Help me build this

[mysta2]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160782702866#ht_1392wt_754

I've wanted to build myself a pinstriping box for quite a while now. Something like the link provided would be perfect (without the pull out tray, I hate those things). Probably with an open top compartment for the paints and thinners, and a lower drawer or two for brushes, tapes and chalks.

I'm a fabricator by trade (prototypes and mockups, machining, painting, and a lot of sanding) I'm good at building stuff in general but all the woodworking I've done has been sourced at home depot or lowes and consisted of plywood, iron on veneer strips and sometimes 2x4s, fastened with but joints using glue with either deck screws or brads. That in mind, how should a box such as the one linked be built?

I'm guessing the main box is all half inch solid cherry. I don't even know where to get that, there are a couple of Rocklers near me, maybe start there. Solid wood seems frightening, wouldn't it just be warped as all hell, isn't that why plywood was created? Can you buy it the proper size or do you have to plane it? I don't have a planer, but I could probably get a hold of one. I'm guessing the drawers are smaller, maybe quarter inch. Looks like there are no slides. Maybe just felt on ribs in dado cut slots. Can you get ball bearing slides at an appropriate scale for such a project? What about the joints, we've got a buiscuit cutter at work which I'd have to learn how to work.

Thanks for any potential help, and please direct me anywhere else if you think I'm in the wrong place to look for this info.

Kit

 

[Duker]

Rockler & Woodcraft have s4s lumber which is surfaced four sides meaning it has been planed and edged. You pay a premium for it but it is ready to use in your project. Surfaced Cherry usually runs between 4.50 to 8.50 a board foot around my area depending upon width. You might be able to find it a bit cheaper through a lumber yard that does moldings and architectural milling.

If you have access to a table saw or a router and router table a box/finger joint is an attractive, strong and easy to make joint to put the box together. If your going to use a nice hardwood show it off!

 

[Case IH]

Well your going to start with some sort of hardwood and plane it flat. Than just build a square with a bottom but leave the bottom part of the front open for your drawer, then build your top and your drawer with a drawer front. Also remember to put some sort of floor above your drawer.. I would do the whole thing out of 1/2" or 3/4" hardwood. I would personally just pin and glue it togeather with an air pinner.

I hope thus helps, it's kinda hard to explain, im the son of a carpenter so I've been around this stuff but it still really tough....

 

[rsanter]

Take an adult school woodworking class
You will have all the tools there you need
What you want to do is very easy, will just take time and a ton of tools for woodworking that you obviously do not have
And for those that will say " you can do all the work needed with a hand saw" or something like that...I will respond that it is not likely to happen without the experienced skill of having done that before

Bob

 

[machine_punk]

I think it's cool that you want to build yourself a pinstriping box and yet, that is a big leap. It sounds like you've done a bit of carpentry, but not much joinery. People spend years apprenticing to learn to build amazing furniture...it is not a skill which is learned overnight...nor perfected in your first project.

Perhaps you could come up with a design which uses the skills you DO have...machining and fabricating. That would combine the skills you already have, to make an interesting and unique box to hold tools and supplies for painting.

If you really want to learn this sort of woodworking, you may want to start with easier projects, build up a selection of tools for doing that kind of work, then move toward more complex projects like the supply box above. There are plenty of magazines out there aimed as teaching you these skills...just hit your local magazine rack.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do--and please post pics of the project in progress.

M_P

 

[Alchymist]

Search youtube for woodworking videos to gain ideas - like this one:

While not just what you want, watch a number of them, including making jewelry boxes and cabinet work, to figure out your best approach.

 

[Alchymist]

While dovetail and finger joinery is the ultimate, even **** joints can produce some fairly nice work:

 

[mysta2]

Just finished the plans. This is what I would like to make:

that's all half inch stock except for the drawer sides which are quarter. I left a quarter inch gap to fit off the shelf drawer slides (which I'm guessing might exist). I have plenty of confidence that I can build the box one way or another. With sheet of cabinet grade half inch plywood and some quarter inch plywood scraps I could probably knock it out in an afternoon or two. I've got routers, band saws, a full size table saw, jig saws, grinders, belt sanders, nail guns and the like. but when I finished it I'd have a plywood box, just as useful but not very cool. I thought this time I could try and take it to the next step and build something nice.

Probably the easiest thing I could do if I wanted would be to make it out of white acrylic, and you guys might just have me leaning that way now. Maybe paint it glossy white and veneer just the face of it with mahogany or something... that might be interesting.

 

[trainer]

august 1954 popular mechanics page 174. It's a plan for a wooden fishing tackle box, but you can adapt.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=Zt4DAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=true

And start with softwood like pine for your first project. It's much easier to work and lesss expensive when you make mistakes.

 

[NUTTSGT]

If you used some cabinet grade plywood, it would take kindly to stain and look nice. Going that route, might be an easy way to start and slightly cheaper by the time you figure in all your hardwood at the bdft rate.

Sounds like you have the tools to build it but not the experience, just take your time and be patient. Making your drawers lat allows for an exact size but allow for slide and fit. I wouldn't use any slides either.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Here's a hint, how would you go about making that box out of materials other than wood, being that you have machining experience? Do you have access to a dovetail machining cutter for dovetail joints, or a straight cutter for box joints? Plastics are easily machined and bonded, as you already know.

 

[mysta2]

Sounds like most folks don't support the idea of learning new things.

Despite that I started my box this past weekend, and I am going with acrylic after all. I kind of got stuck on the white with veneer idea so that's what I'm going with.

On the mill.

all the pieces of the main box off the mill... and a mallet for scale.

Assembled with the first drawer.

It's a bit bigger than I was seeing it in my head. I'm a little bit concerned about this.

 

[willymakeit]

Looks good. I've never worked with acrylic but like the idea.
I assume there are adhesives that will bond the wood veneer .
Keep posting.

 

[mysta2]

I was planning on contact cement.

 

[er3456df]

Wow, that's really cool.

Sounds like most folks don't support the idea of learning new things.

Sounds like you missed nap-time.

 

[bobadame]

Use acrylic solvent. You can buy it at Ace Hardware. It makes clear acrylic joints look one piece.

Wick it into the joints with a syringe.

 

[KenS]

To see how it was done before acrylics, this is a quick tutorial. Starts off slow the first minute or so, but then the fun begins:

Crafting a Gerstner Tool Chest...

 

[willymakeit]

I think he's talking about the wood to acrylic . I was curious about compatibility between the two different materials.

 

[johno]

If you're going to veneer it, why wouldn't you have just used plywood?
Just curoious.

 

[mysta2]

I'm not going to veneer the whole thing, just two of the surfaces. I could have made it out of plywood but that would need more work to smooth the grain when I paint it white, plywood also doesn't machine very well and I've got a whole stack of white and clear half inch acrylic that I rescued from the dumpster last summer.

Yeah acrylic solvent is what I use for bonding the core of the box together, I prefer to brush it rather than squirting with a syringe though

And yes I suppose I did miss my nap time. I was originally a bit shocked at the number of responses to my original post along the lines of: it's too hard, you should do it the way you already know. But now looking back on the whole thread, those just seemed to stand out more to me because it's not really true that most people said that.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll try and keep this project moving forward.