For that project I used off cuts from making cutting boards and the width and thickness were approximate which was Okay because it was a prototype idea.
My most recent woven oak project is not a prototype, it needed consistent wood strips, hence the jig.
As you can see the tote is roughly 12 by 8 and 3 inches deep. I decided to make the sides like this to keep the weight down. This tote is not designed to be a heavy lifter, rather a tool for a gentle person. Gathering flowers or produce from your garden is what I have in mind, not a stonemason's tool tote. (though, I could make one of those too) I know that there are lots of cheap plastic buckets that would do that job, but they are plastic and cheap.
The base, ends and handle are made from 1/2 inch spruce since it is fairly light and sturdy enough. I cut a rabbet in the ends and hung them over the base to made a slightly stronger joint that a butt joint. The handle is held on with glue and a dowel pin. A shop tip: I needed 1/8 inch dowel. I used a bamboo skewer from the kitchen drawer and sized it with my Lee Nielson dowel sizing plate.
The horizontal slats are glued at the ends but the vertical dividers are only in place by friction. I did that so it would be easier to repair a broken slat.
A foot note:
As I was designing the handle for this project I used compasses and a straight edge. The straight edge started out as just piece of scrap wood with one good straight edge. I used it because it was handy, light, the right size, and because it is much thicker than a medal ruler is was quite nice to trace a pencil along. If you have a bunch of lines to draw try a fat ruler if you have one, or make a Straight Edge as a lay out tool. I think you will find that it is nicer to work with than a thin ruler. After using it I put in a few minutes to sand and shape the Straight Edge a bit and then painted it RED. So I can find it next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment