Toolbox Tours de Force

8/13/2019 Toolbox Tours de Force

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oolbox oursde orceTool-storage solutions showstyle, ingenuityb y VincentLaurence

onvenientaccesstotheirtoolswasaprime designconsideration forHerbertBuchalterand his onSanford ofFreeland Mich. atherand onsharea shopandtools. The younger

f u r n i t u r e m a k e r b u i l t h ecabinetfor his dad thoughit's the son who gets themostu s e o f

o m a n yw o o d w o r k e r s e v e nsome of t h e b e s t a s i m p l e ,u n p r e p o s s e s s i n g p l y w o o d b o x , b i s c u i t - j o i n e d t o g e t h e r ,is p e r f e c t l y s a t i s f a c t o r yf o r t o o l s t o r a g e a n dorganiza-

tion. T h e m a t e r i a l sa n d c o n s t r u c t i o n a r e i n k e e p i n g w i t h th ef u n c t i o n o f t h e b o x a f t e r a llt h e y ' r e j u s t to o ls , r i g h t ?O t h e rw o o d w o r k e r ss e e t h i n g s d i f f e r e n t l y . T o t h e m , t h e to o l -b o x , t h o u g h s t i l l p r i m a r i l y f u n c t i o n a l , m u s t a l s o b e b e a u t i f u l ,

s o m e t h i n g t h a t a f f i r m s w h y t h e y d o w h a t they d o , d a y i n a n dda y o u t . M a n yofthese wo o dwo rkers also see t h e i r t o o l b o x e s

a st h r e e - d i m e n s i o n a lp o rtfo lio s o n v i e w fo r p ro sp ective c l i e n t s ,t e s t i f y i n g t o t h e sk i ll o f t h e m a k e r .

W h e n w e a s k e d r e a d e r s to s e n d u s p h o t o s o f t h e i r t o o l b o x e sin Editor's N o t e b o o k (FWW 1 0 0 ) , w e w e r e n ' t d i s a p p o i n t e d .F r o m t h e m o r e t h a n 3 0 b o x e s , c h e s t s a n d w a l l c a b i n e t s r e a d e r ss e n t p h o t o s o f , w e selected n i n e o f t h e f i n e s t ( i n c l u d i n g t h eo n eon th ecover o f this issue, w h i c h is described on p. 4) .Vincent Laurence is anassociateeditorof F i n e W o o d w o r k i n g .


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This traditional 19th-century-style chest (above)houses over 400 tools, weighs more than 300 Ibs. loadedwith tools, and took its owner, Tony Konovaloff of Bellingham, Wash., nearly 200 hours to make.Konovaloff, a professionalfurnituremaker, uses hand

tools exclusively, so his entire shop is in this chest. TheLatin phrase carved into the lower rail of the lid means"A rt is long, l i fe is short."

"A place for everything and everything in its place,"one of the Shaker creeds, might just as well describeKonovaloff's attitude toward tool storage. Every tool hasa specific location that it fits precisely, thus keeping thebox neat and the tools accessible (inset).

With the inside of its lid flipped down, Konovaloffsbox reveals its collection of saws and extra blades (right).


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Steve Johnson's mobile toolchestwas built to withstand theabuse of bouncing over crackedconcrete as it is rolled around a

factory (he's a professional tool-

walnut and designed much likethe automotive tool chests hewas used to, the drawers on hischest glide on full-extension,100-lb. slides and are attached toan internal carcase of in.

particleboard. Overall weight forthe chest, without any tools in it,is about 215 Ibs. (including a60-lb. granite surface platemortised into the top). Themachinist's-style box on top of the chest doesn't travel with thelarger chest, but is a goodcompanion in the shop.

being told, "Hey buddy, use thefreight elevator" every time he

ventured into a high-rise

installation, cabinetmaker EricSheffield traded in his oldtoolbox for the Gibson guitarcase you see here. It holds anincredible number of toolsover

according to Sheffield, he's"accorded the respect a trueartist deserves."

and-die maker). Built of solid

Case for an "artist"Tired of

apartment building for an

40 lbs. worthand now,


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Greg Radley of Ventura, Ca l i f . , when he started designing this tool chest, Radley'ssolution was this chest-on-trestle with a utility cabinet tucked into the trestle below. The

Being able to see his tools and get to them easily was a priority for fumituremaker

trestle and all frame components are solid ash, the panels are solid mahogany veneeredwith curly European ash and the interior partitions are all mahogany.


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can't have it" is the imperative that guided thedesign of Harold Purcell's toolbox (right). Hissolution, a maple base and three stackable,cherry and mahogany boxes, provides Purcellwith convenient access to his tools as well as afair measure of visual and tactile sat isfaction.

Tim Kimack's veneered, inlaid andentirely handmade tool chest (below)

antique and owner-built tools. Kimack, afinish carpenter and furnituremaker in SimiV alley, C a l i f . ,putover 400hours into thechest, calling it "definitely a labor of love."

jewel-like in their detail, they're sturdy, functional and see daily

Four-partportability"IfIcan'tmove it, I

makes a fine home for his collection of

Two for the roadLike many an idealistic young woodworker,David Sellery of Santa Cruz, Ca l i f . , had visions ofKrenovianmasterpieces dancing in his head when he first started working

the time to build this pair of carpenter-style toolboxes to remind

wood. Years later, he found he had built a few more kitchencabinets thanhe'dpreferredjustto pay the bills. ButSellerymade

him of why he first started working with wood. Though almost

use on the job site with no apparent ill effect.

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Toolbox Tours de Force