Cold Room Potato Bin
September 18th to 25th

Click image for enlargement.

For years we have purchased potatoes in the fall and stored them in cardboard boxes where this pail sits. They have done really well considering, but maybe they could do with a little more air flow.

(19:09:2020)
So we'll start off with a nice pile of SPF 2 x 6 and turn them into a potato bin and a lot of saw dust (see the new dust collector system below)

(19:09:2020)

First step is to plane any cup there might be in the 2 x 6's with the thickness planer.

(19:09:2020)

After cutting to length on the chop saw, they are cut to width on the table saw. In this case it is part of the frame

(19:09:2020)

After cutting to width, a groove is cut in the side to hold the slats that will make up the side walls.

(19:09:2020)
Rather than set up a dado blade to cut the grooves I ran each side with the regular blade. This was caused by a lack of planning on my part because when you set it up as you go along the time it takes to change to the dado blade seems like more than it's worth.

(19:09:2020)

This is one of the four base frames. Dado cuts in two sides. One for bottom and one for side wall.

(19:09:2020)
These are three parts of the top frame. Only one dado.

(19:09:2020)

Here is where that dado blade would have saved a lot of time. Cleaning up these cuts was a slow process. And the base frame has a slightly wider dado than the side frames, so it took a couple of chisels.

(19:09:2020)
If you think of the dado cuts as mortis, then this is cutting the matching tenon. Bought the device many years ago in Kelowna when the Tool Store was dumping unsaleable things. It cost me about $20 and tax at the time. Yes I have used it before but not often.

(19:09:2020)

Center cut tenons are wonderful. Set it up once, make the first cut and turn the piece around to cut the other side. Used the mitre gauge to cut the sides to expose the tenon.

(19:09:2020)
Check the fit.

(19:09:2020)
Create the slats that will form the bottom of the bin.

(19:09:2020)

Glued and pin nailed in place.

(20:09:2020)
Start over with the back!

(20:09:2020)

All the slats in place.

(20:09:2020)
Rube Goldberg gauge to get the spacing right.

(20:09:2020)

I'm not sure why, but I think it is important to get the structure square before the back gets glued/nailed in place.

(20:09:2020)
And that turned out to be a turkey to get right. There are never too many clamps!

(20:09:2020)
Setting up to do the front panel next.

(21:09:2020)
Putting the last of the slats in the front panel.

(22:09:2020)
A quick sand before the side panels go in.

(22:09:2020)
Side panels installed.

(23:09:2020)
Using the jointer to cut 45o bevels for sliders for the section dividers.

(25:09:2020)
Moveable divider in place.

(25:09:2020)
Casters for easy moving. Don't buy cheap Home Depot casters. They are not the same size.

(25:09:2020)
Bin in place in the cold room.

(25:09:2020)
And the start of the potatoes to fill it.

(25:09:2020)
We are slowly filling as we buy other vegtables at Sieffert's Farm Market.

(03:10:2020)
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