Hi All!
My first post on this forum! I've recently started to do a little woodworking after building a couple of small things for my daughter and I'm enjoying the process! I'm hoping to get some help with the design of a Christmas present I want to build for her (here's a similar image I found online). The idea is that I could put this with a small ramp to the pickler triangle we have. etsy example.jpg
Here's what I'm thinking of for the build but would love if someone could provide feedback or advice!
Material:
- I'm thinking 3/4 in premium pine plywood (home depot associate said I could do 1/2 in but I'm worried about weight if an adult was to try it for some reason.)
- For the "ladder" piece I was thinking 1 in dowels but may be to 1.5 in? Suggestions?
Design:
- I was thinking 2 sides with a circle in the middle, 2 sides with the dowels like shown here. Solid top. No bottom?
- Sides would be 2 feet by 2 feet (circle TBD)
- top is 2 ft x 2 ft
- Dowels would be either 25 in (if I cut 1/2 in forstner into the side) or 25.5 in if I cut a hole straight through. I'd probably cut straight through as I don't have a drill press.
Cutting Material Tips: I bought a used router recently and want to try it for this build. Here's what I'm thinking:
- Cut the circles using an upcut spiral router bit --> The plunge router I have came with a freud bit. Do I cut 1/8 in of material at a time for the circle or can I do it in one pass? Is an upcut spiral bit better than a straight bit?
- Use a roundover bit on all the edges so it's not sharp
- Any tips on smoothing the corners where the boards meet?
Fastening Material:
- I read screws can sheer but nails may fall out over time. What would you use for this build?
- I was thinking of using pocket holes drilling up from the sides to the top so the screws would be vertical? If I did the pocket holes side ways from the top to the sides would there be a risk to sheer?
- For the Dowels: Will 1/2 in hole in each plywood be sufficient to hold the weight of a child? Do I need to reinforce with screws?
Anything else I've missed? I'm excited to try this build. It looks "simple" enough but also looks like a stretch goal for myself!