87, страница 30

In a lot of ways, this hobby chest resembles a miniature workbench. The case is like the base of the bench. So all it needs now is a top. And when it came to designing that top, I patterned it after the top on a full-size workbench.

To start with, I made it extra thick and beefy. And there are two rows of dog holes that allow you to clamp up workpieces. But the most interesting thing about the top is that it's removeable (see photo). It slides off the case so you can use it on top of a table or counter.

The top starts off with a plywood base that's sized to fit in

between the sides and back of the case. Like the case dividers, a large cut-out in this base helps to reduce the weight of the top (Figure 4).

Support Walls. To create some room for bench dogs, the top sits on a raised platform. As you can see in Figure 4 below, the top itself rests on some plywood support walls. Doubling up on the supports provides a more stable base for the top, and allows you to attach it securely. This support assembly is roughly U-shaped to create an opening for a drawer that is added later.

I made the inner walls of the support assembly first. At the back,

A Bench Dogs. A hidden pocket on each side of the top provides clearance space for bench dogs.

they're simply butted together to create the U-shape. But at the front of the base, I added a couple of side wings to fill the space between the support walls and the sides of the case. These wings are joined to the

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OUTER BACK WALL

(2 x 12V₂)

SIDE WALL

(2 x 11) ^

#6 x 1!4" Fh

WOODSCREW NOTE: ALL PARTS ARE ¹/2" PLYWOOD

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OUTER BACK WALL

TOP VIEW

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90 ShoDNotes No. 87

INNER BACK WALL

SIDE

WING -s

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FIGURE

SECTION VIEW

NOTE: OFFSET POSITION OF SCREWS

SIDE WING

(2 x 2%)

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INNER BACK WALL

(2x11)

#S x W Fh WOODSCREW

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