Next Project?

[bandit571]

There is a "plan" floating around in the Single Brain Cell Sketch Up...
...where I  cut out a lid blank from the glued up panel.....making all 4 edges 1" wider than the box.    I then "fold" the extra down....while still matching the grain...the ends included....corners will be mitered....so, instead of a thin, flimsy lid panel...I wind up with one that looks like..1-1/4" thick.....then underside of the lid will get a "pocket" of some sort....to hold the paperwork for the taps.....drill sizes and such....


First things first....Lunch.

[bandit571]

Finally...battery for the camera was recharged, and ready to go about 2pm....Lunch had settled...off to the shop...had a lot(9) of clamps to remove..

   
Couple of handsome devils, aren't they
  Box need the top and bottom leveled..

   
So it will sit without any rocking going on.  Millers Falls No. 15....
Tried the WR 62 to clean up the sides of the box....

   
Wasn't working out....so, I dropped the box down a bit, and got out a #3 smooth plane..
 

   
Stanley No. 3, Type 11....Finally got everything on the box cleaned up..

   
Square holes?   May fill them with either Poplar...or Black Walnut..haven't decided...yet.   Set the box on the lid blank....a few lines were laid out...Most of the extra Poplar was cut away.  I had traced around the box, keeping in square on the blank.   Removed the box, and used a 1" wide ruler to mark around outside those lines....

   
Then carefully cut the four sides...

   
Mitersaw to 45 degree the ends of the "parts"

   
Cordless No. 358 Model....Then a plane to remove the bandsaw marks..

   
All set for the glue and clamps, right?   Not exactly
Stay tuned

[bandit571]

Well, I figured it would be nice IF the lid was at least flat..so..panel flattener plane..
 

   
Again, that Millers Falls No. 15 Jumbo Jack....supposed to be the "Bees Knees" to smooth and flatten a panel, right?
 

Managed to get both faces smooth and flat...the an army of clamps arrives, along with the glue bottle...

   
For those that like to count the clamps...there are 12...3 per side x 4 sides...Then, since the bottle of glue was handy, and I still had a few clamps left...
 

   
Cauls in the middle?  Well, the clamps were squeezing enough, that the center section wanted to fold right up, right down the center....Will glue those two in place on the other side before I glue this rack assembly to the bottom of the box....tomorrow.   For now, I'll just let this 2 glue ups sit overnight....

Stay tuned...

[bandit571]

First thing this morning...Garage Sale with TOOLS..
  spent $4...

   
Most of the tools were more for Mechanics....so..after being taken out to Lunch by my Daughter ( The Melody in Park Layne, OH.) came back and removed the clamps....cleaned things up, again....fitted the box to the lid...

   
Then glued in the racks..took a "special" clamp..
 

   
Rotate, and glue in the rest...then need to sort through the Hardware supply..

   
And see what will look the best..

   

Maybe tomorrow, I can start installing the Hinges, a latch...maybe some handles on the ends....

Stay tuned

[bandit571]

Hinges installed..
..

   
Check.  Latch and name plate holder installed..

   
Check.    Square holes filled?

   
Check.  Handles installed,  centered on each end...

   
Check.  Chain cut (twice!
) and installed.. 

   
Check.   Case sanded, sharp corners eased ( block plane and sander)

   
Check.  (what square holes?) Minwax "Gunstock" stain applied..

   
Outside, and in?  Check.

   
Load things up, wait on the stain to dry..

   
Debate on whether to leave the lid open, or closed tonight..

   
Will see how it looks, and smells, tomorrow.....then see about a top coat...
Stay tuned...

[stav]

Nice box.  Are you planning additional storage for additional dies?

[bandit571]

There are 12 dies in the box, right now.   3 of which are 1/4"-20s....I can keep the best one of those 3....and free up 2 spaces.

Have a set of Pipe Thread stuff....will be building a box for those, next....

[adamcherubini]

I've only seen a few of your projects, but I think this is my favorite. I think the design is nice, and your dovetails look great. I thought the lid was a little quirky. I would have done another DT box, but I've seen and made lids like yours (with the short grain sides) and I feel yours came out great.

For anyone wondering why someone would put such effort in a box to hold a tap and die set, fine machine tools are often stored in boxes like this. I have tried to attach a picture of a box that holds a Schmidt grind vise, which is a very precious little vise.

Gerstner made pretty simple boxes for tools and sometimes covered them in textured vinyl/naughahide (sp?) I think they have a mid century or early 20th c cool factor. I have tools stored in plastic storage boxes and cardboard boxes and there's nothing cool about that.

Nice job, Bandit.

[stav]

I have a similar box for a lathe chuck. It's just missing the flocking (the green felty stuff in case I got the name wrong).

[adamcherubini]

That’s 100% wool felt that I glued in with wall paper paste. The theory is that pure wool is ph neutral and contains natural oils that protect against rust.

Wasn’t easy to find pure wool. Rumor has it the synthetics are harder to dye so stronger mordants (lock in the color?) are used which are acidic and corrode steel.

This could all be complete baloney. I don’t want to perpetuate some internet myth. This is all outside my area of expertise.