Sandy Shores - Layout Box Construction (1)

Construction of Sandy Shore's box - Part 1

A couple of days ago, I showed my design for the box that'll be used to store and transport the layout. Since then (and despite the cold weather), construction has started. A quick note to add here is that whilst I'll be using 12mm MDF, I would strongly recommend you use a similar thickness of plywood instead, should you wish to build something similar. MDF is much heavier, and sadly I just couldn't get hold of any plywood at the time.

Before I get to the construction, I promised to show those mini-castors that'll help the layout smoothly glide into the box. The photo below shows said castor, on a cutting mat with 1cm grid squares. That's right; it's only 40mm (l) x 20mm (w) x 28mm (h):

So, onto the first bit of construction. It probably goes without saying, but it's much safer to mark one component out at a time, than it is to mark everything out on a sheet, and hope that you precisely account for blade thickness. It also means if you mess up, you don't have to re-mark out everything again!

With out first component marked out, it's time to get the battery powered Skilsaw out. This amazing bit of kit is a godsend to people like me that can't cut wood straight to save their life. It also takes all the manual labour out of it. That said, there is some prep we will need to do first:

Above: The first thing we need to do is set the depth of the blade. The black handle (visible on the right side of the photo) is used to do this. Unfastening this will allow you to set the depth of the blade to just fully cut through the MDF as can be seen here. An important, yet easily overlooked step, is to make sure you have some scrap wood (or a gap) underneath whatever you're cutting. The last thing  you want to do is to saw through a metal trestle top!

Above: With the blade depth set, we need to measure the distance from the edge of the baseplate to the inside saw edge. The tips of each blade will be ever so slightly wider, so make sure you measure the right part! It's also important to note that the direction you cut the wood in will determine which side of the blade you measure to; otherwise you will cut the wrong side of the line.

Above: We'll use this distance to clamp something straight (in this case a long metal spirit level) to act as a guide for the Skilsaw. Note that the clamps are positioned so that they don't interfere with the Skilsaw. I could've used the other side of the Skilsaw, but the clamps would likely hit the overhanging encased motor.

Above: Before we hastily start cutting the component, it's wise to double-check the blade is in the right place, offer the Skilsaw up to the very edge, and do a test cut. Note that I'm slightly over the line; so a mallet is used just to knock the spirit level into place, and the test carried out again.

Above: Happy that everything is set correctly, we can go ahead and cut the component. The Skilsaw is very powerful, so it'll have no problem cutting through the MDF.

Above: By 3pm today, all the components were cut out (the photo shows the same pile from two different angles). In a couple of days I should be able to route out the rebates needed to hold it all together. Two have been done already, but I do not have the 6mm router bit I need to do the rest of it.

Anyway, as always, feel free to ask questions or comment with your thoughts or suggestions!