So I know this going to span the next few weeks but with one camping event under my belt I need to focus on what will be a priority for this next adventure.
This week I plan on addressing some of the “Things that needed work” from my last camping trip.
Some things are simple and simply require a better packing list. Others are a weekend project.
So without further ado the first of a multi-weekend project.
A 6 board Chest.
So one of the things I disliked about my things was how mundane they were. A plastic tote and milk crate well practical do tend to stick out. Well, I can cover them as I learned a stiff breeze will take off with it…and I have to mind that it stays covered.
I have seen a number of amazing chests and I figured why not? I am not half bad with tools and I have a husband to help run the math that I am horrific at and worst case I end up with some new kindling.
This tutorial offered a good jumping off point. however, when they say little they mean little. 8 inches does not a box make.
So after a slightly long discussion well standing in the middle of the Home Depot on what exactly I needed we finally settled on three nice looking 1x12x8ft boards. We got lucky and they were willing to make all the cuts we needed. So with 8 2ft boards and a set of hinges, we returned home.
We had the nails on hand and after some hunting found a drill bit to pre-drill holes. Hardwear was left until later in the process as I hadn’t been able to find a set of handles and hinges I really liked.
My husband started with sanding down each piece to remove splinters and smooth out any imperfections. Something we probably should have done more of but honestly, we couldn’t find more sandpaper and by then our tiny supervisor was trying to help us.
We had enough wood to make 2 boxes and had agreed to let each of us build one. Husband started out by cutting the V into two boards to make the sides. After that, I chose what 2 boards we would have as the side and top before we moved on.
This was the moment were first-time box building errors struck. We placed the front over the ends, effectively making a bigger box. At first, this seemed like a good idea, bigger box more room, but our error was in the fact the lit wouldn’t sit just right.
The second issue was the height of the box. It sat right at the right hight to be a good stool but I was looking for something MUCH lower.
At that point, we had reached the end of day one and for fear of making more mistakes called it a night. We started again the next afternoon once we got our tiny supervisor down for a nap.
SO well I was sanding down the lid to my box, my husband got started cutting down the legs. We had agreed to take the box down about 6 or so inches….husband heard a foot and lopped it in half.
At that point, another discussion was had and I decided that I could live with the now much shorter box and we would use the leftover wood to make a shelf in the box.
From there it was back to work.
This time we corrected the side vs front issue placing the sides touching the end vs covering. It made the lid fit better than the first box.
By now we had run out of weekend and the project was moved out of toddler reach. (As a side note the box was able to hold a nearly 30lb toddler no issue).
Picking up the next Saturday I set about staining the box. After some debate, I decided to go with the golden oak stain we had on hand. I do recommend using a Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner as I only did one side of the lid with it and the other side was FAR more blotchy than the side with it.
From there I had to let it dry and that left me with no more weekend time again.
Moving on to weekend number 3. I was able to get over to Lowes early in the morning and found a set of handles and hinges that I felt looked period enough to pass. As I plan on using this box to store some of my jewelry in I did want a hasp lock to secure it. Sadly they came in gold and silver. Figureing I can paint it later if it truely bothers me I got the gold one.
Once home we attached them to box number two with no issues.
HOWEVER
If you remember that point on box one were we put the sides over the ends of the box….well that finally came up and bit us.
The manner that the lid has to sit doesn’t allow for the hinges to be mounted without there being a gap. Not really practical. So after some pondering, we tabled the box for the weekend.
Now in weekend 4.
We started out with looking in our garage for a small board to lay across the back of the box and give us a hinge point. Luckily we had a 1×2 that fit the bill and after cutting it down and sanding it I applied a quick coat of stain. We also picked up 2 more handles and hinges and another hasp lock.
Once installed it was time to get packing. I found the larger box held an Ikea bag inside, perfect for using it as a dirty clothes bag once I pulled out my bedding and lamp. The smaller one fit all of my clothing and I used a trash bag to help line it.
I plan to make better liners once I get back as I feel that will help waterproof my things.
In review:
Could this be done in a weekend? ABSOLUTELY! However, having a tiny supervisor tends to limit my time down to nap time. Thus how drawn out this project became.
I am however very happy we did it as it really crosses off a piece on my list for a more period encampment. I am looking forward to the test run at Battlemoor.
