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by
Konrad Sauer
photography by Dave Starrett
illustration by Len Churchill |
STAIR BOX (part 2) |
With the pins cut, I lined them up against the previously scribed
lines so I could mark the corresponding tails with a pen knife.
This way any errors made in cutting the pins would be automatically
compensated for in the tails. Just be sure to mark mating halves
of each dovetail joint uniquely, so they can be reassembled
properly with their mate. With the tails marked, it's back to
the backsaw, coping saw and sharp chisel. After all the dovetails
are cut, dry fit the top and bottom boxes, then stack them to
check the fit. You may find a little hand planing necessary
to get the boxes to align perfectly when stacked. When all fits
well, take the dovetails apart and cut slots for the bottoms.
I used a router and a 1/4"-dia. bit for this. Pretty standard,
really, just cut stopped dados 1/4" up from the bottom edges
of both boxes.
 |
| The
pivoting handle is made of hardwood for strength
and durability and moves out of the way for easy
access to the box contents. |
|
I
like traditional design, and that extends to the bottoms used
in this project. They're solid wood, with grooved edges that
mate with grooves cut in your dovetailed masterpieces.
Cut
the bottoms now, then try another dry-fit again of all the parts
under clamping pressure. You'll find that this project stays
together quite well without glue, though you should use a little
anyway. After the glue has dried, trim off the excess pins and
tails that stick beyond the box face, using a sharp chisel or
low-angle block plane.
I used half-round trim and simple
pine moulding on the top and bottom edges of the project, to
add elegance. There's room for your own interpretation here,
so add what you like.
The handle is positioned to be
as practical as possible. You can hold the rung anywhere in
your hand that's necessary to distribute the weight, then fold
the handle down to make it easier to fill the box between trips
up or down. I made the uprights out of hard maple for strength,
each one swiveling on a single screw driven into the ends. A
piece of 3/4" dowel forms the handle rung, pinned in place with
a small brad.
The Finish
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| CLICK
ABOVE FOR DETAILED PLAN |
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I decided
to use a historically accurate milk paint for this project.
The staircase exits into my kitchen, which has dark slate-coloured
cabinets. That's why I chose Midnight Blue milk paint from Homestead
House Paint Co. (877-886-5098), covered later with a coat of
paste wax. Mix one part paint powder with two parts water in
a mason jar, then shake like you're making a Martini. Let the
bubbles go away (it takes about 45 minutes) and brush it on.
Add another coat, then rub down with a blue 3M Scotch-Brite
pad when it's dry. |
| You
will need: |
| For
the top box |
Material |
Size |
Qty. |
| Sides |
pine |
1/2"
x 5 3/8" x 16 1/8"* |
2 |
| Ends |
pine |
1/2"
x 5 3/8" x 6 1/8"* |
2 |
| Bottom |
pine |
9/16"
x 5" x 9 5/16" |
1 |
| Trim |
pine |
1/2"
x 7/8" x 60" (total length required) |
1 |
| For
the bottom box |
| Sides |
pine |
1/2"
x 7 1/8"-long* x 8 1/2"-high |
2 |
| Ends |
pine |
1/2"
x 6 1/8"-long* x 8 1/2"-high |
2 |
| Bottom |
pine |
9/16"
x 6 1/2" x 5 17/32" |
1 |
| Trim |
pine |
1/2"
x 7/4" x 36" (total length required) |
1 |
| For
the handle |
| Uprights |
maple |
1/4"
x 1 1/4" x 3 1/2" |
2 |
| Rung |
maple |
3/4"
x 3/4" x 15 1/16" |
1 |
| *NOTE:
1/8" has already been added to the dimensions for
a pin/tail allowance |
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