Traveling Tool Chest: Simply Stunning

Last week, we shot the cover photo for the August issue. It’s a classic English tool chest sized for travel (though it holds almost a full complement of furniture making tools, sans moulding planes). The build was a collaboration between Christopher Schwarz, who designed and built the chest, and Jameel Abraham, who made the 3D marquetry panel for the lid’s interior (and Peter Ross, who made the hand-forged hardware.)

Last week, right after Al Parrish shot the picture in Chris’s shop, the chest took off to Chicago (in the back of Raney Nelson’s car) and made a brief stop at Jeff Miller’s shop for a Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event, then traveled home to Cedar Rapids, where Jameel will use it in his shop.

So, because a fair number of folks got to see it already in Chicago, and because I’ve been teasing it long enough, here it is:

Those tools in the medallion? All carved by hand, and fit perfectly into place. (Nice tight dovetails, too, Chris, and masterful use of space. But man…that lid panel!)

The article on building the chest will be in the August issue. Jameel’s lid panel article follows in October.

— Megan Fitzpatrick

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