Tote Box
Project
All the lumber you need will come from a single
10' plank of 1x12 clear lumber, a couple of sticks from the scrap box (for the
battens) and a bit of 1/4" plywood for the bottom. Cut the back, front, sides
and bottom. Be sure the grain runs the same direction around the sides of the
box, otherwise, wood movement will tear the box apart. Machine grooves for the
bottom. Take care to stop the grooves in the front and back pieces. Assemble and
clamp the four sides and bottom. Check for squareness, measuring across the
diagonals. Mortice the hinges fully into the edge of the back. They will be
attached flush on the lower surface of the lid. The handles should
be attached
later but you should first ease their edges since you will not be able to get at
them after assembly. Ease the edges across the arc and in the hand-holds with a
router and 3/8" round-over bit. Withdraw the bit partly into the router base to
cut a thumbnail profile instead of a complete round. By the way, save the
off-cuts from the handles; you will use them to clamp the handles while gluing.
The frame and panel construction of the lid
gives the box its character. The panel has a 1/4" tongue that fits into a 3/8"
deep groove in the frame. Leave a gap of 1/16" between the panel's field and the
frame. Chamfering the edges of the field at a steep angle adds a nice finishing
touch. Kirby joined the frame with deep mortices and tenons but in the interest
of speed, I used stub tenons instead and reinforced what would otherwise be a
weak joint (expect that the lid will be used as a seat) with battens across the
bottom. You may want to refer to the book to make the lid with tenons as Kirby
did. The lip of the lid is routed for a finger grip. Use a 3/8" core box or cove
bit to form the grip along the entire length of the bottom edge of the front.
Ease the edges with a light pass of a block plane then sand them smooth. Check
the swing of your hinges. If the lid cannot drop down against the back, you run
the risk of breaking the hinges out of the box. Consider using a chain or lid
support to protect the hinges.
MATERIALS LIST
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ADDITIONAL HARDWARE |
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