So I have a storage issue at my house, I have so much random stuff that doesnt have a place. So I decided to make a storage cube with a removable lid. But then I thought, lets make it AWESOME!

Things you will need:
one sheet of 16mm MDF
sand paper
a drill
screws (32mm)
glue
paint (Taubmans Imp Green 1L and white1L)
masking tape
tape measure
compass (for circles)
pencil
wood filler
roller and tray
paint brush

Things that will make it easier:
a belt sander
spray gun and compressor
nail gun
band saw
table/circular saw
carpenters square

Cutting List and Layout: (measurements from the model)
So as mentioned above, I chose MDF as It is very smooth to paint on, and has no grain. When working with MDF you should always wear a certified dust mask, as the effects of breathing the dust in are worse than smoking. (If you cant get access to a dust mask, anything is better than nothing)

All of these measurements are for 16mm materials in order for the box to be square.

2@ 550x550
2@ 550x518
2@ 518x518
1@ 350x350
2@ 350x134
2@ 318X134

Cutting:
So if you do this yourself with power tools obviously you know how too. Go slowly to avoid the burn marks that sometimes appear and always wear a dust mask, but most importantly ALWAYS set up a block so that all your measurements are the same.

I did not cut my own as my local hardware know me so well that they cut stuff for me for free:P Normally they charge $1 per cut, so if you have a place similar it is just so much easier to take the papers to them and get them to cut for you.

Step 1: Assembly

You are at home and ready to assemble, yay! grab all your base pieces and lets start with that. The most important thing when assembling is to always make sure your edges are flush (no over/under hang) because this makes your job a million times easier at the bogging and sanding stage, whilst also making your box square.

So get your front and first side piece (see assembly diagram in the intro) and make them nice and flush. predrill two holes at least 15mm away from the top and bottom edge as this will prevent splitting and then marry your corners so that you dont forget that they go together. trust me, you will!

complete this step for all sides before your glue. My teacher always used to say to me "Jorja, it is the glue that holds life together, not the screws". Now I dont know if he was trying to be philosophical or not, but he would fail you if you were stingy on glue. so use plenty! Then screw away. Make sure the screws are at least 2mm below the MDF to prevent being able to see them once painted. Make sure to wipe away ALL excess glue before it dries with a damp cloth, as you will be able to see it shining under the paint and you will kick yourself so hard!

Now place the bottom on the nice little square you have made, and screw that bad boy down!

Well done! you have made the base=] now rinse and repeat for the top, but dont forget to leave the very top piece unattached for storage access.

The Top:
To make sure the top stay in place every time, I have placed corner blocks where the box will meet the top. There were just unmeasured triangle made from left over MDF cut and sanded down the nailed on. So go find your rusty old hand saw (or power tool) and cut that angle!

The way the blades are positioned make sawing very fast with the right technique. Push with a downward angle, and lift with no pressure back up. and push down etc. Always at a nice angle to avoid jamming and bluntening (is that a word?) your blade.

Sand them all down and round off the edges that are not in contact with the lid. Glue and nail in place, making sure they are all square to the lid and 16mm from the edge. (nail gun would be AWESOME!)

Step 2: Prepping for Paint

Bogging and sanding! Grab your wood filler and spatula and get off your limestone patio!

When applying wood filler always apply thin-ish layers so that there is no rot happening and plus it has a chance to dry. remember that it will sink into holes when it dries, so a second/fith coat is always needed, so dont put too much on the first time!

I took no 'during' pictures because the dust REALLY get in the camera and screws around, so I'll explain:

Try to get as little filler on the wood as possible, just in the cracks and holes. smooth it over several times with the spatula to get the air bubbles out and then let it dry. Follow the drying instructions on the tub, and leave some extra time, nothing worse than sanding wet bog and having to start again!

Between layers make sure to wipe away the dust so that it will stick. now, get your mask on and start sanding! (belt sander would be nice...)

Once all the edges are smooth and everything looks nice and box-like, do a final wash of all sides and get your painting stuff.

Step 3: Painting!

so get a drop sheet or go somewhere that it wont matter if you get paint on. Grab your roller and tray, and shake your paint really well. Poor some in the tray and make EVERYTHING white, not forgetting the edges of the box and lid. Give it a nice thick even coat, watching for drips. Let it dry very well, and then grab your pencil and compass.

Measure out 130mm radius and place your full circle. When doing the corner circles, make sure you put the lid on and measure from the lid corner so that they all meet up nicely no matter which way the lid is positioned.

once that is VERY dry (over night, so the tape doesnt pull the paint) start taping up the circles so that you get nice clean edges. Now get your green paint and roller the top box and both sides of the lid. I did three coats, spaced 4 hours apart. Once the final coat is dry, gently pull the tape off and neaten up any edges that may not look right.

Once that is dry, do a final coat of white on bits that got a little green on them, then paint the eyes. Fix the legs to the bottom if you have hard floors so there are no scratch marks and screw the bottom to top centrally. and FINISHED!