The little tool box is finished. The side of the box are cedar and the top pine, for a finish I stained the outside with my home made walnut stain, followed by two coats of shellac. You can see all the "small tools" that now live together,in happiness and safety. They are mostly measuring tools with some very small clamps and edge tools.
Since amalgamating these tools from their various drawers worked so well I began what for me is a big project.
This is the situation so far. I kept the shelves but they are now enclosed with a frame that will hold doors. I have expanded the capacity from three shelves to five as well.
Building a frame this size is about the limit of my working space.
You can see that the frame is as large as my work table and so it had to be slayed side ways to be assembled. The other challenge of course was that the stuff from the shelves on the wall had to be taken down and put into boxes while the work was going on. Have you ever noticed that the thing you put into the box first is the thing that you need first.
Also I had five little repairs on things from 10,000 Villages to do at more or less the same time. Lets just say that every flat surface was in use.
To keep things from falling off the top shelf I added some tightly drawn sash cord as restraining rails. To get the things on the top shelf I need a step stool and there will be a separate door for the top shelve too. I just wanted to reduce the chance of things falling from the 'over head compartment'.
The original shelves were not all the same size and so I had to cut one down.
This project started with a piece of 3/4 inch plywood. Having a table saw made cutting the pieces so easy. Then I hung the unit up using two long French Cleats. To make the cleats I took the blade guard off my table saw and ripped one board at 45 degrees. I then put the blade guard back on. On older saws like mine removing and re-installing the blade guard is a bit of a pain. On newer saws it it much easier. As a fellow that has nipped his fingers thrice on his saw I strongly encourage everyone to use their blade guard.
While doing this job I decided to align my cabinets so I rehung the big new frame so it was level with the cabinet on the left, and I took the older cabinet on the right and raised it to match. The tool rack that used to be on the bottom shelf is on the wall below my saw cabinet.
The list of tools that I used to manage this puzzle and build the cabinet frame is legion. The table saw cut the frame parts, the mitre saw cut the parts to size and cut the shelf down to size. After everything was cut It was glued and clamped. Putting the frame up and moving the old cabinet required a spirit level. And there was always a cordless drill and impact driver in play.
Having a cordless driver handy means that things can be tacked into place with a screw easily, and the screw can be removed just as easily later. For example I initially screwed the frame to the wall before making and installing the 'french cleat'. The third shelf is attached with pocket holes. I needed to get the frame onto the wall a.s.a.p so there would be room on my work table so I put it up with the two top shelves,bottom and sides in place. The other shelves were added once the unit was on the wall. I will measure build and attach the doors the same way.
Building the cabinet as a frame, adding the shelves once the unit is on the wall and putting the doors on last like this is awkward but it did mean that I was able to lift the frame into place without help. Had the cabinet been fully assembled on the bench it would have taken help to lift it into place. Getting help is easy, being well enough organized to arrange for help, that isn't as easy.(for me).
Another advantage for me and the way I work is that all the stuff from the shelves can go back onto the shelves now and the doors can be added later.(shortly I hope).
No comments:
Post a Comment