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by
Adrian Jones
photos: Ray Pilon
illustration: Len Churchill |
DOCK BOX (part 2) |
Assemble the Frames
Remember how you milled grooves along the entire length of each
leg? While it was easiest to do things this way, you don’t
actually want a continuous groove. And that’s where filler
strips come in. Cut eight of them to length now, then glue and
clamp them into the bottom of the grooves in each leg.
When the filler strips have dried
in place, sort the panel boards so the best ones end up in the
front of the box, then dry-fit all four frames together. To
do this you’ll need to saw the rabbet from the left-most
panel board before adding more boards to each group. Orient
the most attractive side of each board up, using a spacer to
create even 1/8" gaps between them. Rip the last panel
board to final width.
 |
| Curtain
rings with hooks are ideal for hanging life jackets
from the lid. The rings don't come off the rod,
so they can't get lost, and your life jackets can
hang to dry |
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| There
is room for airflow between the box's slatted bottom
and the dock so water toys can dry |
|
When
everything fits and the panel boards are equally spaced, glue
the frame together with the outside face upward on a flat surface.
Remember to check the orientation of the legs and the lower
side rails.
Apply glue to the complete length
of the leg grooves, to the tenons on the upper and lower rails,
and put a blob inside the rail grooves where the middle of each
panel board lands. This central glue pattern keeps the spaced
boards in step, yet still allows them to expand and contract
with the fluctuating moisture levels common around any lake
or pool over the course of the year. Pull everything together
with pipe clamps, then equalize diagonal measurements to ensure
the assemblies are square.
The composite decking stock I
used for the bottom slats is called Xtendex. Like many brands,
it’s a hollow extrusion with internal webbing for strength.
This makes it easy to prepare the notched ends that support
the bottom slats as they rest on the lower rails. Cut the bottom
slats now, then prepare for final assembly of the box with the
aid of a helper.
Bring the front, back and one
side assembly together with the legs under clamping pressure,
then slip the bottom slats in place before adding the second
end. Measure diagonal distances on the box from corner to corner,
and if these numbers are equal within 1/8", then consider
your box square. This is a more accurate approach than using
a framing square because it eliminates errors caused by any
distortion in the box sides. When the glue is dry, turn the
box over and fasten the bottom slats to the inside lip of the
lower rails with small nails. To keep things insect-free inside
the box, staple aluminum window screen to cover the underside
of the base, fitting it inside the groove.
While all of these parts are drying,
prepare the four pieces you’ll need for the top moulding.
Miter the ends to 45°, test-fit and drill holes for the
3/8"-dia. x 1 1/4" dowels that help secure the moulding.
Three dowels on each end and five each on the front and back
work well.
Building the Lid
This part of the project includes a frame made from a pair of
rails and three arched uprights—one at each end and another
in the middle. This frame is covered with narrow slats of interlocking
wood; a notched hanging rail spans the length of the lid, creating
a place to hang life jackets while they’re stored.
Select three good pieces of 1x6
and fasten them together face to face with double-sided tape
for the arches. This way you can cut and sand all three at the
same time.
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PART 1 | PART 2 | PART
3 |
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