62 - Box Joint Jig, страница 14

Carpenter's

Toolbox

A classic-looking toolbox that's loaded with features.

Over the years, I've run across a lot of old carpenter's toolboxes that look similar to the one you see here. But there's something different about this toolbox. Most of the old toolboxes I've seen were quickly slapped together with nails and butt joints. And over time, the boards had shrunk or cupped and pulled loose from the nails. You won't have that problem with this toolbox. That's because the corners are joined with interlocking box joints. The individual fingers of the box joints provide a large amount of gluing surface, resulting in a much stronger joint that holds up over time.

But the box joints aren't the only reason to build this toolbox. It's also loaded with other handy features. To start with, it's the perfect size for toting around an assortment of your favorite hand tools. A sliding tray at the top of the box has compartments for nails and fasteners. The underside of the lid is fitted with a holder for a hand saw. And a leather handle on top of the lid makes it easier to carry the toolbox around from job to job.

If for some reason you don't want to use box joints, there's an easy alternative. We've provided details on our website for building

the toolbox with rabbet joints and nails instead of box joints, see photo on opposite page. While not quite as strong as box joints, rabbets offer more strength and glue surface than butt joints. And to give the box an old-time look, we used copper nails with square heads.

Wood - A lot of the older toolboxes I've seen were made out of pine, probably because it was readily available and cheap. But I decided to go with Douglas fir instead. It's a little bit harder than pine and takes on a nice, warm color over time.

14 ShopNotes No. 62