How should I build this craft box?

[dirk martin]

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I've got someone asking me to build this craft box, just like in the pictures....well, almost.
As you see, the one in the picture, is a 1 piece, 9 drawer box.
I want to build a 3 drawer box, and make them stackable. That way my the person can stack just 2, if they only want 6 drawers, or go as high as they want.

Here's the kicker....I want to make it, and ship it, unassembled. I want to send it in a flat carton.
And, I want it to be real easy....and I mean REAL easy, for the recipient to assemble.

I may end up making a lot of these.

So, the key in easy assembly, is the joinery.
I was thinking I could make all the joints, butt joints, and I'd predrill holes for dowels.
Then the recipient just needs to spread a little glue on the dowels, slide the dowels into the holes, and slide everything together.....maybe use big rubberbands as mini-clamps.

Or do you folks think I'd be better off predrilling holes for screws, and having the recipient screw everything together?

I think I'll make it out of 1/2" material. Either plywood, or MDF.....I think the dowels will give stronger construction, and if I make a bunch of these, jigs will make the dowel hole drilling, simple.

I'd also drill holes on the top and bottom edges, for dowels, for stacking (they'd not glue those).

What do you all think?

[Mike Olson]

if you want really easy for the recipient, then i'd say dovetails. lots and lots of dovetails. Use different colored nail polish or dabs of craft paint between each dovetail joint and on the corresponding boards dovetail joint. They would then just need some glue and push everything together. wouldn't need clamps, just glue, slide together and set it aside to dry.

[Bill Bukovec]

I think Rockler or Lee Valley sells knock down furniture hardware. Not sure if it would work on 1/2 " stock.

[Shawn Pixley]

I think it is the perfect time for dovetails or box joints with a jig. Handcut dovetails are not your friend here.

[Loren Woirhaye]

Confirmat screws.

[dirk martin]

....or box joints with a jig...

Talk to me....
What did you have in mind, for box joints?

[dirk martin]

if you want really easy for the recipient, then i'd say dovetails. lots and lots of dovetails. Use different colored nail polish or dabs of craft paint between each dovetail joint and on the corresponding boards dovetail joint. They would then just need some glue and push everything together. wouldn't need clamps, just glue, slide together and set it aside to dry.

I've never used one of those dovetail jigs. Are they quick and easy to use, or too slow for a project like this?

[Shawn Pixley]

Talk to me....
What did you have in mind, for box joints?

To make box or finger joints, there are many jigs made that allow the joints to be repeatably made by either a router or table saw. You can also make jigs yourself. My logic is that a standard pattern would be helpful when you have others assemble the boxes. They may mix pieces, so using a standard pattern will help here.

[Loren Woirhaye]

Your customers will mess that up for sure. They won't have bar clamps to clamp at corners to ensure squareness and they'll probably wreck every other drawer, not to mention being unhappy with the mess of glue they have to clean up. Stick with dowels or screws. I said confirmats because they really are the right fastener for the job. You'd need to get a construction boring machine, jig up a way around not having one, or farm out the drilling. Dowels or rabbets could also be used for alignment and screw holes predrilled and countersunk for more standard screws.

[Richard Coers]

You ever clamp up a dowel joint with a rubber band? It takes clamps. Better research this a little more! Take a trip to IKEA if you need flat pack ideas.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Shipping is going to be by weight. It is going to weigh the same either way. Why risk unhappy customers and service nightmares to ship it flat. If you are going to make them stackable with only 3 drawers I would look into shipping assembled.

[Chris Parks]

Shipping is by cube or weight, whichever is the greater. Build one and check the finished weight and it may save a whole lot of problems.

[Art Mann]

That sounds to me like a great project to publish in a woodworking magazine! You might want to post a request for assistance in the Design Forum too.

[johnny means]

I build and ship knock down furniture for a living. One of the keys is figuring out what gets preamble and what gets shipped disassembled. Those units will have just as much, if not more, volume in material as they will interior space. Not enough space savings, IMO, to warrant flat packing. Good knockdown hardware and joinery is expensive and time consuming.