Gerstner now offers two BIY (build it yourself) wood tool chest kits – one with 5 drawers (35A), and another with 7 drawers (35B). Both kits are currently only available with oak and nickel components.
The 5-drawer chest features 5 full-width drawers, with 2 of them slightly taller than the others, while the 7-drawer kit features 3 full-width drawers and 4 half-width ones.
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There’s also a locking raised panel front lid that helps keep drawers contained during transport. If you plan on moving the tool chest around, you’ll probably want to add a handle to the top or sides.
After viewing the assembly instruction videos, it is clear that these aren’t quick assemble-it-yourself kits that you can put together in 5 minutes. They require some sanding, careful gluing, and finishing.
Even though the kit looks to require more user-supplied elbow grease than I would have thought, the result is a USA-made Gerstner tool chest at a fraction of the normal price.
Both chest kits are priced at $299.
More Info: 5-drawer kit, 7-drawer kit (via Gerstner)
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Dimensions:
7-Drawer
- 16″ wide x 11-1/2″ tall x 8-3/4″ deep
- four 6-1/2″ x 1-1/4″ x 5-5/8″ drawers
- one 14-1/4″ x 1-1/4″ x 5-5/8″ drawer
- two 14-1/4″ x 1-1/2″ x 5-5/8″ drawers
5-Drawer
- 16″ wide x 11-1/2″ tall x 8-3/4″ deep
- three 14-1/4″ x 1-1/4″ x 5-5/8″ drawer
- two 14-1/4″ x 1-1/2″ x 5-5/8″ drawers
Assembly Videos:
Dennis
Tool chests like this always seem more beautiful than functional to me. Also, even though it’s 1/3 off this winds up being a calculation of how much is my time worth. Judging from the time and effort it takes to build, the time spent building it will cost me more than the $90 I save. Labor of love I guess.
Stuart
Going by the prices of Gerstner’s other smaller chests, this would be priced at maybe $450 or higher if completely assembled and finished in the USA.
If COO isn’t a concern, a larger Gerstner International chest can be had for $300 or less.
I could see these chests appealing to a certain market. For me, if I’m going to go through the trouble of sanding, planing joints, gluing, and finishing, I’m more inclined to just build the entire thing from scratch. At least that way I would be able to customize every aspect.
John S
My sentiments exactly (per your last paragraphy). If I am going to do this much work on it, why not do it all myself?
fred
Or — if you get ambitious – you might take a crack at building a reproduction of the Duncan Phyfe tool chest
Jerry
I like the idea. For the most part, one would use a chest like this for either delicate tools, cutting tools, or ones that could have the finish harmed by a metal drawer. I think it would be great for an intermediate woodworker to use as a stepping stone from simple projects, to cabinetry. By having the parts already cut to size, one could learn about fitting, squaring, finishing, etc, knowing that all the pieces were there, and properly shaped. For someone like me who learns best hands on, it would be a great learning tool, that would have functionality as well. I have a shelf full of ‘not quite right’ projects, that I keep around, as reminders of the lessons I learned of how and how NOT to do things.
Jeff Adcox
I bought a look alike chest made by Windsor Design (item 94538) for $80. I use it as a gun cleaning kit. $200+ would be a little much for this application but $80 is about what you would pay for a good tackle box which also works pretty well as a gun cleaning kit. The top holds all of my solvents, oils and patches and the partitions in the smaller drawers work well for the different caliber brushes.
These type chest work really well if you are into shooting.
Ed
Hi.
I am looking for the rounded meal split pegs or (cotter pins)
Stuart
I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to help you. You’ll have to contact Gerstner, or maybe source industrial suppliers, such as McMaster Carr, although they don’t tend to carry furniture hardware.