I was originally really intimidated to begin this project, but I ended up having fun creating this box and exploring tools at the OEDK. I’m also super grateful for my crate partner Natalie; this box wouldn’t be as perfect without her.
- Getting Materials
First things first, we went into the wood shop and, with the help of a lab assistant, cut 12 pieces out of the 1″ x 3″ planks that measured 15.25″ in length.
For our base, we cut a .5″ thick piece of plywood into a 16″ x 16″ box and 4 1″ x 1″ pieces to be 11.5″ in length.
2. Assembling Materials
We assembled the base of our crate first by drilling the 1″x 1″ pieces 1″ away from the ends of the plywood. Then, we arranged the side planks to fit around and drilled twice on each side to attach the side plank to the 1″ x 1″ pieces. This was repeated for each of the 12 pieces until the box was fully assembled.
3. Post-Processing
To start, an orbital sander was used on the inside and outside of the box to get rid of some pieces of wood that were splintered. For the edges of the box, we used a 80 grit sandpaper and then moved up to a 120 grit sandpaper until the edges were completely smooth. For the sides of the box, to prep for treatment we sanded using 120 grit sandpaper. And before we treated the wood using wood oil, we decided to add rope handles so the crate would be easier to handle/carry. The holes for the rope were made by drilling hole starting at 1/8″ and moving up until we agreed that 3/8″ is the best size for the rope we had. After drilling the holes, we sanded them down to remove the rough edges. Then, a wax wood oil was applied all around the box and set for 20 min. This wax wood oil allowed us to still see the wood details while looking more finished/professional. Then we tied in our rope handles, so we can easily carry it everywhere and anywhere!
4. Final Notes
Since this was Natalie and I’s first time doing any woodworking, I’m extremely happy with the crate! But, we both agree that we wish we had routed the edges before assembly so we didn’t have to spend time sanding down the edges. While our rope handles are sturdy for now, another rope solution would be needed as it breaks down over use.
Cost:
Machines/equipment: A lot of different OEDK equipment was used to assemble this box, but I’m not sure the cost breakdown of the machines that we used. For the purpose of the crate cost, machines and equipment should be added if these machines aren’t accessible.
Wood: $25
Screws: $5
Finishing Oil: $5
Rope Handle: $5
Labor: : $15 x 5 Hours = $75
Overall: $120+ machine/equipment costs.
