Draw How to Build a Tool Chest Step by Step

If one of your Refreshing Year's resolutions for 2022 is to get your shop better organized, this gradual-to-material body, twofold drawer tool cabinet can help keep that promise. Ours is successful of 1/4," 1/2″ and 3/4″ Baltic birch plyboard – this is a practical shop class auxiliary, not a jewelry box. We used Rockler's Draftsman Lock Router Fleck in the router table to form hardline, interlocking corner joints for the drawers. The suit's rump joints are improved with stepped Henry Miller Dowels that are equally easy to install as drilling holes and throbbing them in.

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Making the Drawers

Rockler's plastic Draftsman Lock Set-Up Gigue makes it easy to telephone dial in the correct height and jutting for a drawer lock router bit. Use the jig in the configuration shown here to steel onself for cutting the drawer side portion of the joints.

Your first inclination mightiness be to stimulate the tool chest's case first, but then the drawers moldiness be incisively fitted to its interior. The easier route – especially considering the interlocking nature of the corner joinery and how that impacts final exam piece sizing – is to make the drawers get-go and wrap the slip just about them. Starting line by cutting two 7-1/2″ x 13″ pieces of 1/2″-thick Baltic birch plyboard. They'll yield all four upper and lower drawer sides.

To prevent chipping the plywood veneer on the faces of the drawer side workpieces during routing, score them 3/8″ in from some ends of one face with a sharp knife or razor blade several times before routing.

Put in the drawer lock bit in your router table, then issue a close look at the photos. Notice that the geometry for a drawer interlace joint consists of a lingua-and-groove profile on one opus that fits into a mirror figure spit-and-channel on the mating piece. Adjust the bit vertically so the cutter creates an equal-sized tongue-and-groove. Rockler offers a plastic setup block that ass make finding this bit height intelligent and prosperous.

After making test cuts on scrap, rout the drawer lock visibility into the drawer side blanks with the panels destined vertically against the fence. Install a featherboard along the router table to keep the panels pressed firmly against the palisade.

It also can assistanc you determine bit projection out from the router board fence. Just, if you don't rich person the profit of the frame-up block, move the fence until the pinch portion of the cutter will cut 1/4″ into the drawer side descent, and acclivity the bit 3/8″ above the table.

Reset the bit's sound projection victimisation the other end of the setup impede to cut a deeper visibility into the ends of the draftsman backs. Make test cuts and adjust the bite accordingly.

When the bit's settings are dialed in, knife a line across the face of the plywood 3/8″ from both ends where the top corner of the router bit will cross it, to supporte minimize tearout during routing. Now, carefully mill the visibility across one face of both workpieces, on both ends, with the blanks upright vertically against the router remit fence, to form the drawer side profile of the four corner joints. Set these workpieces digression for the moment.

The drawer backwards fits correctly when its thin outer tongue overlaps the end of the drawer position.

Riptide and crosscut some other piece of 1/2″ Baltic to 7-1/2″ x 20-3/4″ to produce some drawer backs. You'll see that the drawer back has a thin, elongated tongue that covers the ends of the drawer sides.

Rout the drawer interlock profile across some ends of the back dialog box — the face against the router table will go the inside back face of each drawer. We made these cuts into a duplicate-encompassing blank of 1/2″ plywood to improve stability during routing and to help accelerate dormy the unconscious process. Once the joints are cut, you bum rip the control board to form both drawer backs.

To achieve this overlapping profile, reset the bit's projection from the fence using the other end of Rockler's setup freeze as a guide (the bit's protrusion changes to 3/8″ but its height remains the same). Then mill this shorten into both ends of the drawer back stock. Set this workpiece parenthesis for now too.

The front vituperate and drawer fronts are cut from the same piece of plywood to create continuous grain crosswise the front of the chest. Take up with a while of 3/4″-thick Baltic birch plywood measuring 10-3/4″ x 21-3/4″. Reduce the 3″-large front rail the top of the panel. Then trim 1/8″ from each end of the remaining wider piece to create a double-up blank for the drawer fronts.

The drawer faces arrive next, and we'll harvest them from the comparable piece of plywood as the tool chest's upmost track. Start with a art object of 3/4″ plywood measure 10-3/4″ x 21-3/4″. Cut the 3″-astray presence rail off the top of the panel (see photo 6). Then, trim 1/8″ inactive each squab end of the left wider piece to make a single combined blank for both drawer fronts.

The drawer face blank receives a deeper profile cut that forms a lengthened tongue to overlap the draftsman sides and draftsman slides.

Work the photos and you'll picture that the thicker drawer face substantial creates a spit that both covers the drawer sides and also conceals the ends of the drawer slides. The goal for this tongue distance is 7/8″. To figure it, make a series of passes into the ends of the draftsman front workpiece, unsteady the fence back a little with each pass to expose more of the router bite.

Make neritic passes, resetting the fence further from the bit to lengthen this tongue.

Make each new cut in a scrap musical composition first to check your progress, before continued to rout the drawer front ends. Stop cutting when the duration of the inside look of the drawer front blank matches the length of the inside face off of the drawer back blank.

Continue routing until the length of the inside face of the drawer front matches the inner boldness of the drawer stake.

Now, humorous-fit the corner joints. If they lock together well, rend the drawer side and draftsman back blanks to their last widths. So lower the saw blade to 1/4″ and deal 1/4″-wide grooves along the indoors bottom edge of each drawer part to conform to your 1/4″ draftsman bottom plywood. Cut these grooves carefully so the plywood will outfit them snugly.

Once the street corner joints fit together well, cut apart the upper and lower drawer fronts, sides and backs. Then set the put of saw brand to a 1/4″ cutting height and make multiple face-by-side passes to cut a furrow for the bottom panels in all eight draftsman parts.

Foregather the drawer boxes again systematic to take inside measurements for the drawer bottoms. Cut the two drawer bottoms to sized. Finish-sand all the drawer parts, and bring the drawer boxes together with glue and clamps.

After the drawer bottoms are cut down to size and the parts finish-sanded, glue the drawer boxes collectively. Check them for squareness by measuring both diagonals. If these numbers pool don't match, adjust the clamping pressure or the positions of the clamps until they suffice.

Before the glue begins to set, be surely to check the boxes for square by measuring their diagonals: if the numbers match, you're every set. If they don't match, adjust the clamping pressure or the clamp positions to slump the problem; impermissible-of-square drawers are a hassle to correct aft the fact — especially when they'ray made of plywood that can be reach-planed to correct things.

Lock-Align Drawer Organizers

A tool thorax without around organise of intrinsic dividers will quickly become a disorganized dumping ground for hand tools and other small parts. Simply Rockler's system of Lock-Align Drawer Organizers can help.

Lock-Align Organizer Starter Kit (item 56117)

The interlocking, synthetic bad components create a power grid of compartment walls that you can customize to the size of it of the drawer by edged with a utility knife or scissors grip.

Then, dividers and small parts bins slip up into slots in the walls and hook over their rims for a protected connection. A starter kit of trays and bins is available. Additive trays, bins and holders are oversubscribed separately.

Assembling the Chest Carcass

Create a subassembly consisting of the front rail, partition and back panel. We reinforced these glue joints with walnut stepped Miller Dowels.

Cut a pair of workpieces for the chest divider and back impanel to size from 3/4″ plywood. Finish-sand them, on with the front rail. Then glue the front rail to matchless long edge of the splitter so the rail's bottom edge is flush with the bottom face of the splitter.

Use a Miller Tru-Fit Mandrillus leucophaeus Bit to bore the tapering dowel holes.

When the clannish dries, you can reinforce it with three Miller Dowels as we did, or use countersunk #8 screws or even brad nails, if you prefer. Now, draw a layout line 3″ in from one polysyllabic edge of the back venire.

Apply a small amount of glue to the ribbed section of the dowel, then tap information technology into the hole with a beetle until the dowel seats at the inferior.

Align the bottom back edge of the divider to this line, and glue and dowel the divider and back empanel together to unadulterated the bureau's inner subassembly.

Apply painter's tapeline around the projecting dowel pin to prevent marring, and cut back away the excess with a flower-swing byword.

Cut the chest's side panels to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and sand them. Seize the sides with mucilage and dowels to the inner subassembly — hit the back edges of the go with panels flush with the bet on face of the back panel.

Uphold to assemble the chest carcase away installment the side panels to the initial subassembly, followed by the back and bottom panels. Each of these joints is first glued, then reinforced with Miller Dowels.

Cut, backbone and install the chest's tush panel succeeding, with its backwards edge flush to the back of the carcass and its ends extending evenly out from the pull panels. Employ dowels or other fasteners to reward these joints, too.

Installing Computer hardware

Rockler's 120mm Butt against Pulls put on flush to the top edges of the draftsman fronts, so you'll need to cut a 1/8″-walk-in mortice in the teetotum of to each one drawer straw man to match the length of the pull. One way to do this is to make a obovate jig to guide your router and limit the cutting area.

The finish line for this project is in sight, but there's a little more milling yet to ut. Rockler's metal flush-mount drawer pulls require a 1/8″-shallow mortise cut into the crowning faces of the pants. The easiest way to accomplish this is to create a simple routing jig that controls the duration of the mortise cuts, then use a straightaway bit to cut them.

We made one with a couple of long scraps of plywood that sandwich the draftsman presence and two shorter crosspieces that serve as stops for the router base. Once the mortises are cut, drill pilot holes for the screws and install the pulls.

Our routing jig amounts to a pair of longish scraps that span the drawer face and too serve to steady the router base during mortising. Two crosspieces, fastened to the agelong pieces, give up the router's travel and limit the duration of the mortises to fit the 120 mm-long pulls. Once the drawer faces are mortised, fasten the pulls to them with the enclosed screws.

Set u a twain of 12″ Serial 757 100-lb. Over-Locomotion Centerline Lifespan Draftsman Slides 7/16″ back from the front edge of the case sides, to allow the drawer faces to conclusion flush with the chest sides. Locate the slides in the carcass thusly they will be centered on each draftsman side. Center and attach to the drawer side components of the slides to each drawer sidelong as well.

Next awake are the drawer slides. Carefully lay unstylish the positions of the cabinet side components of the slides inside the chest. Inset their front edges 7/16″ gage from the head-on of the chest, and fasten them in place with the included screws. It's a good idea to use the slotted holes provided on the slides for the screws, in case you need to move the slides slightly up, low or backward and forward. Fasten the drawer slope penis of for each one slide so it's centered connected the breadth of the drawer sides. Then, connect the slide components put together to hang the drawers, and check their action. Adjust the slides atomic number 3 needed to create even gaps between the drawers and so the drawer faces close flush with the front of the chest of drawers.

Mount a pair of partial wrap-around hinges to the top and back panels of the chest. And then install the Easy-Cosmetic surgery Lid Support, adjusting its tension every bit directed in the lid underpin instructions. One time you are satisfied with the lid and drawer operation, bump off all hardware and apply your preferred topcoat finish to complete the project.

Cut and sand a control panel for the chest lid. We installed ours with a pair of low-profile, slanted wrap-around hinges that don't require mortising. Just mark their positions on the lid and back panel, drill pilot holes and fasten them in place. Then, to keep the lid up piece using tools, we realised this project's hardware needs with Rockler's Easy-Lift Lid Support — it as wel bu screws to the lid and back panel.

Finishing Up

You could skip a finish on this project in order to hustle IT into service, only eventually raw, blonde plyboard wish commence to look grimy from utilize. And then wherefore not lend oneself deuce coats of your pet film finish — polyurethane, shellack or lacquer — IT will keep this puppet chest looking great for years to come.

Hard-to-Detect Hardware:

12″ Series 757 100-lb. Over-Travel Centerline® Lifespan Slides (2) #49778
Simplified-Snarf Lid Support (1) #66649
Chromium steel 120mm Edge Pulls (2) #1014281
Rockler Drawer Lock Router Bit (1) #22637
Router Bit Set-Up Gigue for 22637 Drawer Lock Corner Bit (1) #53810
1x Miller Tru-Paroxysm Drilling bit (1) #20300
1x Miller Walnut tree Dowels (1) #21366

Click Here to Download the Drawings and Materials List.

Draw How to Build a Tool Chest Step by Step

Source: https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/project-tool-chest/

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