Construction

In theory, these chuckboxes could be constructed entirely with hand tools, but a few power tools will really speed things along. When we built six of these at the same time, I also put together a jig to hold the various pieces in place during the assembly process, to ensure that the corners ended up square, all components were spaced correctly and lined up, and so forth. May not be worth the effort if you are only building one or two, but I would suggest it as such a jig or fixture can be put together with only a scrap of plywood or heavy cardboard, a few chunks of 2x4 and some hot melt glue.

Note that the frames may be a bit overbuilt. While it wouldn't result in much cost savings, the frames probably could be constructed to the same overall dimensions with a narrower cross-section, or by laminating interlocking sections of thin (1/4") plywood to save weight and a bit of bulk without compromising the sturdiness and reliability of the frame too much. Thin plywood tends to warp, so that may be a challenge.