A simple toolbox

[hobbes]

I made this simple toolbox for a couple of reasons:

1) Have something to hold some of the basic woodworking necessities like clamps, mallet, glue, wrench, etc.
2) Make it using dominos so I can get some practice for using my new tool

Here's the result...nothing fancy, but useful and gave me some practice with doing a domino as exposed joints instead of just hiding it. It's more dominos than would be needed for a little box like this but I thought adding them gave it some character.

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If I make another one, I'll add handles to it.

 

[mattfc]

would have expected better joint alignment from the domino on the back left, it looks like the side is a bit inset from the endpiece.. do you make sure you use the domino in the same way from a reference percpective, e.g. when you do then ends, mark which face of the side you want on the outside and make sure its face up when you do the mortices on the side piece, that way they should be flush

 

[Alan m]

i find the domino a pain on pine and other cheap woods like that from hardware store. it cups badly and you cant get the edges to line up like you would with a quality timber.
i like the visable dominoes.
are they wome made ones

 

[Tinker]

Interestingly, "cheap pine" is less affected by shrinkage and expansion than many of the hard woods.
For that tool box, I might think of pinning the dominos for the end pieces.
And maybe a couple along each side piece. It would take more of a beating that way.
Tinker

 

[hobbes]

Well, I would like to say it's the tool that made it inconsistent but I'm sure in this case it was the user.  [laughing] On that note, I wasn't too particular about absolutely having everything perfect, it was just to get used to it and see how it would work. You'll notice that a some holes aren't perfectly shaped and that's because it moved a bit so the registration wasn't perfect for the duration of the plunge. That said, what Alan said about hardwood I also found to be true. I thought would be easier to use softwood but it turned out that with these tools it's easier with the harder wood because of the rigidity of the material.

These walnut dominos were purchased from Woodcraft, they have them on clearance right now (or did when I bought them). I kinda like that these don't have any branding on them even though you don't see that once it goes in.

The other reason for using soft wood was because I thought that for a toolbox it would be better be better for the tools if they got jostled around it wouldn't be as hard a surface.
Yes, pinning would be a good idea but for this box, with just the glue and dominos it is plenty strong. I stood on it and not even a squeak.