Photo; by Milton Salamon unless otherwise noted

It's a twin desk, a long worktable, a roomy toy chest—and its two shelf and drawer units can serve as night tables next to a bed on each side.

Unlike the usual toy box or desk, this versatile combination solves at least four of children's furniture problems. First of all, the toy chest beneath the hinged lids is a deep, roomy area where a long­time accumulation of odds-and-ends can be stored—the newer, much used toys on top, the older but cherished ones at the bottom.

The wide work surface allows two chil­dren to play at once, each on an identical half so that there's no squabble over pref­erence. The end table units each contain a drawer and adjustable shelf for neat stor­age of toys and "work."

The overall unit is 5 feet long, 16 inches deep and 26 inches high. The top can be covered with plastic laminate, as the one shown, or finished in wood, depending on the room decor and intended use. Instruc­tions follow for both methods.

For the model shown here, 3/4-inch thick birch Weldwood plywood was used, and the top was covered with Micarta plastic laminate.

One sheet of 3/4-inch by 4x8-foot ply­wood will suffice for most of the pieces needed for this project. Cut out all pieces as shown in the drawings, and mark them with letters for easy identification.

After cutting two side pieces (C) to 3/4x15x251/4 inches, rabbet the back edges 1/4inch deep by 3/8 inch wide. Make similar rabbets on the back edge of hinge strip (Bl) and the back edges of both top ends (A). When cutting rabbets in tops (A). stop the cuts 13/8 inches from the outside edge but let the cut run through the inside edge.

After cutting partition panels (Cl) to a dimension of 3/4xl43/4x251/4 inches, mount 3/4-inch hardwood drawer runners, meas­uring 1/2 inches wide by 133/4 inches long, to the inside surfaces of all four pieces (C) and (Cl). Locate these runners 31/4 inches in from and parallel with the top edges. Use glue and 2-inch No. 8 flathead screws, and when mounting be sure to keep the drawer runners exactly 3/4 inch from the front edges of these pieces.

Parallel with and 21/2, inches in from the bottom edge of pieces (C) and (Cl), bore four equally spaced 3/16-inch holes; coun­tersink on the outside for flathead screws. Start the holes 3/4 inch in from the outside edges.

On the inside surfaces of (C) and (Cl), draw lines 17/8 and 25/8 inches from and parallel with the bottom edges. These are guide lines for mounting plywood floors (G). Note that to avoid error it is best to keep one side (C) paired with a partition (Cl) until assembled.

ALL PARTS FROM 3/4" X 4 FT. X 8 FT. PLYWOOD

On sides and partitions (C, Cl), 31/4 inches from lop edge, glue and screw down the drawer runners.

On the top surface of both tops (A), 13/8 inches from and parallel with the side edges, bore four equally spaced 1/2-inch holes, 5/16 inch deep; then 3/16-inch holes all the way through the center of these. Start the holes 3/4inch from the back edge and 13/4 inches from the front edge.

On the outside surface of both partitions (Cl), mark off 11/2inches from the front edge at the top, and 6 inches from the back edge at the bottom. This is to establish the outside guide line for mounting knee wall (F). Position piece (F) against these lines and mark the exact height and the angle of top and bottom edges.

When knee wall (F) has been cut and fitted, mount 3/4xl-inch hardwood cleats to its inside surface, flush with the side edges; the cleats must be 3/4inch shorter than the height of (F), and the top ends should be rounded. Bore 3/16-inch holes about 5 inches apart along adjacent sides of each cleat; start 1 inch from the ends, and countersink for flathead screws. Use glue and 11/2-inch No. 8 flathead screws for mounting.

Assemble the end tables, making sure that sides (C) are the outside pieces of both tables. Note that partitions (Cl) are 1/4 inch narrower and have no rabbets at the back.

Use the drawer fronts to brace the cabi­net on one end when assembling side (C) to plywood floor (G). Use glue and 11/4-inch No. 8 flathead screws for this assem­bly. Now turn the assembly upside down and place partition (Cl) onto it.

Mount top (A) to the cabinet with glue and l1/4-inch No. 8 flathead screws. During the cabinet assembly, hold bottom (G) flush in the back with the rabbet of side (C) and the back edge of (Cl); hold the back edge of (A) flush with (C) and (Cl) in the same way. Square up both cabinets, making sure the sides are straight- Set the end table cabinets aside to let the glue dry.

Make a mounting strip of 3/4x2x32-inch scrap plywood or solid wood and glue it to the bottom of hinge strip (Bl); use 11/4-Lnch No. 8 flathead screws also. This strip must not extend more than 1 inch beyond (Bl) on each end. Drill a 3/16-inch hole through the extended ends and countersink for flathead screws.

Plane the front edges of the cabinets flush at the sides and bottoms, then cover all edges with matching Weldwood Wood-Trim (use Weldwood Contact Cement for this). File down the excess trim.

When knee wall (F) has been cut and fitted, mount 3/4xl-inch hardwood cleats to the inside sur­face, flush with the aide edges. Top end of each cleat is rounded, and cleats must be 3/4 inch shorter than piece (F). Countersunk holes are drilled every 5 inches; mount with glue and screws

Assemble the end table cabinets by joining side (CS, partition (CD. top (A) and bottom piece (G).

When mounting top (A), use drawer front piece for spacer. Assemble with glue, 1 1/4-inch No. 8 screws.

Top photo at right, iecond from top at left by Edward DeLonq

Turn each cabinet upside down and chisel the upper outside corner of the rabbet square, as shown in the photographs. Mount knee wall (F) to one of the cabinets, lining it up along the guide lines. Check that the top and bottom edges are flush.

Place both cabinets upside down and parallel, about 30 inches apart. Then mount hinge strip (Bl) in place to bind the cabi­nets; hold flush in the back during this step. Use glue and l1/4-inch No. 8 flathead screws. Now mount knee wall (F) to the second cabinet, again lining it up with the guide line.

With the cabinets still upside down, fasten 3/4-inch square cleats 21/4 inches from and parallel with the bottom edges; these will support the toy bin floor. Be­cause of the angle at which wall (F) is mounted, the long cleat that is glued to the inside of (F) must also be planed to an angle so that its top surface will be parallel to the ground. Although a supporting cleat is glued to the plywood back panel, cleats on (Cl) and (F) will adequately support the toy bin floor.

Fasten a 3/4-inch thick matching solid wood base trim (25/8 inches wide). Start by cutting the end of the first piece of trim to an angle, then butt it against the knee wall (F)—which has no base trim—and miter the trim around each end table. The top edge of the base trim can be either rounded or chamfered 1/2inch as shown in the photographs.

Square up both cabinets; diagonal measurement is good check (see construction techniques chapter).

Mounting strip is glued, screwed to hinge strip (Bl). Strip end overhang shouldn't exceed 1 inch.

If unit is to have wood rather than laminate top finish, cover front edges with Wood-Trim. Refer to chapter Wood Trim for Plywood Edges. Photo below shows how excess trim is re­moved by filing, not by cutting.

With the cabinet back up, chisel out the rabbet in the upper outside corner so that it is square.

Mount knee wall (F) to the right cabinet, follow­ing guide lines. Make sure edges are flush.

Left above, mounting strip attached to hinge strip (Bl) is fastened to tops (A), to join cabinets. Knee wall (F) fastens to left cabinet (center photo) through cleats, in same manner as right cabinet. Jointer is set up at angle {right photo) to cut long bottom cleat on (F) to proper mounting angle.

Turn the cabinet right side up and fit and mount the toy bin bottom, made from 1/4-inch plywood. Then place the cabinet front down, and mount the 1/4-inch ply­wood back, using 3/4-inch head nails.

Fit both hinged covers (B) in place, leaving about A inch between them, before fastening on the Wood-Trim. Both covers (B) must be exactly the same size. Attach a 3/16-inch (single dimension) piano hinge onto each lid (B); then re-fit and tempo­rarily mount both pieces (B) in place. After seeing that the lids mount on per­fectly, number them, take them off, and cover the edges with Wood-Trim. How­ever, note that if the top is to be covered with plastic laminate, do not mount the lids yet and do not cover the edges with Wood-Trim until the laminate has been applied; see the chapter on applying plastic laminate.

Mount the lids (B)—if a wood finish is being used—and fill the 1/2-inch holes in tops (A) with matching long-grain wood plugs, using glue, as described in the chap­ter on construction techniques.

Shelves for the end tables are optional, and so is the manner in which they are mounted. It is advisable to use 3/4-inch thick matching plywood if possible, and cover the front edge of the shelves with matching Wood-Trim. Metal brackets are available for shelf mounting; these can be placed in any pair of a series of holes so that the shelf height is readily adjustable. However, a 3/4-inch square matching wood cleat on side (C) and partition (Cl) will suffice.

The next step is building the drawers. If you make the drawer sides 1/2 inch thick, rabbet the drawer fronts 3/8 inch deep by 1/2inch wide. If you use 3/4-inch thick sides, make the rabbets 3/4 inch wide. Try drawer fronts (D) for fit, and number them for left and right cabinets. Next, fit the drawer sides, then the backs.

Mark the drawer sides in pairs, for the top edge and bottom. Cut a 1/4-inch square dado for the drawer bottom on the inside of the drawer sides, 1/2inch from the bot­tom edge. Then place the sides on the in­side surface of drawer front (D), holding them flush on the top. Mark the position of the dadoed groove onto the drawer front, and then channel out this groove, too. Note that the distance from the top of the dadoed groove to the top edge of the drawer sides is the height of the drawer backs. Cut these backs to size accordingly for a perfect fit.

Mount cleats on line with long cleat on (F). Toy bin floor of 1/4-inch plywood rests on the cleats.

Standard baseboard is bevel-cut. Miter all cor­ners of base trim; top edges can be rounded off.

Left after mounting first piece of base trim to partitions (CD, countersink all the nail heads.

Below is a complete back view of the unit before plywood back is mounted with 3/4 inch head nails.

Glue a support strip to plywood back, so as to add rigidity to bottom of toy bin.

Fill all 1/2-inch holes with matching long-grain wood plugs as described in chapter on construction techniques. When glue is dry, chisel off excess.

After cutting rabbets in the front for the drawer sides, assemble the drawers with glue and 4d finishing nails or 11/4-inch No. 6 flathead wood screws. Square up and straighten the drawers, just as you did previously with the end tables. Fit the 1/4-inch plywood drawer bottom, insert it in the dadoed groove and fasten it to the back with 3/4-inch head nails.

Bevel the back edges of the drawer as shown in the photograph, bottom of page. Then fit the drawer into the cabinet. If either drawer is too loose, place ordinary thumbtacks on the inside of the cabinet sides, 1 inch from the front edge and near the drawer runner. If the fit is too tight, plane down any drawer excess and sand smooth. Use paraffin freely wherever there is contact between drawer and cabinet.

For matching 1/2-inch solid wood, cut a 33/4-inch wide back strip (E), the same length as the entire unit top. Cut both ends of this back wall to an angle as shown in the drawings and photographs. Mount the strip with glue and 11/4-inch No. 8 flat-head screws spaced about 8 inches apart.

Sand all parts well both before and after assembly. The cabinet is now ready to be finished. The one shown here was stained with Early American maple stain (one coat) and then wiped. After 24 hours it was painted with Satinlac (two coats, 6 hours apart).

If you wish to cover the top with plastic laminate, as was done with this unit, refer to the chapter on this subject. •

Drawer bottom is inserted into l/4-inch dado groove in sides and front, and fastened with 3/4-Inch head nails to drawer back. Square drawer first.

Angle-cut the back edges of drawer to a bevel and then sand. Then fit the drawer into cabinet See text above for instructions on obtaining a good fit.

Back strip the length of entire top is cut from ½ inch solid wood, 33/4Inches wide, with ends angled as in photo at right. Glue and screw to top.

Piano hinge is attached to each cover lid (B). and then screwed to top only after fit of lids is sure, and plastic laminate and Wood-Trim have been added to the lids.

Shelves are optional. Made from 3/4-lnch plywood to match rest of cabinet, front edges should be covered with trim. Mount with metal brackets or square wood cleats.

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