A wooden chest can be a great asset if it is strong, secure, and beautiful enough to make you feel proud while assuring you of the safety of your collection. You can store clothes, toys, tools, and other household materials. For a chest that stays for decades, you need to choose the right wood. Also, the craftsmanship required to build a reliable and sturdy chest matters a lot. You can get the right pieces of lumber but knowing how to apply the craft can be more important, especially for proud DIY homeowners. Let’s get close to be like that if you already aren’t.
How To Make a Wooden Chest at Home
Required Tools
Instead of a large assortment of carpentry tools, building a wooden chest requires only a few specific tools and items. You can even recycle some of the woods from the pallet you are going to through away. Making a wood chest is a 1-day project, and you can also add your particular design concepts to the project. So, let’s find out which materials and tools you need.
- A 2×2-inch Wood Frame
- 1 Sheet plywood of 0.75-inch thickness
- A Circular Saw
- A Drill
- Kreg Jig for making pocket holes
- Pocket hole screws (Both 2.5 and 1.25 inches)
- Edge Banding
- Wood Screws (2.5 inches)
- Stain and glue of your own choice
- Small butt hinge or lid stay
First Step : Building the Frame
At first, determine the size of the wooden chest box. In this article, you are going to learn how to make a 30-inch long wooden chest. Unless you already have decided, you may follow the measurement below.
Now, it’s time to cut pieces for the frame. The frame should measure 2x2s. First, cut the four legs of your wood chest at 17 inches long, and four back and front frames at 30 inches long. Now, you have to drill 1.5-inch pocket holes to the ending point of the front and back part.
Use the 2.5-inch pocket hole screws to attach the two-lag frame with the front and back frame. You can follow the images below to learn the process. Attach it at the bottom by 2×2 inches at the bottom with 3 inches gap between the bottom of the leg and the back frame. This makes 3 inches foot for the wooden chest.
Now, cut four more 2×2 pieces frame with 12-inch long for side adjustment. Drill 1.5-inch pocket holes at the end of each frame and attach previously made frames together with the 2.5-inch pocket hole screws. Make sure the 2x2s bottom is correctly lined up with the 2x2s bottom of the back and front. Follow image 3 to do it right.
Second Step: Adding the Middle Dividers
Adding the middle dividers is not essential, but it adds to the look and longevity of a wooden chest box. Cut 2/2×2 at 12 ½-inch long and center the pieces on both front and back right between the top and bottom parts. Use two ½-inch wood screws so that you can attach the piece between the supports at the top and bottom.
Third Step: Attaching Panels on Front, Back and Sides
Now, it is time to measure your wooden chest frame. According to the measurement, cut the plywood panel to fit around the chest box frame. To fit perfectly on all sides, you may have to trim off a little or add to these dimensions. The final pieces should be like this: two 12.5X12.0-inch side panels and four 12.5X14.25-inch back and front panels.
Now, drill 0.75-inch pocket holes on the edges of every piece. Attach them in a flush with 1.25-inch pocket hole screws. Make sure the inside of the wooden chest is completely sealed.
Fourth Step: Attaching the Bottom and the Top
For the bottom, cut another plywood panel measuring 12×30 inches. On the edges, drill 0.75-inch pocket holes. Now, attach this panel to the bottom of the frame by using 1.25-inch pocket hole screws.
For the top, cut another piece of plywood panel with the 16×34-inch measurement. The extra inches will work as the lid cover for your wooden chest. Use edge banding on the edges for cleaner and smoother look. You can also use high-quality sanders for a smoother finish. Use staining materials to seal every part of your wood chest box. When the finish dries out, you may finish your work by attaching the top lid with a small butt hinge or lid stay. The choice is yours here.
Final Words
Making a wooden chest is not tiring, and you will feel immense pleasure after finishing the job and seeing what you’ve made. Keep in mind that you should wear safety glasses and gloves while cutting the frame and the panels. Also, keep your body at a safe distance from the cutting machine.
Once you are finished; you are ready to use the nice wooden chest box right away. Keep your clothes, toys and other equipment safely inside the chest. You can also use the top of the chest as a small table for accommodating decorating objects or a stand for video games display. You can add a manual lock to the top lid for safety issues as well.
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