Well after the routing table debacle, i decided i needed to go back to the beginning and try something alittle easier.

I found this plan in the back of the ” The Complete book of Woodworking”. I looked pretty straight forward and it would use up the left over treated lumber I had. The original plan was 4×4, but i decided that due to my kids and the neighbors kids it should be bigger. I made this sandbox 6×4…(what I failed to do was the math on the number of bags of sand I was going to need.) For the record 20 bags. I also used a piece of 3/4 OSB to make a lid to discourage any wildlife from using it as a litter box.

I took a day to cut, assemble, and prime. Another day to paint. It was a fun project to do and I learned a lot. The best part was having my daughter help me paint it…

Hello all,

This is the last part of my drafting table, the drawer and board assembly.

I built the drawer out of pine as well. Measuring 24”w x 18”h x 4”d, finished just like the box. With a 25”w x 5”d false front made of soft maple, finished in danish oil to give it some contrast.

I rabbetted a 1/4” out of the bottom of the drawer frame and attached a 1/4” peice of hard board than laminated the bottom with the granite colored contact paper. I finished it with 6 coats of colonial stain and 3 poly.

I also used 1 1/4” square dowels for drawer guides to help prevent racking. I squared, glued, than screwed them into place. Finished in colonial stain and poly.

I took a 4” l x 1 1/2”d x 3/4”h peice of pine routed a finger groove in the bottom and finished it like the drawer box. I used 2, 1 1/8”w x 1 1/8”d x 8”l soft maple peices for the table top extensions finished in dutch oil.

I displayed it on my daughters old dresser that I am using for my routing table/cabinet.

Hello All,

Here is the Drafting Box/table I built. This was my first project other than my push stick and block.

I love drafting, I have been doing it since high school. I do use all kinds of CAD software, but I love doing things the old fashioned way…one day I will find someone to teach me how to use a slide rule!

Table size is: 32”w x 23” h x 1/2” d. The box size is: 31”w x 23”h x 6”d. I left a slot 4” high x 24” for the drawer.

Because this was my first project, I decided to build a plywood prototype (pic 1). I built it from sketches and used the prototype to do my detailed drawings (pic 2).

I also figured being my first project I would use pine because it is cheap to buy (in case I SNAFUed) and easy to machine. I used a rabbeted pin joint for the four corners and a dado slot for the 1/2” plywood bottom that I laminated with a granite looking shelf linner. I set the dado slot at 1/2” higher than the bottom lip of the pine to allow me to set it on top of something and not allow the box to move around (pic 3 dry fit & 4 glue up).

I wanted to finish it very dark to hide the inevitable digs it will suffer (being made from pine). So I put 6 coats of colonial stain and 3 coats of poly on it. I hope this would be sufficent (pic 5). I put a 24” continues/piano hinge on the front of the box to secure the drawing board at the front and give it the ability to be adjusted vertically to what ever surface I place it on (pic 6).

Thanks for reading, I will be following up with Part #2 (The board and Drawer Assembly) of this project very soon. Any comments, suggestions, or critisims would be greatly appreciated.