Replies

1. 
   roc | Sep 13, 2009 11:41pm | #1

   Are you saying the top will have a handle in the center and the rest of the assembly will hang from the top when carried ?

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

2. 
   roc | Sep 13, 2009 11:58pm | #2

   You can use corner blocks on the inside with screws through the sides and top ; arange the grain so you are screwing through layers of grain rather than between the grain but that is toooo easy.

   Two ways come to mind:

   • Metal dowels through the sides of the cover with small machine screws through the top and into the dowels. I will attempt to post an example.

   • Angle shaped aluminum, can get at Home Depot, all around the top with wood screws through the sides and top. Angle on the outside. The angle transfers the weight to the top surface of the top rather than depending on the screw thread or ply layers to take the load. The screws in the sides are running through the plys rather than between them and the load is perpendicular so no prob. Not pretty but not bad. Can get quite thin angle material so not so bulky and industrial.

   http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhf/R-100338750/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

   This is too thick and the price seems ridiculous. You can probably find it for half that price or less.

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

   Edited 9/13/2009 5:05 pm by roc

   Edited 9/13/2009 5:07 pm by roc

   
   

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   Edited 9/13/2009 7:24 pm by roc

3. 
   roc | Sep 14, 2009 12:58am | #3

   Example promised:

   Other than bed bolts I didn't find one. So here is it.

   The dowel is fitted through the plywood to act as an anchor then drilled to accept a screw running through the layers of grain of the dowel so you don't have to thread between plys of the plywood.

   Substitute aluminum or brass for wood dowels and drill and tap your self. Heck the wood dowels are probably all you need.

   It's not the easy way but it is the cowboy way.

   The pics are of two jigs I made back in the day. Please be forgiving. Back then I was experimenting with as many things all at once as I could to get some experience before building " Real " stuff. Hence the square socket hardwood finish screws through masonite. I don't know . . . that is just the way I did it. Don't beat me, I'm sorry. I used larger counter sinks on the other parts. Odd grain orientation = plywood/doesn't matter.

   Yes I could have just glued the others to.

   Anyway this is the finger joint jig that I was so enthused about in the Finger Joint thread. Can dial the fit using the threaded rod. Has a metal stop block. Iiiii LIKE IT !

   And finally so many peaches; so little time.

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

   
   

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   Edited 9/14/2009 12:35 am by roc

   
4. 
   roc | Sep 14, 2009 01:23am | #4

   OK finally some cool guy order from the catalog "Cross Dowels "

   http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=2&p=44238cat=3,41306,45375

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

5. 
   roc | Sep 14, 2009 01:26am | #5

   Blasted site ! Try these pics from same site

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

   
6. 
   flairwoodworks | Sep 14, 2009 04:03am | #6

   Welcome to the "Ask Roc" part of the forum!

   Chris @ www.flairwoodworks.com
   and www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

1. 
   roc | Sep 14, 2009 04:36am | #7

   And your solution for his sewing machine box cover joinery problem is . . .rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

   Edited 9/13/2009 9:39 pm by roc

1. 
   flairwoodworks | Sep 14, 2009 04:28pm | #8

   All of the above sounds good.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

7. 
   RalphBarker | Sep 14, 2009 05:18pm | #9

   FWIW, I think the design, and the associated joinery, depends on the look you want, the range being from utilitarian/industrial to "portable furniture".

   Using aluminum angle, as Roc suggested, to reinforce the top-to-side joints works well for cases of this nature. I'd put the angle on the inside, though, unless you're going for the really industrial look. Using angle, of course, requires that the case be square.

   For a more "portable furniture" look, I'd use solid wood and dovetail the sides of the case. A thickness of 3/8" for the sides sounds about right. Then, I'd use thicker stock for the top, running a dado around the edge so it would be inset, with maybe 1/8" of the edge showing. Once glued and assembled, I'd then drill a series of holes for a series of exposed dowels (3/16" to 1/4", perhaps) around the top edges. I'm thinking about 2" spacing for the dowels around the top edges. So, you'd end up with a series of little "dots" to contrast the dovetails along the vertical edges.

1. 
   roc | Sep 15, 2009 08:25pm | #10

   >use solid wood<FOUL THAT'S CHEETING ! Using solid wood.Quite nice though. I like it ! !Depending on the width of the top and assuming it is solid wood ( and thicker as you said ) does he need to leave some room/unglued for movement like a panel door or maybe it is so narrow it won't matter. I don't know. Dowels are good though. Wax the long side dowel holes in the top panel (gotta glue dowels into sides and glue will be on dowel as it enters top )?PS: oooh maybe no dowels on the ends then or just one on each end at the center or as I said maybe it is so narrow it won't matter. I don't know.rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )Edited 9/15/2009 1:29 pm by roc

   Edited 9/15/2009 1:30 pm by roc

1. 
   RalphBarker | Sep 15, 2009 09:18pm | #11

   Well, we might let you use plywood for the top, to minimize expansion factors. ;-)To make it more fun, of course, the sides could be made trapezoidal in shape, making the top smaller than the base opening. That also adds greater challenge to the dovetails.

8. 
   roc | Sep 15, 2009 09:38pm | #12

   Weelis,

   How do you feel about solid wood and extra fun/challenging dovetails ?

   I'm pullin' for yah ! We are all in this together.

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

   
   

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   Edited 9/15/2009 2:42 pm by roc