Before I let the cat out of the bag and show you the vagabond tool rack,

let me [...]]]> I have finally finished my portable tool rack design.  It is a tool roll, rack and box, all in one.  Maybe not really a box, but then it may be better.  Read along, and you can be the judge.

Before I let the cat out of the bag and show you the vagabond tool rack,

let me give you the background on this project.

For three years I have been working on building a better tool box.  I really like my hexagonal one,

but the truth is, I only pull it out when I want to impress someone with it’s rustic splendor.  The problem is, that it take up too much space.  Unfolded it is about a yard square.  It covers a table.   On the floor it can be quite a reach to get a tool from where you are standing.  I love it, but it just isn’t convenient.

On my journey of exploring tool box methods, I became intrigued by the  Japanese Tool Box.    Essentially this is a very convenient crate.  A simple crate is less likely to be absconded with, so the crate was a better method of protecting tools, than a fancy box would have been.

Thinking about this, I came to a critical turning point.  No fancy box, instead the modern equivalent of the crate.  The perfect container, really, the pickle bucket.   It is nondescript, common, replaceable and air tight!  That is correct, it no only makes a good stool, it protects from weather like no other tool box can.  It is waterproof.

The only flaws to the pickle bucket are it’s difficulty in opening and closing and it’s clear lack of class.  since the lack of class, helps protect tools, I have to say, it is a very real advantage.

The Gamma Seal solves the opening and closing issue as well.

This lid holds liquids, but unscrews easily.  Makes a good sorting tray as well. Closed, the tools are safe from dust, and weather. With it open, the tools inside can be reached easily enough. Especially if they are on a nice rack.

My first thought was to build a rack that could divide the tools up in the bucket and protect them. When I took it out, I could then assemble the tool rack and put the tools on it.

This design works great, and fits together nicely with a few dovetails.

It, and all of it’s brethren still take a bit of time to put together and take apart. And the multiple racks end up, once again taking up a lot of table space. You also end up setting up and arranging a lot of tools that you don’t even use that day. Cute, but far from perfect.

Finally I came up with a rack that I liked, that also shielded the cutting edge of the saws.

It also had another great advantage, it was stable. The thing absorbs blows, that would knock over a ridged rack, and just flows with it. You can knock it over, but it takes a good hit to do it.

A lot of time went into drilling holes, until I realized, I was making pegboard. Silly me.

On the next model, I started using paracord, and decided that I really liked it. I tried a lot of different knot and stitching formations to try and get it just right.

I also found that barrel locks did a perfect job of tying down tools and still letting you get them out easily. I had planned to make a bunch of leather and wood fittings, and I still plan to, but the paracord and barrel lock combo does a really nice job and remains easy to modify. You can see the knit handle for lifting the tool rack out of the bucket. My brilliant wife knit this for me. It doubles as a bit of emergency cord, as it can be easily unraveled.

The final form, is simple and hold a lot of tools conveniently. The white board improves the lighting in front of it, so it is pretty convenient to have at the back of a table.

While I do think that a darker surface looks a bit cooler,

The advantage of improved lighting might make the white version advantageous.

Planes, scissors, spare paracord and barrel locks, a try square, and a scribe.

Marking knives, bevel gauge, bevel setter, two chisels, combination square and a sharpie.

Four more chisels an aluminum bronze mallet, screwdriver, pencil and strop.

A wooden mallet, scratch awl, lighter, flashlight, knife, and chisel.  All that is missing is the cutting gauge.   There is still more than enough room for a small one.

It can also be put together using cable ties. Very tight and stable, really nice. Somehow I prefer the paracord, even though the cable ties are much cheaper and easier to use.

Finished, the vagabond tool rack is stable and has lots of room on it.

And it fits nicely into a six gallon plastic pail!

It fits on the end of a worktable and still leaves room for tools, work and a cat.

Bob

This nice jagged chip is about to be glued.

To this chair leg.

I waxed my [...]]]> I have been testing  Ecopoxy as an adhesive. They are not marketing it as an adhesive, but I think they really should. I love this stuff.
Here is a fairly wicked test of a glue. any glue you choose to name.

This nice jagged chip is about to be glued.

To this chair leg.

I waxed my clamp first so it wouldn’t become part of the chair leg, and then I smeared the epoxy.

The resin component of the ecopoxy had  crystals in the bottom, kind of like the crystals that will form in honey.  I crunched them up with a Popsicle stick and stirred them in.  I was a bit nervous, with this, but a test is a test.  It stirred up a bit cloudy, but as you can see, after adding the catalyst the glue became transparent with no evidence of cloudiness.

The epoxy was not thick, so it went into the pores and gaps without too much work. The setting time is quite long, so I was able to paint both surfaces quite well, join then and even dabble a bit more in to fill holes. There was no smell at all. I also painted a bit onto the surface of my worktable, where it was a bit lower than the rest of the table. An odd sort of fix and test. My worktable is juniper, so I managed to do a test of Ecopoxy on a fairly acid wood as well.

As another rather vicious test, I added five new mallets to my mallet collection.

Mallets tend to get a bit of impact, so using a glue to make a mallet is cruel. Osage has a bit of oil to it, so it is also a rather cruel test. Using Aluminum Bronze, and joining it to osage is rather going over the top as far as pushing a glue. I also used some ash, since that is kind of expected as a handle and will work as a comparison if the rest fails.

So far the chair and the mallets are all holding up fine. I have not gone easy on them either.

I have to say this is a very good glue, long setting time, rugged finish, unlimited shelf life, forgiving mixing ratio, no smell to speak of, and it  takes weight and impact well.  When you throw in that it is food safe, and marine grade water proof, this stuff is a hands down winner.     I have quite a few other tests about, but it will take a bit of time before I can say how well they have held up.  The chair and the mallets are the sort of thing that I have seen other glues immediately fail from.

Bob

When grinding down a few old drill bits to make other tools, I noticed that the spiral on a point was quite lovely. This inspired me to produce this design.    This is a scratch awl, for leather and woodwork. The awl itself is made of M2 tool steel. The handle is ash and leather with [...]]]>

When grinding down a few old drill bits to make other tools, I noticed that the spiral on a point was quite lovely. This inspired me to produce this design.    This is a scratch awl, for leather and woodwork. The awl itself is made of M2 tool steel. The handle is ash and leather with a stainless steel ring.  The grip by the way, is wonderful.  I am tempted to make several gouges and chisels with this grip.

The awl is made from a large metal cutting drill bit. This was first parkerized in zink bearing phosphoric acid. Then it was blued with Oxpho Blue. Afterwards it was ground down to a point leaving the spiral in dark blued steel as a contrast to the polished M2.

I love making awls, but I must admit to having more than enough of them.  So, I put it up for sale on my Etsy Page. This way, if it sell, I can get a bit more leather to learn on.

Bob

In western woodworking, one of the common rites of passage is the manufacture of a tool [...]]]> One thing I have not seen, apart from a tool roll, is a leatherworkers holder for tools, made from leather.  Kind of hard to find in a search, since leatherworkers make aprons, rolls, holsters, belts and pouches for everyone else.

In western woodworking, one of the common rites of passage is the manufacture of a tool box.  It is certainly a good test and demonstration of skill.   It is also a nice way to showcase your skills.

Because of these things, my fascination with tool containers, and my desperate need to organize my tools, I decided to make a leatherworker’s tool holder.    Of course I decided to try to be a bit artistic and to make the holder have a timeless sort of quality.

It holds quite a range of tools convenient and ready to use.

From left to right, Top row, Head Knife made with O1 steel and osage.  Scissors, Fine Point Awl, Groover,  Spiral Punch, Overstitch Wheel, Overstitch Wheel, French Edger, Stitching Fid, Edger,  , Stitching Groover,  Sharpie, Pencil, Brad Pusher, Strike Awl, Marking Awl, Adjustable Groover, Awl Point Holder.  Bottom Row, Head Knife, 4 in 1 Punches, and Reading Glasses.

A much smaller set would work for occasional use,

I left out the Mallet, Square, Multipurpose Dividers, Canvas for Burnishing, Knife, Sandpaper and Needles that I find quite handy to have present.

Here are a few detail shots of the tool pouch,

There are so many things I would do differently if I made it again. Making this taught me a lot and that was really the point. I am still pretty new at leatherworking and I have a lot to learn.

Bob

The bottom divider is unmodified.  Works great, and it can hold a pencil.  The top one is modified by having one point ground down.   It will not measure quite as small a [...]]]> I love multifunctional tools. Sadly, most of them don’t really work very well. Here is one that is a real gem.

The bottom divider is unmodified.  Works great, and it can hold a pencil.  The top one is modified by having one point ground down.   It will not measure quite as small a gap.   It is however a much more useful tool.  The leather sheath above it holds extra bits and protects the divider.

The bit pocket has a snap at the top to put bits in and a snap at the bottom to pour them out.  It is a bit flawed as the sharp bits fall right into your hand, so you need to be careful.

This tool will act as a divider, can draw circles, and cut circles.

First I take a normal bit, and grind it down

Original Phillips Bit

Bit ground down partially

Bit Ground to point

Point ground into a cutter

The point can be ground by putting the bit in a drill and spin grinding it with sandpaper.  It can be done faster on a grindstone or belt sander.

Cutting bit in divider

A couple of important points.  The flat of the cutter should go to the outside, and should be ground level with one of the six faces of the bit’s shaft.  This way it is in line when you cut.  The curved edge facing inward, tend to force the cut to maximum allowed diameter, making for a more stable line.

Circles cut and marked by divider

This bit is great for marking wood and leather.  As you can see it will also cut.  Bits can be made with steeper angles so they do not sink as deep, or with finer points to leave a finer mark.  More conventional blades can be made as well.

Blade

Blade

With a nice divider able to cut, scribe, measure, scratch and mark, you have a pretty amazing tool.  With a screw driver handle added to the kit, you can use the blades and points for an even wider range of functions.

I made a better version of the original sheath.  Here it is on a belt with a pair of bottle holsters.

Divider Sheith on Belt with Bottle Holsters

The Bit holder uses one snap, and allows you to see and select the bit you want.  The bit can be grabbed from the bottom to avoid the sharp points.

Improved Bit holder!

I got a bit of feedback desiring one of these made for them.  So I have created an Etsy Store to sell stuff to those who don’t feel comfortable making their own.  Since one of the major goals of Toolmaking Art is to encourage people to make their own tools, the prices will of course reflect this goal.

Bob