Chest or Cabinet?

IMHO both are excellent for use but are used differently.
Toolboxes are for traveling. They protect the tools, keep them organized, 
and allow for building specific sets for specific tasks. My mechanics tools 
have a main home in two bench top cabinets in the garage. Tasks away from 
the garage find them traveling in smaller boxed groups to fit the 
requirements at hand.

Cabinets are for having things close to hand. My current crop of woodworking 
hand tools are either on pegboard hooks or sitting in cardboard waiting for 
the basement shop to be fitted out with cabinets and benches with drawers. 
My blacksmith forge, anvil, bench, vise, and tools are visiting with friends 
while I arrange a new home for them in the planned workshop waiting to be 
built.

As far as being 66+ your talking to a group that understands. I forget 
exactly what the average age of a Galoot has been determined to be but I 
think it was on the far side of spring chicken. Build the wonderful tool 
cabinet and enjoy the process. Creation is a rare and valued gift. Enjoy it 
while you can. Next build a toolbox, bench, sawhorse or anything else you 
want. If you're worried that the efforts won't be useful to others it's 
possible to donate your tools and cabinet to groups that will appreciated 
their value after you're gone. It's also possible to share them with others 
now. Join a club, teach Boy Scouts, give classes, demonstrate at shows, get 
out and find someone who will give a rats behind.

Snip
I am suddenly fascinated by the diversity in tool storage set-ups that I see 
in blogs or project photos. I know that the Schwarz has built a strong 
rationale for his tool chest. I have recently had my hands on it, and 
contrary to my first impression from just reading about it, I know that I 
could easily work from such a chest. I am now looking at Andy Rae's tool 
cabinet that was featured in Tolpin's book. I really do believe that I 
prefer the standing cabinet for several reasons. Yes, it will take quite a 
bit longer to build, and if I "pretty it up" with inlays, etc. it will cost 
a bit more. My overriding concerns are accessibility, and being able to 
tightly close the tools away from ambient dust when not in use. I donor 
believe there is a "right" answer. It is a pins or tails, western saw or 
pull saw thing. A matter of training and habit.. I have adequate storage 
now, but it is open, and has built over a twenty year period with no 
attention paid to harmonization. So I am toying with a fairly serious tool 
storage system. Anybody else wrestling with this? For me skills are not the 
issue. And really cost isn't a deal killer either. One thought that does 
concern me is that I am soon to be 67 and I have no body coming after me who 
will give a rat"s behind about infill planes, hundred and fifty year old 
plow planes or any of the rest of it. So do I build a wonderful tool cabinet 
that will be sold at a garage sale?
Talk to me about this.

Ron. Kokomo Galoot
Unsnip 

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