Gear: Keep Your Easy-to-Lose Garage Gear in a Cool, Wooden Tool Chest

Keep Your Easy-to-Lose Garage Gear in a Cool, Wooden Tool Chest

By Petrolicious
May 31, 2013

Like Larry David, we respect wood, we revere wood, we’re considerate of wood. That’s why we love tool boxes made of the stuff.

Though perhaps not as practical as a metal box, there’s something special about a shiny, lacquered, multi-tiered chest of drawers sitting on a garage workbench—a calm, organized center in an often messy, chaotic place. We’ve used them for storing clips, shims, fuses, and small-sized sockets and screwdrivers, their relatively modest dimensions and felt-lined compartments perfect for organizing tiny, easy-to-lose components and tools—the kind of stuff that’s prone to disappear when stored in boxes sized for larger items.

Gerstner has been making so-called “machinist’s chests” out of wood for more than a century now. Still built with tongue and groove joints and available in a variety of configurations, sizes, and finishes, they range in price from about 100 bucks to nearly 4,000, meaning it’s easy to find one right for your needs and budget. Be sure to rest your coffee cup elsewhere, though

Click here to see all the tool boxes Gerstner has to offer.

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steven
steven
11 years ago

I am lucky enough to have received my grandfathers which was made in the early 1940s. He used it as a machinist in Cleveland Ohio. The outside shows some wear and the inside still looks new with a couple oil stains on the felt lined drawers.

Christopher Gay
Christopher Gay
11 years ago
Reply to  steven

That is the best kind of tool box. Lucky, indeed. I hope it was handed down with some tools included.:)

Nik Stewart
Nik Stewart
11 years ago

I love these and was planning on making my own:
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32761&cat=1,46158,46165

Ryan Lopez
Ryan Lopez
11 years ago

wouldn’t these fall apart because for me a tool chest is a tool you beat on it but to use this as a dresser maybe

Christopher Gay
Christopher Gay
11 years ago
Reply to  Ryan Lopez

Hi Ryan. These are mostly machinist tool chests, designed for holding precision measuring and inspection tools. They are not designed for beating on, so yes, they would fall apart if you clobber it with your hammer.
Please stay away from my tool boxes. 😉

PaulGeudon
PaulGeudon
11 years ago

Christopher, you say to stay away from your tool boxes? Do you represent Gerstner? I am very interested in something along these lines for my garage that will be completed this week. Pic enclosed, but I think it deserves a nice hand-crafted wooden solution as opposed to my beaten up old red Snap-On one!

Key for me is whether or not you have an International distributor or can you ship to the UK?

Christopher Gay
Christopher Gay
11 years ago
Reply to  PaulGeudon

Hi Paul,

I am not affiliated with Gerstner, nor do I even own a Gerstner. I was just kind-heartedly making light of beating up on a nice toolbox, if nothing else.
I am, however, a fabricator, and can surely make a handcrafted solution for your tools if you cannot locally source one to your liking.
Looks like you are going to have a nice garage for your Porsches! Congratulations.

jinglebuddy
jinglebuddy
11 years ago

Most of those are old machinists tool boxes, so perfect for tools and stuff, of course. But…look for them, you can still find the “original” at a flea market for peanuts.

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