152 – Wall Hanging Tool Chest (1 of 3)

Video - July 15, 2011

HD Download

Every shop needs a tool chest. So I set out to build a beautiful wall-hanging unit made completely from plywood. Plywood is inexpensive, durable, easy to find, and perfect for shop furniture.

The first video in the series focuses entirely on the design. Now I’m no George Walker and I would guess that you aren’t either. So how do we “average Joe designers” go about developing a project concept from start to finish? I’ll show ya!

My general workflow looks something like this:
Identify the requirements –> Establish what we know –> Determine what we don’t know –> Use SketchUp (roughly) to help define dimensions –> Assess visual appeal and apply relevant design rules if possible

Notice I said I only use SketchUp “roughly”. While SketchUp is an incredibly powerful tool and I envy those that are proficient in it, you certainly don’t have to be an expert to use it. Who says you need to sketch the entire project from top to bottom, inside and out? If you can draw rectangles and lines, you already know enough to help answer some fundamental design questions on any project you build. And if you have the time and desire to get deeper into the program, go for it! Your work will only benefit from the additional detail. But if you aren’t inclined to click ‘n drag design, you can still use this incredibly helpful program at the most basic level and still get something useful out of it.

Thankfully, Guild member Robert (TurkVA) is one of those fancy proficient SketchUp users, and he was able to create a SketchUp plan which is available for you to download now.

Remember, this is not a “how-to”; its a “how-I-do”. And you’ll see that I actually have to change my original design after I see how things are going to look in Sketchup. So its a fairly unfiltered look into my process. Oh, and Nicole is back to show us her sweet acting skillz! I should also mention that this video is being pulled from the Wood Whisperer Guild archive for your viewing pleasure. For more information about the Guild, check out TheWoodWhispererGuild.com

Resources

Discussion

3VDesigns July 15, 2011 9:34 am

Love the thought process of design… great to see the hands on part. Computers will never be able to do it all.

Reply
Marilyn July 15, 2011 9:52 am

Kittens in the chest of drawers?? or George Cluney? GC I get, but .. Love those skits. Working on my tool cabinet next. This will help me figure mine out.

Reply
Greg July 15, 2011 10:38 am

I like this one. I need to build one of these.

Reply
Anson July 15, 2011 10:47 am

Can’t wait for part 2.

Reply
Mike Pugh July 15, 2011 11:00 am

This video helped me a ton with my entertainment center design. I had a shape and design in my head but I kept struggling to model it in sketchup because I never went through the process of figuring out concrete dimensions based upon my needs. So I went over to my TV and started measuring the DVR, the xbox, the blu ray, and all this stuff and now I’ve got a handle on dimensions. My sketchup modelling will go a lot smoother now! This video gave me that ‘Oh duh’ moment I needed.

Reply
VitalBodies July 15, 2011 12:37 pm

So when did being attractive become a priority in the videos? The bloopers we fun and the video helpful. Helpful to see your work flow – it is important to have one.

One of the things I do on most projects is build the project mentally from start to finish to work out some of the bugs. Inkscape is also a nice drawing program that is open source for 2D work where playing with color is supportive.

Reply
karl July 15, 2011 1:10 pm

I’ve bean thinking about building a tool cabinet and now you have inspired me to.

Thank you Marc!!

Reply
Jay July 15, 2011 1:45 pm

Hilarious AND informative. Thanks for posting.

Reply
Dennis July 15, 2011 4:32 pm

Marc, do you have a one project price for the guild? I saw you were thinking of building a crib and my son and daughter-in-law are expecting in December and I thought I would like to build one also. Plus if my wife likes the crib she will get a year’s worth of the guild for christmas in hopes of collecting more projects for her to keep.

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer July 15, 2011 5:51 pm
  
  Hey Dennis. While we don’t specifically have a one-project price, we do have a 3-month membership option. And many of these projects do take up to three months to get all the content out, although the plans are released at the very beginning. The crib might be a little weird though depending on how well Aaron and I can work together getting this oddball design into some sort of meaningful plan. So if you waiting for the build announcement and sign up for the 3 month membership, that should cover you for the whole build.
  
  Reply
  - Dennis July 18, 2011 7:00 am
    
    Thanks I will await the announcement and join up. Though I may start sooner since my wife found a set of plans she likes. Still will join to see what I can pick up from that I haven’t already learned.
    
    Reply
The other other Brian July 15, 2011 5:47 pm

Doh!, I knew this looked familiar! It’s on the best of 2009 DVD that was bundled with my preordered book. Still a great watch a second time through.

Reply
Steve July 15, 2011 6:02 pm

Great start on this project. Can’t wait to see more. Great tip on the golden rectangle dealy-whacker.

You need to make a Krenov plane for you’re collection – Never used a top notch Lie Nielson or Veritas plane but my Krenov’d are really quite remarkable. Maybe I’ll hook you up one day to say thanks…

Headed back home to Maine in a few weeks and plan to hit Lie Nielson – hopefully I can try one out….well maybe I better not or I’ll ended up spending our vacation money on new tools! Wait – that sounds fine to me – just gotta convince the LOML :)

Steve

Reply
Sean July 15, 2011 7:31 pm

Awesome. Always looking for ways to store the tools and keep them organized. This will serve nicely. Thanks for posting.

Reply
Ralph July 16, 2011 1:40 am

Really nice design there Marc. During the video you mention the bloom smoothing plane. I tried to google that but no hit for me. The plane looks really nice can you tell something about it?

Ralph

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer July 16, 2011 8:04 am
  
  Check this out: http://www.blumtool.com/index.html
  
  Reply
Andrew July 16, 2011 4:26 am

Well, maybe you aren’t going for attractiveness, but my 3 year old daughter loves to watch these with me, and she noticed your hair cut.

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer July 16, 2011 8:05 am
  
  Or LACK of a haircut. :)
  
  Reply
Curt F July 16, 2011 10:26 pm

great video, I am going to have to build one of these.

Reply
AZ_Ron July 17, 2011 9:50 am

Marc, I see little tidbits of World of Warcraft in your videos… The Murlocos T-shirt, Alliance insignia on your laptop etc… Do you still find time to play?
I’ve been playing for about 3 years, and now that we’re buying a house and I’ll finally be able to get my woodshop set up, I think my WoW days are going to be severely scaled back!

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer July 17, 2011 10:17 am
  
  Hey Ron. Its not so much a matter of time as it is desire these days. I don’t play nearly as much as I used to primarily because I am bored with the game. I played Rift for a while which actually reinvigorated my desire to play WoW. But then that wore off too. So I’m mostly console gaming at this point.
  
  Reply
Micah July 17, 2011 5:49 pm

wow I wish I could do that!

Reply
Bryan H July 18, 2011 10:59 am

I appreciate the thought process of the design, but the thing that puts your videos above so many others is simply the personality that you put into it. You and Nicole both make it really enjoyable to watch and I always love the out takes. Can’t wait for the next one!

Reply
Mark N July 18, 2011 2:58 pm

Thank you for the education on designing. Sometimes I wish woodworking shows would spend more time on the general design principles. That is just as enjoyable as the woodworking itself.

Reply
Stu July 19, 2011 12:11 pm

Extra points for Leeeeeroooooooooy Jeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnkiiiiins WOW clip.

Reply
Rick Kruse July 20, 2011 1:21 pm

I need to look at building one of these for my shop

Reply
Bryan H July 20, 2011 4:21 pm

Marc, can you also design a disappearing and reappearing cabinet since pretty much all of my wall space has been used up? If you can manage that functionality I’ll take it in any size….and I have to imagine you’ll get a plethora of new guild members with that build!

Reply
- AZ_Ron July 20, 2011 4:50 pm
  
  I was hoping for more of a TARDIS tool cabinet… you know… when people see it, everyone makes the comment:
  “It’s bigger on the inside!!”
  
  Any of you who are Doctor Who fans will get it… if you’re not, you won’t! ;)
  
  Ron
  
  Reply
  - Bryan H July 21, 2011 10:14 am
    
    No doubt that would work too….and the fact that it is a ‘Police Box’ in your garage will ward off any tool thiefs too!
    
    Next Guild Build: The TARDIS
    
    Reply
  - thewoodwhisperer July 21, 2011 3:23 pm
    
    This reminds me….you guys saw this right? http://www.thewoodwhisperer.co.....ho-tardis/
    
    Reply
Zachary July 20, 2011 5:24 pm

It would be neat to have a planner like that. Neat video.

Reply
William Hall July 21, 2011 7:30 am

Totally off topic. Where did you get your plantation shutters? I need some for my new garage. Keep up the good work! You’re an inspiration!

Reply
- Bryan H July 21, 2011 10:14 am
  
  I’m pretty sure Marc mentioned a while back that the shutters were a Home Depot purchase….I know thats where I got mine.
  
  Reply
- thewoodwhisperer July 21, 2011 11:07 am
  
  Yeah those were from HD. The house already had some shutters installed, so we continued with the same brand and style through the rest of the house.
  
  Reply
  - William Hall July 22, 2011 10:51 am
    
    Excellent! Thank you!
    
    Reply
tom July 21, 2011 11:26 pm

Check out this picture of Mark:

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2.....-each.html

Reply
joe July 22, 2011 1:05 pm

Hi insted of a turn handle to hold the plainers up have a small block of wood there with a slot in it so the plainer slides up into it and back down into the grove on the bottom…. that way you can retrieve it with one hand if needed ..

let me know if it helps
thanks

Reply
Brad July 30, 2011 7:58 am

Hey Marc, I hope you were paid well for your mugshot on the dumblittleman site! Didn’t know you were so multi-talented.

Reply
David July 31, 2011 5:14 pm

Thank younfor explaining the golden rule and demonstrating how it can be applied to a project.

Reply
Monclair January 14, 2012 12:19 pm

Gostei muito do site, das dicas e tudo mais
Parabens (congratulations)
Brasil – Rio de Janeiro

Reply
Dane Christensen April 8, 2012 7:33 am

Marc,

Now that you’ve used this tool cabinet for a while, is there anything you would change or omit? Have you added any features? I’m thinking of building something similar and would love that kind of insight.

It would be nice, perhaps, to have a recap show (series?) on the shop projects (all projects you have kept?) to learn what you like and don’t like about them after they’ve been in use for a while.

Thanks!

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer April 8, 2012 11:42 am
  
  I’ll definitely consider that for the future. As for the tool cabinet, I haven’t changed much. This was the second cabinet I made for my shop so it already included “improvements” that would make it suitable for my purposes. I think if I had a chance to change anything, I might make the door cavities a little deeper. I don’t necessarily need that space yet but someday it might be nice to have it there.
  
  Reply
Jason Jones August 20, 2012 9:20 am

** DISCLAIMER **

No kittens were harmed in the making of this video.

Reply
sjeff70 January 27, 2013 3:04 pm

Marc, your daydreams are very wholesome.
Nichole married a good man. :)
Great skit.

Reply

152 – Wall Hanging Tool Chest (1 of 3)

Resources

Sponsors

Advertisers