Clearance for Trays

[Doc Carver]

I am making a box 1150mm long 360mm wide and 300mm high out of 16mm Hoop Pine to carry firearms to the range. There will be 3 trays sitting on top of each other inside the box that will lift out. What gap should I have between the tray and the inside of the box to make it easy to move the trays in and out of the box? Thanks for your help.

[Auld Bassoon]

G'day Doc,

You may well get a better answer than this, but here's a quote re white oak...

"If you have a sample of the cut log in cross section measure it very carefully. Boil the section sample for 4 hours or more which will artificially inflate the wood to its probable max in any water exposure environment short of total immersion. Measure the boiled result and you have your worst case answer. "

By taking the same basic approach using some scrap you could work out the maximum expansion, and thence allow for that in your dimensioning.

Well, that's an empirical method. I'm sure that there are other rather more elegant theoretical methods and probably even tables already compiled - use Google :)

[ozwinner]

Hubble bubble boil and trouble...............what the hell are you drinking Steve?

Al :p :D

[RufflyRustic]

hi Doc,

Please if possible a couple of photos?

I've thought about this a little bit in regards to other future projects of mine.

What is going in the trays, how heavy?
what sort of handle are you putting on the trays?
Would a hole through the side of the tray be useful, or is there room to put a handle on the top edge of the trays, enought that you can slide your fingers into it to lift the tray securely?

Or

is there enough room in the case so the trays can slide along, leaving enough room for you to put your fingers under the tray to lift it?

Sorry, just questions, but hopefully they will help you think through to the answer that suits you best.
cheers
Wendy

[DPB]

I may be wrong, but I don't think that expansion due to humidity variation is going to be a problem, particularly if you make the outer case and the trays from the same timber. Also, timber tends to expand across the grain direction (width-wise rather than length-wise). Therefore, even if there is some expansion due to humidity absorption, it should not cause the trays to bind in the box.

The significance of your question relates more to ease of removing the trays from a relatively large box if the trays are snug fits. I would leave .5mm gap around each side. In other words, the outside dimensions of the tray would be 1mm smaller than the inside dimensions of the case. The tray would be difficult to remove with a fit this tight, but a few well placed holes in the bottom of the trays will allow air to enter the cavity as the tray is removed.

Or, why not design the box with the front or end panel hinged at the bottom of the box so that this drops forward with the trays removable like drawers? Simply slide out the tray required without having to remove the tray above it.:)

[Doc Carver]

Thanks very much for the information. The trays will be made of 65mm x 10mm Hoop Pine sides with a 4mm plywood base. Each tray will be divided diagonally to hold a shotgun on one side and a rifle on the other. The top tray will be divided up to hold 6 handguns. The trays will be lined with wool felt glued to 3mm closed cell foam. I will not need handles on the trays because the firearms will not be in the trays when they are removed from the box so the diagonal divider will act as a handle. I have already made the box. I have the A10 and B10 Gifkin dovetail jigs so the box and trays will have dovetail joints. I had not thought of the suction effect. Maybe a larger gap between the trays and the sides of the box will overcome that. I appreciate your suggestions and feedback.

[RufflyRustic]

I hope you can post pictures of the case and trays. I for one, am very interested to see how you do this.

cheers
Wendy

[Auld Bassoon]

Hubble bubble boil and trouble...............what the hell are you drinking Steve?

Al :p :D

:p :D :D This was a quote from http://www.tfguild.org/ubbcgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000096 so it's not me that's been drinking home brewed hooch :D :D :D