Cigar Box Utility Table

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CWF

Posted by CHARLES FLEMING

THIS PROJECT CAME ABOUT THROUGH A NEIGHBOR ASKING ME WHAT COULD BE DONE WITH EMPTY CIGAR BOXES. I SAID THEY ARE VERY COLORFUL AND SPACIOUS ENOUGH FOR STORING MANY ITEMS; AND, THAT I COULD USE 3 CIGAR BOXES TO MAKE AN ODDS AND ENDS TABLE. THAT SAID, SHE PRODUCED 3 BOXES FOR MY USE IN MAKING THE TABLE.

I AM A RETIRED MECHANICAL ENGINEER LIVING WITH MY WONDERFUL WIFE, MARY PAT, NEAR LAKEHURST, NJ. MY HOBBIES ARE GENEALOGY, DANCING WITH MY WIFE AND DANCING TO ENTERTAIN AT NURSING HOMES WITH OUR COMMUNITY DANCE GROUP, PLAYING WITH MUSIC AND PICTURE PROJECTS ON MY COMPUTER, AND OF COARSE WOOD WORKING. SOME OF MY WOOD PROJECTS WERE AN ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, A DESK FOR MY COMPUTER, A ROTATING PLAYING CARD HOLDER, AND VARIOUS SMALL ITEMS FOR THE GRANDKIDS.

Skill Level

Moderate

Active Time

Weekend

Cost

$$

    Materials

  • 4 UPRIGHT LEGS – 1X2X25-3/4                                       
  • 2 FEET – 1X2X12 – (FOR STABILITY)                               
  • 2 LEG TOP SIDE SKIRTS – 1X2X7-13/16
  • 2 FRONT TOP SKIRTS – 1X2X13-5/8
  • 3 COMMERCIAL CIGAR BOXES – 10-3/4 L X7-5/8 W X2-1/8 D
  • 3 CIGAR BOX LID LIFTERS – 1X2X1
  •                SHAPED TO LAY ON LID TOP SURFACE AND OVERLAP FRONT EDGE OF LID;
  •                CAPABLE OF BEING FASTENED TO THE LID BY A SCREW FROM UNDER SIDE OF LID.
  • 1 CIGAR BOX TABLE TOP
  • A. FRAME OF 1X2X14-3/4 (FRONT / BACK)
  •                                            1X2X10-1/2 (SIDES)
  • B. FRAME IS MITERED WITH ¼ X ¼ RECESS AND ROUTER TRIMMED PERIPHERY
  • C. FRAME RECESS ACCEPTS ¼ X 8-1/8 X 12-1/4 (APPROX.) PLYWOOD INSERT.
  •  .
  • WOOD COVERING – MINIEWAX GOLDEN OAK STAIN & RALPH LAUREN PAINT “RIVER ROCK SOMERSET MOSS (RR64)
  •                                      TINTING BASE (RL2300)”
  • HARDWARE – 12 #6X3/4 C’SINK WOOD SCREWS: TO SECURE CIGAR BOXES TO UPRIGHT LEGS.
  •                           16 #6X1-1/4 C’SINK WOOD SCREWS: TO FASTEN SKIRT/FEET TO THE UPRIGHT LEGS.
  •                             3 #8X1/2 C’SINK WOOD SCREWS: TO ATTACH LID LIFTERS TO CIGAR BOX LID.
  •                             4 #6X2” C’SINK WOOD SCREWS: TO ATTACH THE TABLE TOP TO THE SKIRTS.

    Tools

  •  SABER SAW, BAND SAW, TABLE SAW, DRILL, SANDER, TAPE MEASURE, SCREWDRIVER,
  •                 HAMMER, CENTER PUNCH,WOOD PUTTY, CORNER FRAMING FIXTURES, AND WOOD GLUE.
 
1

MAKE A TEMPLATE FIXTURE FOR LOCATING & DRILLING THE FOUR 5/32 DIA. HOLES IN EACH CIGAR BOX. THE TEMPLATE SHOULD LOCATE EACH HOLE TO ALLOW ENOUGH ACCESS FOR SCREW INSTALLATION AND MAXIMUM UPRIGHT LEG SEPARATION.

2

CUT 4 UPRIGHT LEGS TO 25-3/4 LONG.

3

3. MARK ON EACH UPRIGHT LEG THE HORIZONTAL LOCATION FOR THE BOTTOM OF EACH CIGAR BOX. THE FIRST LOCATION IS 2-1/2 INCHES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE UPRIGHT LEGS. THE NEXT CIGAR BOX BOTTOM IS LOCATED 7-1/8 INCHES ABOVE THE FIRST BOX BOTTOM; AND, THE THIRD BOX BOTTOM IS AGAIN 7-1/8 INCHES FROM THE SECOND BOX BOTTOM. THIS ALLOWS FOR EACH CIGAR BOX LID TO BE LIFTED 5 INCHES FOR ACCESS.

4

ASSEMBLE THE CIGAR BOXES TO THE UPRIGHT LEGS. POSITION EACH CIGAR BOX FLUSH TO THE BACK SURFACE OF THE 2 BACK UPRIGHT LEGS. (YOU MAY ELECT TO DO STEP 5 PRIOR TO ASSEMBLING BOTH SIDES OF THE CIGAR BOXES TO THE UPRIGHT LEGS). THE FRONT UPRIGHT LEGS SHOULD BE (APPROX.) 1/8 INCH FORWARD OF EACH CIGAR BOX FRONT.

5

ASSEMBLE EACH FOOT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE UPRIGHT LEGS. LOCATE EACH FOOT EDGE 2-1/8 INCHES FROM THE BACK SURFACE OF THE BACK UPRIGHT LEGS WITH #6X1-1/4 C’SINK SCREWS. USE 2 SCREWS AT EACH ATTACHMENT LOCATION.

6

WITH THE #6X1-1/4 C’SINK SCREWS, ATTACH THE SIDE SKIRTS TO THE TOP OUTSIDE SURFACES OF THE LEFT UPRIGHT LEGS AND RIGHT UPRIGHT LEGS KEEPING THE BACK AND FRONT OF EACH SIDE SKIRT FLUSH WITH THE FRONT AND BACK OF EACH UPRIGHT LEG. USE 2 SCREWS AT EACH ATTACHMENT LOCATION.

7

BEFORE THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTION, DRILL TWO 5/32 DIA X 1-1/2 LONG HOLES IN THE FRONT AND BACK SKIRTS THROUGH THE ¾ SURFACE IN PREPARATION FOR FASTENING THE TABLE TOP. SEPARATE EACH PAIR OF 5/32 DIA. HOLES 8-1/8 INCHES APART ABOUT THE CENTERLINE OF EACH FRONT AND BACK SKIRT. NEXT, ATTACH THE TOP FRONT AND BACK SKIRTS TO THE SIDE SKIRTS WITH 4D FINISHING NAILS (1-1/2 LONG NAILS). DRIVE AND COUNTERSINK ONE NAIL AT EACH ATTACHMENT LOCATION. PUTTY AND SAND FLUSH.

8

THE TOP SURFACE IS AN ASSEMBLY OF 1X2 PIECES AND A ¼ INCH THICK PLYWOOD SHEET. TAKE A 1X2X52 LENGTH AND CUT AWAY A CORNER EDGE ¼ X ¼ ON A TABLE SAW THE 52 INCH LENGTH FOR THE PLYWOOD TO FIT INTO. NEXT, THE SAME SIDE IS ROUTED THE 52 INCH LENGTH FOR A DECORATIVE OUTER EDGE OF THE TABLE TOP.

9

9. ON THE TABLE SAW, CUT THE FRAME FOR THE PLYWOOD FROM THE 52 INCH SHAPED 1X2. THE FRONT AND BACK SECTIONS ARE CUT TO 14-3/4 INCHES AT THE ROUTED OUTER EDGE. THE SIDES ARE CUT TO A LENGTH OF 10-1/2 INCHES AT THE ROUTED OUTER EDGE. EACH SECTION IS THEN MITERED TO A 45 DEGREE ANGLE AND ASSEMBLED IN CORNER FRAMING FIXTURES AND GLUED TOGETHER.

10

AFTER THE ASSEMBLED FRAME HAS BEEN GLUED TOGETHER FOR AN HOUR, MEASURE THE INNER RECESSED AREA FOR SIZING THE PLYWOOD INSERT, APPLY GLUE TO THAT RECESSED SURFACE AND INSERT THE SIZED AND CUT PLYWOOD. CLAMP THE PLYWOOD TO THE FRAME FOR AN HOUR.

11

WHEN THE TABLE TOP IS CURED, POSITION IT ON THE TOP SKIRTS, LEAVING A ½ INCH OVERHANG ALL AROUND AND FASTEN WITH #6X2” C’SINK SCREWS THROUGH THE HOLES PROVIDED IN STEP 7.

12

NOW THE CIGAR BOX UTILITY TABLE IS READY TO STAIN AND/OR PAINT TO YOUR DESIRE.