Bench Drawers?

Re: Bench Drawers?

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Instead of the complexity of slanted racks for things like carving chisels, to take full advantage of deep drawers, you should consider making several shallow drawers, just deep enough for one chisel. In general, that works for things like layout tools, and block planes on their sides, etc. Much less chance of something getting buried, so you have to dig for it, everything is visible, and it's a lot easier to rearrange the drawers as your collection of working tools and your work habits change.

Re: Bench Drawers?

Ernie Miller Topeka

>I don't want things getting burried or junk drawers. I have alot of factory made drawer sides that are 2" & 3" deep I was palnning on using it for some of the drawers but might just make most all of the drawers out of it.

Re: Bench Drawers?

Russell Seaton

>The drawer boxes under my bench will be roughly 17" tall by 21" deep by 26" or 31" wide. I plan to put three 2" tall, one 3" tall, and one 6" tall drawer in each box.

I determined these dimensions by looking at my big Craftsman toolboxes where my tools are now stored. The top drawers hold my chisels, layout tools, and saws. These are all 1 7/8" tall inside. Everything just fits.

Next are some 2 7/8" drawers and these hold block planes, spokeshaves, charpening equipment, drill bits and their cases. Everything fits pretty well here too.

The 6" drawer height was determined by measuring the height of my #7 planes. The old Stanley is 5 1/2" tall when sitting on its sole. So the drawer is tall enough to hold this plane and all other becnh planes. Planes can also be laid on their sides and then they would only be about 3" tall but would be harder to grab out of the drawer. If I get a #8 and it is over 6" tall, then it will have to go on its side in the widest drawer.

I like many shallow drawers over a few deep drawers. And my chisels and layout tools just lay in the drawers without any special racks or anything.

Re: Bench Drawers?

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>It the drawers I made, the block planes just fit, on their sides, with cutouts glued to the bottom to keep them from sliding around. The problem is that sometimes shaving fall into the drawers, and when I put the planes back, the drawers get hung up on the planes. Give yourself at least an eighth inch clearance.

Re: Bench Drawers?

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Do you need to know how tall a #8 is, just in case? I like my bench planes set on their soles. Only block planes on their sides. Traditionally, wooden molding planes are put in very deep drawers, on their noses, so you can see the profile of the base from the top of the drawer. It doesn't make sense to have to pull several of them out to see the profile. That, I guess, is why they are all the same length.

Re: Bench Drawers?

Ron in Kokomo

>Please do not be offended by this simple observation. Make sure that you can get to the stuff in the drawers when you need it without having to disassemble whatever you may have clapmed to the fron of your bench. DAMHIKT

Ron

Re: Bench Drawers?

Ernie Miller Topeka

>Why would any one do something like that? Another reason you don't have any thing untill you have two of every thing. go for the back up. don't keep back up in same drawer.

Re: Bench Drawers?

Ron in Kokomo

>I can remember at least two times where I had to get something from a bench drawer that took an extra half hour because I had to completely dismantle a set-up on top of the bench and then get the item and then re assemble the set up.

That's why I do not like to keep frequently used tools below the bench. I realize that shop space often will dictate otherwise and that foot print is to big to be wasted.

Ron

Re: Bench Drawers?

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>That's one reason why I built my bench drawers to open from either side of the bench.

You got that pile-o-block planes stored away in drawers yet?

Re: Bench Drawers?

Ron in Kokomo

>I have about a hundred block planes. ( some of them very crispy and cool) stored in a couple of boxes inside Rubbermaid crates. Ditto with spokeshaves.

I just moved some stuff down in the basement where I will be able to set up a small Neander shop. I have family with athsma and want to produce no more dust that ordinary living does.

I have to dismantle my work bench and carry it downstairs then re assemble it. I have a power

tool woodworker next door, and if I do not abuse the provilege I can get some stock thicknessing and ripping done there. I can do the rest " the proper way" I actually have so little shop time now that it is not much of an issue. I am about 4 or 5 years away from " gettin back into it" like I was. I do miss it some, but what is taking its place in my life now brings such rewards that I do not complain. BUT I may get a little shop time in tomorrow morning before the rest of the squad gets up

Good to talk to you Bill

Re: Bench Drawers?

Ernie Miller Topeka

>I have a little shop in the basement and just love it. I can work down there why the wife is sleeping and not to much mess. I'm working on pictures for a tour.

Re: Bench Drawers?

Angelo in Cornwall, NY

>I'm at the same point myself. First, I decided on 2 18" boxes and then a 10" box in between. On the 18" boxes there will be 2 2.5" drawers, 2 4" drawers, and 1 6" drawer. The 10 inch box will get a 10 inch drawer on the bottom, and 5 2.5 inch drawers above. I figure those 2.5" drawers will be good for chisels, layout tools, and drills, while the deeper drawers can hold planes and the 10" one can hold various tailed assistants.

Re: Bench Drawers?

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>It's good to hear you're getting back into it, Ron. I haven't seem much of you in quite a while 'round these parts.

Re: Bench Drawers?

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Russell,

Seems to me I figured out once that my No. 8 would fit in a drawer 6-3/8" deep. If you need me to check this weekend, I can.

Bill

Re: Bench Drawers?

Russell Seaton

>Thanks. You can check, it would be nice to know. But I don't think it would matter. I don't have the room for a 6.375" deep drawer. With a 1/4" plywood bottom, this would be about 6.625" deep. Then I would have to pare an 1/8" or so from all of the other drawers.

Hmmmm. Maybe I could do that. I'll have to remeasure the absolute minimum I need for the shallow drawers and see how much extra space I'll have in the drawer box. I have two #7 planes so its not like I need a #8. But if I should run across one at a bargain price, I'm sure I will buy it. And it would look so cool to have all of the bench planes in one drawer lined up side by side. Ahhhhhh.

Good news: I was wrong

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>My low-knob, old, Stanley No. 8, with the iron retracted as far as it will go (and an iron with not much use), is 5-5/8" to the top of the iron, so a 6" inside-depth drawer should work after all. I don't know whether L-N planes are taller, or Hock irons or any of that.

Thanks

Russell Seaton

>A regular old #8 will fit then. I had thought of the Lie-Nielsen #8 being probably taller. But then I remembered it costs $475. I figure it will be awhile before I get it. I reckon a regular old Stanley #8 will be found and bought first. If I have to replace the blade, I can always cut off the top inch or so above the cap iron slot to make it shorter, if need be.

Poverty has its virtues...

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>or at least we who share it like to believe so.

Every once in a while, for chuckles, I list all the L-N planes that I'd buy if I had lots-o-money, and then chuckle when they total somewhere north of $1500. I'm not sure if I've got that much money in my total tool inventory (that's expenditure, not worth), though I may be fooling myself.

Re: Poverty has its virtues...

Russell Seaton

>I've done that too. I have a complete list of the bench planes in a spreadsheet and Clifton or Lie-Nielsen or Veritas by all of the ones I want. Almost all of them except the goofy #1. I don't want that plane. I want the Lie-Nielsen 4.5, 5.5, and 8. Only $1100 total. Much less than your $1500. Of course these unacquired Lie-Nielsen planes would merely supplement the set of Clifton bench planes already acquired. And a few Stanleys.

Yesbut...

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL

>How could you get ALL of the LN bench planes, and not want that one last plane to make a complete set? It would bug me every time I looked at them!

(not a problem here, yet - 8 planes to go)