|
Materials:
- Lumber (see cut list)
- 30" piano hinge (cut a longer hinge to length using a hacksaw
if you can't find a 30" pre-cut hinge)
- 12" piece of steel chain
- 58 - ¼" hardwood plugs (or size that fits the countersink bit
you're using)
- About 3' of heavy nylon rope for handles
- Food-grade beeswax polish for non-toxic finish
- 1 ½" wood-screws
- 1" wood-screws
- Small 3/4'" brass wood-screws to attach piano hinge
- Two ¾" steel screws to attach chain
|
Tools
- Saw
- Countersink bit
- Drill
- Jigs cut from plywood or cardboard 2"x ¾" and 2"x 1 ½"
- Hammer
- Knife
- Lighter or matches
- Clamps
- Sandpaper and/or electric sander
|
|
Cut List:
- Bottom: 1"x 6" cedar decking - 3 pieces 28 ½" long -
Make sure the cedar decking you buy is the typical milled dimension
of 1" by 5 ½" - otherwise the rest of your cut list must be adjusted
to fit the bottom dimension, because your bottom will be too big
or too small. Nobody's ever satisfied with their bottom.
- Sides: 1"x 8" pine - 4 pieces 16 ½" long
- Front and back: 1"x 8" pine - 4 pieces 30" long
- Corner posts: 2"x2" pine - 4 pieces 13 ½" long
- Lid: 1"x 10" pine - 2 pieces 31" long
- Lid strapping: 1" x 2" pine - 2 pieces 14" long
|
|
Steps:
Three
one inch thick cedar decking boards make the bottom of the chest. |
Measure
the width of the bottom boards and cut a side board to fit.
|
Cut
the length of the side boards to match the width of the three
bottom ones. |
| Lay out the bottom boards and measure across the width of
your three boards to make sure that it adds up to 16 ½". If
it doesn't, STOP BEFORE YOU CUT the rest of your lumber. You've
got to cut the side pieces to match the exact dimensions of
the bottom, so account for this in the rest of your cuts! |
|
Attach
the sides to the corner posts allowing room for the bottom boards. |
Put
the bad side of the board to the inside. |
Tip
- Reload your palm sander with several layers of paper |
| Build one of the short ends by laying two 16 ½" 1x8 pine boards
on top of two of the corner posts. |
|
Drill
the hole deep enough to allow for the wooden plug to go in. |
Attach the sides, front and back to the corner post with screws. |
Build the sides first then attach the front and back. |
| Using a countersink bit, pre-drill for the screws, boring
a 3/8" deep countersink channel so that the screw's head will
sink deep into the hole. Use a jig to help you space the screws
evenly. Build the other end in the same manner. |
|
Make a new jig for the front so that the screws go into the
corner posts. |
Attach
the piano hinge to the box first. |
The overhang on the lid should be even on the front and sides. |
|
Balancing the ends using idle body parts, pre-drill and countersink
the long facing boards, attaching them to the corner posts at
both ends. Use the larger jig to space the screws accurately
in the corner post. Now you have the basic box. Slip the box
over the three bottom boards. Attach the bottom boards to the
box using six pre-drilled, countersunk screws on each end of
the trunk ½" up from the bottom. |
|
Make
a jig to help hold the lid while attaching the hinge. |
Use
the jig to help hold up the lid while attaching the hinge. |
The finished piano hinge. |
|
|
Build the lid by laying out the two 1x10 boards and clamping
them together. Lay the 1x2 pieces across two large boards
and center them, then sink four 1" screws in each piece of
strapping. Bingo, you are lid-enabled.
Set the lid aside and drill two ½" holes in each end of the
trunk to hold the rope handles. Tie knots on the inside of
the trunk to secure the handles in place, and cauterize them
using a lighter so they won't fray and undo themselves.
Attach the 30 inch piano hinge to the box along the back
rim. Then use a jig or a pile of books to support the lid
while attaching the hinge to the lid.
|
|
|
Hammer in the plugs to cover the screw heads. Take your length
of steel chain and screw one end to the inside of the trunk,
the other end to the lid of the trunk. Sand and finish the
chest's exterior surface with beeswax polish.
Load it up with dainties and be on your chest behaviour.
|
|
|
Artisans'
work featured on this episode:
(click pics for Artist info and larger
images)
|
More topics
