Build a Toy Box

• Step 1 Cut the pieces for your toy box

  Rip the plywood into two 21-1/2 x 96 inch pieces on a table saw. Set the narrow offcut aside for a later step.

  Make the following cuts using a circular saw with a fine tooth saw blade (To guide the cuts, set a straightedge parallel to the plywood's factory edge — it helps prevent out-of-square pieces):

  • Crosscut a 21-1/2-inch piece into three pieces: a 38-inch-long front panel, a 38-inch-long back panel, and an 18-inch-long side panel.
  • Crosscut the other 21-1/2 inch piece into three pieces: a 40-inch-long lid, a 36-1/2-inch-long bottom panel and an 18-inch-long side panel.
  • Cut the bottom panel to 17-7/8 inches wide.

  To help you orient the panels as you work, labels each piece by sticking masking tape about 2 inches from the edge:

  • On one of the long panels, label a long side "front panel, inside, top." On the other long panel, label a long side "back panel, inside, top."
  • On one of the side panels, label a short edge "right side, inside, top." On the other side panel, label a short edge "left side, inside, top."

• Step 2 Make finger cutouts

  

  The base of the toy box has curved cutouts — so do the top front and sides (but not the top back, since that's where the lid attaches).

  To mark the cutout on the top edge of the front panel, use a compass set to 1 inch to draw a half-circle arc on the top edge, centered 3-1/2 inches from the top right corner (see illustration). Do the same for the panel's top left corner. Using a pencil and a straightedge, draw a line between the center bottom of each arc.

  Do the same on the bottom edge of the front panel, and the top and bottom edge of each side panel. On the back panel, mark a cutout on the bottom edge, but not the top edge.

  Cut along each line with a jigsaw.

• Step 3 Round over the toy box edges

  Using a router and a 1/4-inch roundover bit, round over all the edges of the cutouts.

  Then round over the outside edges of the front and back panels. File the corners of the lid into a gentle radius to protect children from bumps and bruises and sand them smooth with 80-grit sandpaper.

  Finally, round over all the edges of the toy box lid.

• Step 4 Drill pocket holes

  The toy box is held together by screws driven through angled holes, called pocket holes, drilled with a special jig. Follow the directions that come with the jig to drill five equally spaced pocket holes along the inside faces of the side panels. Position the top and bottom holes 2 inches from the edges and space the remaining holes about 4-1/2 inches apart.

• Step 5 Make the bottom supports

  

  Cut the narrow piece you set aside in the first step into two pieces — one 18 inches long, and the other 35 inches long. You can use a table saw, but a miter saw is easier and quicker. Rip both pieces into two pieces, each 1-1/2 inch wide.

  Starting at the midpoint of the short piece, drill three 1/8-inch pilot holes spaced 7 inches apart (see illustration). Starting at the midpoint of the long piece, drill five 1/8-inch pilot holes spaced 8 inches apart.

  Drill a pocket hole between each pilot hole.

• Step 6 Assemble the toy box

  

  Attach the four sides
  Butt the end of a side panel into the inner face of the front panel with the pocket holes facing the inside. Make sure all edges are flush, and then clamp the two pieces together (a 90-degree corner clamp is ideal; have a helper on hand if you use bar clamps.) Drive 1-1/4 inch pocket hole screws into each pocket hole. Repeat to attach the back panel to the other side panel.

  Clamp and screw together the two corner assemblies you just made.

  Attach the bottom supports
  Before driving any screws, make sure all pocket holes in the supports face the top.

  To attach the short bottom supports to the sides, use the long, square drive bit from the pocket hole system to drive pocket-hole screws through the holes, positioning them flush with the bottom cutout. Repeat to attach the long supports to the front and back. Make sure all the pocket holes in the supports point towards the top of the toy box.

• Step 7 Apply a finish coat

  Lightly sand all surfaces of the toy box with 80- grit sandpaper and then 120-grit sandpaper, sanding with the grain. Pay special attention to the edges of the pocket holes, which may be fuzzy. You can either prime and paint the box, or stain and varnish it. If you choose to paint, fill any voids in the edges with wood putty after priming.

  Tip: You can leave the underside of the bottom panel and the top and edges of the lid unfinished for now. You can finish the lid after final assembly, and leave the underside of the bottom panel unfinished.

• Step 8 Attach the bottom

  With the toy box on its back, place the bottom panel in the toy box and hold it against the supports. Drive pocket hole screws through the pocket holes.

• Step 9 Attach the toy box lid

  

  To make it easier to properly position the long piano hinge when attaching the lid, lay the hinge on the lid with the barrel 7/8 inch from the rear edge. Then measure the distance between the other end of the hinge to the rear edge of the lid. Draw a line this distance from the rear edge along the entire length of the lid. Don't screw the hinge in place yet.

  Next, position the piano hinge where it will go on the back edge of the toy box, but put it on upside down so the countersinks for the screws are against the wood, rather than face up. Snug the barrel of the hinge against the toy box, drill a pilot hole for a screw and temporarily screw one end in place.
  

  Keep the barrel snug, drill a pilot hole and screw the middle of the hinge in place. Then drill a pilot hole and screw the remaining end of the hinge to the box. Remove the screws and flip the hinge over so the countersinks are face up. The pilot holes you drilled will position the hinge properly. For now, just drive the three screws for which there are pilots.

  To position the hinge on the toy box lid, lay some plywood scraps on the workbench and lay the back of the toy box on the scraps. Put the lid flat on the bench resting against the hinge. Open the hinge so that it's over the lid and slide the lid to align the edge of the hinge with the pencil line you drew.

  Drill pilot holes for screws at the ends and middle of the hinge, and screw it to the lid. Try opening and closing the lid, and if it doesn’t work properly, remove the screws from the lid, make any necessary adjustments and drill a new set of holes elsewhere along the hinge. When the lid opens properly, drill pilot holes for all the hinge screws and screw the hinge in place.

  Attach the lid support according to the manufacturer's instructions. Cover the pocket holes inside the box with caps.

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