Back in the Machine(ist Chest) Shop

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:04 am

I "seed" a few; here is a Kennedy:
[ATTACH]25489[/ATTACH]
BUT, I like the wood ones a lot better!

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 11:36 am

prmindartmouth wrote:I "seed" a few]25489[/ATTACH]

Well I certainly have seed one now. Thanks.

Seems 'short' but wide. Squat model?

rjn2649 · Post by **rjn2649** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 7:54 pm

Great work, I love following this thead.

SO...This got me thinkin...

As a mechanic I've Always used steel tool chests, I had an old machinist chest that was a steel body, and wood drawers.

BUT growin up every machinist chest I saw was made of wood.

WHY? Does anyone have a real reason, other than they look better?

e.friedl · Post by **e.friedl** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 9:10 pm

Having worked in machine shops, a wood tool chest is a prestige item. The steel ones are often seen by to have a wood chest is a badge of honor. My boss proudly displayed his father's two pre WWII Gerstners. But so I wasn't out classed I acquired my uncle's broken down chest and re built it. He told me he bought it in the late 1930s. He was in his nineties when I restored it and he was glad some one had done it.

fitzhugh · Post by **fitzhugh** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 9:36 pm

There's a mint 1960s Gerstner on cl near here. $800. I think one you've rebuilt is way cooler than that.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/tls/4539746256.html

There is also a model 510 for $150 (too bad I've been told I can't put one in the living room so I can't get it myself). Why do I even look?

Where do you find the chests to restore?

nuhobby · Post by **nuhobby** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 2:08 am

I'd heard the wood ones were also claimed to absorb moisture and protect delicate tools from rusting; who knows?

The chests I've been rebuilding I have found both locally and via the 'auction site'. I try not to go over $100 initial purchase if possible, so I look for something with heavy disintegration or missing parts. After that, restoration parts aren't cheap, but good lumber isn't either, so I'm OK with that

.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 11:32 am

e.friedl wrote:Having worked in machine shops, a wood tool chest is a prestige item. The steel ones are often seen by to have a wood chest is a badge of honor. My boss proudly displayed his father's two pre WWII Gerstners. But so I wasn't out classed I acquired my uncle's broken down chest and re built it. He told me he bought it in the late 1930s. He was in his nineties when I restored it and he was glad some one had done it.

So where does that place my friend's plastic covered wood one? He definitely deserved a 'prestige' one. No I do not know the species.

BTW where does one procure moth cakes?

Helps the wood prevent rust.

nuhobby · Post by **nuhobby** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 5:55 pm

This one commenced just after the last one, and took about 3 months on and off. It was the most extensive rebuild I'd yet done: New top, new back, new front panel insert and top, 2 new drawer-sides, a new drawer-runner piece, about 50 round hole plugs, 3 or 4 rectangular patch pieces, new hardware, new felt...

Shopsmith bandsaw, tablesaw, and dust collector, as well as Overarm Router were used, along with a lot of hand planing.

P.S. The 2nd of my adirondacks to be painted 'burgundy' is in the background.

[ATTACH]26408[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]26409[/ATTACH]

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 8:32 pm

Lucky Nephew!

nuhobby · Post by **nuhobby** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 4:59 pm

A year later, and another chest is underway! I always enjoy making the new front-panel since I buy chests with missing parts most of the time.

Here I've just bandsawn some pretty irregular White Oak. I'm using the card-scraper techniques I saw from Nick Engler and Jim McCann back at the Shopsmith weekend in July 2008:

: ScrapingWO.jpg (111.79 KiB) Viewed 16963 times

Here's a preview of what the new front panel will look like:

: LandscapeView.jpg (105.46 KiB) Viewed 16963 times

Happy woodworking!
Chris

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Back in the Machine(ist Chest) Shop

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