Cassandra.org
This page describes one of the phases of the multi-year Master Bathroom Remodeling Project.
Background
Original Storage Bin Frame
When we bought the house 20 years ago, we inherited a wire basket storage bin that sat under the vanity area of the sink in the master bathroom. It has been a fixture there ever since and something my wife depends upon. Though it ranks high on the functional scale, it ranks low on the form scale. My wife had suggested redoing it to match the new wooden slat look of the bathroom, which was a good idea.
Design
Storage Bin Pieces Ready for Sanding
3D Model
The design was simple, with the trickiest part ensuring that the grooves were in the right places to make sure the re-used wire basket rails slid easily and did not fall out.
Close-up of Biscuit Jointing Slots
Cross-member Biscuit Slots (close-up)
I decided to use wood biscuits for all the edge joints so there would need to be no screws. However, since much of the joint areas involved end grain, my worry about its durability grew during the course of building this.
Pre-finishing
Side Slats During Finishing
Storage Bin Pieces with Polyurethane
Because of all the intricacies and gaps, I decided to pre-finish most of the pieces before assembly. Obviously, I had to avoid the surfaces and biscuit slots that I would be glueing.
Assembly
Assembly of Side Slats
Final Clamping for Side Slat Assembly
Finished Assembly of Side Panel
Assembly of Storage Bin Frame (close-up)
Assembling Cross-members
Reinforcements
Adding Reinforcement Screws
Only after assembly did I decide to give in and add some screws for extra support. I used wood putty to hide the screws as much as possible, but was still mildly unhappy. Durability tends to win out in my designs, which is why most things I work on tend to be a bit clunky looking.
Final Result
Assembled Storage Bin
Assembled Storage Bin (alt. view)
Original Storage Bin Frame
Finished and Loaded Storage Bin
Storage Bin Final Location View