Solutions for Household Storage
(Page 2 of 4)
April/May 1997
By David Mukamal Camp
Place the less-than-perfect surface of each piece down on the machine and cut a groove along both edges. Be sure to keep the work-piece snug to the fence and apply firm downward pressure as you cut the grooves (photo 3).
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At the corners of these boxes, the ends fit into rabbets cut into the sides. To cut the rabbets, leave the dado set up exactly as you have it, but move the fence to 3/4" from the outside of the blades. Using the miter gauge to guide the material as you crosscut, place the end of each board against the fence and make one pass to establish the shoulder of the rabbet (photo 4). Make subsequent passes, shifting the board away from the fence for each cut, until all the waste is removed (photo 5).
Lids and Bottoms
You can use any 1/4" sheet goods for the lids and bottoms (D) of your bed boxes. I used white melamine for the lids and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) for the bottoms. Later, a fellow woodworker told me the MDF would forever outgas formaldehyde; to prevent this, I sealed it with three coats of lacquer. In retrospect, I'd use melamine for both the lids and bottoms, since this product is already sealed.
Because the sheets are too big to safely cut on the table saw, I clamped both sheets together and cut two sections to length, using a straightedge to guide my portable circular saw (photo 6). Then I set the fence on the table saw to rip these pieces to width as indicated in the cutting list.
Stack the lids together and secure them with a pair of clamps. Then drill a 3/4." finger hole centered within the width, 2" from the edge.
Before assembling the boxes, it's a good idea to drill the holes for the pulls and check to make sure the width of the back (C) equals the distance between the grooves in the sides.
Run a bead of yellow glue in each rabbet, fit the front end in place, and secure it with three finishing nails driven through the sides. Center the back end between the grooves and glue, and nail it in place. Now slip the bottom in to square up the assembly, and tack it in place with wire brads. Use some 1/2" scrap material to support the back while you hammer in the brads.
When the glue is dry, sand and finish the outsides with a clear lacquer or varnish. Leave the insides unfinished so that sweet cedar smell can work its magic. After the finish has cured, drill 7/32" holes for the wheel axles at 9/16" from the bottom edge and 1 1/2" from the ends. Fit the tire onto the wheel, slip it onto the axle followed by a small flat washer, and glue the axle in place.
BUILDING A BIKE BACK
If you don't have a drill press in your shop, this project is the perfect excuse to get one-you'll need it for most of the steps. The adjustability of this bike rack depends on having straight holes, accurately drilled 1 1/2" apart.
Start by milling one blank of the hardwood of your choice (I used alder) to a finished size of 1 3/4" x 3" x 78" and another to 1 3/4" x 2" x 64". You'll drill the holes in these pieces and later cut them apart to make the uprights (A), legs (B), spanners (C), top support (D), and spacers (E), as shown in the plans.
