A Few Upgrades to the Tool Chest

I thought that the traveling tool chest (see prior post) was supposed to be done. I noticed a few glitches. First of all, the lower tills would tilt when placing them in the chest, making it difficult to place the trays on the rails. All that was needed was a pair of 1/4" thick strips of wood placed between the two rail guides. 

After

Before

Next the lower tills were awkward to remove. For the lighter tray, a handle connected together with through dovetails was added similar to that of a picnic basket.

For the other tray, because it is so heavy, custom made brass hinges were made to secure the flip top lid for the Stanley No. 55 cutters. A brass handle was added. The handle was a bit too tall, so it needed to be recessed. Chisels and a router plane. 

The handle needed to be recessed a bit. The pointed blade on the router plane is great for going against grain and getting into corners.

 Approximate cost of hardware:
Full mortise lock: $25 + shipping from Lee Valley Tools
Lid hinges, chest handles, corner guards, brass hinge for heavy till (from a hobby shop) combined were about $16 combined.