Finally finished the toy box

[Bill in Buena Park]

I can finally turn this one over to my 17month-old son.

Thanks to all who helped with recommendations on sanding the details of my routed work - I ended up using the sanding sticks from Woodcraft, and they worked great. My approach to this piece was a combination of contemporary (clean geometry, current routed graphic) meets Amish (no pinch lid, simple design details).

Book holders on the sides were requested by LOML. I thought about being more creative with tapering their shape, having the top opening larger than the bottom, but need for volume (function) won out over art (form).

Solid red oak; sides and back plate-joined for height; construction of front & read to sides done with biscuit joiner. Should be heavy enough that my rough-and-tumbly boy won't be able to move it.

[bmyers]

SAAAA-WEET!!!!!







Bill (fellow member of the Billy Club)

[ejs1097]

That looks awesome...excellent work. I like the book ends touch.

Did you hand route Lightening McQueen on there? It looks very good.

[footprintsinconc]

very very nice!!!

i love the routed car. where did you get that from? did you buy the template, if so from where?

[mschrank]

That's great, my son would be envious!

Maybe I missed it in your earlier post, but how did you go about routing Lightening McQueen? Did you make a pattern yourself and then just freehand it?

[Popeye]

I like it, I like it. Very nice work. Pat

[gettools]

Thats real nice, I really like the Lightening McQueen.

[jking]

Very nice. Especially like the routed McQueen.

I also like the gap between the lid & the front panel. It provides some room for little fingers so they don't get pinched. I assume you also have some hardware to hold the lid up in position as well?

[MilDoc]

That is nothing short of fantastic! So your 17 month old loves it and you started the project when he was born ?

Love the inovations like the book holder. You should submit this to a woodworking mag!~

[warrenp]

Nice job...I really like your creative approach with lots of extra storage...sitting place...and stuff!

[mater]

It is very nice. Beautiful work.

[Pappy]

What everyone else said, double!

[Bill in Buena Park]

Thanks for the kind words

About the McQueen - that was a last minute choice, based on my son's addiction to the movie. My wife and I discussed a sports theme (we're both huge football and hockey fans), but I found a picture of Lightning on the internet, which when fit-to-print on my printer ended up being just the right size to use as a "template"; I just taped in on the wood, cut through to score in the outlines with my Exacto, and used my Dremel/router to "freehand" along the scoring, which is evident by the less graceful curves in places.

The only hardware is the small brass hinges, mortised. The "up" position of the lid in one photo was accomplished by placing a thin stick in the underside gap when I lifted the lid; it held when I let go take the picture.

Regarding MilDoc's suggestion to submit to a WW mag - that really hadn't crossed my mind. What mag would be interested in this type of thing, do you think?

Again, thanks for looking.

[SARGE..g-47]

Excellently done, Bill.. Your wife should be proud of the accomplishment. Finishing seems to take forever, doesn't it?

[rnelson0]

Awesome job, you really built to your audience's needs! Back in my day, it would have been Optimus Prime, but I'm guessing kids these days wouldn't know who that is