The WOOD BEE CARVER offers a tip for making an inexpensive Tool Caddy to receive twenty three palm carving tools made out of a 4 X 6 Index Box that can be purchased from Staples for under $7.00.  The “WOOD BEE CARVER TOOL CADDY – Photo Trail” photos are a visual path beginning with photo one showing the Tool Caddy holding 23 palm tools.

Photo two shows eighteen tools at home in the Tool Caddy with five tools in front waiting to be placed in their respective holes.  The five tools in front have had their handles dipped in Plastic Dip to create non-slip handles. Photo three shows all twenty three tools in front of the Tool Caddy as it looks without any tool in place.

Photo four shows a SNAP-N-STORE 4 X 6 Index Box as it comes from Staples.

Photo five shows the lid upside down with quarters positioned in a pattern to give a preview as to where the holes are to be cut.  When the position of the quarters are in place, a pencil line is drawn around each quarter to guide the cutting of each hole.

Photo six shows the twenty third hole being cut using a 3/4 inch # 7 gouge to cut out a circular plug to make the hole.  Place the gouge on the drawn pencil line, press down firmly but raising up one corner of the gouge so that the cutting edge is slightly skewed above the circle line and then guide the cutting edge around the circle in a slicing action.  A 3/4 inch # 7 gouge will make a circle the size of a quarter.  The cut is made from the underneath side of the lid held of a firm surface with a few sheets of paper between the lid and the firm surface to receive the cut when it comes through the lid so as not the damage the firm surface.  After the circular holes are cut, a “V” tool is used to cut small slots across from each other on the side of each hole to allow for wider tools to fit through the holes.

Photo seven shows the top of the lid with all the holes cut and slotted and ready to be placed on the box to complete the Tool Caddy.  The Tool Caddy can be free standing on the work bench, a table or near where the carving process is taking place.  It can also fit inside a canvas Riggers Bag that can be purchased at Harbor Freight for around ten dollars, as photo eight reveals.

The Tool Caddy in an inexpensive way to hold palm carving tools and is light enough to move to various carving sites.  Plus it is fun to make, so have fun by following the photo trail of “WOOD BEE CARVER TOOL CADDY – Photo Trail”