Shaker Box #2

The toy box itself was completed prior to Christmas 2010. However, it wasn’t until last week that the soft down flap stay was installed completing the project and making it toddler safe.

There’s a few differences between Box #1 and #2. 1# has a variable resistance gas strut rather than the soft down flap. 2# has dovetailed skirting boards and has been limed.

Timber: Radiata Pine. Dimensions: 800×400×480mm. Glue: Titebond III Joinery: Various, Dovetailed, Tongue & Groove, Stepped Panel and Frame. Finish: Feast Watson Liming Agent, Minwax Wipe on Poly Matte, Ubeaut Natural Wax. Hardware: Zinc piano hinge (sourced from Bunnings), and soft down flap stay. (sourced from Lee Valley.)

Shaker Style Toy Chest #1 Complete, Delivered, and Filled with Toys

 

Timber: Radiata Pine. 

Dimensions: 800x400x480mm. 

Glue: Titebond III

Joinery: Various, Dovetailed, Tongue & Groove, Stepped Panel and Frame.

Finish: Minwax Wipe on Poly Matte, Ubeaut Natural Wax.

Hardware: Zinc piano hinge (sourced from Bunnings), and variable resistance gas strut (sourced from Lee Valley.)

Installing the Hardware

We're on the final stages now. The hardware (metal parts) of this project include the hinges at the back and the stop which controls the opening and closing of the lid.

I'm using nickel plate piano hinges that run the entire length of the boxes. The 900mm hinges are cut to size with the jigsaw and metal cutting blade. The plow plane blade is set to the depth of half the hinge and run along box making a perfect groove.

On the underside of the lid the groove is stopped. This operation is not possible with a plow plane, and without a router plane, the ends of the stopped groove are made by multiple taps of a chisel.

With the two ends finished, there is room for the plow plane to finish the middle. The next step is careful drilling and installing the many screws.

The stops serve an important function of protecting fingers. I have three styles and are worthy of their own post... but here's a few photos.

Finishing Time

I've nearly completed two projects ready in time for christmas. One box is for my nieces (aged 1 and 3) and the other my daughter (aged 9 months.)

 

Currently they have a layer of thin de-waxed shellac as a sanding sealer. I debated for ages on what finish to you. I thought of paint or even chaulk board paint and let them cover it. But then decided on a stain to show off the grain and joinery. 

Keen to try something new, I bought some Feast Watson liming solultion with a cedar stain to make the pieces a subtle pink. However, I mixed up half the solution and it wasn't so subtle.

Hmmm. I could ignore the stain and just continue with the wipe on poly. Or just go ahead. In the past I've always used old baltic stain on pine with good results.

Any thoughts?

The Lids

 

The solid pine lids for the two boxes is complete and ready for finishing. Two boards were matched for grain and rub glued together with titebond III. The pieces then cut to size with the circ saw and guide. The edges were than rabbetted first using the LN rabbet block plane and a offcut as a guide and then the LV plow plane. (The reason for this was the plow plane which lacks a knicker caused significant tear out when used across the grain, the plow plane was used to finished due to a faster action and depth stop.) The groove was cut quickly and easily with the plow plan. The middle 4" is glued with titebond three (to allow expansion). A LN hand saw was then used to trim the edges. The corners are curved with a saw and rasp. The edges a 1/8" CMT round over bit in a bosch trim router. The pieces are ready to final sanding.

Base Molding: Part 2

Time has been a little tight but we still should be completed for Christmas. Fingers cross. After shaping the round over I joined the base moulding together. One box received more dovetails, the other a simple mitre.  

The mitres are surprisingly ok considering they are handcut without a guide or good layout. The main gaps annoyingly are related to slippage during gluing rather than poor cutting. Next time I will use dowel or screws to align everything.

The four sides were glued to the case and the mitres/doevetails fitted around that. 

I used my sketch up design printed 1:1 to layout the curves. I used woodglue to glue the paper to some MDF. Then used the MDF as a layout guide. The cuts were made with a jigsaw.

To go: finish the lid, sand the curves, round over all the edges, sand everything, lime, stain, varnish.... 12 days, 11 of which will be at work...

A solid base for the christmas boxes

There are several ways to form the base of a chest. The simplest option is a piece of sheet good such as plywood... but at the love of wood we prefer solid timber. The problem with solid timber is that it expands and contracts as the humidity changes. Any design needs to take this into consideration or come a humid season your box will fall apart!

There are several options to use solid timber. A useful and recent article in Fine Woodworking nicely explained using solid timber in a frame and panel method. 

Another method is to use 3-4" strips in a tongue and groove or slip matched fashion. This is the technique I used for the shelf on the roubo bench.

The bases for the Christmas Boxes are made by a single piece of radiata pine held captive (free of glue but floating constrained) in a groove around the case. After cutting to size, tongue and groove were formed with the small plow plane.

Base Molding: Part 1

The base molding for the Christmas Shaker Toy Chest is a simple hand planed round over. The process is rather simple...

First mark how far down the face the curve will go. In this case I measured the thickness of the timber with a combination square and followed it with a mechanical pencil.

On both ends mark your curve. I used a pen (because it needs to be clear, and will be on the scrap side) and a roll of micropore tape (because it was handy and roughly the size I wanted.)

I then secured the piece tightly on the bench.

Planing a curve with a straight plane is a simple matter of making a polygon and gradually increasing the number of sides. With a sharp no 5 jack plane I then hand plane at ~45 degree to the curve of my circle. This forms two peaks  (at 22.5 and 67.5 degrees). I then plane those to the curve. I continue this process until it close to the curve.

For the final passes I switch to a block plane set for finer shavings. And finally some cloth backed sand paper makes everything smooth.

The next steps will be to join the pieces (more dovetails), attach it to the boxes (more glue and clamps), and cut the curved legs.

One day I'll acquire some molding planes (such as those from HNT Gordon) and form more complex designs. But for the time being a simple round over works a treat.