What Joints Would You Use?

Vaughn McMillan

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I'm getting ready to build a pretty simple 2-drawer storage/tool box for my neighbor's Land Cruiser. It's based on the one shown in the video below. In the video, the maker uses simple butt joints with brads and glue. (The drawer bottoms are set into dadoes, though.) The butt joints don't seem real strong to me. It seems even shallow dado and rabbet joints would be stronger. What are your thoughts/suggestions?

Here's a rough sketch showing the main assemblies, minus the top and drawer fronts. I'm planning on 1/2 ply for the top and bottom, 3/4" ply for the vertical pieces and drawer boxes, and 1/4" ply for the drawer bottoms:

Toolbox3.jpg

And here's the video the neighbor sent me, saying he wanted one like this:

 
Another question: Would soft-close drawer slides provide enough "hold" when the drawers are closed to eliminate the need for latches on the drawers? In playing with the sample drawers at Lowe's, it seems to take a pretty good tug to get the self-closers to open.
 
I agree that butt joints would not be the way to go. Have you considered a drawer lock joint? Strong and self squaring. As for the soft close, maybe. Depends - if he puts 40 pounds of stuff in the drawer and slams the accelerator to the floor now soft close is going to keep it shut.
 
I'd use three-quarter BB for the case sides, and half inch BB for all the rest, except for the quarter inch drawer bottoms. Since I already have a iBox jig, I'd use finger joints all around for the joinery - drawers and case corners. Strong (lotsa glue surface) and reasonably good looking. Inset the top and bottom in rabbets, glue and nail/screw.
 
I'd use three-quarter BB for the case sides, and half inch BB for all the rest, except for the quarter inch drawer bottoms. Since I already have a iBox jig, I'd use finger joints all around for the joinery - drawers and case corners. Strong (lotsa glue surface) and reasonably good looking. Inset the top and bottom in rabbets, glue and nail/screw.
+1 for what Jim said, I make a sled for the TS that made making finger joint a breeze when I was doing a lot of drawers
 
I'm big on drawer-lock joints for 1/2" BB ply. Feather boards are you friend for these joints. I score with a knife to avoid tearout. I make large profiled blanks that are then ripped to width for case and box parts.

Niki CT Dresser (52).jpg

Niki CT Dresser (54).jpg

Niki CT Dresser (53).JPG
 
I can do box joints pretty easily. I have an Incra fence on the tablesaw and the Freud box joint blade set. :thumb:

I'm planning to do two price scenarios for my neighbor -- one with Baltic birch ply and the other with CAT PS1-09 fir ply. The main reason I was leaning toward 3/4" for everything other than the top and bottom was because I could do it with one 4x8 sheet of 3/4" and one of 1/2". Do you think going with 1/2" for everything would be strong enough? Or perhaps using 1/2" BB for the drawers and vertical pieces and 3/4" fir for the top and bottom? It's all going to be painted, and I'd figured on using Durham's Rock Hard on the edges and to fill any imperfections prior to painting.

I'll check with the neighbor to see how close he wants the drawer fronts to the tailgate, but I believe he wants to pretty much fill all the available space with the back seats up. If that's the case, I think we could do without the latches. Not sure what type of latches to use if we do end up going that route.

We're doing a barter deal on the labor. He's a Toyota mechanic by trade, so he's going to replace the front rotors on my 4Runner in exchange for me building the toolbox. I'll pay for the 4Runner parts and he'll pay for the toolbox parts. I'm pretty sure he can do the rotors faster than I can build the box, but right now my time is more plentiful than money. ;)
 
I actually built a similar box configuration for a friend's boat a many years ago using marine plywood. That box had four drawers for storage of leader and other tackle supplies used while trolling. In that instance for the drawer carcasses I used mitered corners reinforced with biscuits glued together with resorcinol glue for weather resistance. To further strengthen the carcass I used three equally spaced spline miters in each corner also glued in place with resorcinol. Since the bottom of the drawers were to be plywood as well set into dados they were also glued into the dados. That case of drawers has held up for more than 30 years as he has transferred it from boat to boat and uses it multiple times daily in his charter fishing business. He has reapplied varnish to the outside case several times over the years. The outside case was mitered together with biscuits and splines as well.
 
That's a pretty cool box, but I couldn't even start to build one that would be anywhere near square or work properly -- I'm just not that good of a carpenter (an don't plan to ever be)....
I think this is the guy I saw in earlier videos that has moved into his truck to live full time or at least a similar type of build....

at any rate would not work in my little KIA Soul or the F150 my stepson keeps at my house for me to use when he's on the road.
 
Building something like that is beyond my expertise. But, I would use the 1/2" only to keep weight down. Being a long time camper, I well understand how weight can add up. Meaning, lower fuel economy, less power, higher engine heat, etc. Ten pounds here, 20 pounds there doesn't sound like much, but it does add up fast. Let us know what you do.
 
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