Beautifully made tiny miniature 18th century toolchest with tiny, working tools

On The Toolchest Site, an astounding miniature replica of the 18th century Hewitt chest at Colonial Williamsburg, created by miniaturist William Robertson. Robertson's work is mind-boggling in its detail and virtuosity. The article notes that this was a 1,000-hour project.

There are also cast brass Rococo drop handles as well as beaded backplates. It should also be noted that the miniscule lock actually works, and the label on the underside of the lid is printed on 18th century paper — in lettering to perfect scale of course.
As you would expect from something so masterfully created, the tool chest was made with the same construction as the original chest. Tool trays and drawers are fully dovetailed with hand-sawn dust boards. The dividers are v-notched and crosslapped and the lid sides are tongue and groove.
Robertson’s tool chest contains all the same tools that were found in the original. All the tools work, even the plane’s tote (handle) is set a scale 1/8″ to one side as the original. The saw has 160 teeth to the inch. Robinson says that the hardest tool to make was the folding rule with 5 leaf hinge. It is about .030″ thick and hand engraved on boxwood. Things like the shears and dividers also have nice little joints.

William Robertson Miniature Tool Chest (via Make)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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MrWednesday7

Just so beautiful.
charming.quark

Yes, beautiful! Now can you use them to build a tiny violin?
oasisob1

I understand he intends to use these tools to build a 1/20th-scale replica of these tools… etc.
Eark_the_Bunny

Gadget Hackwrench just called, she wants her tool box back.
http://twitter.com/bittersweetdb db

Looks like it could have been built by Lester Freamon.
http://www.facebook.com/dewimorgan Dewi Morgan

I lack the words. This is sooo desirable.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1577935073 Gabe Leavitt

Amazing that most of these tools are still commonly used, by me anyway.
humanresource

You’re all so gullible. This is obviously a souvenir that Gulliver brought back from Lillliput.
http://profiles.google.com/westcarleton Ray Perkins

Beautiful. These days we’d just use Photoshop.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1515015318 Missy Pants

And I was just lamenting that North American miniatures were sad when compared to Japanese miniaturist creations! Lovely!

Y’all should check out Cho or Nunu’s House, impossible creations.

http://koapin.blog61.fc2.com/

http://chobiko72.blog95.fc2.com/
http://twitter.com/angela_la_la Miss Angela

Hey, anyone who’s interested in looking at amazingly detailed miniatures like this should hit the Philadelphia Miniaturia convention this weekend in Cherry Hill. There are tons of gorgeous handcrafts like this to look at! 10-5EST today, 11-4 Sunday. Saw this post just as I was leaving to go there!
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1515015318 Missy Pants
  
  Do you have a blog where you will be posting photos? This canuck is very interested!
Comedian

Reminds me of the miniature machine shop on display at the precision museum in Vermont.

http://www.americanprecision.org/2011the-miniatures-of-john-aschauer-master-craftman

(Some more pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kreynard/sets/72157624214566212/with/4670619564/ )
Mister44

Papa Smurf is going to be smurfed you’re in his tool box again.