When I built the tool chest for “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest,” my goals were both selfish and hereditary. My chest is an ark, a way to carry my tools forward in time to protect them for my kids or – barring that – my grandchildren.
People ask me all the time if they should buy either new tools or vintage ones. The answer is: neither. If you can acquire tools that have been properly set up and cared for, you will have acquired one of the greatest treasures of the craft.
So this morning I was heartened by a blog post by Joshua Klein, a Maine furniture restorer and excellent photographer. He and his 3-year-old son, Eden, have just finished building a tool chest for the young one.
It is awesome. Check it out here.
I had a tool chest when I was young – the folding plywood sort filled with tools with blue plastic handles. I loved that chest, and I know that Eden will love his even more.
— Christopher Schwarz
Now that’s something to bring tears to a grown man’s eyes! That toolbox will be something he can treasure for the rest of his life and give to his children and grandchildren.
Awesome!
inspiration for my boys. My own grandfather gave me his bearing scrapers in 1999 when I aquired an 1886 Crescent bandsaw and gave me a lesson on inking and fitting the shaft to the bearing seat. He said that he learned how to do it in engineering school in the 1930’s. I asked if he had used them much over the years, to which he replied “nope. we had ball bearings by then!” I will pass this on to my boys with the saw.
My son is showing an interest woodworking. I just bought the wood for the toolbox we’re making for his birthday.
The trick will be getting him to prep the stock and other tasks without figuring out what we are building.
I’ll treasure all the time in the shop with my boys even if everything I build looks like a popsicle stick ashtray.