Building an Aquarium Cabinet

I have built a cabinet for my 4ft aquarium myself, in order to save money. Despite it being a while since I got my GCSE in Craft Design and Technology, everything went to plan!

I had two different ideas, one a box frame stand made from 2x2 wood, and one a cabinet made from chipboard. Both designs are shown here. In the end, I combined the two designs - a frame for strength, boxed in with chipboard to brace the structure and to turn it into a cabinet. I added some old brackets and a board offcut inside for a shelf, and to my surprise I had a strong cabinet which looks acceptable and is holding the tank well!

Here is a guide to how it was made, in photos. The cost was £19 for the pine 2x2, £16 for the chipboard, and £15 for paint, hinges, magnetic catches and doorhandles.

I needed the following equipment, most of which I already had: wood glue, electric drill/screwdriver, chisel, mallet, g-cramps, wood saw, junior hacksaw, sander, various drill bits including countersink bit and various screws. Other jobs were made easier by using a tenon/box saw (for very precise cuts) and circular saw (quicker!) but these were not essential. I also took care to use eye protection and dust mask where necessary.

It took me ten days to build, working for a few hours a day. I also managed to do most of it sitting down, which was important as I have mobility problems and can't stand for too long.

First you need to throw the cat out of the room!	I tried sawing my 2x2 with a tenon boxed saw, which gave very precise cuts, but a circular saw was quicker.
Here are all the pieces of wood cut to shape, and checked for length against the tank they will be holding.	A lap joint was cut into each end, chiselled to the exact size, and sanded smooth.
The frame is laid out ready for gluing.	Here are two ends ready to be glued, with the glue applied liberally. As my wood did not line up perfectly, I ended up having to glue both sides, but only one is recommended. The joint was held with a G-cramp for the first few hours while drying.
The completed frames for the top and bottom of the structure. Cat has snuck back in to inspect handiwork.	Having made the frames, I drilled and screwed the legs on using long decking screws.
The legs were a little wobbly until joined at both top and bottom!	Finally the structure is complete. It was fairly solid too, until I tested it by lying on it. After that it had a strange wobble.
Outside, painting the frame and the top, side and door boards so they are waterproof.	The top and bottom are laid in place - the bottom is actually inside the cabinet to make a floor for my equipment. When fitting the top, ensure it is flat all over with a spirit level.
Screws to attach the boards are countersunk, so a hole like this is made with a countersink drill bit...	...and then the screws fit flush with the wood, important when there will be a glass structure on top of it.
The back board needs large notches cut on both sides using wood saw and chisel.	One notch is for the filter pipes, the other for the electric cables.
The cabinet now has top, bottom and back attached. I used an offcut to make a shelf. The structure was now rock solid, to my relief!	Looking inside the cabinet now the sides are on. You can see the brackets for the shelf.
The completed cabinet now with doors fitted with hinges, magnetic catches and seahorse shaped handles. A proud moment!	Inside you can see plenty of room for the necessary equipment, food and so on.
The finished cabinet, with the tank set up. Looks fabulous, and does the job!

It wasn't all plain sailing! Here are some things that went wrong...

• Pilot holes drilled too big so bracket screws were held in place by wood glue
• Pilot holes drilled too small so drill bit broke off in cabinet
• Screws for hinges too long for door - had to hacksaw the ends off, file and paint over them
• Screws for magnetic catch too long for door - instead I used superglue
• Paint ran out part way through only to find it is discontinued and I had to mix and match with something else
• Back was put on upside down so the notches are lower than planned
• Shelf was kept on cupboard floor below brackets while I worked on other bits. Once the sides were on, it was too tight to slide the shelf back into place and the sides had to come off again!

Despite this I have a cupboard which is bearing up well, and makes me proud.

Japanese-Inspired Shop Storage

There are times when the shop storage solutions I build are bare-bones and strictly functional. Sometimes even ugly. But other times I like to take a bit of time and create something that not only functions nicely but is fun to build and looks nice. I’ve always enjoyed Japanese design, but it’s rare I get to make something along these lines.

Design

The main reason I built this cabinet was partially to store sanding supplies, with a large storage area for some medium-sized tools and boxes, but it could be used to store almost anything shop-related.

The dimensions were for the specific spot I had in my shop, but in some cases I tried to use materials carefully, to reduce waste. Feel free to adjust the overall dimensions to suit your needs.

Materials

Being that this was for a shop fixture, I didn’t want to go overboard on spending. I opted for 2x4 materials for all of the solid wood, and was lucky enough to have a few pieces of plywood around, for some of the other parts. I purchased a sheet of ½"-thick, exterior grade spruce plywood for a few of the remaining unseen parts, as it’s not the best looking material. Other than the top, the two gables, the drawer faces and the door panels, the parts made of sheet goods will not be seen, so don’t break the bank; scrap interior / exterior plywood, particle board or even MDF would all work fine, especially if it’s what you happen to already have on hand.

2x4s are not as durable as many other woods, but I don’t mind some wear marks as time goes on. 2x4s are cheap and fairly easy to use, and if you search you can often find somewhat clear, straight stock to work with. Allowing this material to dry is important, as it’s often too wet to use right away.
 

Start with the frames

The two frame assemblies that make up the front and back of the cabinet is a good place to start. Both assemblies are the same size, and have a top, bottom and two side legs. The front frame assembly has an additional center divider, as well as three drawer rails.

Dress the parts flat, and to final width and length, then cut half lap joints to secure the top and bottom rails to the side legs and center divider. Also cut a half lap in the front top and bottom rails to accept the center divider. The drawer rails will be installed in the front assembly after it’s together. When cutting the half lap joints, keep in mind many of the joints will be different widths, as the top rail, side legs, center divider and bottom rail are all different widths.

With the half lap joints fitting nicely, cut the ends of the top and bottom rails at 7 degrees. This shouldn’t change the overall length of the rails, as the cuts should be aligned with the outside corner of these rails. At this point I planed the side legs and the center divider down by about 1/8". This makes it unnecessary to flush the front faces of the half lap joints, and if there is any warping or movement down the road, it won’t be visible.

Assemble both the front and back frame assemblies, making sure they’re square. When the back assembly is dry, rout a rabbet in the inside edge of the frame with a rabbet bit. Cut and install the back panel into this rabbet. Trim both assemblies on the table saw, so they’re the exact same width, and so the top and bottom edges are smooth.

Install the Back Panel – To secure the back in place Brown routed a rabbet into the frame once it was assembled. A back was then cut to size, and its corners were rounded to fit the rabbet before being installed.
 

Drawer rails

The drawer rails are cut 2" longer than the opening is wide, then a 1"-wide notch is cut into both ends of the rails, so they fit snugly between the side leg and the center divider. The depth of the notch should be cut so the front face of the rail sits about 1/8" away from the face of the divider and side leg.

A groove on the back of the drawer rails will accept a tenon on the solid wood drawer guide and help hold it in place. There are many ways to do this, but I chose to use a table saw, and cut stopped grooves centered on the rail. A router with a slot cutter will also work nicely, as will a straight bit in a router table. To accept the bottom drawer runner, a groove will also have to be cut into the inner face of the bottom front rail.

Two screws through the back of each drawer divider, along with some glue, will help keep them in place. When dry, drill a 3"-deep × 3/8"-diameter hole through the sides of the side leg and the center divider, into the drawer rails, then glue in a long piece of dowel rod to add some more strength. Trim them flush when dry.

Groove Options – There are many ways to cut the groove in the backs of the drawer rails, and you should use a method you’re comfortable with. Brown clamped a stop block to his rip fence, made a simple plunge cut, turned the piece end-for-end then repeated the plunge cut. This left a groove that was centered on the rail. A router with a slot-cutting bit could also have been used.

Assemble the Drawer Rails – Glue and screws do a good job of securing the drawer rails to the inside face of the front frame assembly. They’re spaced to provide even drawer openings.

Gable assemblies
The top and bottom gable rails, as well as the gable panel can now be machined. A groove in both gable rails accepts the panel. The assembly is created slightly wider than required, then ripped to final width. It’s then edge glued between the front and back assemblies, with a few dowels to assist with location. When gluing the top and bottom gable rails to the panel, keep them about 1/8" away from one edge of the gable panel, so you can use that edge of the gable panel to run against the rip fence when ripping the gable assembly to final width.

When the gable parts were made, I stained the panels, as I wanted a two-tone look. Staining after assembly would surely result in getting stain on the gable rails. You don’t have to stain your panels though. Use glue and clamps to assemble the gables, then trim the assemblies to final width on a table saw.

Stain First – Brown stained the gable panel, then assembled it to the top and bottom rails, so no stain would get on the rails. Notice the masked-off areas at the top and bottom of the panel. This stops stain from weakening the glue joint when the parts are assembled.

Dowels for Location – One dowel in each of the solid wood headers will assist with locating the gable during assembly. First, drill a dowel hole in the gable rails, then use a dowel center to transfer that location to the frame assemblies and drill those holes with a brad point drill bit.
 

Drill for dowels

The gables are edge glued to the front and back frame assemblies, but dowels assist with locating the parts during final assembly. Although I drilled them later, it’s safest to drill these dowel holes now, so you can create the grooves to accept the top and bottom panels, knowing confidently where the grooves should start and stop.

First, drill a hole in the ends of the top and bottom rails with the help of a dowel jig. You can drill these holes freehand, but the bit tends to skate around in end grain. Next, insert a dowel center into the holes, position the gable in place and apply pressure to the gable assembly, leaving small imprints where the mating dowel holes are to be located. Finally, use a brad point bit to drill the holes in the frame assemblies freehand, being sure not to drill through the show face.

Don’t Drill Too Far – When Brown drilled the first dowel hole in the frame assembly he blew right through to the back of the assembly; luckily it was the back assembly and won’t be seen. A simple shop-made collar can be fit over the drill bit and the drill bit adjusted for length in the chuck, to ensure holes are only drilled so far into the workpiece.

Grooves to accept top and bottom

Grooves in the inner faces of both front and back assemblies will be cut with a router equipped with a straight bit and an edge guide. When routing the top groove it should be positioned so the upper surface of the top will finish flush with the edge of the front and back assemblies. Use a 3/4" piece for the top, or the lip above the groove that will accept the top panel will be too weak. The position of the bottom groove isn’t as crucial – somewhere near the center of the bottom rails will do nicely.

In terms of where to stop these grooves on the left and right sides of the frame assemblies, mark a pencil line where the mating gable is located. Rout your groove so it finishes inside the lines. Once you have the grooves in the front and back frame assemblies, you can add a mating groove in the rails of the gable assemblies.

Getting Groovy – Brown drew the future location of the gable top rail on the inside face of the frame assemblies to visualize where the gables would meet the assemblies. This told him where to start and stop the grooves to accept the top. A similar groove was routed in the center of the bottom rails.
 

Top and bottom panels

Cut the top and bottom panels to size. I used a piece of 1/2" plywood for the bottom, so it simply fit into the 1/2"-wide groove I routed into the frame assemblies. I used a 3/4" top, so it had to be rabbeted to fit the grooves.

I didn’t add a shelf or a divider panel to separate the drawer bank from the main storage area, but if you want to, now is the time to cut those parts and machine the appropriate joinery.

Assemble the cabinet in stages

During the dry-fit stage my cabinet was assembled, then taken apart, many times. I slowly snuck up on fitting the top to the routed grooves and made sure all the components fit together nicely.

A cabinet like this needs to be assembled in stages, as it’s too large a task to do at once. First, apply glue to the edge and dowel holes on the backside of one gable assembly, then install it against the back panel. Add some glue to the grooves that will accept the top, as well as a bit of glue on the rabbet in the top that will fit into the back and gable, then bring all three parts together. Without gluing any of the remaining parts, add the second gable and front frame assembly, before clamping the joints tight.

When dry, remove the unglued gable and front frame assembly. Next, apply glue to the rear edge of the second gable, as well as the groove in that gable assembly that will mate with the top panel. More glue goes in the grooves in the gables and back assembly that will accept the bottom panel. Assemble the bottom and the gable, then position the front frame assembly in place without glue, before clamping all the joints tight. When dry, remove the front frame assembly; apply glue, re-assemble, and clamp.

A quick note about assembling furniture in stages: It’s important to assemble most of the parts during each stage, even if they aren’t glued in place. This ensures the parts will fit back together during subsequent stages. Even if a piece is glued in place, if it is 1/16" off it will create havoc down the road.
 

Drawer runners

Each drawer runner supports and guides the back of the drawer. They also stop the drawer below it from tilting downward when it’s open. These runners should be machined to 1/4" thicker than the drawer dividers, but their width isn’t crucial. A tenon to fit the groove in the drawer rails can now be machined, and the pieces cut to length. You will need to cut the runner slightly shorter than needed, in order to be able to fit the runner in place, but don’t install the runners yet.

Drawer Runners – Simple wood runners, and drawers with notched backs, make for a simple yet effective system. The runner above a drawer stops it from tilting when open. The two vertical strips on the back of the cabinet are simple drawer stops. Notice the drawer runners finish 1/4" higher than the drawer rails.
 

Build the drawers

At this stage the drawers can be made, then their backs notched to fit the drawer runners. All the drawer parts can be cut to the same width. From there, cut the fronts to finished length, and the sides slightly oversized. Set up a dado blade to cut a rabbet in the fronts and sides, then all the drawer parts can be trimmed to final length.

Bottoms can be cut to size, and the drawers can be assembled. When machining the groove to accept the drawer bottoms you have to consider the height of the drawer runners. If the runners are 1/4" thicker than the drawer rails, you will want the lower surface of your drawer bottom to finish about 1/16" closer to the bottom of the drawer sides – so about 3/16"; this is because once the notch in the drawer back is cut, the drawer bottom is what will be supporting the drawer on the runner. The 1/16" difference is so there will be a slight gap between the drawer front and the drawer rail when the drawer is closed.

With the drawers assembled, set your table saw blade height to cut a notch that is flush with the underside of your drawer bottom. After some math to determine the location and width of the notch, make repeated passes, adjusting the fence slightly each time, to create the notch.
 

Install the runners

Starting with the bottom drawer, locate the rear end of the runner and fix it in place with an L-bracket. Glue the tenon into the groove at the front of the runner. Work your way upwards, installing the runners so the drawer fronts have even gaps and work nicely.

To stop the top drawer from tilting downward when opened, glue a length of solid wood to the underside of the top panel, flush with the lower edge of the top front rail.

Finally, screw two strips of solid wood vertically onto the back panel. Customize the thickness of these pieces to position the drawers so they look good when viewed from the front of the cabinet.
 

Doors

There are many ways to make doors, but I chose an approach in keeping with traditional Japanese design, at least visually. First, I cut the frame members to size, added bridle joints to their corners and assembled the frames. When dry I used my router and rabbet bit to create a rabbet in the backs of the doors, and cut a piece of plywood to fit that opening. To mimic the strips of wood some Japanese craftsmen use, I tilted a rip blade to 45 degrees, then made a series of cuts to add grooves to the door panels. A stop was positioned so the lower portion of the panel would appear whole.

I stained the panels, as well as the drawer fronts, while I was at it, then glued them in place. I cut thin panel strips to act as a horizontal frame member, and glued them to the door panels. While machining these two pieces I did the same for the cabinet gables. When attaching these pieces I had to sand away some of the stain to ensure glue would hold the strips in place. All of these pieces are strictly for aesthetic reasons.
 

Strengthen with dowels

All eight corners are now strengthened with 3"-long lengths of 3/8" dowel rod. I used a simple drilling jig to align the holes and keep them straight. Two dowels were added to each corner, then trimmed flush.
 

Apply a finish

A quick sanding was next, and I made sure the edges were all eased heavily. To protect the wood from stains and wear I applied a few coats of Varathane Professional Clear Oil-Based Finish. It’s easy to apply, builds quite quickly and is very durable. I brushed on three coats, sanding between each coat, then used an aerosol spray can to apply a nice, even coat.

Apply a Finish – A product like Varathane Professional Clear Finish is great for a situation where you want a durable yet simple finish. Brown brushed on three coats then used an aerosol can of the same product to apply a final coat.
 

The details

Black carpet tacks are now added to the door panels to add to the traditional Japanese look.

Hang the doors with no-mortise hinges, add a block of wood to support the double magnetic touch-latch and install the latch. Pulls would work fine, though my knees don’t enjoy protruding hardware.

I installed T-nuts under the four corners and the center divider so the cabinet could be levelled once in place. It was now time to put it in its final home, fill it up and put it to use.

Build a Knock-Down Finishing Rack

Space is always at a premium in my workshop, especially when applying a finish to something large like a wall unit, kitchen cabinets or another oversized project with many doors and panels. It’s fairly easy to make a big rack to hold work to be finished, but I wanted to have something that could be dismantled and stored easily the other 99% of the time, so this was my solution.

This rack isn’t meant to hold a massive amount of weight, but it works great with small- to medium-sized panels, even when fully loaded. It’s more for small shop usage rather than larger industrial applications.
 

Finishing Rack Design

When stored, my rack is broken down into two halves and a small panel that will hold the two halves together. It’s so light I can screw the parts face-to-face and then screw everything to my ceiling, where it’s completely out of my way.

The rack I made has 17 levels. If you want to make a larger rack, just use longer uprights and more rungs. When assembled the rack sits on the floor, against my workbench, and is clamped in place. You could temporarily fix yours to another shop fixture, or even screw it to a wall. The underside of my lowest rung is flush with the bottom end of the uprights. This helps when I’m setting the rack up, but the lowest rungs aren’t strong enough to support the entire rack during use.

I used even rung spacing, keeping 2" between each rung, but you can either increase this spacing entirely if you often use thicker workpieces, or keep some rungs spaced 2" apart, and others spaced farther apart. After using this rack a few times, I found the 2" spacing to be a workable minimum and would probably use the same spacing again. Increasing the spacing to 2-1/2" or even 3" may be a bit better for you, though that means the rack will hold fewer workpieces.
 

Construction

The uprights need to be quite strong to support the weight of all the panels it will hold, but the rungs only need to be strong enough to hold one panel. I used 3/4" plywood for the uprights, and 3/8" plywood for the rungs, but you can increase the thickness of both the parts if you’ll be finishing heavier panels. Just keep in mind, thicker parts mean a heavier rack to handle and store.

Break out the uprights and rungs to their final width and length. Use a ruler to draw a 6"-long angled line on the front, underside of each rung, then trim the waste with a band saw. This leaves the front of each rung 1" wide. This notch makes it easier to insert a finished panel into the rack during use. Heavily ease all edges of the uprights and rungs.

Starting from the top of the uprights, mark a series of lines 4" apart. These lines will locate the upper edge of each rung during assembly. Ensure both uprights match each other.

I used a 16" × 16" assembly panel to assist with keeping the rungs perpendicular to the uprights during assembly. It was clamped to a work surface with enough room so the 4"-wide upright and a 2"-wide rung could be supported by the work surface. With the square panel clamped in place, I applied some glue to the end 4" of the lowest rung, positioned it flush with the bottom end of the upright, pressed both the upright and the rung against the assembly panel and brad nailed the rung in place. Moving fairly quickly, I was able to pin the entire 17 rungs to the first upright well before the glue dried. I then added a clamp to each joint and let the first half dry.

Quick, Square Assembly – With a square panel clamped to a work surface, Brown was able to use it to keep the rungs perpendicular to the uprights. He also aligned the pencil marks on the uprights with the corner to speed assembly.

Clamp Them Tight – Once they’re brad nailed in place, adding clamps to each joint ensures a strong rack.
 

Mirrored assemblies

The second half was done the same way, except for one important difference; because the rungs needed to be on the outside of each upright, I repositioned the square assembly panel so I could assemble it to be the mirror opposite of the first assembly. The two solid wood cleats would eventually be glued and screwed to the inside faces of each of the uprights, and having rungs on the inside surface of the uprights would interfere with this.
 

Cleats

Machine the cleats and rear divider to final size. Bore a couple of countersunk screw clearance holes in the 7/8"-wide edge of the cleats. With one of the rung assemblies lain flat on a worksurface, and with its rung-side down, mark a line the thickness of the rear divider (3/4" in my case) away from the back edge of the upright. The distance of this line from the bottom of the upright depends on how high you want the rear divider to finish. I wanted the top of the rear divider to finish just above my workbench working height, but you might have different needs.

Align the backs of the cleats with the pencil lines, and temporarily screw them into the inside face of the uprights. Align the rear divider with the cleats, and drill 5/16" holes through both the rear divider and the cleat. Remove the cleat, hammer the T-nut into the hole on the front face of the cleat, then glue and screw the cleat to the upright for good. Adding a few more screws through the upright into the cleat was added insurance that the cleat would be strong enough to hold the rack side assemblies together during use.

If you really wanted a bomb-proof finishing rack, you could add a second rear divider, along with two more mating cleats. If you go this route I would suggest positioning one rear divider so it is fairly close to the top of the rack, and the second one so it is near the midpoint. The rack could be fastened to a stud or large, stationary fixture while in use.

Cleat Location – Using the rear divider as a spacer, Brown marks the location of the cleats on the uprights. Once the uprights were temporarily screwed in place, he drilled a clearance hole through both parts so he could use the T-nuts and large-head bolts.

Knock-Down Hardware – Once T-nuts are installed in the cleats, the cleats can be glued and screwed to the uprights for good. Using T-nuts and bolts make for quick setups.
 

Using the rack

With the rear divider installed so it holds the side assemblies together, it’s time to fix a clamping block to my bench so I can clamp the rack in place. I use my hold-down clamp through a bench dog hole and a bench dog in another hole to secure a piece of scrap wood to my bench, but there are many different approaches to doing this. A few clamps between the scrap of wood and the rear divider keep the entire rack in place nicely. There are likely dozens of other quick and easy ways to secure a rack for use, like screwing it to something solid or using oversized French cleats to hang it on a wall. Use your imagination to figure out what works best for you.

This rack has helped me out many times. I don’t often have the need for finishing multiple medium-sized parts, but when I do this rack is a serious time saver, and helps me create a quality finish in a small shop.

Set It Up – Brown choose to secure his rack to his workbench for use, but there are many other ways to accomplish this. Select the best method for your space.

Keep It Simple – When set up, the rack provides lots of room for small- to medium-sized panels, and should provide solid support for many years.

Make a Kid’s Art Storage Box

If you’re planning a birthday party in your shop, the trick is to keep the level of difficulty appropriate for everyone to have success. The parts for this art storage box can be machined before the party guests arrive, and you can even do a dry run with your child so they can feel comfortable with the necessary steps.

Make the parts

Break out two sides, a front, a back and a bottom for each party guest; making a few extra parts is always a good idea. Rip long lengths of material, joint and plane it, then cut the fronts and backs to final width and length. Rip the sides to final width now, as well.
 

Joinery

Use your table saw and mitre gauge to cut dados in the inner faces of all the fronts and backs. These dados can be between 1/8" and 1/4" wide and should be no more than 1/4" deep. Cut the sides to finished length, and use your table saw and mitre gauge to create the tenon on both ends of the pieces. The fit should be snug but not tight. Sand the inside faces of the parts.

Keep it Small – The dados in the fronts and backs can be cut with one pass using a dado blade, or by using a standard blade and slightly moving the fence after the first pass is made in all the parts.

How Long Are the Sides? – Brown was aiming for a 6" wide box. By placing the front and back back-to-back, and aligning the 6" mark of his metal rule on the inner shoulder of one of the dados, you can measure the length the sides should be cut.

Create the Tenon – The stub tenon at the ends of all the sides can be cut on the table saw, using the mitre gauge. A few passes with a shoulder plane will give you a perfect fit.
 

The bottoms

It’s possible to run a groove near the bottom edge of the sides, front and back that will capture the bottom, but this approach makes it harder to assemble. With the bottoms cut to size, I drilled a few countersunk holes in the bottoms, on all four sides, so the kids could screw the bottoms on after the main box was assembled. Heavily ease the bottom edges of the bottoms, so nobody gets any splinters.
 

Storage holes

If you feel the kids are skilled enough to help with this task, leave it until the party. Otherwise, it might be safer and quicker to just drill some holes in the upper edge of the back before the party begins. The holes will hold pencils, markers and paint brushes upright for the kids to see and easily grasp. A friction fit will only anger kids, so ensure the holes will easily accept any writing utensils. A brad point bit will go a long way in protecting the back from splitting as it’s drilled into. If you don’t have a brad point bit, just drill slowly. In both cases, using a drill press is the best approach.
 

The big day

After explaining general shop safety as well as the process of assembling the projects to the kids, it’s time to start. Different ages and skill levels may cause wide variation in how quickly the kids get the hang of how to assemble the boxes.

Start with gluing and assembling the two sides, front and back, all at the same time. If the kids can’t wait for the glue to dry, a screw or nail will help hold the parts together until the glue dries. Glue and screw the bottoms on, and add a few clamps. You can even clamp two boxes bottom-to-bottom, to disperse clamping pressure and make better use of your clamp collection, if it’s on the smaller side.

Bring it Together – Assemble the four main parts, clamping them so they’re square before letting everything dry.
 

Finish it off

When dry, sand the outer faces, ensure there are not sharp edges, and that any screws in the bottom won’t damage the surface these boxes are placed on. Drill the pencil holes, if they have not already been drilled.

If you want to take it a step further, painting the exterior of the boxes can be another fun step for the kids, though it will make some woodworking purists shudder.
 

Other options for a kid's art storage box

Adding dividers is one way of increasing the skill level for older kids. Pre-cut dados that accept pieces of solid or 1/4" plywood, are easy to machine. You could even increase the overall size of the box and add a larger divider with a handle slot down the center of the box, creating a carrying box.

If you really had a keen group of kids who might have parents at home to nurture their skills, building an even larger and higher box – one that could be used to store a beginner’s kit of woodworking tools – is a great idea. A few small tools in a loot bag would really round out the “build it yourself ” party. Screwdrivers, a pencil, a tape measure and a 4" C-clamp would be a fantastic start to what we all hope is a lifelong journey into woodworking and home improvement.

Planter Box plan woodworking

We have this somewhat awkward open area in our backyard. When we bought the house it was pavement, and we soon learned it created an unbearable heat sink. Seven years later, we finally did something about it. We needed some colour in the space, and decided on cedar planter boxes.

As you can imagine, cost was a significant factor. When I explained my project to a sales associate at the local home improvement store and expressed my concern about the cost, they told me about ‘cull’ lumber. These stores like to keep their lifts of lumber looking pristine and remove the cull lumber, selling it at a significant discount, up to 70 percent off. This helped out with bringing the cost down quite a bit.

Once I had collected enough lumber, I finalized the plans for the boxes. I decided on two small boxes measuring 25"W × 25"L × 21"H and a large box 25"W × 25"L × 33-1/4"H. I also decided to put the shelf near the top of the box so that the additional weight of soil would be minimal or a saucer and pot could be used.
 

Trim the 4×4s

First I cut the side rails to length. I then dry fit them, placing them with their ends alternating. I wanted to make sure the imperfections were on the inside or underside of the box and that the color was relatively even. I mixed the light and dark sections of wood.

Once I was satisfied with the way it looked, I labelled each piece. Start by labeling the end of one of the bottom pieces; this will be the starting point. Then label each piece sequentially from left to right and bottom to top. At this point you should also decide the level to insert the shelf and mark it. This way you will remember to install the shelf pieces before you have all the side rails screwed together. I chose to put mine three 4×4s down from the top, leaving me with 11-1/2" from the shelf to the top of the finished trim.

Cut and Stacked – With all the side rails cut to length, Craig dry fit them and marked where each one would go. This helped with final assembly.
 

Caster holes

Next I disassembled the mock-up and drilled the recesses for the casters. Start by marking the center. The holes should be the middle of the width of the 4×4, and 1" from the end. Secure the board to the drill press and cut the hole with a 3" Forstner bit to 1-1/8" deep. This will allow the casters to protrude about 3/4" past the bottom of the box, appearing hidden. You may end up with different casters, so drill a test hole in some scrap and check for depth, if that’s the case. If placing the planters on a firm surface, you may want to recess the casters another 3/8" so they don’t show.

Large Recess – A recess to hide most of the caster is drilled into the underside of the lower side rails. Be sure to clamp the workpiece in place for this operation or the bit could catch and cause the workpiece to quickly move.
 

Final assembly of the planter box

Once all four bottom pieces have been bored for the casters, begin assembling the side rails. Start with the piece with the marked end and lay out the first layer according to your labeling. Lay the second layer on top. Secure them in position with clamps and drill 1/2" holes to a depth of 1-1/2". Then, using 4" deck screws, attach the side rails through the counter-sink holes. Continue securing the layers until you reach the level where the shelf will be installed. Offset the screws each level so they don’t contact each other.

Good Side Out – The interior of one of the taller planter boxes is shown here. Any knot-free, or otherwise visually appealing, faces are aimed outward for people to see.

Layer by Layer – Stacking layers of side rails on top of each other, then screwing them in place with 4"-long screws, secures everything together. Clamps help bring the joints tight before adding the screws.
 

The shelf

I used cedar fence boards for the shelf. With a rabbet bit secured in your router, rout a rabbet that will allow the top surface of the fence boards to sit flush with the upper surface of the layer of side rails. This might have to be done with a few passes. You could also machine stop dados with your table saw. Cut the fence boards to size, and place in the groove. They should be flush or ever-so-slightly below the top of the 4×4. You don’t need to fasten the fence boards in place, as the next layer will take care of that, but if you feel the need to, a single nail near both ends of each board will do the trick.

Continue adding the side rails as previously described, until they’re all installed in place.

Routed Rabbet – A rabbet to house the shelf boards is routed to the inside corner of one of the side rail layers.
 

Casters

Once you have attached the top layer of side rails, flip the box over and install the casters.

I used 1-1/2" casters, two swivel and two stationary. This allows the box to be easily moved without lifting them. I find the swivel casters allow it to be turned easily, and the stationary ones help prevent it from rolling away. Center the casters and screw in place. Make sure the stationary casters face the same direction. Before screwing down the swivel casters, rotate them to make sure they move freely and don’t contact the edge of the cedar.

Flip the box right side up, and fit the trim on the top. I used 1x6 cedar decking. Mitre the corners and dry fit. Once fitting to your satisfaction, glue the corners with exterior glue and clamp them together, essentially make a rough picture frame. Attach the top frame assembly to the box with 2-1/2" deck screws. Countersink the screws so they can be hidden with plugs. I cut the plugs from leftover cedar so that it blends in better with the trim.

Remember to drill a drain hole in the shelf. I put the planters in place. Then I poured water in the box to see where it pooled, removed the water and then drilled the hole. Once dry, I proceeded with the finish.

Add Casters – With the planter upside down, Craig attaches the casters in their cavities, and ensures they spin freely.

Top Frame Assembly – After mitering and assembling the top frame, Craig sets it on top of the planter to dry.
 

Apply a finish to the planter box

I always struggle choosing a finish, especially when it’s for a project that will live outdoors. I love the look and ease of application of penetrating oils such as teak oil. They don’t crack, peel or chip since the finish is in the wood. But depending on the exposure to sun and rain it may need recoating one to two times a year, and I’m just not likely to do that. The alternative is to use spar varnish, which builds up a layer on top of the wood. They may be able to withstand the impacts of sun and rain a little longer, two to four years, before breaking down. However, there always seems to be a section that breaks down sooner than the rest. When I try to repair just the section that has deteriorated, it never looks right. I’m not keen on sanding them all down and recoat them every two years or less.

So, after some research, I decided to mix teak oil and spar varnish 50/50 and apply it to the boxes. I applied three coats, sanding lightly between coats and wiping off the residue before allowing it to dry. The rich color of the cedar is prominent and there is still some protection with this finish.

These planter boxes can be made to suit just about any area of your yard. Even a few, all at varying heights, widths and lengths, can make for a dynamic look if done tastefully. Flowers add a lot to a home, and with our summers so short, we shouldn’t take the nice weather for granted.

Top it Off – With the frame dry, Craig fixes it to the top of the planter and plugs the holes.

Ruffled Bowl plan build

I drive a lot of miles to and from work every day, and have way too much time to think about what I would like to try to do in my shop. Looking at a picture, or seeing an object, gets my mind working on how a design could be created by me, in my shop. I’m always looking for a challenge, so first I made this ruffled bowl design in my head, then I set about to see if I could actually produce it in wood.

A thick, square blank

I started with some 2"-thick cherry, and cut a square from the board. You can laminate a blank if you want, but the glue lines and growth rings will take away from the finished look. I started with a piece 10" × 10" × 2".
 

Ruffled Bowl Layout

I started by drawing a circle as large as possible on the top face of the blank. This circle marks the outer edge of the workpiece, which will get trimmed round on the band saw shortly. I then laid out 16 evenly spaced segments on the top face of the blank.

Next, I had to locate and drill the first set of 16 holes. First, draw a smaller circle across the segment lines. You want this to be far enough inside the outer circle so that enough wood remains to shape the ruffle. I found that a distance of 1" between the outer edge of the drilled hole and the outer edge of the workpiece gave me enough material to work with. Since I was going to drill 5/8"-diameter holes, this meant the radius of my second circle was 1-5/16" smaller than the first circle. I marked it, then trimmed the blank to the outer circle on my band saw. Next, extend the segment lines down the edge of the blank using a square.

To help lay out the next 16 holes, mark a centerline around the edge of the blank. Next, mark the mid point between each of the segments, along the center line. This is where the side holes will be drilled. I used a nail set to center punch the 32 hole locations, to help accurately locate the 5/8"-diameter drill bit.

If you want to play around with different-sized holes, go for it. You do not want them too small or you’ll have very thick ruffles. Too big, and you’ll have no wood left to make each ruffle. I used a 5/8" Forstner bit. When drilling the holes, you want their edges to be as clean as possible, to avoid a lot of tedious cleanup later.

Two Circles – First, the outer circle is drawn on the blank. It marks the outside edge of the finished piece. The second circle is drawn to assist with laying out the 16 holes in the upper surface of the piece.

Divide It Up – Chemerika divided the round workpiece into 16 equal segments, and transferred those lines down the side edge of the blank.
 

Drill the holes

I then drilled the face holes and the edge holes. I made sure I was able to make the edge holes as square to the face and edge as possible. You have to drill the edge holes deep enough, and all at the same depth using the depth gauge, so they will be exposed where the bowl will be hollowed out. Before I took the bowl out of the edge jig, I also reamed the holes out to evenly and quickly remove a decent amount of material from around each hole.

Hole Locations – With the 16 holes on the upper face, and the 16 holes on the edge marked and center-punched, Chemerika added circles around each hole location to ensure no mistakes were made while she drilled the 5/8"-diameter holes.

Nice and Straight – Ensure the holes in the side of the workpiece are bored straight and to the same depth. The holes need to be deep enough to protrude through the bowl area once it’s hollowed.
 

More marking

With the holes drilled, I marked where the edges needed to be cut, so I could remove some of the waste from between the holes. I aimed for an opening of about 1/4" wide at the outer rim of the bowl. One thing to consider at this stage is marking these lines so they’re tangent to the drilled 5/8" hole, with only a small amount of sanding and shaping needed to create a smooth transition on both sides of the holes. I cut along the lines, using my band saw.

Remove More Material – To assist with removal of waste material, you can use a large countersink bit.

A Tangent Cut – Mark and cut the waste from between the holes. Ensuring the cuts are tangent to the holes will reduce the amount of hand work to smooth the edges later on.
 

Time to turn

I mounted the bowl blank on my lathe, with a round blank glued to the bottom of the workpiece and paper in between, for easy removal later. I lightly turned the general shape of the piece on the edges and then removed a lot of material from the center of the workpiece. The bowl center area must be deep enough to expose the holes drilled into the side edge, yet only wide enough so there is enough wood left between the center area and the outer face for the ruffle.

Turn the Bowl – With the workpiece on the lathe, Chemerika hollows out the center area, keeping an eye on the area where the bored holes come in from the side edge of the piece.
 

Angled cuts

With the workpiece off the lathe and secured to my workbench, I used a dovetail saw to make the angled face cuts. I applied a few layers of tape to the bowl bottom to protect the workpiece from my less-than-perfect hand sawing technique.

More Trim Cuts – A dovetail saw is used to make cuts tangent to the holes, so more waste can be removed from the piece before shaping each ruffle.
 

Shaping the ruffles

Now all that’s left to do is to shape the ruffles. Easier said than done. I used a combination of rotary carving and abrading tools, chisels and belt sander belts. Old belt sander belts removed a lot of material fast and easily. You may even find a selection of carving gouges work to smooth out the main shape of the ruffles, then you can move to sanding. I sanded with finer and finer sanding belts until there were no tool marks. It took a long time, and there were lots of breaks, but the final result shows how important this step is. Rough sanding, to obtain the general shape of each ruffle, is one of the most important steps while making this piece. Finish sanding is also important, not to mention time consuming.

Use Some Power – Electric or pneumatic tools will help with shaping each ruffle. Just be careful to not remove too much wood, and to protect yourself in the process.

Simple Protection – While Chemerika is working on sawing and shaping each ruffle, she adds a few layers of tape to the bottom of the bowl area to protect it from tools.

Old Sanding Belts – Sanding belts, in many grits and widths, make great aids for shaping the ruffles. They are somewhat rigid, and help knock down the high points quickly.
 

Apply a finish

I wanted something to highlight the grain and provide a medium amount of protection, so I opted for a wipe-on oil finish. Saturating the wood, especially the end grain, and getting into all the nooks and crannies, took some effort but was necessary.

To be quite honest, I’m not sure what this is. Some have suggested putting candles in the face holes for a centerpiece at Christmas. I’ve also used one as a serving bowl for snacks. One thing for sure is that it’s a conversation piece.

And if you decide to make one as a gift, you can be darn sure the lucky recipient doesn’t already have one.