After reading the assignment description and both having busy schedules that week, we decided to work together to build a box. We decided to make a box with sides that surround the base so that the base was flush and hidden. The first step to building our box was cutting the wood. We cut the wood using a miter saw and trimmed the base pieces so that they fit snuggly within the frame staying hidden. For the sides, we used 12- 15 1/4″ and 4 1/2- 16″ 1×4 pieces of wood. After the pieces were cut, we sanded them down using the orbital sander.

Once the pieces were ready, the box could be assembled. Our box is entirely attached using nails from a nail gun. First, the bottom side planks were attached to create the frame. Next, the base planks were nailed to the frame. 3 nails per base plank were used to attach the pieces to the frame. After the base and first layer of side planks were attached, the support pieces were added to each corner. To assemble the middle and top layers of the side planks, we used a 3/4″ piece of wood as a spacer. The side planks were attached in the same manner as the first.

For refinement and aesthetic, our box was smoothed with orbital sander, edges were rounded with router, nail holes were smoothed with wood putty, and planks were stained with wood stain.

Cost: I spent about 3 hours on this box, until Savannah finished it up. The wood we used included 3 1x4s and 1 2×2 with a cost of $18 priced at $4.50 per 12 ft. Since equipment and other materials we used were accessible and/or already purchased, they are not included in the total. With an hourly rate of $15/hour and material cost, the total cost of the box is $63 (not including Savannah’s labor).