This was a project modelled on a picture from a Pottery Barn catalog. While it would probably take anyone with a bit of spare time about 3 consecutive days to make this (with my skill level and following the steps I took, however bizarre), it took me approximately 10 months to do. Often, there would be a month or two between individual steps. Anyone with small kids surely understands where I'm coming from.
I started out with a couple of four foot sheets of half-inch plywood for the tops and the bottoms, and cut one three-quarters of an inch smaller in all dimensions. Here you can see one sitting on top of another.
I lined these up and clamped them together
Then, using a 3/8ths dowel drill bit, carefully drilled through both pieces, 4 times at each end, and twice in the middle (at 1/3 and 2/3rds length in).
Now we used dowel markers (little silver plugs with a point on the other end - there's pictures further on). For the outsides I used 3/4 plywood, and the middles I used half-inch boards. After pressing down each side piece onto the dowel markers, little indents were left in the boards which allows drilling the corresponding dowel holes into the sides. I used a $20 dowel jig to drill these holes.
Then, I glued approximately 1/2inch pine to the front edges of the two side and two interior walls. More for fun with the guided straight-bit on the router than anything else - I could have just puttied the edges to not let the plywood show through (as you'll see I do later on to the top platform).
After that, I cut out the slot on the two interior supports to allow the long crossbar.
Now, routed a tiny round-over on the top platform only. Note my space-efficient and inexpensive router table (Lee Valley phenolic base plate insert kit [$35] plus a 3/4 inch sheet of MDF [$9]). I get to reuse the two workhorse stands for other things when not using this. Also note the router fence (built in the jigs course at Fanshawe college).
Finally, the glueing of the dowels. First into the sides (and letting them dry).
Then, glueing the whole carcass together. I could have used more clamps, and next time, I'll be sure to pre-trim the dowels as they poked out and prevented me from using a purely flat bottom support with clamping. Yes, that's twine; it helped take that last bit of skew out of the clamping.
Next I jointed and planed the crossbar support. You can see it below dry-fit in place (the bench is upside down). This was then glued in place, and drilled and doweled through the two sides.
Now it's time to build out the bottom supports. In the above picture, you can see all four pieces of lumber sitting on top of the carcass. Below, I'm drilling the dowel holes and using the dowel markers. I'm only doing this for the two smaller sides.
Again with the clamping.
For the longer front and back pieces, I'm predrilling holes for 1 3/4 #6 wood screws which will apply the clamping pressure for the glue to take.
Now after scraping the glue away, I can glue the base moulding to the supports (I bought the moulding as-is; I don't have a shaper). I'm using screws from the inside to pull the moulding to the supports (plus glue).
I needed to sand off a bit of my 45 degree edge at one point.
Now we move onto the back bead-boarding. Cutting to size on the table saw, jointing (not shown) then planing.
Now it's time to cut the bead profile. I used a 1/4 inch bead bit. I think this was around $15 from Busy Bee tools.
The finished effect.
Then it was time to cut the interlocking overlaps. I changed the bit to a half-inch straight bit.
Then I cut them to size and glued them in. Used a brad nailer through the top to hold in place, and glue everywhere else.
After this, I puttied all the top holes (brad nails) and the areas around the dowels which I'd deliberately sanded using aDremel, then sanded smooth.
Next, I attached the top moulding with glue and brad nails, and puttied/sanded those holes as well.
After this, I puttied the top plywood edge (to take out the lines), sanded, then applied a coat of shellac to seal out the knots from staining through the paint. Finally, I put on two coats of glossy trim paint. Here is the finished product!
