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I am building a stand for my printer and want to know if it will be structurally sound enough to hold the 39 lb. printer.
It will be on wheels and will stand 9″ high (including the 2 1/2″ wheels). The dimensions of the top on which the printer will rest are 16″ x 20.” Top is made of 1 1/16″ poplar. The top will rest on what is essentially a rectangular box approximately 14″ x 19,” but enclosed on only 3 sides. The open side is for the open access to printing supplies that will be stored inside the box. The 3 sides are 1 1/16″ thick poplar, approximately 5 1/2″ high, and were rabbetted (3/4″ wide x 3/4″ deep) at their bottoms. The 3 pieces were mitered and glued together — end-grain to end-grain — forming the 3-sided rectangular box. The plan is to attach the top piece to the 3 side pieces with screws going through the top and into the tops of the side pieces. The bottom piece is going to be 3/4″ mahogany and will fit into the bottoms of the 3 rabbetted pieces. The wheels will then be attached underneath the bottom piece.
I have these questions:
1) In determining the width and depth of the bottom piece, should I allow some room for expansion and contraction of the mahogany, or can I make it a snug fit?;
2) Is it OK to glue the bottom piece in?;
3) Should the top be glued to the box beneath it?;
4) Although mitered joints aren’t the strongest joints in the world, will the screws coming through the top and into the top of the box, together with the weight of the printer, provide enough reinforcement for these joints so that they won’t come apart?; and
5) Will this stand be structurally sound?
I would appreciate any help or suggestions you might have in helping me.
Thanks.
Replies
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1. Snug fit is OK.
2. Yes.
3. Yes.
4. Put the screws in from the side, not the top. Do it while the glue is wet.
5. Yes. It's much stronger than it has to be.
*Rob,Thanks for your advice. One point I would like to get clarified re #4: Since the top is slightly larger than the box beneath it, are you advising the drilling of pocket holes into the side pieces from underneath? Why should'nt holes be drilled from the top? My thinking was that it would be easier this way, given my very limited carpentry skills. Also, can I omit gluing the top and just go with the screws?
*Bill--my mistake. I thought you were doing a miter jointed top as well, to hide the end grain, since you went to the trouble to do it on the sides. The way you're doing it, from the top is fine, Your thickness is enough to use plugs over the screws if you countersink them 1/4". I'd glue the top because it's no harder to do and does add some stability. If you have an air nailer, I'd use it to keep the pieces together while putting in the screws. In a piece like this, I cut the pieces, Drill the holes and countersinks in the face boards, coat the joints with glue one after another, pinning each in place with 17 or 18 ga brads, when the piece is together drill the pilot holes for the screw shanks and then run the screws tight. Good luck.
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