Vintage Toolbox

Taking cues from luxe tool storage from the early days of car travel, build a handsome benchtop organizer for your most-used tools and gear.

I often refer to projects like this toolbox as a “chip away” project. It’s a project that can be addressed in between other duties, or serve as a break when you’ve hit a wall or are waiting on material for other projects. It’s also an aid on the weekends to fend off the ever present golf-on-TV nap that I catch staring at me — when they think I’m not looking. Yes, this toolbox is an ideal small project in that it has some challenges that will keep you awake, while not demanding a lot of space to work on in the shop. All the parts can be set aside or easily stowed away when more important issues arise. As for the look of the toolbox, all you need to do is an image search on the web for rare Louis-Vuitton-tool-box and you’ll see the inspiration behind Dillon Baker’s design. Notice the brass trim on the box. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill hobby shop brass strip. This is architectural-grade brass that has a soulful luster. Also the corrugated door that keeps things contained evokes a cloth-like warmth to the front of the toolbox. When the door is lowered there are the whimsical leather-tabbed drawer pulls that adorn the beveled drawer fronts. Throw into the mix the hand-cut dovetails that join the case bottom to the sides and punctuate the rim of the lid. All these elegant details makes for a convincing argument that you’ve got an instant classic on your hands.

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What You Get:

  • 10 pages of step-by-step instructions
  • 50 full-color photos and illustrations and exploded views
  • Hardware sources and materials list

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