daniel lane
09-29-2012, 5:45 PM
Hi, all -
I'm throwing together a quick shoe rack to keep everyone's shoes in one place in the family room. Here's the plan:
241979
Bottom for mom and dad's shoes, middle/top for kids shoes (hence the angle - visibility for smaller shoes not to get lost).
Originally I was going to dovetail the top, then I decided a small lip would be functional and it would be much faster to do the M&T up top, as well. I've got the dadoes cut and everything cut to size, all that's left is to cut the mortises and tenons.
Normally I would wedge against the end grain of the side, which would mean the wedges will all be horizontal, but as I look at it now, I'm thinking that the top M&T is really close to the edge and I'm worried about blowing it out (upward). What's the community thinking on vertical wedges, even though it would mean pressure along the long grain of the sides and risk splitting? For scale, the top shelf is 7-1/4" deep, and the lip above it is 1/4" tall. Dadoes are 1/8" deep, just enough to add additional strength if the kiddos try to climb or jump on it.
I'm thinking wedged because I'm trying to do this without any fasteners and I want something sturdy enough that if the kids try to stand or climb on it, it won't rack. Perhaps I shouldn't bother with the wedges, but just try to pare everything down to a seriously snug fit...?
Thanks,
daniel
I'm throwing together a quick shoe rack to keep everyone's shoes in one place in the family room. Here's the plan:
241979
Bottom for mom and dad's shoes, middle/top for kids shoes (hence the angle - visibility for smaller shoes not to get lost).
Originally I was going to dovetail the top, then I decided a small lip would be functional and it would be much faster to do the M&T up top, as well. I've got the dadoes cut and everything cut to size, all that's left is to cut the mortises and tenons.
Normally I would wedge against the end grain of the side, which would mean the wedges will all be horizontal, but as I look at it now, I'm thinking that the top M&T is really close to the edge and I'm worried about blowing it out (upward). What's the community thinking on vertical wedges, even though it would mean pressure along the long grain of the sides and risk splitting? For scale, the top shelf is 7-1/4" deep, and the lip above it is 1/4" tall. Dadoes are 1/8" deep, just enough to add additional strength if the kiddos try to climb or jump on it.
I'm thinking wedged because I'm trying to do this without any fasteners and I want something sturdy enough that if the kids try to stand or climb on it, it won't rack. Perhaps I shouldn't bother with the wedges, but just try to pare everything down to a seriously snug fit...?
Thanks,
daniel