Tool Tote

Sheet 2 · The build

A sturdy open tote for carrying hand tools, paint supplies or garden gear. It's all butt joints with glue and screws, and you'll practice drilling a clean large hole.

Tools

• Saw
• Drill with a 1" spade or Forstner bit
• Square, tape measure, clamps
• Sandpaper

Materials

• One 1x6 pine board, 4 ft
• One 1x4 pine board, 4 ft
• One 1" hardwood dowel, 3 ft
• 1-5/8" wood screws, about 16
• Wood glue

Cut list

Sizes in inches: thickness × width × length

Steps

1. Cut all parts. Clamp the two ends B together so they come out identical in the next two steps.
2. On the ends, mark a centered hole 1-1/2" down from the top. Drill the 1" hole with scrap wood clamped behind it so the back face doesn't splinter.
3. Mark 2" down from the top on each edge and cut the top corners off at 45°. Sand everything.
4. Stand the ends on top of the base, flush with each end. Glue them and drive two screws up through the base into each end.
5. Glue and screw the sides C along the long edges. The bottom of each side is flush with the bottom of the base, so each side covers the base edge and the lower part of the ends.
6. Slide the dowel through both holes until it's flush on each side. Lock it with a little glue, or one screw driven down through the top edge of each end into a pilot hole.