| Blog series by Mainiac Matt | updated 07-27-2012 03:42 PM | 12 parts | 55518 reads | 27 comments total |
Part 1: resurecting an old workbench build
I downloaded a CAD file for this open source work bench design ages ago, and set about scavenging recycled materials. I purchased a couple sheets of 5/8” MDF that was extra from a job we ran at work and got the shop forman to cut the drawer sides, ends and drawer box sides, tops and bottoms on the panel saw. I then came across a pallet of 42”x42” chipboard that one of our customers asked us to scrap out for them, and was able to get 10 or so sheets for free. I order...
Part 2: progress on the drawers
It starts with a plan… I know their not super sophisticated, but with a few 1” pin nails to help reinforce the glue joint, they feel pretty solid. I’ve had this stack dado for a while now, but haven’t had need of it till now…so I had to make an auxillary fence and a ZCI Here’s the set up for cutting the lap joints first lap joint gluing up the drawers… I really need to get some more clamps…. I like using the paper t...
Part 3: Drawer Mountain is growing!
Ten done, one in clamps and one more to go after that…. I also got the drawer fronts cut and edge banded…. We use these drawer pulls on a lot of projects at work and buy them buy the gazillion…. I only had to pay 50 cents each for them as empoyees can purchase material from the company at cost.
Part 4: more progress
finished the last two drawers…layed out and spot drilled the drawer pull holes in the drawer fronts… This design has three “drawer boxes” .... each with four drawers…. I glued up the MDF panels too make the three boxes and here they are shown dry fitted for the next step, which is to join them all together with an MDF top and bottom panel that runs the full length.
Part 5: pedestal done
I got the pedestal put together… And here are the drawer box frames in position…
Part 6: ready for face frame...
the three drawer boxes are secure to the pedistle, the MDF “cap” is on, the melamine ends are on, and the plywood back panel secure….. this “chassis” is turning out to be quite the tank…. and I’m getting a little concerned how in the world I’m going to get it down off of my wood working bench :^O I went ahead and put the drawer fronts on the bottom three drawers, since these are referenced off the bottom…. the other levels will ...
Part 7: Face Frame done
Well, this is my first attempt at making a face frame…. but the way this design is set up, I’m not sure that I should even call it a face frame…. more like banding in some ways. Either way… I carefully measured and cut the stock, then very carefully ripped each member to a dim. I transfered with a combo. square. Then I made my first mistake…. and pre-sanded the members (the boards had been in storage for a long time) with a belt sander ….. which inad...
Part 8: finished the FF and started installing drawers
Because I’m looking for “skill builder” aspects to the project, I decided to try some finishing products I’ve never used b4. And since I’ve never done anything with Shellac, I decided to seal the pine face frame with Zinser Seal Coat b4 applying finish. And since the other aspect of the project is to use up stock that’s been wasting away on the shelf, I decided to use up a partial can of Zar plus (stain/poly). Lessons learned about Shellac….1...
Part 9: 12 drawers installed
Been out of the loop for a while… took the kiddies up north for 4 days @ my MIL’s cottage, and true to my well established pattern of getting sick on vacations, I came down with a bug. I limped into work on Tuesday but my wife persuaded me into seeing the doc on Wednesday during my lunch break…. PNEUMONIA !! So I’ve been a drugged up hurtin’ puppy, pretty much traping back and forth from work to bed ever since. But I was finally well enough to get some shop t...
Part 10: fabricating the risers and getting the beast off of my bench...
tweeked the riser design back to the four riser layout in the original plan…. this will decrease the unsupported span on the top and create a solid load path from the bench top to the floor. I didn’t have as many hard wood 3×5’s kicking around as I thought (and the two I found had deep checks) ... so I’m also going back to dimensional lumber for the risers and will double up the outboard pair. Rather than making a HD run and picking the 2×6 pileR...
Part 11: risers done & top banded
We took the first day of a planned vacation and layed low trying to get everyone healthy…. so I got some decent shop time and accommplished the following… I milled the risers out of cut offs from SPF 2×10s that I used for rafters in the kiddo’s tree house last summer… it’s good practice for me to go through the jointer-jointer-TS-planer routine again…. but somehow my jointer (a 1930s Craftsman) got out of whack… so I got to “prac...
Part 12: finish flop
So I’ve been cranking on my top (1” MDF with laminate on both sides) .... > I milled 1/2” thick solid pine banding down from scraps of trim and framing lumber… > installed w/ biscuits to aide alignment…> flush trimmed top and bottom with router> decided to route a 3/16”x45 deg chamfer on the top perimeter, rather than a round over bit.> sanded every thing up nice and pretty. In keeping with the “use up old inventory” theme of this project...
