🖼️
The project:
A storage solution (450x700mm), designed to fit books and papers in the top two drawers, a sturdy and flat shelf and a larger bottom drawer. I chose to design and fabricate this specifically with meranti for a timeless look and ability to fit into most locations.
- Materials:
Meranti
2x 700x280 for sides
2x 450x280 for top and bottom
Depth drawers 270mm
Chipwood
- Tools:
(In order)
Square
Jigsaw
Hand saw
Band saw
Thicknesser
Glue
Clamps
Biscuit cutter
Router
Discsander
Hammer
Pliers
Nails
Nail punch
- Step 1:
First I designed my project, making the outside box on fusion and drawing it up.
- Step 2:
I used a square and ruler measure side and top and side and bottom, I then used jigsaw to cut.
- Step 3:
I used the biscuit cutter, placing three on each panel. I placed in the biscuit discs, dry fit with clamps and once there was no gaps I glued up and re-clamped.
- Step 4:
Once the gluing was done and dry, my piece was then put through the thicknesser multiple times until it got closer to 16mm.
Once my piece was marked with ext and int, I used the router to make a bunny joint on each piece’s interior.
I had to push slowly from the side, this machine was definitely harder to use the first time, but by my second piece I was confident and went at a smoother pace, leaving less marking on the joint.
- Step 5:
I used a sanding block and cleaned up the rabbit joint. Once I had done that to both pieces and slightly rounded the other edges, I used the orbital sander. I did this for both pieces faces.
I then ruled a straight line down both pieces, stacked them and then they were cut using a radial saw. I repeated this 4 times, for the uneven edges three times and one cut for the sides and the top and bottom.
- Step 6:
I used the domino cutter for my sides and bottom/top’s interior and edges.
I found this really easy after using the biscuit cutter as they felt very similar.
I did a dry fit outside and inside of clamps. I checked if it was square from the interior (wich it was, on all 4 corners), packed it up and was ready for glue up. Adding dominos in the gaps, using a mallet.
- Step 7:
I started placing in my drawer slides using nails and glue. I repeated this a total of 6 times, replicating on bit inner sides of my carcas.
I faced many struggles throughout this process such as using the wrong places to keep the piece of slider still and even.
Once all the sliders had the glue set I put the box on the floor and used a hand-held sander. I did this on the edges and faces to smooth the surfaces.
- Step 8:
For the drawers;
Nail and glue up using clamps, do two 'L' shapes then connect with more glue and nails. Clamp up. Repeat for however many spaces there are for drawers.
- Step 9:
I completed all 3 drawers, sanding it and gluing + tacking the bottom with chip wood for the bottom and largest one.
I sanded the whole project and added a shelf in. A slight complication was making my shelf too small (a perfect length of my projects width) to have a joint or chiseled out of the carcass, so I glued the sides, malleted it in and put some nails through the side.
- Step 10:
Similar process to the underneath of drawers for the back. Add chipwood x2 pieces on the backing using glue and nails.
Sand, spray, add handles.
For the top measure up a slightly thicker bit of material (clamp up if theres not a piece wide enough), make sure thers a bit of overhang. Then glue and screw from underneath to attatch the overhang to the rest of the project. Spray, sand, repeat until happy with surface!
