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Kid-Friendly Toy Box ~ A Treasured Chest Page 3

Dry-fit the frame-and-panel assembly as well as the side assemblies. Note that the lower rails are referenced 1" up from the bottom of the adjoining stiles for the side assemblies. For the front assembly, the top rail is referenced 1" down. Mark these, and lay out center lines for proper alignment of the center stiles to the adjoining rails.

I recommend sanding the panels now, but the remaining curves in the side assemblies and top of the front assemblies will be cut and shaped after they are glued up. Glue up the side frame-and-panel assemblies, working from the center out. Align and clamp the center stiles, slide the panels in place and add the outer stiles (Fig. 5). The clamping procedure is similar for the front assembly, with the center panel placed between the center stiles first.

When the glue has cured, scrape and sand the stiles and rails. Note that the groove in the front assembly’s outer stiles is visible at the top end. Most of this will be removed after cutting the 1" radius curve in the top of the stiles. Cut off the tongue from one of your test cut pieces to fill a ½" long section of the groove where the upper rail and stile meet. Test the fit and glue the filler pieces in place.

When the glue has cured, scrape and sand the assembly. The back can now be cut to its final width of 30½" to match the front assembly. Be sure to trim equal amounts off each end. It’s helpful to use the front as a guide. Placing it on top of the rear panel assembly, line up your center reference lines and mark your cut lines (Fig. 7). Use a sled on the table saw to make the cuts.

To ensure accurate biscuit slot placement, I prefer to reference from the base rather than the fence. To cut the biscuit slots in the back, place the back face-up on a flat surface and cut the slots with the biscuit joiner on its base To cut the slots on the side frames I stand the biscuit joiner on end and use a 90° fence jig made from scrap butted against the side frame edge (Fig. 8). I use the same jig for the front slots with a ½" shim taped to the biscuit joiner base.

Attach the template for the upper side frame profile and flushtrim the shape at the router table. For the small corner curves I used an oscillatng spindle sander with a 1" spindle to smooth and complete the curves. Rout a roundover profile on the front and top edges of the side frames using just a portion of a ¾" roundover bit, creating a gentle arc. The top of the front assembly receives the same profile. For the rear crest rail, I used a classic ogee bit. The completed side, front and rear assemblies are shown in Fig. 9. This is a good time to sand all the case parts to 220 grit or finer.

Use a router and jig to guide the cuts and support the router base (Fig. 10). The jig consists of a ¼" plywood bottom, two ¾" x 2" plywood guide fences, two end pieces and two ¾" plywood stops. The jig width will be determined by the width of your router base. I rout- ed a T-slot in the guide fences for use with T-bolt hardware. The stops have a ¼" piece of plywood attached to the top of the stops to overlap the guide fences and a hole is drilled to accommodate the T-bolt. Cut through the jig bottom with a ½" bit with sacrificial scrap placed underneath the cut.

To rout the stopped dadoes in the side assemblies, align the jig slot with the layout lines and clamp the work- piece and jig securely to your bench. Position the router in the jig with the bit just short of the dado stop line and set the jig stop for each stop location before routing the dadoes. Be sure to account for the ¼" jig base when setting the bit depth. Use a chisel to square up the ends of the stopped dadoes. The operation for the front and back assemblies is the same, but without the use of the stops.

The weight-rated lid support I used required a notch in the underside of the lid due to the location of the hinges in this project. You could mount a ½" block between the support and the rear wall, but I thought that the notch looked better. I also recommend that you weigh your lid before ordering a support. The retailer provides a formula that lets you determine how much lift, and therefore which sup- port, you’ll need for a safe lowering by small hands.

Measure over 2½" right of center and lay out a notch with a pencil and square. The notch measures 1½" long x 1" wide and ½" deep at the back edge and tapers to 0" deep at the inside stop line. Care- fully cut the notch sides with a hand saw. Remove most of the waste with a chisel, working in the direction of the grain. Smooth and refi ne the notch with a fi le and sandpaper wrapped around a block (Fig. 12).

The cleats are attached with glue and two #6, 1" screws that will be concealed with plugs. Mark the screw locations 1" from each end, centered on the width of the cleat. At the drill press, drill a 3/8" hole ½" deep to ac- commodate a 3/8" plug. Position the cleat with the story sticks in place and carefully predrill for the screws. Use a drill depth stop or tape on the bit as a depth reference. Apply glue and drive the screws. Plug the holes by cutting plugs from scrap, cutting them off with a flush-cutting saw and sanding them smooth. Install the center hinge first. Turn the lid upside-down and position the hinge on center, predrill using a Vix bit and attach with screws. To position the right and left hinges I used an 8" story stick (Fig.13).

Position the lid on top of the cleats and against the back wall, with the hinges still attached to the lid. I used 1/8" shims on each end of the lid to cen- ter it and ensure an even gap at both ends. Mark the position of the center hinge. Clamp a straight piece of stock to the back wall, resting on top of the hinge barrels, as a reference for mount- ing the hinges to the case. Remove the lid, and the hinges from the lid. Posi- tion the center hinge on the back wall of the case on center and butted up against the reference stick you clamped on (Fig. 14). Use the 8" story stick to reference the right and left hinges; pre- drill and attach with screws. Remove the clamps and reference stick.

Next, the lid can be attached to the case using the predrilled holes as your guide. Test the fi t and operation of the lid. Now install the weight-rated lid support. Align it with the notch and mark and predrill the screw-hole loca- tions (following the manufacturer’s directions). Remove the hardware, prep for and apply the finish. Reinstall the hardware when the fi nish has cured.

About the Author: Dewayne Baker ...
Dewayne lives in Vacaville, Calif., where he has been employed as a recycling route driver with Norcal Waste Systems, Inc. for 21 years. He has been a hobby woodworker for seven years, mostly making furniture for family members. He enjoys crafting original pieces and loves to incorporate curves into his designs.