A couple weeks ago I used Google SketchUp to layout what I wanted to do for the toy box I wanted to make for David. Saturday morning we made a quick trip to Lowes to purchase materials and decided to give it a shot.
What do you know, it’s Sunday evening and the box is sitting in the basement, essentially completed. All that remains is a piano hinge, some sanding, and I’ll hand it over to Ana for some decoration (ie. paint/staining and whatever else she seems fit).
I think I used just about every tool I have at my disposal to finish this thing, and I did so without any extra trips to the hardware store for more wood. That’s definitely a first!
Anyway, here it is. Notice the pretty cool little inset shelf for some of his books. I can’t wait to see the finished product!
Use your imagination and picture a hinge there:
Here’s the inside, sans lid:
The Johnson Blog 
7 responses to “Toy box”
Looks awesome! Great work.
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I’ve come to realize that IT people are the natural descendants of the great DIY handymen of yore. My dad could build anything, including a dozen or so houses, but I rarely pick up a hammer. Seeing your artisanship, and Heinzle’s carpentry work, has challenged me to stop being such a blue collar layabout and to build something.
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Thanks for the kind words guys.
Dan, yeah I think there’s something to that. Alot probably has to do with needing to improvise and think creatively when dealing with computer-related problems. There’s rarely one definite “right” solution to a problem, and that’s something I’m finally starting to learn carries over to many DIY projects.
“Is it going to work?”,”Is this going to blow up?” and “Is it going to look horrible?” seem to be the only criteria I go by for things like this anymore. It’s fairly liberating 🙂
So what do you have in mind to build?
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What do I have in mind to build?
Well, a house befitting a family of six. My kids are growing, and for the life of me I can’t figure out how to stop it, so we’re going to need more space. I’m from a family of ten kids, and every time the house got too small, my dad built a new one. So that’s where I’m coming from.
Or I could just build a stand for the Wii TV.
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Hey that sounds like fun. Be sure to include a built-in surge protector. I’ve always wanted furniture with built-in power. (I think that’s why I included outlets on the workbench: http://www.thejohnsonblog.com/2007/12/28/workbench-completed/).
Once that’s complete, definitely tackle building the house. Should be no problem whatsoever.
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EJ, I’d highly recommend adding some sort of mechanism to make the lid close slowly. The last thing you want is for someone’s fingers or head to get slammed in it.
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Yep, planning on putting some safety hinges on. Ana may also add padding to the underside of the lid as part of her decorating.
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