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I'm no carpenter...went back and forth between 80/20 and plywood design. Even entertained welding the frame up out of 1/2" square tubing. I figured I'd most likely be re-doing it in the future as I seem to do and just went with plywood for now. 80/20 is too expensive for me to use as a prototype.
I made the base box out of 1/2" plywood as I thought it would be lighter and plenty stout, which it is...but (there's always a but), the hinges, drawer slides and hardware are meant for 3/4 ply. I had to make the lids out of 3/4 or else sandwich in a piece of 1/4" for the hinge pocket.
I think the next one I build for the passenger's side will be out of 3/4. I managed to get the first one made with one 4x8 piece of 1/2" ply ($50) and 1/3 of a 4x8 piece of 3/4 ($70).
Drawer slides were $29.
Southco Latches $60 for a four pack
Hinges $15 for six
Kreg Jig for hinges $27
Hardware to screw it together was $17 (I glued and screwed it together) I thought about using a Kreg pocket screw jig to put it together, but that hardware is also meant for 3/4" ply, not 1/2"...as it is I had to grind the tips of some of the screws off so they wouldn't protrude through the 1/2" ply.
About $250 total for material and hardware including the jig that I can use for the next one. And I have enough 3/4 left over to do lids for the next one. I used Sande plywood, which is a bit soft but has a nice finish. I put 3-coats of an outdoor rated polyurethane finish on (another challenge in the winter as it hasn't been above freezing for a week I think) which I hope will toughen up the surface a bit.
I'll need to get some cushions made or make some cushions myself. How do people keep cushions in place? Velcro or magnets? I was thinking I could put a magnet in the cushion and a metal plate on the lids. And on the back-rest cushion a magnet will hold the cushion up on the side by sticking to the interior steel panel of the truck.
I made the base box out of 1/2" plywood as I thought it would be lighter and plenty stout, which it is...but (there's always a but), the hinges, drawer slides and hardware are meant for 3/4 ply. I had to make the lids out of 3/4 or else sandwich in a piece of 1/4" for the hinge pocket.
I think the next one I build for the passenger's side will be out of 3/4. I managed to get the first one made with one 4x8 piece of 1/2" ply ($50) and 1/3 of a 4x8 piece of 3/4 ($70).
Drawer slides were $29.
Southco Latches $60 for a four pack
Hinges $15 for six
Kreg Jig for hinges $27
Hardware to screw it together was $17 (I glued and screwed it together) I thought about using a Kreg pocket screw jig to put it together, but that hardware is also meant for 3/4" ply, not 1/2"...as it is I had to grind the tips of some of the screws off so they wouldn't protrude through the 1/2" ply.
About $250 total for material and hardware including the jig that I can use for the next one. And I have enough 3/4 left over to do lids for the next one. I used Sande plywood, which is a bit soft but has a nice finish. I put 3-coats of an outdoor rated polyurethane finish on (another challenge in the winter as it hasn't been above freezing for a week I think) which I hope will toughen up the surface a bit.
I'll need to get some cushions made or make some cushions myself. How do people keep cushions in place? Velcro or magnets? I was thinking I could put a magnet in the cushion and a metal plate on the lids. And on the back-rest cushion a magnet will hold the cushion up on the side by sticking to the interior steel panel of the truck.
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