Shredder Coverup

Some months ago I built a box to store our our shredder. At the end of the original post, I was still trying to decide where to keep it and whether to add handles and caster wheels.

I did add the handles and wheels, and the box has been shuffled from one side of the library to the other. As we've lived with it and I've thought about it, I decided the box needed a lid. River likes to pull out the unshredded junk mail and scatter it across the floor. And the box has been sitting next to the chair, so it would be a good side table if it had a lid.

I cut some 1x4's a few inches longer than the box, leaving a lip on all sides. Then I used our Kreg jig to attach the pieces to each other. I also cut a 1x2 to make a rectangle just smaller than the inside of the box. I attached the 1x2 rectangle to the underside of the lid with our air nailer and wood glue.

checking the fit one last time

The last step was staining the wood. I applied a couple coats of Kona stain (the same color I used on the dining table and benches and sofa table), then gave it a good coat of clear wax. I split the different tasks across several days, but I could have easily accomplished everything in a couple hours if I'd had that much time available at one time.

Now we have a lid that's easy to remove and easy to put in place. I thought about putting a table lamp on top, but that would make it a lot more difficult to actually use the shredder, so the lid will stay uncluttered. Instead, I'll find a floor lamp to put between the chair and the box.

It's still an odd box in the library, but at least it's now a useful odd box in the library where we can rest our books and water bottles :)  And that chair will soon look a lot less shabby and worn...