The little lending library I installed outside our house five years ago has been showing a lot of wear. I've built four of these now of a couple different styles. Each one taught me better techniques to use in the shop. Now that several of them have reached their end of life - due mostly to issues related to being outside 24/7 that I didn't foresee - I've had a chance to build the replacements to be more durable and easier to maintain.
For my little lending library, I kept the basic design. The appearance of an open book on the roof has proved popular as has the red color. The previous model was too small and required the frequent removal books that had been jammed up inside the compartment, effectively making access to all the books a clumsy affair. Version 2.0 is about twice as big as 1.0. The hinges, too, are bigger and mounted to better hold the doors on. The last upgrade to consider was the roof. The previous model had a painted roof which didn't weather well at all in the winter sun. I'm hopeful the asphalt shingles on 2.0 will prove to be more resilient to the heat and cold.
Nothing beats field testing.
People ask me if I make these to sell (yes) but it isn’t a market I actively develop. Word of mouth works just fine. Mostly, it's something I enjoy doing in my wood shop.
That is so cool…on multiple levels!