MDF toy box

With two kids at home, there are always toys strewn around. We wanted some way to rapidly store them. There are commercially available stacking boxes that are very convenient, but then as I always claim to be able to make the same, I decided to go ahead and do so.
This was my first foray with MDF.

The first impressions : MDF is really heavy. It is heavier than plywood of the same thickness. It is dense, and tends to chip at the edges if you bump it around. But it is straight and smooth.

Wooden toy storage box made from MDF and varnished over.

Wooden toy box : The unending joy that a box can provide to a child...

Wood : 10 mm  MDF, with varnish over it,

Dimensions : About 2.5 ft x 1 ft x 1 ft.

Hinges : Fixed them initially, but as I could not get safety hinges, and the kids seemed to enjoy slamming it shut, I finally removed the hinges and made the top removable.

Wheels : I had also attached small castor wheels underneath. However this was very tempting for the kids and they started pushing it here and there and bumping their feet. So off went the wheels and instead I used nylon bushes. As he floor is very smooth, it slides easily.

Final impressions : Stores a lot of toys. However it is very heavy, and the kids cannot easily open and close it. It therefore stores all the toys that they are not really using. It can be pushed under the sofa as well as as a small step for my daughter to reach the sink.

If I were to do it again, I would use 'commercial ply' and paint it over. It was just much easier to work with, and I think would be lighter. I would also make the whole box smaller. I still have to fix handles for the box, but have not got down to doing so as yet.

Skil 0909 Portable Worbench

With a space crunch I decided to go ahead and purchase a skil workbench. This was available from Mach power tools

Service : Excellent service from Mach power tools as has been my experience.

Packaging : Very slim parcel, nicely packed

Skil 0909 workbench was available in India from Mach Power Tools. Slim packaging 

I first dumped out all the components. Needless to say my kids were very excited with the process. Assembly was fairly simple using the provided literature.

Skil 0909 workbench with individual components

The table top waas assembled first, and the supports later.

Skil 0909 workbench assembled table top

The kids had a whale of a time playing with the table.

Assembled skil 0909 workbench.Note the holes in the lower cross bars for holding tools

Final Impressions. This table is a light duty table. It is useful for light work. I use it routinely now to clamp my proxxon DS 230E scroll saw, that obviates the need to screw it down on to the table. The table cannot be completely folded which is kind of a design flaw, but is sturdy enough for light work.  The holes for the tool holders on the lower cross bars are very useful for hanging up tools that one often uses. There are many holes on the table top for the bench dogs. The bench dogs help hold pieces of varied shapes. For Rs 2500/-  I think that the table is really worth it. A pair of these will be more useful than one.

Skil 0909 workbench being used to clam the proxxon DS 230/E scroll saw

Small wooden wall shelf

I had some pieces of finger jointed rubber that I wanted to use as a shelf.  Here is how it went. Dimensions were based on the pieces I had

Wood : Finger jointed wood, 18mm for the base and the cross bar, 12 mm for the sides.

Finish : Sheenlac walnut stain, with an asian paints varnish wiped over it.

The finished product : This was the first time I experimented with dowels for anchoring the sides. This seemed very solid, however I think the quality of my dowels was not very good. I must try making my own dowels.

Secondly a bit of fevicol peeping out of the joint took up stain deeply and appeared as blotches. I have to be a little more careful next time.

Book Shelf : Unstained finger jointed wood. Sides joined with dowels

Empty book shelf stained with Sheenlac walnut stain to match the picture above.  Fixed to the wall with two screws

Wooden book shelf bearing a full weight of books. 

Wooden Plaque 3

This was another plaque that I made as a gift. It is a verse from the Bible.

Wood : Vengail wood. This is a heavy hard wood used for furniture in South India. This is the first time I was using this wood. It is good wood, but the grains are not very pronounced. The grains were close and parallel, and not visible well on staining.

Rounding : Using a router table and a rounding over bit. For my previous plaques I used a bevel cut with a jigsaw. For this I rounded over the sides to see how they looked.

Letters : 6mm plywood with a laminate. This was cut with a proxxon DS 230E scroll saw.

Finish : Asian paints clear varnish after staining with sheenlac rosewood stain.

Fixing the letters. : I pre-drilled thin holes with a dremel (Thanks Anandit!). This made hammering the nails much easier.

Hanging : Used copper wire and hooks for hanging it up. This self centers the pieces and is more rigid that a string or a single keyhole.

Wooden plaque made of Vengai wood : I know the plans I have for you