In my last post, I hinted at the construction of some new booth furniture. This happens every spring and the set up is still evolving. Basically, I wanted to replace a 5 ft shelf that I usually ran along a side wall with a smaller shelf that sets up parallel to the front of the booth but still allows plenty of room for entry. The question of booth furniture comes up pretty often on the web so I thought I would put together a pictorial how to just in case some of you are getting tired of all this reading. For best results, you will need a table saw and a drill press. You can do it with hand tools but you will work harder and you will not be as accurate. I decided on a 4 ft unit that has two sides. Six inch shelves on one side and eight inch on the other, with the frame hinged in the middle for easy folding and set up. I prefer Red Cedar for my shelves. They need no finish, they are light and stiff and they make the van smell great. I was able to cut down the shelf boards from my old unit for the eight inch side. These are one inch stock and really stiff. For the six inch side, I bought 1/2 inch thick cedar fence boards. they will be holding mugs so they don't need to be as heavy as the other ones. The frame is made of a 10 ft cedar 2x6, an 8ft 2x4 and 8 3/4 " dowels.. Have the lumberyard cut the 2x4 at 48 " then cut the 2x6 into two 60 inch pieces.
Make sure you 2x6's are exactly the same length.
Strike lines where you want to put dowels for
shelf supports. Rip each into 3 equal pieces.
Make a quick fence for the drill press. The line on the base lines up with your
drill bit and your layout lines for dowels. It is much easier to match two lines than to try to find a line with the point of a drill.
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Drill all holes on the front and back posts 1" deep. The center post, you drill about 1/2 "
from either side so you don't go through. Don't let shavings pile up behind your work.
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Use a stop block to cut your dowels .Less measuring and they will be exactly the same.
Shelf width plus depth of both holes.
Dry fit it together
Smooth any sharp edges.
Check for square often
Brush some glue in each hole. I do one leg, insert dowels then do the other one.
Clamp it all up and check for square. Repeat for the
other side piece
Simple frame squares it up and supports the sides.
Notching helps keep the wiggle out. I bored 3/4 "
holes for dowels through the side of the central frame and into
the horizontal rails. You could use countersunk lag bolts.
no mortise hinges hold it all together. bend your hinge pins a little
and hang them so the heads are up. keeps the pins for falling out.
Finished Frame
Finished unit
Folded frame.
