Tuesday 5 February 2013

What's on the bench? - A straight-edge storage box

I bought a pre-used 24" Veritas straight edge last week. This had seen very little use and will be great for setting up machinery, checking the flatness of hand tools, checking planed stock for flatness etc etc. However it came wrapped in plastic bubble wrap. This is great for transportation but not great for long term storage in a workshop.

The straight edge is made from aluminium and needs protection from being knocked and chipped.

Hanging it on a nail was not an option so I decided to make a simple box for it, no fancy joints, as my start to Get Woodworking Week 2013.


I started out with some 1/4" ply scrap stock I had left over and ripped a 26" long section x 3.11/32" (85mm wide).
I then found some scrap mahogany strips that I had on my shelves and jointed them and planed them to thickness. Then I cut a 1/4" groove down the length of each strip on the router table.

Over to the table saw I cut them to length and mitred each of the ends. Next, in good old Norm fashion, I glued and nailed one the strips to the plywood. Next I placed the straight-edge into position and positioned the other strip into place with a little clearance for wiggle room. The brads and glue came out again.
Finally I cut an end section to length with mitred ends and put that into position.
At the other end I ripped some of the height off the other end piece and put that into position. I trimmed the oversize ply flush with the walls of the box.

I then made a sliding lid from some more 1/4" ply and glued an opening strip made from a mitred piece of mahogany and glued it into position. Then I applied my branding stamp (you really need to get one of these!)

Then it was sanded to 220 grit before finishing with Briwax shellac sanding sealer and 2 coats of General Finishes Arm R Seal wipe on finish.

It literally is on my bench

Finished box

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