I love all the little custom touches people add to their Dutch tool chests – drawers, tissue dispensers (no lie) and the various tool racks. On Saturday, I got to see a new variation on the lid.
During our most recent open day, we had a bit of an invasion force from Canada, with a supporting force from their U.S. friend. Jeremy (@jmawworks) bought along his Dutch tool chest and a chair he’d recently built with Caleb James. Ric (@fairwoodworking) brought along a bunch of of his lathe-less pencils and pens.
This isn’t the first time that people have turned our open day into a show-and-tell event. And we love it.
The lid on Jeremy’s Dutch chest is interesting because it is hinged from the front edge. You pull the lid toward you. And there’s a massive chisel rack on the inside of the lid. Clever.
In the second video, he shows off the drawer in the compartment below and uses the word “unit” one too many times for my tastes.
— Christopher Schwarz
I love that pull out tray. Very clever.
I may have to put one of those in mine.
It’s a really nice addition, I highly recommend it for rasps, files, shaves and such that don’t fit well other places in the DTC.
I really like that tray. Will be putting one in mine. Not sure if I will put it in lower base box or top one though. Need to make it and see which way it fits better. Amazing how simple ideas are often overlooked ( slaps self in head)
Honestly I’d put one in each section. I find I have plenty of tools that are of the long flat variety and the base boxes have enough depth that neither would likely loose functionality with ~2″ less height. My box houses my molding planes. If you plan on storing power tools you might need the height, but I’d just check the space once you have it loaded up. this tray was an afterthought, but a much appreciated one.
I have been wondering about adding a slot for the fall front to store in like a Gerstner or Kennedy machinists chest. Seems like it would be nice except for losing that amount of storage space inside.
This may be a good or a stupid idea for storing the lid while the chest is in use. You could split the typical lid down the middle and hinge it on both sides of the chest so the lid pieces fold back like wings but stay connected to the chest; this way they don’t waste any of the space inside. It seems like the inside of the lid could still be used to hold some tools with the right means of retention.
Does this lid come with a soft close option? THEN it would really be something…
I think it’s part of the design: He yells at you if you close it too quickly.
Oh man, I feel a gauntlet thrown!
How does the lid lock (I’m guessing it might not…)?
You are correct, the lid does not lock. I designed up an elaborate way to make it lockable, but in the end, it’s not relevant in my shop and I never incorporated it..
Dear Chris: What would the cost be for a tool box for my chisels? JP
Sent from my iPad
>
Bravo! I do indeed want to make a drawer also! Cheers to you!
Cool lid ive made a few trays for my chest but its a monster of a chest which made the trays long and awkward. What type of work bench is that in the background at the end? Is the higher side for planing and lower for mortice work? I guess what im asking is, is it somthing from the past or a custom bench, either way im intrigued.
That is 2 benches of different heights, back to back.