By Natalie Pellette
Similar to the laser cutter project, I feel that building a box did not go as smoothly as I would’ve liked, but I’m still satisfied with the outcome. Luckily, I worked with Luna on the project and having a partner saved me a lot of time and headaches!! We split up the work by cutting and measuring the pieces together, having Luna assemble the box, and myself complete the post processing. The cutting process went well as we worked with one of the lab assistants because neither of us were entirely comfortable in the wood shop. After cutting the pieces out we moved downstairs to assemble the box. We began by attaching the vertical frame supports to the plywood base. This step was a bit awkward because we had to figure out the best way to orient ourselves and the materials securely. Getting the placement correct was also difficult because we were drilling through the plywood into the support and didn’t have the most control over the connection.
Using a test screw to get comfortable with the drill.
Drilling through the Base into the Post.
The vertical posts in place.
Next, we began attaching the side planks to the frame. Luna started with the bottom pieces, followed by the top pieces, and finally finished with the middle pieces, which she centered between the top and bottom slats. During this process, we realized that although our dimensions lined up to 16” by 16”, some aspect of our box was misaligned because some of the side slats did not match up cleanly with one another at their ends. I think this is probably due to the placement of the vertical posts.
Misaligned Planks
After assembly was complete, we moved onto post-processing. Initially I thought we would use a router to finish the edges of the box, however after showing our box to two lab assistants, they recommended that we just use sanding tools since the box was already assembled. To prepare for sanding, I used a torque drill to drive the screws further into the wood so that they wouldn’t get in the way, but I overdid it in a few spots.
Over-drilled screws
I used an orbital sander to smooth out the inside of the box and remove imperfections in the wood.
Before: Mark on the inside base of the box
After: Mark removed from the inside base of the box
I began working on the outside of the box, taking 80 grit sandpaper wrapped over a wood block to round out the edges of the planks and smooth the surfaces. I repeated this process with 120 grit to prepare the wood for wax or stain.
Assembled Box with Rounded Edges
I realized it would be difficult to smooth out the surfaces between the slats to create a handle like some of our peers did, so I decided to drill holes into the sides of the box for a set of rope handles. Because the holes needed to have a wide diameter, I began with a ⅛” bit and moved up to ¼”, then 5/16” and finally ⅜”. The holes were fairly messy, so I reused the 120 grit paper and a round file to clean them up a bit.
Handle Holes and Tools
After checking that the rope I was using would fit through the holes, I applied the Feed-N-Wax Polish using paper towel and gloves to condition the wood. Luna and I liked the natural features and tone of our wood so we didn’t consider using a stain.
Polish and Drying Box
Polish on Drying Box
Finally, I taped the ends of the rope to fit it through the holes and tied them together to create the handles. The box was complete!
The Box is Complete!
I was feeling pretty unmotivated coming into this project for reasons unrelated to this class, but I was happily surprised by our box. If I were to redo the project, I would have used the planer and router to perfect the planks before assembling the box. I also would have chosen a different method to connect the plywood base to the vertical supports so that the side planks would’ve aligned properly. I think as we use the box, the rope may wear down because the fibers are pretty fragile and had already started to unravel as I tied the handles together. I like the natural wood look and how the rope handles turned out! I am also happy to gain more experience with the miter saw and wood as a material overall.
Cost Analysis:
My Working Time = 4.5 hours
Labor Cost = 4.5 hrs • $15/hr = $67.5
Materials Cost:
(x2) 1”x4”x8’ wood = 2•$3(Lowe’s) = $6
(x2) 2”x2”x42” wood = 2•$2(Lowe’s) = $4
(x1) 2’x2’x ½” plywood = ~$10(Home Depot)
(x1) 80 grit sandpaper = ~$1.25(Lowe’s)
(x1) 120 grit sandpaper = ~$1.25(Lowe’s)
(x1) Howard Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish = $9 (Home Depot)
Total Material Cost = $31.5
I chose not to include the cost of the rope, protective gear, or the cost of the reusable equipment, including the miter saw, hand drill, torque drill, drill bits and files.
