In the north side of campus on the third floor of Jones, by a window inside a room, there is a houseplant. Google says this plant is a dracaena massageana, also known as the ‘corn plant.’ Before the ENGI 210 box building assignment, this plant had no home except a thin plastic pot.

Coming up with ideas for the box took a while. I searched online for an interesting and affordable wooden box for my plant but found nothing. I began first by sketching the type of box I was looking for. A base holds together four posts which hold are spanned by three flat wood pieces each. The center wood pieces are a lighter shade of stain compared to the outer pieces. The original intent was a tapered bottom with stepped sides, but I could not figure out the math in order to make this work. I scrapped the tapered bottom.

Before gathering my wood, I settled on a box measuring 10.75 inches tall and 8.5 inches wide, just big enough to contain the plant.

Side posts would be constructed as follows:

1. Cut three 9.5 inch pieces of a 1 x 4 plank
2. Glue these three pieces of wood together on their flat face
3. Using a table saw, cut off the non-uniform long faces of the 3 x (1 x 4) block, cutting the block to a width of 2 1/4 inches (square)
4. Cut out two 2 1/4 squares of 3/4 inch plywood and glue to the top of the 3 x (1 x 4) block, adding 1 3/8 inches of height.
5. Sand all sides up to 400 grit until smooth
6. Using the router and a flat bit, route three sides of the block.
7. Sand up to 1000 grit
8. Stain with Ebony liquid stain
9. Repeat steps 1-9 three more times

These piece

s were the easiest to construct of all the parts in the box, though I ran into problems. Step 4 was added because my initial cuts were too short and the wood required additional length. The second issue occurred in step 6, where the short 2 1/4 side of the block was too short to be routed cleanly.

I would fix this issue by double checking my measurements and sanding the short side instead of routing.

Side faces would be constructed as follows:

Do each of these steps together to 12 pieces

1. Cut a 6.5 inch piece of 1 x 4 plank
2. Using a bandsaw, cut the short side at a 45 degree angle on each side. This way the outer length would be 6.5 inches and the inner length around 5.5 inches
3. With a flat angled bit, route the angled side to create a point.
4. Using the Joiner, flatten each of the long flat faces.
5. Sand each piece up to 1000 grit.
6. Stain 8 pieces with ebony stain.
7. Stain 4 pieces with natural stain.
8. Glue three pieces together on their long flat joined faces with ebony pieces on the outside and a natural piece on the inside.

This is where I encountered most of my problems. The first problem was in step 2 while making the 45 degree cuts. My first decision was to use the belt sander. While this was precise, the sander took a very long time. My next decision was to use the band saw. This was alot more efficient though it still required sanding later on. The next issue was encountered during step 3. I was routing an angle surface. While I routed, the length of wood changed. I could not get an even line on any piece. These two main issues showed themselves in step 8. None of the faces perfectly fit together and it was necessary for me to work to find the right combination of pieces for each side.

I would fix these issues by making step 8 the first step and then ungluing the pieces for staining. This way, all pieces would be fabricated together and 100% fit together.

Base would be constructed as follows:

1. Out of 3/4 inch plywood, cut a 7.25 in square
2. cut each of the corners at a 45 degree angle, making a new edge with length 2.25 inches
3.  Using the craig jig, make holes on the angled corners.
4. Sand up to 1000 grit and stain.

There were no issues with the construction of this part.

Construction 

1. Screw in all the posts by clamping down the pot and the securing the base to guarantee the correct alignment.
2. Glue the side faces by clamping opposite faces and tightening clamps slowly to make a seal.
3. Remove clamps.
4. Place in plant.

I learned a lot from this project especially about construction techniques. The band saw was not as precise as I believed, this led to some poorly fitting parts. My order of construction was off with the side faces. If I had glued first and then shaped, fit would have been much better. I’m glad I didn’t attempt the initial tapered bottom. Getting the proper fit would have been near impossible with my construction techniques. I could have done a better job with photos and documentation. I got so caught up in working that I just forgot to take pictures. Upon returning to my dorm, my plant was greeted with a gift.

Breakdown of Cost

• Labor @ $15 an hour for 9 hours: $135
• Tools (Bandsaw, power drill, sandpaper, Kreg jig, table saw, belt sander): $50 (TX/RX maker space membership)
• Materials (2x (1×4), plywood, stain): $40
• Total cost: $225