Now maybe I can post pics.
This is the existing, poorly-built-but-large shelf unit. As you can see, I was using some "field-expedient" containers.
While I don't have access to the build pics of the boxes right now, suffice it to say I made a crapload of them. 27 "Small", 6 "Medium", and 3 "Large" which fit either 9, 6, or 3 to a "space."
Building them was a fiasco, I attempted box joinery for the first time and muffed it, but not before I cut inaccurate box fingers on
every single piece. They are made of "Carefully Selected" CDX sheathing, 3/8" thick.
On the large box above, you can see that each box corner has a spline connecting the two edges. Since the box fingers wouldn't mesh, I was forced to cut them off, but needed the boxes to remain the same size.
I cut rabbets on the box edges, and made spline stock that was profiled to accept the two rabbeted edges. I'll get a better pic of that later if there is interest.
You can also see in this pic that the first set of handle holes I cut (on right) is rougher than the final ones. (left) This is because my first attempt involved using a panel-pilot bit, and was a disaster.
Panel pilot bits could easily be renamed "project ruiner bits" but honestly, all router bits could be called that. In my mind, the router is the most contrary, destructive, difficult to control tool. Since there is no bearing on the pilot area of this bit, I realized a wooden form wouldn't do so I had the machinist at work make me a template. Unfortunately the spinning steel pilot ate into the aluminum template surprisingly quickly, and by the second cut it was ruined.
You can see that my template is just barely larger than the earlier ugly holes.
I even tried setting the bit up with a bushing as you see above, but the bushing took too much space, so the new cutout wouldn't completely remove the old, ragged one. So I ended up going back to the old tried-and-true bottom bearing flush trim bit.
The only reason I didn't start here is that I had 84 handle holes to cut, and I was afraid that the bearing would catch, and end up ruining the template just like the metal one. I've had that happen. I was careful to keep the bearing clean and the work clean, and the template survived.
Another shot comparing handle holes, nice on left, rough on right.
Anyway, I screwed some fences to the template for the small size box and cut the holes. One or two aren't perfect, but the results were much better this time. I just moved or removed the various fences while I cut the medium and large boxes. Each box got two holes, but the large boxes got six to make them visually harmonius and because they're really "handy" when lugging down the large heavy box, on a ladder.
With all of the boxes built, it was time to start swapping them out.
After a little work. . .
Getting there!
All in place, and the rubber mat removed and grey tubs spread out. I feel this uses the space much better, gives larger containers, and more size choices.
Anyway, this is one of my first steps on the way to serious garage organization. This project was slated for 1-2 weekends, and ended up being 2 MONTHS of weekends, but hey, that's how it goes. I really made my life hard by blowing the box joints, and having to extensively re-process each part and add in the four splines, but it saved my material, and maybe the boxes have a bit of character now. I was liberal with the glue, and they came out pretty strong!
I hope this was intersting to someone, and I hope that people enjoy following my progress. I have lots of other projects in my pics file, and many more yet to come.
Mini-Review of the tools involved:
Panel Pilot bit- Good only for rough carpentry, such as cutting out a window hole after you sheet over it. Worhtless for anything else.
Flush trim bit- A staple of the router world- works fine until the bearing seizes, watch for that.
Router- Triton TR001 router in Peachtree iron router wing- Lots of reviews on this router, I second them all- it is a good quality, beast of a router and perfectly suited for table use. Recommended. This was my first project with it and I'm really happy with it.
