Project by greg48 | posted 03-07-2021 09:32 PM | 1279 views | 1 time favorited | 11 comments | ![]() |
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After 21+ years of faithful service, my old Chevy truck finally let me down. Yes, my plastic and upholstered center console box between the seats gave up the ghost. I thought briefly about replacing “olde paint”, but couldn’t bring myself to depart with an old friend, so I built a replacement box.
Having some leftover ¾” red oak that was donated from an earlier church project, I built a finger jointed box of roughly the same dimensions as the old box, 12” x 20” x 4½-7½” depth. The box top is a piece of edge joined oak dadoed into the box and left floating during the glue up, with the lid cut off the box using the table saw. The lid and the box were then oppositely rabbeted to form a lip. The box lid was joined with a leftover length of piano hinge. A simple handle was affixed with screws. The bottom of the box was closed up using ½” ship lapped oak planks screwed into the rabbeted box sides.
The box is affixed to the original pivoting hardware using T-nuts and threaded inserts.
The whole box, inside and out, was stained and sealed with a Watco® medium walnut Danish oil and Minwax® paste wax.
It’s not exactly the color matched and upholstered look of the original, but it serves as an armrest and most important of all, it holds stuff that otherwise migrates to those dark spaces beneath the seat. Who knows, perhaps I will get another 20+ years out of the old truck (perhaps not).
Thanks for looking in. All comments, criticisms, and complaints welcomed, though I may not respond to negative posts. Have a blessed Easter.
Greg48
”Gaudete in Domino Semper”
P.S. Todays my birthday, I’m still amazed I’ve made it this far.
-- Greg, No. Cal. - "Gaudete in Domino Semper"
11 comments so far
bbain32
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43 posts in 2637 days
#1 posted 03-07-2021 09:52 PM
Well done. Adds a bit of extra class to the truck.
JasonWagner
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566 posts in 4642 days
#2 posted 03-07-2021 10:38 PM
Cool idea, love it
-- some day I hope to have enough clamps to need a clamp cart!
Eric
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5137 posts in 1335 days
#3 posted 03-07-2021 11:39 PM
Now that is what I call inginuity, looks great and I am sure you will receive comments from your passengers too. Great job.
-- Eric, building the dream
RDan
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218 posts in 3786 days
#4 posted 03-07-2021 11:42 PM
Great Solution, I may have to steal it for my ‘02 2500 HD. Mine still works but is difficult to open most of the time.
Dan
woodbutcherbynight
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10889 posts in 3871 days
#5 posted 03-08-2021 12:15 AM
Fantastic work, looks great!!
-- Live to tell the stories, they sound better that way.
woodsawdustmaker
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46 posts in 5086 days
#6 posted 03-08-2021 12:27 AM
Nice build. I like the wood look better than the original plastic look in the truck,
-- Max - Birmingham, AL
JCamp
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1741 posts in 2012 days
#7 posted 03-08-2021 01:01 AM
Very nice. Only thing that could make it better is a bow tie on it!
-- Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might
swirt
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7693 posts in 4434 days
#8 posted 03-08-2021 03:01 AM
Clever solution.
-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com
Peteybadboy
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#9 posted 03-08-2021 10:51 AM
great idea.
-- Petey
Craftsman on the lake
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#10 posted 03-08-2021 01:36 PM
Happy Bday btw…
Nicely done. But….. CUP HOLDERS!!!!! You forgot the cup holders. When you get a new truck someday, always sit in it and see if the cup holders are situated in the right place. Comfortable access without having to reach too far. If not, move on to another brand. It’s all about the cup holders right?
-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful.
Eric
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5137 posts in 1335 days
#11 posted 03-09-2021 01:48 AM
Good fitting cup holders to, just for that mug of coffee.
-- Eric, building the dream
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