Lost Art Press

An Overdue Addition to The Anarchist’s Tool Chest

Posted on by Lost Art Press

While building “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” for the book, I debated on whether to add a tool rack to one of the inside walls of the carcase.

In the end, I decided against it because tool racks were in the minority of the chests I studied for the book. Today, however, I entered the minority.

During the last 12 months, I’ve been trying out a rack that is mounted to the rear wall of the traveling version of this chest, which I have been carting from town to town in my hatchback. I have come to appreciate the rack quite a bit, even though it limits the movement of the sliding trays just a bit.

The rack I installed on my chest is 1” x 1-1/4” pine that was left over from a DVD shoot – hence the small bead moulding on the corner. I laid out the holes from the centerpoint of the rack. Most of the holes are 1/2” in diameter and on 1-1/4” centers. The exceptional holes are off to the left. These were sized to handle my bench chisels.

I installed the rack using two No. 8 x 1-1/2” screws – no glue. I want to be able to easily remove the rack and modify it in future years. On some of the racks I studied, there were also some smaller holes between the 1/2” holes so you could sneak a tool or two more into the rack.

On Monday, I’ll put the new rack to the test when I teach a class on building this chest at Kelly Mehler’s School of Woodworking in Berea, Ky. As always, I am looking forward to my week at Kelly’s. It’s a well-equipped shop and peaceful place to work – a dream shop, really.

— Christopher Schwarz

36 thoughts on “An Overdue Addition to The Anarchist’s Tool Chest”

  2. Heck — I’m already planning it! I’m sad to say, though, that I needn’t leave room for a half set of moulding planes 🙁

  3. I’ve been playing with the idea of attaching a small tool rack, or two, on one or two inner sides of the chest but with thin french cleats so I can move them to a cleat on or over my bench. Since I have only a little time to work on projects and must put everything away each night, I thought it could be nice to have a rack of the current project stage’s rasps, chisels, etc. ready to move over and use at the next opportunity to continue, instead of taking precious minutes at the beginning to find and unpack/unbox/unroll smaller tools I already know I will need. Maybe this is an overcomplication?

    1. Roberta –
      I think that’s a good idea. My only concern with using a French cleat would be when I was moving the chest over a bump. I think the cleat with the tools on it might bounce off the cleat attached to the side. But I guess if you won’t really move the tool chest, it really wouldn’t matter.

      Thanks for the idea,
      Jonathan
      ========================================

  4. Chris,

    What are the dimensions of your travel chest? Can we get some more pictures of it?

    (If it is in the book, then I have it, but must of missed the description).

    -Chris

  5. hi chris you forgot to mention that nice little bar in richmond just north of kelly’s…….dale

  6. Don’t you fear cutting yourself while retrieving saws from the saw-till? There are so many sharp edges threatening your hand on its way up from getting a saw!

      1. Got it. Cool addition, really. As an extra precaution when I build mine, I might add a thin protective wall parallel to the chest wall and up toward the rack, but leaving a couple of inches so I can still identify the tools by their blades. What can I say? I am a wuss!

  7. I remember seeing this addition in the previous post about the traveling tool chest, also remember seeing it referenced in the book. There is reference to some sort of system for storing backsaws vertically, but no visual reference. I see you’re storing vertically in these photos. Any reference material or photos or old blog posts that could shed some light on this?

  10. It is amazing you think you have every thing covered and you find there is always something that you have to add or change, I suspect for this reason Chris, that your tool chest will never really be complete, I am surprised however looking at the pictures that you have not polished the inside of your tool chest. Isn’t that how the old time carpenters showed off their skill to a new boss by the detail that went into the inside of their tool chests I am thinking of the Studley Tool Chest when I say this.

    1. Phil,

      Most of the chests I’ve examined are not fancy. Nor are they polished on the inside.

      While many of the notable chests in the nice woodworking books and collections are indeed inlaid, strung, cross-banded and veneered, I set out to build a chest that was not notable at all.

      Some day I might paint something cool on the inside of the lid. But the chest appeals to me as-is.

      4. A barbarian princess ! As you get older Chris you will loose interest in all that stuff, the only thing that will remain constant is woodwork and tools, you will find holding and caressing a well tuned and balanced wood plane is better than fondling …… well I would get into trouble if I continued on. 🙂 My younger friends disagree with me as does Mrs Phil

  11. Chris, Where would you or an oldtime crafstman store a set of pig stickers with massive handles or long paring chisels? I also use chisel racks, but do you fear grabbing tools like your saws which are below those shiny blades? I’m not criticizing your method of storage, just want to know what other options there are since it’s not really covered in any toolbox books. thanks!

    1. The tools are against the wall of the chest. And the saw beneath them is the 12 pt. panel – the saw I use the least. I pulled it out several times and didn’t even get close. Plus, screwdrivers and marking gauges don’t cut much. I am really not the least bit concerned as I have been working this way for a year in the smaller chest without even a close call or a thought of getting snagged.

      On mortise chisels, I have two. Paring chisels, I have one. Both are in the lower tray in a tool roll.

  12. Chris, I can’t wait to get to Kelly’s and start working on the tool chest.
    I am bringing you a special delivery of
    Minnesota beer!

  13. I’ve had a similar chisel rack in my tool chest from the very first. I love it. No fishing around in a tray full of sharp objects to try to find the right size chisel. And I can keep the chisels in order so I always know which one I’m grabbing.

    I also put a guard underneath the rack to protect my fingers when I reached into the saw till. It may not have been necessary in the long run, but I’m glad it’s there.

  14. Speaking of additions to the Anarchist’s Tool Chest, I am currently attending a Weekend Workshop at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks with Roy Underhill. One of the other participants in this workshop, Travis Knapp from Hampden Maine, brought the Anarchist Tool Chest he built. Here is a link to a picture of him with the chest. http://www.bobsboats.com/images/KnappToolChestWeb.jpg Behind his left arm (at camera right) is a tool tote that he built to occupy the big empty space between the front of the chest and the sliding drawers when they are against the back of the chest. I thought this was a really great idea to use all that empty space when traveling with the chest, or just when it is closed and not in use. I didn’t think to take a picture of just the tool tote to include. Perhaps I take a picture of that tomorrow before the workshop ends if I get at chance, and if I remember to do so.

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