After our boys had made several dovetailed and inlaid boxes, Ralph announced that his pupil was ready to attack the construction of a tool cabinet. It was to be fastened to the wall over the bench, designed to hold most of the small tools, and to be in such a position that it could be reached from the front of the bench.

The cabinet designed was really a dovetailed box 30 × 20 × 6 inches over all. It was made of ¹/₂-inch quartered oak except the back, which was ¹/₂-inch pine. The bill of material was:

The front and back, each 30 × 20 inches, were made of two pieces 30 × 10 inches, jointed and glued, placed in clamps over night and the joints planed down to take off the excess glue which had oozed out under pressure of the clamps. While these two parts were gluing, the sides and ends were dovetailed as in previous boxes.

When the front and back pieces were glued in place on the box, they were further fastened by 1-inch brads, set below the surface, and the holes filled with putty, coloured to correspond with the stain. The colour of the finish was a dark, handsome green. The box was sawed in two along a line 2¹/₂ inches from the front.

This divided the cabinet into two parts, the door or front section having a clear depth of 2 inches, and the back or wall section a depth of 3 inches.

After hinging the door section in position, the cabinet was stained inside and out, the outside polished and a hook for fastening the door shut was placed in position.

The cabinet was fastened to the studding of the shop by four strong screws 1¹/₂ inches long. The various nails, hooks, and tool racks were next added and the cabinet was ready to use.

Patent racks for holding chisels, gouges, etc., are sold in hardware stores, but our boys preferred to make their own. Their chisel rack is shown in Fig. 189.

After squaring up and cutting out the recesses at the ends, holes were bored, the opening from the front cut with back saw, and the sharp edges rounded with chisel and sand-paper.

Holes for the screws at the ends were bored and countersunk.

In locating a tool cabinet of this kind, while it should be very easily reached, and is usually open during work hours, it should be placed high enough so as to be easily opened or closed without striking tools and work on the bench. In other words, it should not be necessary to clear the bench top in order to open the cabinet. About 6 inches between under side of tool cabinet and bench top is about right.

An old-fashioned tool chest, suitable for shipping a whole kit of tools any distance, is shown in Fig. 190. These chests were usually fitted with trays divided into compartments for small tools and hardware. Such a chest may be made of either hard or soft wood and its construction is as follows:

After making out a list of material, square up sides and ends exactly as in making any box. Lay out, cut and fit the dovetails. The bottom, on account of its width, will have to be made of two pieces. These may be jointed, glued and placed in clamps or put together with a tongue and groove joint. The latter plan calls for a special plane. Having prepared the bottom by either of these methods, bore and countersink holes about 6 inches apart in the bottom and secure rigidly to sides and ends by 1¹/₂ or 1³/₄ inch flat-head screws.

For the top, make a frame from ⁵/₈ to ³/₄ inch thick and 3 or 4 inches wide, putting the ends together with end lap or mortise and tenon joints.

Secure this frame to top of box by screws. These may be round-heads, or if it is desirable to hide them, the method shown in Fig. 190 can be used. This is accomplished by boring a ³/₁₆-inch hole through the top frame. At the same centre a ¹/₂-inch hole is bored partly through. The screw is driven home and a round wooden plug glued into the ¹/₂-inch hole. When dry, this plug is sawed off and planed smooth.The top frame having been secured, two gauge lines are made for sawing the cover, as in previous boxes, and the two parts dressed to gauge lines, ready for hinging.

Before putting on the hinges, the top is to be finished with a raised panel. Square up a piece of stock two inches longer and wider than the open space in the top frame. Round upper edges, and secure to frame by flat-head screws from the under side through holes bored and countersunk.

Next put on hinges, which should be large and strong, the variety known as strap hinges. Cut out space for lock, and fit. The holes for key are bored with a gimlet bit and cut out enough to allow the key to enter freely; or hasp, staple and padlock may be used.

The bevelled base is mitred at corners, and brass corner plates to protect these lower corners are added.

The strip at the top corresponding to the base may be mitred and protected with corner plates, or the ordinary butt joint can be used. The bevel on this strip may be omitted. A chest of this variety, made of pine and painted, will stand a great deal of rough usage. Iron or brass handles at the ends are recommended for convenience in carrying. Our boys were not satisfied with this form of tool chest, as it required two people to carry it, and after some experimenting they evolved one in the form of a dress suit case, long, narrow, and high, that could be easily carried. It is shown in Fig. 191.

They first made a solid box 30 × 15 × 7 inches over all. It was put together with butt joints securely nailed, using ¹/₂-inch white wood.

One quarter of the box was sawed out, as shown on the end view, and hinged to the body by ornamental brass hinges. This quarter was fitted for two saws by making two blocks as shown in the drawing. The rip and cross cut saws were fitted into the saw kerfs cut in these two blocks, placed securely in the cover, and were held in place by a small piece of leather strap taken from a school book strap and nailed to inside of cover. A tray for small tools was made of ¹/₄-inch stock the full length and width of the inside of the chest 1¹/₂ inches deep and made to rest flush with the top of lower section on little corner strips glued in the four corners.

For handle, two pieces of leather strap were secured, one to each top section, by screws. When the box was closed, these two straps came together and made a good handle. The objection to a solid handle is that it must be entirely on one section and that takes it out of the centre, so that the weight is not evenly distributed.

This is one of the most satisfactory styles of tool carrier devised. It will hold practically the whole kit and may be picked up like a dress suit case and transported just as readily. A hook and eye or hasp, staple and padlock should be used to hold the case securely closed.

For carrying bits of various kinds and sizes, a roll of ticking or denim divided into separate spaces is very desirable. These rolls with straps are sold in tool houses, but may be made at home by the sewing department. Besides protecting the cutting edges, they help to keep out dampness and rust.