For this week, we are assigned to build a 16″x16″x12″ box out of wood without the use of glue. The first step for me was to plan out the dimensions of the 5 pieces of wood I have to cut based on the thickness of the wood (0.7″). I wanted the wood to be secured on two sides of the box instead of 4 (as per the instructions) because I thought it looked more symmetrical. This meant that I would have 2 larger pieces (16″x11.3″) and 2 smaller pieces (15.4″x11.3″) for the side. The bottom would be 16″ x 16″. I then cut these pieces of wood using a table saw.
Once I have all 5 sides of the box cut, I assembled the walls of my box using clamps. Once the pieces were secured with the clamps, I marked with a pencil where I want the screws to be, drilled the pilot and countersink holes, and drove my screws in those holes. Once I have the walls built, I placed the bottom piece on, clamped it, drilled the pilot and countersink holes, and drove the screw in. After I made sure all the screws were secured, I took off the clamps, and now I have a box.
The next step is to post-process it the way I want. I started off with routing the outer edge of the top of the box, then I sanded the whole box with the random orbit sander, first with an 80 grit, then with a 220 grit. After the sanding, I wiped the box down to remove the dust from the sanding the proceeded to put on a coating of Feed-N-Wax wood polish and conditioner. I left it on for about an hour and then wiped it down to remove the excess. I chose this product because I felt that it was less toxic and stinky compared to spray paint or other products.
Failures
While drilling the countersink holes, I split the wood at the bottom of the box which is not ideal. I also slightly split the wood when I drove one of the screws in, but luckily this one isn’t as noticeable. What I learned from this is that plywood is very easy to split especially when internal layers have gaps/holes and that drilling into plywood should be avoided when possible.
Cost
This cost analysis assumes you have access to the tools and machines such as a table saw, router, drill, etc, and therefore the main costs are the materials and labor.
Final thoughts
Looking at the cost of this project, it is definitely not worth the money or time, but I learned a lot about post-processing and finishing wood.
