Mounting heavy hand tools

[Scottl]

Hi everyone,
I would really appreciate hearing everyone's advice/opinions on how best to mount these heavy hand tools.

Many thanks, Scott

[Justintime]

The Complete Guide to Shadowboxes and Framing Objects by James Miller is the book you need!

[prospero]

Welcome Scott.

I would first make a good solid mounting board out of 6mm> MDF. Painted or fabric covered.(?)
Or use play if you want to varnish it as a nice and appropriate background. You could even get more creative and
use planks of rough 'pallet' wood.
The plane could be perched on a little wooden shelf to take the weight.
You need to use straps threaded though the backer to stop the tools moving as much as possible. Mylar is one
way - it's almost invisible and very strong. A 2mm strips are all you need. Personally I like very thin lacquered copper wire.
Available from specialist electrical outlets. I used to cannibalise old transformers to get it. The very fine grades are as
thin as a hair but very strong and you can use multiple strands. Being lacquered it will not react with other metals.

Bit of a fiddly job.

btw. I'm still using tools like that. Some were my grandfather's.

[Not your average framer]

I think that I would create a box frame to look like the inside of a carpenters tool box and then I would go to my local hardware shope, which also sells bikes and buy some of the leather straps with buckles that are used to attach saddlebags and baskets to a bike. Then I would use the leather straps to secure the tool to the rear of the box frame.

The additional weight of some of the tools may require additional supports, which I would make out of wood, because that's how a carpenter would do it anyway. A little bit of grey oil paint, mixed with a much larger volume of boiled linseed oil, would help to make the inside of the box look a bit a grubby and well used. The residual linseed oil would need to be wiped of to avoid getting a glossy finish.

It should be noted, that boiled linseed oil dries much quicker and much better than normal linseed oil, which can take weeks to dry properly. I would constuct the box using plywood and drill the plywood to accept dowels to support and restrain the tools without the supports getting in the way of the leather straps.

Leather straps with buckles can only be set up to the nearest hole of the strap, so I would use nylon cable ties hidden under the leather straps to properly tighten down the tools into position. It should be possible to have the nylon cable ties completely hidden from view. Don't bother putting a mount at the front of the box, but just cover the edge of the plywood with a very narrow wooden slip using the same grubby colouring as the inside of the box, after all it's meant to be the inside of a carpenters toolbox.

Finally, this needs a bit more than just cord to hang it on a hook. This will be seriously heavy and if it lands on someone's foot, it may mean broken bones and a trip to the hospital. I hope this helps!

[Scottl]

Love it!
Thank you so much for the very detailed and creative responses.
I really like the idea of using pallet wood and leather straps and the whole rustic feel, maybe with some wood shavings in the bottom?
And I'll be sure to order a copy of  'The complete guide to shadowboxes and framing objects by James Miller

With regard to the mylar and copper wire, how would you best fix these to the reserve of the ply?
Many thanks again , Scott