So, I finally got around to making the toolbox from the 1940's from St. Roy Underhill. Aside from making it a bit shorter (so it would fit in our storage), not making the base of the tray out tomato cans and using metal corner bumpers, I followed his directions to the letter. It was a fun project that I made entirely out of hand tools. No electrons were harmed in making this toolbox.
I opted to use poplar that I picked up at the local big box store because all the pine was knotty and crappy looking . All the hardware used on it, I got from Lee Valley. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the way it came out. And I got some nice compliements at Off the Saw last week.
Learned a ton from this so that's good. For example, using a Stanley #78 Rabbet plane is not as easy as it looks. I kept going cockeyed with it. Also, resawing a 3/4" piece of poplar that is 30" long is not something you can do unless you have an afternoon free. Note to self: make a new friend who owns a bandsaw.
A corollary to this is that sharp tools are very important. The resawing probably would have gone quicker if my rip saw was sharp. And I gouged the side with my dull block plane.
Finally, I learned I really need to make a shooting board. All the cuts where I didn't use my Langdon mitre box, turned out all squirrelly.
But when all is said and done, now I have a nice little toolbox to carry my tools around the house.