231 – Multi-Function Toy Chest

Video - October 17, 2014

Download the project plans here: SketchUp File or PDF Plan with Cut List

The Multi-Function Toy Chest is the 2014 Woodworkers Fighting Cancer charity build. How does it work? All you have to do is build this project and send me a picture by November 30th 2014. I’ll then donate $5 per finished project. We have several corporate sponsors who are also matching my donation and those include: Festool, Bell Forest Products, Brusso Hardware, Eagle America, and Powermatic. More details about this charity event can be found at WoodworkersFightingCancer.com.

Basic Tools & Materials

We wanted this project to be as approachable as possible, so it makes use of basic tools and materials that can be sourced from any home center. Materials: Pre-milled Poplar, 3/4″ plywood, 3/8″ dowel stock Hardware: Piano Hinge, Screws, Lid Support, Torsion Hinges (optional upgrade) Tools: Circular saw, Drill, Jigsaw, Block Plane, Pocket Hole Jig Useful Stuff: Shop-Made Track, T-Square, Countersink Bit, Self-Centering Bit, LEGO Building Plate

Finish

You can finish your toy chest any way you like, but I went with Milk Paint. My son picked out the color and I thought it would be a fun way to give the piece a unique look. It also helps to cover up the poplar which has natural greenish color tones. All painting materials were purchased from The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company.

Partnership

Once again this year, Steve Ramsey from Woodworking for Mere Mortals is helping to promote Woodworkers Fighting Cancer by building his own version of the Multi-Function Toy Chest. His version may include a few changes and you can build either his version or mine to get credit for the charity.

How You Can Help

As mentioned previously, you can simply build this project to help with the cause. Once complete, you can do whatever you like with your Toy Chest. Some folks auction them off and donate the money to the charity, which is always cool. If you don’t want to build a Toy Chest, consider donating directly to our team. Thanks to our sponsors, Steve Ramsey, and all of you for helping us reach our goal of $15,000!

Discussion

Evan Freilich October 17, 2014 8:14 am

We actually already have a toy storage solution but I would really like to support this charity and the toy chest looks like a great project to work on with my son. I am wondering if we could donate the finished pieces to the charity so they could go directly to children or to children’s hospitals or treatment centers. Do you know if this is possible?

Thanks and keep up the great work!

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Stan P October 17, 2014 8:43 am

Nice design, nice job. I was also glad to see that you and Nicole finally have matching tats!

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Michael Hoersch October 17, 2014 10:10 am

I didn’t realize that Nicole had such hairy arms until I saw “her” painting the toy chest.

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Ted October 17, 2014 1:28 pm

Where can I get the Powermatic lego set? TIA

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- Tom Moores October 25, 2014 8:37 am
  
  where did u get the lego tools
  
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Jeff E October 17, 2014 2:23 pm

Awesome project Marc. I am starting tonight!

Anyone know what the best joint to use in lieu of the pocket holes?

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 17, 2014 3:06 pm
  
  Mortise and tenon for the front and back frame. Dados for the side and bottom panels. Maybe a stopped rabbet or a short mortise and tenon joint for the side rails into the frame.
  
  To be honest, this thing was designed with simple butt joint joinery in mind. It might be work re-designing a bit to accommodate more traditional joinery.
  
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  - Jeff E October 20, 2014 7:10 am
    
    Thanks Marc.
    
    I was going to cut my 29″ rails at 30″ to accommodate for a tenon. But, alas, I didn’t. So, Titebond and a couple well hidden screws it is.
    
    I will save the joinery for the Dogon bed, which I will start promptly after this toy chest.
    
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- Barton Chew October 22, 2014 12:14 pm
  
  I’ll probably use my biscuit joiner.
  
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Chris Holtzer October 17, 2014 4:47 pm

It may be a good idea to add a section about poking holes in the back, to allow airflow. Kids will climb in, and believe it or not, can suffocate. It also serves to allow anything moist that ends up in the chest to dry, and not get moldy/mildewy.

Great Project! Looking forward to the build.

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 17, 2014 6:19 pm
  
  No need for holes when you have curves on the top rails. Plenty of airflow. :)
  
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  - Chris Holtzer October 17, 2014 8:18 pm
    
    Very good point! If you don’t want the curves, cut the holes though. I never thought of it until my Dad was evaluating my first toy box. Just want everyone safe!
    
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otis October 17, 2014 8:33 pm

Ive never heard of cutting off the factory edges before. Are they not usually straight?

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- Ted October 18, 2014 4:57 am
  
  Very seldom are factory edges truly straight, but it varies with the type of material. I’ve had some 3/4″ baltic birch that took about an 1/8″ “dive” in the last 2′. Interestingly both sides were parallel. Another thing to consider is there are usually more voids and defects close to the edges and ends of the sheets as well as thin surface veneer.
  
  I process a lot of sheet goods and have a panel saw. The first thing I do though is straighten one edge with a track saw removing about 3/16″. Dust collection is much better when you leave a strip to the outside of the blade and you’re getting rid of some of those defects near the edge. I then use that edge as the reference edge on the panel saw to get square crosscuts and plan my cuts so I remove about 1/4″ from the ends of the sheets.
  
  A good blade will also leave a much cleaner edge than any factory cut.
  
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- Tom Moores October 25, 2014 8:38 am
  
  they most likely will have some damage from handling
  
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Peter October 18, 2014 1:11 am

To qualify for the charity does the build have to have the white board and lego parts. Can it just be plywood or painted with blackboard paint?

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 18, 2014 6:35 am
  
  You can make any changes you like, but it should be obvious that it started with either my or Steve’s design.
  
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Chuck P October 18, 2014 3:58 am

Marc;
What blade do you use in your circular saw to get those plywood cuts to nice??

Chuck P

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 18, 2014 6:33 am
  
  It’s a Freud blade with a high tooth count.
  
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  - Barton Chew October 22, 2014 1:53 pm
    
    Can you please tell me what tooth count you used? Same for the jigsaw blade.
    
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    - Gilbert Escobedo October 24, 2014 11:59 pm
      
      Link for the blade at home depot, it indeed does give nice cuts on plywood
      
      http://www.homedepot.com/p/Dia...../100627136
Aubrey October 18, 2014 5:41 am

I am glad to be participating again this year. Last year I was able to auction off the easel and donated the proceeds. I am hoping to do that again this year but raise even more.

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- Jeff E October 20, 2014 7:15 am
  
  Awesome idea. I was thinking about making a second toy chest and doing that this year. The first is already spoken for.
  
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David October 18, 2014 8:15 am

Do you think that 1/2 inch plywood would be strong enough. I’m interested in reducing the weight a little.

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Vince October 18, 2014 12:11 pm

I looked at the sketch up file for this toy chest project in the exploded view you dashed lines, I am new to sketch up & was wondering how you made dashed lines.

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Doyle October 18, 2014 5:34 pm

Where can I buy white board?

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 18, 2014 6:14 pm
  
  Home Depot
  
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Fred Ventrone October 19, 2014 6:12 am

Marc,

I noticed you didn’t use primer before painting. Is it not necessary with the milk paint?

Fred

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 19, 2014 6:40 am
  
  Nope! :) When it is necessary, the Extra Bond product helps with bonding.
  
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  - NickP October 20, 2014 7:38 am
    
    Marc, great plan and idea overall – came to you via WWMM and trying to decide which box I should make. Might do both. One question – your cut list for sheet goods shows sides and top/bottom panels, but there are no front/back panels shown either in cutlist or materials, unless I am missing something. I am assuming they are made from the whiteboard or similar material which would be 1/4″? Thanks, Nick
    
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    - Marc Spagnuolo October 20, 2014 7:57 am
      
      Hey Nick. The front and back panels are made from whiteboard stock from Home Depot. It’s about 1/4″. But you could use anything you like there from painted MDF, to a hardwood veneer, to chalk board……
      
      *edit* I added the panels to the cut list. Feel free to download the latest version.
Dave October 19, 2014 5:39 pm

Marc,
Which Rockler lid supports did you use? The 35-40 in-lb; 45-55; or the 95-125? I don’t have the top made yet (can’t weigh it!) and I’d like to get the hardware ordered.
Thanks in advance.

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 20, 2014 7:55 am
  
  I didn’t actually use the Rockler supports. Here’s what I used: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Eve...../202521055
  
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- KarlVDT October 27, 2014 10:11 am
  
  I used two of the Rockler 40 in-lb torsion hinges for a lid made out of 3/4″ oak plywood. They are awesome! Easy installation and smooth opening and closing. The best part is that the hinges hold in any position. So, my little guy can push it open and lean in to get toys without holding the lid. They definitely are pricey, but I think they are worth it in the long run.
  
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Jeff E October 20, 2014 7:32 am

If you use the 3/4″ birch ply and Marc’s dimensions the weight of the lid should be somewhere around 10 – 11 lbs. Thinking that a standard sheet of 3/4″ birch ply (4×8) weighs about 75 lbs, and the dimensions for the lid are about 11.6% of the size of a 4×8 sheet. That would yield the plywood piece of the lid to weigh about 8.7 lbs. Then you would add in the weight of the 1.5″ poplar rails and it is negligible, 2 lbs tops (and I am thinking that is very conservative).

So, you SHOULD be fine with two of the 40 in-lb torsion hinges (10 lbs @ 17 inches is 85 in-lbs). If you want to accommodate for the conservative estimate, go with three 30 in-lb hinges.

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Mad Hungarian October 21, 2014 1:02 pm

I like the Legomatics at the end — where did you find them?

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 21, 2014 1:14 pm
  
  I’m not sure I can actually say where I got them. The folks I got them from (years ago) actually got into some legal trouble so I don’t feel comfortable mentioning them specifically. Doesn’t matter though since you can’t get them anymore. I am thinking about cataloging the parts and creating a parts list for each one so that people can oder their own “kits” from the online LEGO store.
  
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  - Tom Moores October 25, 2014 8:41 am
    
    that would be cool
    
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Justin H. October 21, 2014 2:17 pm

I would like to know where you got the Lego platform that you attached to the top of the lid? Is that something you ordered pre-sized, or did you just buy a huge one from Lego and cut it down to fit?

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 21, 2014 2:21 pm
  
  I bought it on Amazon.com. :) http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ.....3RVAIIQY24
  
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Khaled October 22, 2014 4:07 pm

It would be great to do a show with Legos! Any takers?

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Cooper October 24, 2014 8:02 am

Marc,

Did you use “as is” boards, or did you mill them a bit to straighten them up?

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 24, 2014 8:05 am
  
  As is. Only cut them to length. A few were oversized in width so i couldnt help giving them a quick rip.
  
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  - Joseph Haney December 26, 2015 12:43 pm
    
    Hey Marc,
    
    On the lego plate did you glue it to the lid? if not how did you do it. My lid is 15.5 x 34.5 inches. They only sell 15 x 15 inches. By using (2) 15 x 15 plates makes it 2 inches short on the length. any ideas ? btw can i cut the lego plastic on the table saw ?
    
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    - Marc Spagnuolo December 27, 2015 9:35 am
      
      Hey Joseph. I just screwed them down with small pan-head screws and no glue. The lid is a little longer than two sheets, as you’ve discovered. I don’t mind the gaps and didn’t feel it was worth dealing with cutting the plastic. You can probably cut this stuff at the table saw but you might see some melting of the plastic. I honestly don’t know for sure how well it would work.
Kristofer October 24, 2014 10:09 am

FINALLY I have a name for my style of sanding plugs flush, GANGSTA STYLE! I don’t always use a power sander to trim things flush, but when I do, I make sure I only do it to my final product and not a mock-up.

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Shannon1066 October 24, 2014 5:54 pm

Is there a place on your website where we can view the toy chest entries?

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 24, 2014 6:05 pm
  
  We’ll eventually post them at http://woodworkersfightingcancer.com. Until then, you can check them out as they come in on our WFC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/woodworkersfightingcancer
  
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slackiller October 25, 2014 3:18 pm

sent my pictures in

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Jeffrey Bishop October 28, 2014 8:52 am

Your cut diagram does not include front or back, why?
I teach Industrial Arts/ STEM Program at the Regional Day School a division of Manchester Twp. Public Schools. All our students are in special education ages 5 years old to 21 years old. We will be building this toy chest and raffel it off. The money will be donated to the Cancer Society.
732-928-1500

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 28, 2014 10:26 am
  
  The whiteboard panels are optional and are something of a non-standard component in the build. I didn’t want to put them in the diagram because I don’t know exactly what the source material will be in your situation. My Home Depot sold the stuff in small panels in the pre-cut panel area. I just ripped it into two pieces and then cut to fit as shown in the video. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
  
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Mazen Kaedbey October 30, 2014 1:23 am

Hi Marc,
Great work supporting these charities. The chest is a great idea and I will do my best to do it before the end of November. Would changing the dimensions still qualify? This big chest will not fit in my son’s room, so I was thinking of halving the length.

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 30, 2014 6:00 am
  
  Yup, you can modify the plan to your liking.
  
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Reggie d October 31, 2014 10:15 am

Can you post a video or give instructions on how to install the lid supports? The directions on the back of the package are tough to understand.

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Dan Gramsz November 2, 2014 6:55 pm

I found these off brand Lego mats from Nilo Toys lagge mat measures 12×32.

http://www.nilotoys.com/acc.htm

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Albert Janes November 7, 2014 3:27 pm

Hi Marc,
How did you attach the Lego base to the top?
Thanks.

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JCMeyersIV November 18, 2014 3:59 pm

Oh wow! Mataeo(sp) is getting so big!

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John November 21, 2014 11:11 pm

Hey Marc, Is there somewhere I can find a list of the types of screws you used? Sorry if this is an obvious question. I’m new to this.

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- Marc Spagnuolo November 22, 2014 7:46 am
  
  They are standard coarse threaded pan head screws John. 11/4″ long or so.
  
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  - John November 22, 2014 12:07 pm
    
    Thank you!
    
    Reply
Sam December 7, 2014 5:53 pm

Marc,
What did you use to adhere the Lego panels to the lid?
Thanks,
Sam

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- Marc Spagnuolo December 7, 2014 6:58 pm
  
  Just some pan head screws. Quick tip for you. Get some LEGO bricks and span them across the joint between the two panels. That will ensure the spacing is correct. I butted them up against one another the first time and found that the LEGOs wouldn’t connect.
  
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  - Sam December 8, 2014 10:56 am
    
    Thank you sir!
    
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Frank Speyerer December 8, 2014 3:18 pm

Thanks Marc. This has been a great project. I sure am in the Christmas spirit!

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Vinnyjojo December 23, 2014 2:21 pm

Just finished the build. It was nice to crank through a project so quickly with premilled lumber, and I couldn’t believe all the cases that people made in your update video. So cool, and for such a good cause.

Couple of my notes:
I did try the Rockler Torsion Hinges rated for 40lbs, but they failed (slammed shut) when the lid was within 6 inches from the case. Worse, it’ll slam backwards since there’s no 90 degree stop.
I’ve since swapped them out for the 60lb rated hinges.

I’m sure it was your intent, but I don’t think you mentioned it in the vid, but there’s a lot of value in the unplugged cleats for the panels (assuming the panels will be destroyed eventually, they can be swapped out with no damage).

Also, cutoffs from the small curved side pieces (cleaned up) make for a nice top cleat for the panels, and are more inconspicuous.

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Lane April 19, 2015 7:51 am

Mark – Thanks for the plan. I used hard wood & clear finish rather than painting. Love how it turned out!

http://imgur.com/a/E8RCt

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- Marc Spagnuolo April 20, 2015 11:05 am
  
  Nice work Lane!
  
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Justin June 4, 2015 9:41 pm

Awesome instructions! Here’s my finished project (a little late). I’ll be making a personal donation as well. This was my second ever wood working project…your great instructions made this very easy and fun!

https://photos.google.com/shar.....01eUlXZUd3

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Jason June 27, 2015 7:07 pm

For beginners or those who are out of practice…

I was recently searching for a toy chest that was both functional and cheap and after searching on places like Pinterest and several online stores I came across your website and immediately knew this was the one I wanted to build. Sadly I didn’t know about this when the charity was going on however I love the fact you do these kind of charity builds.

For starters I’ve always loved building things however like many folks it became a hobby I neglected due to work and the daily grind until I was recently laid off with a new born. The last thing I build was a workbench that underneath held lumber for future projects. That was 12 years ago and coincidently how long I had worked for the company that let me go. So I found your site and dusted off some of my tools and began to dive back in.

From watching your video I knew this would be a challenge as it went above and beyond my skill set and if it weren’t for the details in the video and the time you took to explain certain things I’d never have even tried.

My first obstacle was all my Power tools were 12 years old or older. Surprisingly my old DeWalt (don’t have the model number off hand) and it’s original battery still worked. That said Almost every other tool needed to be replaced or needed to be purchased for this build. Here’s what I ended up buying for this project:

Ridgid Gen 5x Combo Kit, a DeWalt Jigsaw, Ridgid Gen 5x Sander, Centipede Sawhorse XL, Kreg K4MS Jig Master System, Freud LU79R007 60 tooth 7 1/4 circular saw blade, DEWALT DW3742C 14-Piece T-Shank Jig Saw Blade Set, a Mini paint roller with extras, 2inch paint brushes, painters tape, Valspar and Kilz Latex primer, Paint, 1/4 inch thick chalk board, IRWIN Bar Clamp XP/36-in, Lowe’s Pactiv R4 Unfaced Polystyrene Foam Board Insulation 3/4 inch, 1/2 inch plywood 4×8 (table top), 40 inch-pound Lid-Stay Torsion Hinge 2 pack, Rockler #8 Pro Tapered Countersink Bit, dust masks, Elmer’s 32-oz Probond Wood Filler-Stainable, Freud Sanding discs 80 grit up to 220, Elmers wood putty, Gorilla wood glue, plastic drop cloth, a small Kobalt Plane, box of 1 1/4″ screws, T Square from Lowes, a level, Lid-stay torsion hinge jig (wasn’t needed), Kreg SML-C125-100 1-1/4-Inch 8-Coarse Washer-Head Pocket Screws, 100-Count (need less than 20) , hearing protection (for Circular saw and sander), a Ridgid wet/dry vac $99 with free auto detail kit, 3 IRWIN 2-in Metal Spring Clamp, IRWIN 2-Pack Mini Quick Grip, Kreg Saw Cutting Guide, sanding sponges (Whatever they’re called) with different grits, and a Swanson Tool Company 8.3-ft SAE Straight Edge.

Some of that definitely wasn’t needed like the drill bit but it sure made things easier (I started without it and ended up getting it). Most of those things weren’t purchased until mid way through the build.

So I started this project in my garage and laid the foam board on the garage floor and put my plywood on top of that. I hadn’t used a circular saw in 12 years and when I did use one it had been less than 4 times as honestly the words “Kickback” always scared me the same way electricity still does however after reading the manual and tons of safety videos on Youtube I gave it a go and wished I hadn’t waited so long. Before I cut my plywood I made a track/zero clearance guide and made my first few cuts.

Since this was at the beginning of summer I had a vacation coming up so I put the project on hold and when I returned I made a few additional cuts and then realized while I was gone my circular saw track had somehow warped. It wasn’t immediately obvious at first until I noticed my measurements on freshly cut materials weren’t right and sure enough when held at the right angle the board was bowed slightly. This is where I went with the Swanson straight edge and the Spring clamps. I just put the foam board on the floor then the plywood and then put my straight guide on top and clamped after adjusting my measurements according to the saw shoe. Really missed the ease of the track but money is tight and couldn’t keep buying boards that could have warped on me later (I think my board was too thin and possibly still “Wet”.

I initially did my first run cuts on the Cedar boards (everything but Plywood) on two sawhorses. I never used a sawhorse before as I had my home made workbench however that wasn’t an option this time and I had some issues near the end of the cuts on some of the longer boards despite trying different placements on the sawhorses. I ended up doing the rest of those cuts on the foam board on the garage floor as well. I’ll say that I”m an ex Army engineer who built steel bridges by hand and after all that cutting my back was killing me. I came across this Centipede Sawhorse XL http://www.lowes.com/pd_649692.....=centipede and I immediately returned the sawhorses and used this puppy for the rest of the build. I just got a 4×8 1/2 inch primed plywood board for the table top, put the foam board on top of that for cutting, then put a plastic drop cloth on top of all that for painting. Love it! I’ll probably cut that table top board in half and put hinges on one side so it’ll fold up since the centipede sawhorse folds up the same way an outdoor chair from walmart folds up so I can have my garage back when done.

Fast forward to the curves featured in the design… I couldn’t find the nifty Lee Valley drawing bows so I used a flexible yard stick and did it “Gangsta” style. This was my very first time using a jig saw in my life so it came out a little “Gangsta” as well. Also I’ll note that I used Cedar for everything except the plywood which I used OAK. I hadn’t bought wood in over a decade so I forgot to skip those with all the knots so I had some fun times with the jig saw and some knots. At my local Lowe’s and Home Depot their Cedar selection was NOT great as the boards were either curved, bowed, knotted, or had cracks near the ends. I was literally buying some wood where I’d only be able to use half a board for this project due to the imperfections. I say this to warn those who, like me, haven’t done this very often but do enjoy it.

Instead of Dowl Rods I again went “Gangsta” and did wood filer which worked out pretty well. I don’t have a band saw or a table saw so I improvised.

One Part I got confused on was the stile panels where you say to put a screw in at an inch and two and a half inches in but you didn’t say how far from the side to put them in. I guessed from the video and looking ahead but it did throw me for a loop for a min.

I’ll also admit I jumped the gun on the side rails and didn’t think ahead before using the Kreg Pocket Jig as I ended up putting some of the holes in a side that would’ve had the board facing outward versus inward. Rookie mistake but Wanted to warn others on this as after I did my first board with the jig I was in love with that thing and did not stop and think about which side of the boards I should be putting the holes in. Also as a side note you didn’t specify how you covered the holes from the jig. I assume you used the Kreg Wood plugs however I ended up having to use a hacksaw (not mentioned in the list above) to cut them down and then I had to hand sand the sides of all of them for them to fit then used putty in a couple where I had ended up sawing too much (bandsaw would have come in handy). I will also say those Kreg Clamps are really nice and I wish I had two on this project.

Since I didn’t have a table saw and had the snafu with my home made track guide I ended up having to adjust the top and bottom shelf among other things. The only thing I can say to others is that it’s important to measure and measure often and use clamps for guides whenever possible and something I didn’t realize until later on is that even with a circular saw you can if carefully guided saw even (just a guess) an 8th of an inch (maybe 16th of an inch as well?) off of a board if needed.

I also had trouble with the poplar stock and the lid as some places the trim was higher and some places it was lower. At this point I probably should have bought another 36 inch clamp but loosened the screws and with the clamps I had readjusted the best I could. I tried sanding it all down flush but some places it just wasn’t budging (with 80 grit) like where the plywood was higher. It wasn’t a big deal as It wasn’t even a 16th of an inch above or below but regardless I still had this issue.

Hinges… I initially purchased the 60 lb Torsion hinge 2 pack and things I noticed immediately was it sounded like my lid or something was cracking each time i raised the lid. I raised and lowered it numerous times and nothing ever cracked or broke but it was a prominent sound every time I lifted up on it. Secondly there’s no way my baby could ever lift the lid with that on there which could be a good thing I suppose while she’s a toddler and I will note that the lid will not move on it’s own regardless of position. Primarily due to the cracking noise I got the 40 LB torsion hinge and there’s no more cracking noise HOWEVER as noted in the comments from others that the 40 LB hinges WILL close (softly) on their own past a certain degree and WILL fall backwards once it goes a little past 90 degrees (Not so softly). I’m sticking with the 40 LB hinges but need to find something to keep it from going all the way back.

For the chalk board neither Lowe’s or Home Depot said they had any long boards smaller than half an inch. Home Deopt said they didn’t have any white board and it wasn’t until days later with me searching on google for the boards that I seen my Home Depot did have boards smaller than 1/2 inch so I went to the store and spoke to the same guy I initially spoke to that said they didn’t have them and we looked again and he said oh you want a chalk board/blackboard…. I’m only mentioning this to try and save others this headache because I bought some 1/2 inch boards that first time which are now sitting in the garage. The boards were underneath the Oak boards I believe and was extremely easy to overlook as you could only see the ends which looked like regular boards initially.

All in all this was a tremendous learning experience on many levels. Some of the things I learned was:

This was smaller then it looked and I could have adjusted the build but instead went off looks from the picture and the video and never thought twice about the size.

I had home depot cut the blackboard/chalk board and it was too snug of a fit and I used a rubber hammer to hammer it in and now my quarter inch whiteboard stock strips that hold the panel isn’t flush on one side due to the 8th of an inch the chalk board is off on one side. I couldn’t hammer that into place and it’s hardly noticeable so left it as is and just left the screws on the cleats uncovered in case i have to replace it later… The board is very thin anyways so the likely hood of some kind of damage and the fact the surface of the chalkboard could be scratched and need some chalk board paint later on made this seem ideal. I figured I’d mention that as It wasn’t mentioned if those screws were covered up or not.

My lid sit perfectly on all sides until I installed the 40 LB hinge and for some reason one side of the lid touches the chest and the other is an 8th of an inch or so above it. Have not figured out why this is.

The ability to save this video and have downloadable cut list really helped. I saved both to my iPad and it was my guide…until I opened up the package for the torsion hinges and one fell and smashed the iPad (thank goodness for applecare, $49 and 2 days later was back in business).

For beginners read all manuals for the power tools and don’t be in a rush and if possible search for safety videos regarding any tool you’re uncomfortable with.

Primer and paint can hide some blemishes but best to use wood filer first. In some cases where I thought primer would cover some things up I ended up learning the hard way that it was better and easier to use wood filer first.

Final notes:

Thanks to just this one post you’ve made I’ve been looking into other projects and have seen the progress woodworking info and help has come in the 12 years I’ve been away from it. I’ve learned techniques I’ll be able to use again and again such as using a foam board for cutting and pocket holes as well as become better familiar with tools such as the circular saw and jigsaw (I did have a table saw at one point just so I didn’t have to use a circular saw). I’ve come across Woodworking for mere mortals and several other blogs and all I can say is thank you and I hope you continue to put projects like this on your site where the instructions and videos are detailed and informative. As someone who has recently been laid off this has really helped in many ways.

Some Pics
https://twitter.com/JMAN_TN/st.....80/photo/1

https://twitter.com/JMAN_TN/st.....69/photo/1

https://twitter.com/JMAN_TN/st.....08/photo/1

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Brian April 9, 2016 8:48 pm

One of my first woodworking builds. My first spoke shave purchase. If I can figure out how to upload a photo I will.

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Greg Lavallee September 27, 2018 7:21 am

i have learned a lot from your videos thanks I have been asked to build a toy box and she wants to have a Lego base on the lid and I was wondering what glue you used to attach the Lego plates to the wood on your toy box thanks

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231 – Multi-Function Toy Chest

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