Question by Katrina C: Building a Toy Chest?
Im going to build a toy chest that’s about 4ft in length, 2 ft wide, and 2 1/2 ft deep… Okay here’s my questions..
1. what will i need? LIke wood glue, screws, hinges ,power tools etc.
2. what type of wood is best for this project?
3. what type of paint? (its going to be indoors)
4. how much do you think it will cost in total? (please explain like how much each item is)
Okay i have done research on this but im still unsure of what to get. Im a high school student and this is for my senior project… I have no experience in anything like this… I also have another question…
5. where’s the best place i can get what i need fore a affordable (cheap) price?
Best answer:
Answer by FredFirst I would suggest doing some research online to see if you can find plans for a toy chest that you like. That will answer most if not all of the questions you have posed, and you will probably be happier with the end result if you follow a plan than if you just start building without really knowing what your end result is supposed to be.
Having said that, there are many different types of wood that you can use and a lot of it depends on how you want to finish it. If you are going to paint it, then I would just build it out of cabinet grade plywood as it’s relatively inexpensive and very durable. On the other hand, if you want to stain it or give it a natural finish then some type of hardwood is the way to go, however it is much more costly. Resist the temptation to use particle board or MDF. They’re both inexpensive, however they’re not very durable. Additionally, particle board does not take paint very well.
As far as fasteners, regular wood screws will work. You can use drywall screws if you’ve got them. If you want to dress it up a bit I would suggest looking at the Kreg pocket hole joinery system as it will allow you to screw everything together while keeping all of the screws hidden.
As far as hardware, hinges, etc, there are so many choices. Just go to a hardware store (not Lowes or Home Depot, a real hardware store – look in your phone book for hardware store or lumber store) and look at what they have.
As far as tools you can probably get by with a circular saw and a drill. You may also need a jigsaw depending on if you need to cut curves. It’s also a good idea to get a saw guide to use as a straightedge to make sure all your cuts are straight. If they’re not, then things won’t go together properly and the end result won’t be square.
If you plan to paint it, I would suggest priming with something like Kilz and then two coats of a water based semi-gloss interior paint. Semi-gloss will make cleaning it easy, but if you don’t want a glossy finish you could also go with a satin finish.
Lastly, I would highly recommend using wood glue in addition to screws as it will make the project much sturdier and it will correspondingly last much longer. Titebond II is all you need and you can buy at Lowes or Home Depot. Apply glue to the joints and then screw together. Make sure you do a dry assembly first to make sure all your cuts are right.
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