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[3] Next, nail 4-foot tongue-and-groove pieces to join the two sides and form the front. Nail one of the 45-inch 2 X 2 nailers at the bottom. Make the back in the same way, but put a second nailer at the top to support your lid hinges. Remember too that the back is taller than the front. Rip the grooves off the siding lengths that will be the bottom boards, and the tongue off the pieces that will be the top boards.

[4] Turn the four-sided frame over and nail 4-foot lengths of tongue-and-groove boards on for the bottom. Turn it right side up. Rip the tongue and groove off another 4-foot piece and nail it to the top of the back of the bin. This will anchor your hinges.

[5] To make the lid, measure from the front edge of the box to the trimmed hinge anchor board you installed at the top of the back. This gives the total width for the lid. The two battens will be 1 inch shorter. Cut the battens from the tongue and groove, or any 1-inch stock. Nail the lid together, using nails that are long enough to clinch.

[6] Fasten the lid with two T hinges. It's best to use stove bolts that go completely through the lid and battens. Finish the box by adding a handle or knob in front. Set your bin on blocks or a shipping pallet.

Many garden plants produce seeds that are easily collected at the end of the growing season. (See "Save Your Own GardenGrown Vegetable Seed", pages 8081 in this issue.) With a fixture such as this to keep the seeds sorted, clean, and safe over the winter, gardeners can start off the following season with an inexpensive supply of seeds that are as good as those bought in the store. Moreover, this seed holder is good for storing excess seed you paid for but didn't use.

The most important part of this holder is its jars. David Caccia, who designed the device, used junior-size baby food jars, but if you have a supply of another size, adjust these measurements to accommodate them.

Because the containers used in this storage rack are fairly airtight, make sure the seeds you save are well dried before you stash them away. And do put a dated slip of paper in each jar, identifying the seed.

CONSTRUCTION

[1] Cut the wood into five pieces: two flinch lengths, one 12-inch length, and two pieces just 1116 inch less than 12 inches. Lightly sand the ends.

[2] To form the square spindle part of the seed holder, fasten the two pieces that are just under 12 inches back to back, using four 2-114-inch No. 10 screws. Keep the screws at least 2 inches from the ends so they don't interfere with the spindlemounting screws later.

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