Recent content by R_C

Thanks for the comments everyone! I owe my inspiration for this project to all of the fantastic work I've seen here on GJ.

Here are the chest's dimensions: 20 1/8" W x 13" H x 9 3/16" D

Thanks Ted. Your Peerless page is where I got the 1920's or 1930's date estimate. Note that my chest has a 4/2 drawer configuration, which is not in your list. But my chest certainly has the unique front panel feature you described. Thanks for the info.

Hah! I actually saw a video of a guy blowing bubbles through red oak when I was researching the difference. But this chest won't be going any where near water.

Thanks. The mirror frame was tricky. Gluing end grain joints isn't very strong but I managed to get a brad through the miter joints and that held up nicely.

Thanks. The original could be red oak but I can't tell the difference. My limited reading on the subject of red vs. white oak showed it was less about color and the closed-grain pores of white oak made it more durable so that's what I chose. Probably should have bought some read oak too to...

Thanks. Since it's my first time working with oak and the color and grain are so nice looking, I just wanted to capture it without staining or darkening. I used Tung Oil Finish, which I've used on other projects with good results and it's easy to maintain.

I had to make a new front panel. The few Peerless chest images I've been able to find don't include a raised panel. But I like that look on other chests I've seen so that's what I made. I found new clasps to match those on the side and added a new lock. The leather handle took a lot of work...

The drawers required some re-gluing and one needed a new side. I made a new bottom drawer using the same joinery. This is my first time working with oak. After selecting a few white oak boards I chose one with the closest grain match for the drawer face. But I'm not thrilled with the...

After removing the paint I found that attempting to sand was useless because of the original finish. I used a finish remover with 0000 steel wool to remove the finish then I could sand. This picture shows the four small drawers with the original finish before removal and sanding.

Initial paint removal did reveal an oak chest. But nearly a century of scratches and dings filled with red paint would take a lot of effort to make presentable again.

I got started by removing and soaking the hardware in Evapo-Rust. Next, I cleaned them up on the wire wheel. Finally, I polished on the buffing wheel and liked how they turned out.

Inspired by some of the awesome tool chest restorations on GJ, I wanted to give it a try. I didn't want to risk screwing up a Gerstner, so I found this Peerless chest on eBay for $60. From all of the pictures I've seen of other chests, I was sure there was hardwood under the red paint. It...

Good points. We are both lifting the weight of the vise and hitch or swing with our solutions. But with mine I have to control the weight, hold upright, and aim the hitch into the receiver. The swing has the clear advantage there. Nicely done.

I like the swing. It looks like a great solution. Had I known about it earlier I might have incorporated it into my bench build. But I agree that space under the bench is the tradeoff. An alternative to your suggestion for mounting alternate tools is an idea I stole from somewhere. Granted...