for this project since it typically comes with an impressive grain patternand can be found in sufficiently wide widths. Using wider stock pieces eliminates the need foredge-gluing. Because this wood is easy to work with, it's a good choice for fine handwork likecutting dovetails.

Begin by cutting the walnut stock to length on the table saw using the cross-cut sled (figureA).

The front and back pieces are cut to 30 inches long, while the two end pieces are each 12inches long (figure B).

Typically a dovetail jig (figure C) and router is used to create dovetail joinery. For this piece,however, the jig will not be used. For aesthetic reasons, the neck of the pins on the dovetailsfor this piece are cut very thin -- to about 1/8 inch (figure D). The shanks on router bits aregenerally 1/4-inch or larger. For this reason, the band saw is better suited for cutting thesefiner pins and tails.


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As seen on the prototype (figure E), the dovetail pins are cut on the side pieces, and the tailson the front and back of the piece. Here are several other factors to keep in mind:

When laying out the pins, keep in mind that a through dovetail will be cut, meaning that thelength of the pins is longer than the thickness of the stock by about 1/32-inch.

The dados cut in the case to hold the top and bottom panels are positioned so that they fall

between two pins.

The chest is actually constructed as a closed box. Once the box is glued up, the lid is created byband-sawing the top off in a single cut. As with the dados, the cut for the lid is positioned sothat it falls between two pins.

To begin the layout for the pins, use a cabinetmaker's scribe set slightly wider than the width ofthe stock. This setting defines the length of the joinery. Scribe a line on the inside and outsidefaces on the ends of each board (figure F). The scribe scores the top grain with a fine cut thatwill help prevent the wood from chipping out as the dovetails are cut out.

As seen on the prototype, the joinery design calls for the pins on each side of the case areevenly spaced, with one pin perfectly centered in the stock (figure G). To make room for the

dados that will hold the top and bottom panels, and the saw-cut that will create the lid, the pinsare spaced 5/8-inch apart. This symmetrical design simplifies cutting the pins since the cut isthe same for all four ends of the side stock.


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With the end-grain covered with a strip of masking tape, lay out the marks for the half-pins onthe ends of the stock. Measure in 1/8-inch (figure H).

Use a bevel gauge, set to 14 degrees, to mark the cut lines (figure I).

To lay out the center pin, mark the half-way point on the end of the stock, then measure out1/16 inch in both directions from the exact center-point. Use the bevel gauge to make themarks (figure J).

Use the bevel gauge, and the measurements described above, to mark out the two whole pinson either end of the side piece. Each pin is spaced 5/8-inch apart.

Repeat the steps on the opposite side of the first piece.

Repeat the entire process for the other side-piece.


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Dovetail joinery dates back to ancient Egypt and is the strongest form of joinery used inwoodworking.

Creating Dovetail Joinery With a Band SawWith the, work can begin cutting the dovetail joinery using the band saw. As mentioned in theprevious section, a dovetail jig will not be used for creating the joinery for this piece. Foraesthetic reasons, the neck of the pins on the dovetails for this chest are cut very thin -- to

about 1/8 inch. The shanks on router bits are generally 1/4-inch or larger. For this reason, theband saw is better suited for cutting these finer pins and tails.

Steps:

Before making any cuts, the band saw must be properly set up. First, tilt the table on the bandsaw to 14 degrees, setting the angle with a bevel gauge (figure A). Once you have the correctangle established, lock down the table.

Note: If your band-saw cannot be set to a 14 degree angle, a 10- or 12-degree angle should besufficient for making he joinery. Ascertain the angle that your saw is capable of making beforelaying out marks on your stock.

Use the previously drawn layout marks to set up the band saw. Position the first cut-markagainst the blade (figure B).


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Secure a stop-block of MDF to the fence on the table saw to serve as a reference (figure C).

Cutting the joinery on the band saw requires a lot of repetition. Rather than re-setting the fencefor each cut, four separate spacers are made (figure D) to simplify the cutting of the pins. Thespacers from MDF, and are based on the measurements between the pins. To help preventmistakes, each spacer is numbered. Following are the widths of the four spacers:

#1: 1-1/8 inches#2: 2-1/4 inches#3: 5-5/8 inches#4: 9-1/8 inches

To cut the half-pin, set the stock against the fence, and use a stop-block to prevent the cut

from extending beyond the scribe line.

For the second cut, place the spacer cut to 1-1/8 inches wide against the fence, and make thecut (figure E). (Note: This spacer will be used again for the sixth cut.)


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For the third cut, use the spacer that's cut to 2-1/4 inches wide (figure F).

The fourth cut is at the center of the board. Slide in the corresponding spacer cut to 5-5/8inches and make the cut.

For the fifth cut, slide in the spacer that's 9-1/8 inches wide and make the cut.

For the sixth cut, use the 9-1/8 inch spacer andthe 1-1/8 inch spacer (figure G) and make thecut.

This completes half of the cuts for the pins on one end of the stock. Rotate the stock and

repeat the process, making the same cuts on the other end (figure H). Use blue carpenter'stape as a reference to ensure that the outside of the case-piece is facing up.

Follow the same cutting pattern as before until all cuts are complete on the second end.


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Once the first round of cuts are all made on both pieces of stock, tilt the band-saw table in theopposite direction, again at a 14-degree angle. Set up another fence of MDF to support the

stock when it's tilted in the opposite direction as before (figure I).

Replicate the process used in the first round of cuts, adding the same spacers and following inthe same procedure (figure J).

Rotate the stock and repeat the process as before. Perform the process on both pieces of stock.

Once all of the cuts have been made (figure K), mark the stock that will be cut away with X's(figure L). Mark the edges as well as the end-grain to help avoid accidentally cutting through

the pins.

To prepare for cutting away the remaining stock, make certain that the wide parts of the pinsare facing upward, and clamp the first piece to the work table for stability (figure M ).


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Now use a jig-saw to begin carefully cutting away the stock to expose the pins (figure N). Thejig-saw is the ideal tool for this since the blade is small and easy to maneuver with precision.

To complete the process of hand-cutting away excess stock, well-sharpened chisels are used.Clamp a board that's been jointed to exactly 90 degrees along the scribe line (figure O) to actas a reference and ensure a nice, straight cut.

Carefully chip away the remaining stock (figure P), making sure to only cut half-way down thethickness of the stock.

Then flip the stock, re-clamp the guide board on top, and chisel the other half. Cutting fromboth sides in this way helps ensure that the chisel cuts perfectly on the scribe line, eliminatingthe potential for gaps. Allow plenty of time for carefully chiseling out all the pins on both piecesof stock.

The chisel produces sharp cuts and clean pins (figure Q) that will help ensure a precise fit

when the pieces are joined together.


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With all of the pins cut, the tails can be laid out on the long front and back pieces.

Use a cabinetmaker's scribe to score a fine line along the ends of the long stock.

Clamp one end of a finished side-stock piece onto the board at 90 degrees, with the neck of thepins facing outward. Use a razor knife to scribe the layout of the tails onto the front and back

pieces. Finally, add chalk marks to identify the matching pieces (figure R).

With the tail pattern laid out, reset the band-saw table back to horizontal. The cuts for the tailsare made freehand. Lay the stock flat on the table and carefully cut the outside edges for thetails.

Once the outside edges, use the band-saw blade to carefully "nibble" away the bulk of the stockfrom inside the cuts (figure S).

Cut away the half-pins on each end using the band saw.

Use a sharp chisel to finish the job of cutting the tails to precision (figure T), cleaning up thearea where the pins will fit.

The chisel used for this piece is a Japanese dovetail chisel, specifically designed to reachinto the sharp recesses.


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Dados, Maple Panels and Assembly

With all of the dovetail joinery cut in the walnut-case stock (figure A), dados must be cut inthe case for holding the maple panels in place. The panels themselves must also be fashionedfrom slices of maple. Once those steps are completed, assembly can begin.

Steps:

To join the pieces of the case together, gently tap the pieces to drive the pins on the side-pieces into the tails on the front and back. With the sides of the case dry-fit together, take aninside measurement for the top and bottom panels.

Cut the through dados on the inside faces of the side-pieces (figure B) using the table routerand 5/16-inch bit raised to 5/16-inch. Set the fence so that the dado misses the pin when thecut is made.

To cut the dado on the front and back panels, stop-blocks will need to be set up since these arenot through-dados. For these, the cuts must stop 3/8-inch from the outside edge (figure C).


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Set up a stop-block on the table router, and cut the dados using a spiral carbide-bit (figure D).This will produces a cleanly milled dado.

The panels for the top and bottom of the chest are made by edge-gluing book-matched piecesof figured maple. Using curly-maple stock, mill four pieces to proper dimension using the bandsaw.

Edge-glue the panel pieces together using yellow woodworker's glue, and clamp them securelyas the glue dries (figure E).

Once the panels are dry, run them through the drum sander to bring them to their final

thickness of 5/16-inch (figure F).

Using the measurements taken earlier, and adding the combined depths of the dados, cut thepanels to size.

Note: To allow for wood movement and expansion, the pieces should be cut just shy of thefinal measurement.

Before glue-up begins, sand the edges of the panel, and make sure they fit the dados perfectly.


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With all of the elements prepared and sized to final dimension (figure G), sand the insidefaces, and add tape to the inside of the joints to make cleanup easy.

Use slow-setting glue for assembly of the chest to permit longer working time. Apply glue to thepins (figure H) and tails.

To secure the top and bottom panels, brush glue only to about an inch of the center of thedado (figure I). This will be sufficient to hold the panels in place, but will still allow the woodto expand and contract. Too much glue in the dado could cause the wood to get "frozen" inplace, and eventually crack or split.

Assemble the pieces carefully, beginning with the maple panels in the dados ( figure J).


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Attach the side pieces (figure K), followed by the top and bottom.

Dovetails are a self-squaring joint, but a few taps of a dead-blow hammer will help bring thejoints together firmly (figure L).

Clamp the assembly securely, using long clamps and wood cawls (figure M ) as the glue driesfor 24 hours.

The classic design and joinery of this handmade tool-chest combines function, beauty anddurability.

The finishing steps in the handmade tool-chest is to create the lid by cutting off the top of thebox structure, and then applying a wood finish. Brass hardware is also installed.


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Fashioning the top for the tool-chest is the simplest step in the construction, since the lid issimply made by cutting off the top of the glued-up box structure with a single, clean cut on the

band saw (figure A).

The cut is positioned by adjusting the band-saw fence so that the cut falls between the secondand third dovetail pins. Mark a chalk triangle to ensure that the top is installed properly afterthe cut has been made (figure B).

With the fence and blade set, and the assembled box set against the fence, slice off the topwith a single pass on the band saw, and carefully remove the lid piece (figure C).

Clean up the edges of the case and lid using a block plane (figure D) and hand scraper.

With the inside of the tool-chest now exposed, remove the tape from the joints, and clean upany excess glue using a razor blade.


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To attach the top to the case, use brass box-hinges that are made with a built-in stop at 95degrees. A brass latch is added to the front, and a brass handle to each side.

Jigs of MDF are fashioned to use as guides for cutting the recesses for the hardware using ahand-router.

With the jigs attached to the sides using double-stick tape, use a plunge-router to cut the

mortises for the handles (figure E).

Apply 5-minute epoxy-glue to the side mortises (figure F) and install the brass handle-pieces(figure G).

Fit the brass hinges with screws (figure H).

After the hinges have been pre-fit, remove them for the application of the wood finish. Protectthe previously installed latch and handles with tape.


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We selected a finish of tung oil (figure I) to bring out the natural beauty of the wood.

Care Tip: The design of the case built in the demonstration is a simple box. If you have thetime to invest, you can customize the interior by adding dividers, or creating a tray that rests onledger strips. It's a good idea to wrap your hand-tools in cloth or leather when storing them toprotect both the tools and the inside of the wood case.

308 - TOOL CHESTFINAL DIMENSIONS 30 L x 12 W x 11 1-2 H

MATERIAL QUANTITY LENGTH WIDTH THICKNESS USE

Peruvian Walnut 2 30" 11 1-2" 11-16" Sides

Peruvian Walnut 2 12" 11 1-2" 11-16" Ends

Curly Maple 2 29 1-8" 11 1-16" 5-16" Top and Bottom Panels

Brass Hinges 2 2"

Brass Handles 2 2 3-4" 3-4" 3-8"

Brass Latch 1 2" 3-4" 3-8"

Finish: Tung Oil

308-peruvian walnut tool chest

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