When my children reached a certain age ... 6 or 7 as I recall, my father built each of them a toy box. Those toy boxes are now cherished heirlooms constructed of reused lumber that had been previously somehow linked to our family's history. At the time I really didn't give those "boxes" much thought ... they were a place to store toys and lived in each child's room.
Now ... my 1st grandson is seven years old ... and it is time for him to have his own "made by G'Pa" toy box. I started the project looking for wood I could recycle, but didn't find the necessary quantity/dimension so I opted for a trip earlier documented on this site to M&G Sawmill where I bought aromatic cedar for the toy chest and white oak for the crib of the expected March arrival of the 2nd grandchild ... I realize aromatic cedar is usually reserved for "Hope" or "Blanket" chests ... but when I was at the mill and saw this beautiful wood I knew I had to build something with it ... sure makes the shop smell good will working the wood!
Besides the aromatic cedar I used redwood from the old pool deck for the base and handles (which is the same wood I used for my big deck chair, my TV tray that I use every day, my wife's quilt rack and outdoor swing) so it has SOME family history in it's makeup and I used white oak that is part of the batch I will use to build the new baby crib for the lid and hinge reinforcements ... hopefully that will give it a little "heirloom" countenance in the future.
I used "plans" (using the term loosely) I found on the internet .. but modified them heavily to suit my preferences.
I used the Harbor Freight dovetail jig for the joinery and I have to say that with a little care and patience I found the jig to work very well, particularly in light of the $29 I paid for it.
Overall I'm pleased with the outcome ... I have provided links below to a few pictures (hopefully that works -- if not I trust you'll let me know).
http://picasaweb.google.com/BadeMill...87765229847874
http://picasaweb.google.com/BadeMill...87792136696258
http://picasaweb.google.com/BadeMill...87836920642194
Now ... my 1st grandson is seven years old ... and it is time for him to have his own "made by G'Pa" toy box. I started the project looking for wood I could recycle, but didn't find the necessary quantity/dimension so I opted for a trip earlier documented on this site to M&G Sawmill where I bought aromatic cedar for the toy chest and white oak for the crib of the expected March arrival of the 2nd grandchild ... I realize aromatic cedar is usually reserved for "Hope" or "Blanket" chests ... but when I was at the mill and saw this beautiful wood I knew I had to build something with it ... sure makes the shop smell good will working the wood!
Besides the aromatic cedar I used redwood from the old pool deck for the base and handles (which is the same wood I used for my big deck chair, my TV tray that I use every day, my wife's quilt rack and outdoor swing) so it has SOME family history in it's makeup and I used white oak that is part of the batch I will use to build the new baby crib for the lid and hinge reinforcements ... hopefully that will give it a little "heirloom" countenance in the future.
I used "plans" (using the term loosely) I found on the internet .. but modified them heavily to suit my preferences.
I used the Harbor Freight dovetail jig for the joinery and I have to say that with a little care and patience I found the jig to work very well, particularly in light of the $29 I paid for it.
Overall I'm pleased with the outcome ... I have provided links below to a few pictures (hopefully that works -- if not I trust you'll let me know).
http://picasaweb.google.com/BadeMill...87765229847874
http://picasaweb.google.com/BadeMill...87792136696258
http://picasaweb.google.com/BadeMill...87836920642194
LCHIEN
Loring in Katy, TX USA
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