I need to make a very simple box with inside dimensions of 12 inches by
18 inches by 3 inches high. The problem is that this will contain a
granite surface plate that weighs eighty-five pounds. Box material will
be 4/4 white oak.
The sides are easy - four dovetailed corners. The top doesn't matter
much as it won't support any weight. But the bottom... I really don't
want to pick this thing up and have the bottom fall out and drop a
heavy piece of rock on my foot.
How would you attach a bottom to this kind of box? Extend the eighteen
inch sides below the twelve inch sides and use a sliding dovetail?
On Sep 7, 7:02=A0am, Ed Clarke <[email protected]> wrote:
> I need to make a very simple box with inside dimensions of 12 inches by
> 18 inches by 3 inches high. =A0The problem is that this will contain a
> granite surface plate that weighs eighty-five pounds.
Instead of lifting the box, I'd think in terms of putting two handles
on each side, for a two-man lift. Easiest would be two
2x2 oak sticks, protruding beyond the 12" dimension to
let you grab 'em. Use 2" x 2" x 21.5" sticks, set the box
atop 'em and glue/screw together. Then put the stone in the box.
The top is a dust cover, basically...
How to gently lower the stone into the box:
Drill drain holes in the bottom
Fill the box with ice
Set the stone on the ice
... take a long lunch break.
"Ed Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:P9Rwk.634$Dj1.18@trnddc02...
>I need to make a very simple box with inside dimensions of 12 inches by
> 18 inches by 3 inches high. The problem is that this will contain a
> granite surface plate that weighs eighty-five pounds. Box material will
> be 4/4 white oak.
>
> The sides are easy - four dovetailed corners. The top doesn't matter
> much as it won't support any weight. But the bottom... I really don't
> want to pick this thing up and have the bottom fall out and drop a
> heavy piece of rock on my foot.
>
> How would you attach a bottom to this kind of box? Extend the eighteen
> inch sides below the twelve inch sides and use a sliding dovetail?
I would put a dado in the sides and make the bottom captive. 1/2" plywood
bottom should handle it.
If you really want to use dovetails how about dovetailing all the 18" joints
together? ie top & bottom pins DT'd into front & back tails. One end
opens to allow slipping the box onto the stone which has been slid (less
than 1/2 way) off the benchtop. Reverse to extract the stone. I'd expect
there to be less wrangling of the stone, and cursing, this way.
Art
"Ed Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:P9Rwk.634$Dj1.18@trnddc02...
> I need to make a very simple box with inside dimensions of 12 inches by
> 18 inches by 3 inches high. The problem is that this will contain a
> granite surface plate that weighs eighty-five pounds. Box material will
> be 4/4 white oak.
>
> The sides are easy - four dovetailed corners. The top doesn't matter
> much as it won't support any weight. But the bottom... I really don't
> want to pick this thing up and have the bottom fall out and drop a
> heavy piece of rock on my foot.
>
> How would you attach a bottom to this kind of box? Extend the eighteen
> inch sides below the twelve inch sides and use a sliding dovetail?
"Ed Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:P9Rwk.634$Dj1.18@trnddc02...
>I need to make a very simple box with inside dimensions of 12 inches by
> 18 inches by 3 inches high. The problem is that this will contain a
> granite surface plate that weighs eighty-five pounds. Box material will
> be 4/4 white oak.
>
> The sides are easy - four dovetailed corners. The top doesn't matter
> much as it won't support any weight. But the bottom... I really don't
> want to pick this thing up and have the bottom fall out and drop a
> heavy piece of rock on my foot.
>
> How would you attach a bottom to this kind of box? Extend the eighteen
> inch sides below the twelve inch sides and use a sliding dovetail?
Can you simply attach the sides on top of the bottom? Let the edges of the
bottom be exposed.
In article <[email protected]>, sawdust-
[email protected] says...
> >
> > How would you attach a bottom to this kind of box?
>
> Plywood (even 1/4" luan will do) into 1/4" deep groove (not a rabbet). You
> would have 61 linear inches of groove to support that rock.
>
> -Steve
For 85 pounds, wouldn't you want at least 1/2 inch plywood?
1/4 seems a little flimsy to me.
S.
>
> How would you attach a bottom to this kind of box?
Plywood (even 1/4" luan will do) into 1/4" deep groove (not a rabbet). You
would have 61 linear inches of groove to support that rock.
-Steve
> Extend the eighteen inch sides below the twelve inch sides and use a
sliding dovetail?
That is way more complicated than it needs to be.
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **
On 2008-09-07, samson <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, sawdust-
> [email protected] says...
>> >
>> > How would you attach a bottom to this kind of box?
>>
>> Plywood (even 1/4" luan will do) into 1/4" deep groove (not a rabbet). You
>> would have 61 linear inches of groove to support that rock.
>>
>> -Steve
>
> For 85 pounds, wouldn't you want at least 1/2 inch plywood?
> 1/4 seems a little flimsy to me.
It's less than a pound and a half per linear inch - and the plate won't
flex at all. It sure sounds flimsy, but the math says it's not. There
is no point of uneven pressure unless I drop the box. At that point, it's
going to come apart - as will whatever is under the point of impact.