Some of us dream of a long-lasting merax sofa bed or the best selling recliner, others a smart fridge or the washing machine that can distinguish lights from darks is invented, we’ll have to continue sorting our own laundry. With two separate compartments and a lid that acts as a sturdy seat, this laundry box is the ultimate accessory.
Quick Project Guide
Medium time needed:
About three hours (excluding drying time)
Alternative materials: Supawood
Shopping and Cutting List
- Three 1 800 x 455 x 20mm laminated pine shelving planks cut to:
- Box long sides: two 890 x 455 x 20mm planks
- Box short sides: two 350 x 455 x 20mm planks
- Box base: one 850 x 350 x 20mm plank
- Box partition: one 390 x 350 x 20mm plank
- Three 1 800 x 69 x 22mm pine planks cut to:
- Lid frame front and back: four 465 x 69 x 22mm planks
- Lid frame sides: four 272 x 69 x 22mm planks
- Five 1 800 x 44 x 22mm pine planks cut to:
- Slats: eighteen 410 x 44 x 22mm planks
Other Items
- Wood glue
- ±Thirty 8 x 45mm chipboard screws (to construct the box)
- Wood Filler
- Four 65mm castors (without brakes)
- Four hinges
- ±Sixteen 10 x 100mm chipboard screws (to construct the lid frames)
- ±Thirty-six 8 x 35mm chipboard screws (to fix the slats to the lid frames)
- ±Thirty-six 8 x 16mm chipboard screws (to fix the hinges and castors)
- 120 grit sandpaper
- Wood primer
- PVA paint in a color of our choice
Tools
- Tape measure
- Sharp pencil
- Electric and Cordless drill
- 3mm and countersinking drill bits
- Spatula
- Combination square
- G-clamps
- Orbital sander
Get Started
- Measure and mark 20mm in from each short side of both 890 x 455 x 20mm planks. Position one of the shorter 350 x 455 x 20mm side sections on one of these markings on each of the longer sections to create a U shape. Drill three 3mm pilot holes, evenly spaced from top to bottom, through each long piece of wood into the edge of the shorter piece behind it. Repeat with the other short piece so that you have a box framework. Use the countersinking drill bit to countersink all these holes.
- Glue all four pieces together with wood glue and then screw 45mm chipboard screws into all the holes to construct the outer part of the box.
- Fill all the holes with wood filler, covering over all the exposed screw heads.
- Cut two pieces of wood, measuring 65mm and 45mm, from an offcut plank and use these as guides to mark lines 45mm and 65mm from the bottom of the box all the way around the base. This will indicate where the recessed base of the box will be installed in the next step. It is recessed slightly in order to house the greater part of the castors. The box will seem to ‘float’ above the ground as the only 20mm of the castor will protrude.
- Turn the box on its side and position the 850 x 350 x 20mm plank for the base inside the box by carefully sliding it in. If your wood has been cut properly it should fit quite snugly. Use the 45mm spacer to check, at various points around the box, that the base has been positioned correctly before using the 3mm drill bit to drill pilot holes between the lines marked in step 4. Space these holes roughly 20mm apart and drill them through the sides and into the base all around the perimeter of the box. Don’t forget to also countersink all these holes.
- Glue and screw the base in place using the 45mm chipboard screws. It’s best to screw in a couple of screws that are on opposite sides of the box and then do the rest, rather than starting at one point and moving systematically around the box.
- Use the tape measure and combination square to measure 415mm inwards from each end of the front of the box. Draw lines to mark these two positions. It should work out that they are 20mm apart. Place the 390 x 350 x 20mm partition section inside the box on this position and drill pilot holes and then countersink them, as in previous steps.
- Remove the partition, add glue to the edges, and reposition it inside the box. Screw it in place using the 45mm chipboard screws.
- Use glue and the 100mm chipboard screws to construct two identical frames using the four 465 x 69 x 22mm frame planks and the four 272 x 69 x 22mm planks. Make sure that the longer planks overlap the shorter ones. Use G-clamps to hold the pieces firmly in position and use the combination square to ensure that all the corners are at perfect right angles.
- Place the eighteen 410 x 44 x 22mm slats in position on the frames, 9 per frame. Decide on a gap size (around 5-8mm) between each plank before you fix them in place using the 35mm chipboard screws. Make sure that you leave a half gap-size space at one end of each frame so that when you place both lids next to each other on the box, the spacing between all the slats will still be equal and the final product will look better.
NOTE: Draw a line across all the slats, as pictured, before you screw them in place so that all the screws will be perfectly in line.
- Attach the slatted lids to the back edge of the box by screwing the four hinges to the box and the frames using 16mm chipboard screws. The lids should be positioned about the 2mm part.
- Screw the casters to the base using the 16mm chipboard screws. Make sure that they can turn a full 360 degrees when you position them.
Sand the entire piece and finish it with a wood primer before painting it in the color of your choice.