Through this quick and simple project I will show you how to make a great chisel storage solution. But, first a bit of history behind the project and the problem.

I work in a Design & Technology department at a school, when I started the job I was frustrated at the condition of the chisels. This project arose from a frustration of having to constantly resharpen the chisels and the students not taking care of the tools.

At schools all over England we use Gratnells trays as they are cheap and readily available, in the workshops we use them to store a range of small tools. They are also used to store the students drawings, books and models in the classrooms. For this project I decided to improve the storage of the chisels inside their existing trays.

If you have any questions or comments about this project feel free to leave a comment below.

Step 1: Tools Required:

For this project you will need:

1 x 20mm forstner or paddle bit

1 x drill press or hand drill

1 x saw (I used a bandsaw but a handsaw, table saw, mitre saw or pretty much any saw would work fine)

1 x sliding bevel

1 x ruler

1 x pencil

1 x marking gauge (optional)

2 x clamps (I just used a pair of quick clamps)

Step 2: Materials:

For this project I used an off-cut of 18mm birch plywood (minimum size: 430mm x 19mm x 18mm) and some scrap square section softwood (430mm x 25mm x 25mm).

Step 3: Mark Holes:

Using a marking gauge I marked 10mm from the face edge; this could also be done with a ruler and a pencil.

The holes are marked out on 40mm centres, you could also put them closer together for smaller chisels but I found this spacing worked well for me.

Step 4: Drill

Using a 20mm drill bit drill to the guide line left by the marking gauge, note I use two clamps on the drill press to stop the work piece rotating.

Update: A suggestion by another member 'I find that if you make a series of holes along a straight line, then cut down that line on a table/band saw you'll end up with two halves (minus the width of the blade) and less effort controlling the bit

Step 5: Rip to Width:

For the tool rest I ripped the ply to 19mm.

Step 6: Square Section

By pressing down the front of the chisel you can ascertain the dimensions need for the square section. For me with these Irwin Marples Chisels it was 25mm x 25mm

Step 7: Angles

In order to be used inside the graco trays the tool rest needs to be angled on each edge. The angle is measured on the inside of the tray with a sliding bevel and the transferred over to the work piece.

The angle was then cut on the bandsaw using the protractor, this could easily be done with a handsaw.