Bottom of an Aerobic high stepper/yoga container
JImBerlin
| Posted in General Discussion on
I am building a box made of 3/4″ glued pine. Box is approximately 19″ High x 28″ Long and 15″ Deep. I am joining the sides and front with wooden Dowels (diagonal) with Rockler Key Joining Jig. I was trying to decide how to install the bottom panel. I have a bottom piece that is 5/8″ thick and was initially thinking of making a groove on all four sides and slide it in. My questions:
1) Should I glue it in the groove or let it set for expansion?
2) Will it be strong enough to hold weight. Mainly Yoga mat, foam blocks, and two eight lb. dumbbells?
I have included a preliminary picture. It is upside down in the picture.
Replies
Hey Jim, I think the dado running around the bottom is the perfect way to do it. As long as it is a dado, and not a rabbet on the very bottom, there is no need for glue, as the dado should provide plenty of support, especially if it is a healthy 3/8" deep all the way around. you might need to make it a stopped dado in order for it not to be visible on the outside of the box, in which case a router is the ticket. You also could use a dado stack and cut them all the way through, and then do some kind of accent block to fill the gap that is visible from the dado.
You also have the right idea considering expansion/movement. I usually leave a solid wood back or bottom a healthy 1/4" shy of the total dimension in either direction and do not glue to allow movement. Some folks might do more or less than that, but that number has worked well for me. Good luck!
If it were me, I would rabbett the front and back sections, drop the bottom in, and use cut nails.
Yes, it is strong enough.
Wood movement is a non-issue in this case provided that the grain is oriented long grain along the long side of the baseboard. This is because the sides will expand and contract at the same rate.
Definitely dado joints for strength. Though I agree with John_C2 as usual, the small loss of internal volume is repaid with much greater resistance if a dumbell is dropped into the box.
If you glue it, you will have substantial additional stiffness, which will help it to survive being used as a step.
If you want to be absolutely paranoid about wood movement then don't glue the bottom panel to the sides - only do the front and back. It is just about possible that slight differentials in wood movement might perhaps cause a little tiny bit of barely significant cracking if you are very unlucky and subject the piece to very rapid changes in humidity otherwise, but probably it won't...
If you are using this as a step to exercise with you may be safer just gluing and screwing the surface on to keep the lip from being a potential catch for your footwear. Make the top surface flat, not inset. I would also add blocks to the inside corners to make it bombproof for jumping on.
I'm guessing the half moon cutouts are the bottom (feet) side.
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