Interesting tool totes

[Richo B]

Has anyone made a tool tote specific to the tools you needed it to carry. Or a tote of an interesting design. I'm not talking about that standard tote project consisting of an open box/tray with a center handle. I'm referring more to the types of totes as one finds in The Toolbox Book by Jim Tolpin in Chapter 9 "Open Shoulder Totes". My Dutch Tool chest is almost complete but I've since bought some additional tools and it now weighs a ton. So now it is more of a portable tool cabinet than a tool chest. I have a rolling base that it sets on in the garage but I can't roll it from the laundry room to the garage due to three brick steps between the two. I'd like to build a tool tote to carry the three heaviest planes and the four chisels from the laundry room to the garage so the chest won't break my back.
I have some ideas but was curious what others on the forum may have made in regards to tool totes. :wsmile:

 

[danmart77]

Has anyone made a tool tote specific to the tools you needed it to carry. Or a tote of an interesting design. I'm not talking about that standard tote project consisting of an open box/tray with a center handle. I'm referring more to the types of totes as one finds in The Toolbox Book by Jim Tolpin in Chapter 9 "Open Shoulder Totes". My Dutch Tool chest is almost complete but I've since bought some additional tools and it now weighs a ton. So now it is more of a portable tool cabinet than a tool chest. I have a rolling base that it sets on in the garage but I can't roll it from the laundry room to the garage due to three brick steps between the two. I'd like to build a tool tote to carry the three heaviest planes and the four chisels from the laundry room to the garage so the chest won't break my back.
I have some ideas but was curious what others on the forum may have made in regards to tool totes. :wsmile:

I made a couple of these then needed to make a "couple" more for other woodworkers and friends. The entire box is built around a 15 degree angle pattern to keep it simple. In the last photo you'll see a cradle and an old walnut box. I built the box as a test then jumped into the cradle with a good feel for the angles.

There was a class on a toolbox like this one but the builders did a special center handle like mine but they dovetail slotted the handle in. I used screws on the ends and bottom of mine to make it quick and easy.

I really like my toolbox and I've used it heavily over the years. Its a nice size. If interested, I can post some measurements.

The idea for the toolbox came from a cradle I built for my chilldren 33 years ago. I found an old cradle like this up in the Winchester VA area and decided to work out the geometry of the compound angles for the dovetailing.

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[KenOfCary]

We had a workshop at Bill Clemmons shop a few years back led by Mike Davis where we all built a tool tote similar to the one Dan posted pics of. It has the center handle section made with a sliding dovetail on the ends. The bottom is just fitted inside the sides and the middle handle holds it in place. No screws - everything is glued together with dovetails. I painted mine with milk paint.

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There's a few more pics in my gallery in the ToolTote album if you're interested.

 

[CDPeters]

Here's one I made for my wife to use to tote her gardening hand tools around in:

 

[Mike Davis]

Maybe this is more of what you are looking for?

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/w...g/fred-west-commemorative-tool-chest-giveaway

 

[Richo B]

Yes - Mike that was more in the direction I was trying to steer the thread. The other responses relate more to the basic tool tote I mentioned at the beginning. That style of tool tote will not work in this situation. I searched on "tool tote" in the archives and found that class but again that is not what I'm trying to build here.

What I have in mind is a tray that will hold three planes side by side, two jacks on either end of a smoother. Then below, in slots, are four chisels. Because the length of the tray needs to be at least 14" to accommodate the jacks the chisels don't run the full length of it so there is some room on the other side of them for a small drawer. I'm trying to figure out if the logistics of this would work regarding strength of members regarding the handle. I also found a tote in the book I mentioned before that swiveled but included a pin that ran the full length of the box. I've only drawn up some pictures and not gone forward with actual designs yet.