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Trials and tribulations of making a wooden storage case.

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Read more about The Gun Case Final

The Gun Case Final

The final installment of this project is just a little follow-up on the last details. My friend supplied the hardware and liner for me to install. The latches snap securely and installed easily, as did the hinges. The only caveat was that the sides of the case were 1/2" thick and the screws were a little longer. The difference isn't noticeable due to the type of liner he chose. The short protruding nibs actually help keep the foam in place.   I had never worked w

• 8 Comments
• 6,513 views

• lew
• September 10, 201510 yr

Read more about Part #5 Gluing, Drilling and Splitting

Part #5 Gluing, Drilling and Splitting

Once everything was properly fitted, the case was disassembled and prepped for gluing. I had previously sanded all of the pieces to 150 grit- except the top and bottom. Those two were sanded to 220 grit due to the difficulty of sanding them in place. I taped the locations where the dovetails intersected- on the inside of the box- to help eliminate a lot of glue squeeze out cleanup. Assembled one end and two sides. Dropped in the top and bottom. Then glued in the last end piece. Some clamps, chec

• 1 Comment
• 3,985 views

• lew
• August 8, 201510 yr

Read more about Part #4 The Top and Bottom

Part #4 The Top and Bottom

Having solved the problem of the non-supported dovetails in the lid, I made a dry fit of the sides and ends Most often, I like to make actual measurements rather than rely on what I calculated the size of the pieces I'll need. The good old Stanley Folder is my go-to tool for this type of measurement. Once the dimensions are taken, I can size and create the top and bottom. Both pieces were made from glue-ups. The top is 1/2" stock. The bottom is created from

• 3 Comments
• 4,551 views

• lew
• August 8, 201510 yr

Read more about Part #3 Oh No! I can't Believe I Did That

Part #3 Oh No! I can't Believe I Did That

The sides and ends needed to have dados to accept the top and bottom. So as not to have the dados extend through the pins, stopped dados would do the trick. These were made on the router table. 1/4" wide and 5/16" deep. It was time for a little finessing of the joints to assure everything fit. Yes, there it was staring me right in the face! How could I not see what I did. Worse yet, how am I going to fix it now?!?!?!? I picked up the test piece and it finally hit me! I

• 3 Comments
• 3,173 views

• lew
• August 8, 201510 yr

Read more about Part #2 The Dovetails

Part #2 The Dovetails

After milling and sizing the sides and ends, it was time to layout the dovetails. I use a shop made angle layout jig for the tails. I'm a tails first dovetail person. I know there are folks who do the pins first and there are valid arguments to each procedure. This is how I learned to do them and it works for me. I use a marking knife for laying out the dovetails and a marking gauge to locate the dept of cuts. As for cutting the the dovetails, I really like the Japane

• 1 Comment
• 4,487 views

• lew
• August 7, 201510 yr

Read more about Part #1 The Starting Concept

Part #1 The Starting Concept

While I was building the humidor, a friend mentioned he had acquired a shotgun. He wanted a protective case but not the typical soft sided type.  We measured his gun and calculated what size the case it would take. Not too large but enough room for a couple of accessories. Using Sketchup, we eventually came up with an appropriate design. While he hadn't decided on the hardware, I now had enough information to begin working. The box is solid walnut with inside dimension

• 1 Comment
• 4,635 views

• lew
• August 7, 201510 yr