Introduction

Boxes are actually really hard to build. Especially wooden ones. From cutting, to sanding, to staining, the process can be time consuming as well as mildly phys ically taxing. The project was a learn-as-you-go process that required scrap wood and multiple tools to get the job done right. For this project, I teamed up with Jonah Wagner to build an intermediate level crate.

Process

To begin, we cut our wood from 2 8-foot 1×4 lumber pieces and 1 6-foot 2×2 pieces of lumber. In total, we cut: 9 14.5″ pieces of 1×4 lumber, 6 12″ pieces of 1×4 lumber, and 4 11″ pieces of 2×2 lumber. One thing to note was to take into account the thickness of the blade (kerf) in cutting as well as making consistent even pieces.

Before starting to connect any pieces of wood together, the boards were sanded using the orbital sanders and sandpaper. (Recommend 120 Grit)

One challenge we decided to take on was having no exposed screws visible outside of the box. This was accomplished using a kreg jig to create hidden holes. The bottom boards as well as the long side boards all had kreg holes drilled into them. Usually, there are special kreg screws to be used, however, regular Phillips head screws sufficed following the kreg jig instructions.

After the Kreg holes were drilled, three outer sections were made using an angle clamp. The clamp ensured the wood was at a 90 degree angle and did not cause misalignment in assembly. All screw holes had pilot holes drilled into them before inserting the screw. The rectangles were then sanded to ensure smooth corners. The rectangles were then routed with two different bits: a rounded bit and a 45 degree bit.

 

 

 

 

 

The first step was to build the bottom base, which required some modification to the bottom planks. As they were too long, we had to shave off about half an inch from the length using an orbital sander and a rasp. The four 2×2 posts were attached to the base planks by one small screw on the side and a large screw coming up from the bottom. 

The next two layers were added by placing a piece of foam to hold them up. Since the screws were too short, a large hole was drilled about a quarter of an inch into the posts to allow for the screw to reach. This was accomplished by using the drill bit customizer from the kreg jig kit. This additionally helped hide the screws. After all layers were secured, the box was structurally done. For aesthetics, we sanded away any part of the post that could be seen past the top rectangle of the box.

After some light sanding, we took the box outside to do some wood staining. We decided to choose two different stains: cherry and black. Our creative choice was to split the box in half diagonally so that the box would have two different colors depending on where you stand. Painter’s tape allowed for the division between the two stains to be more prominent.

  

 

 

 

 

 

successes and failures

Overall, the project was a huge success. The finishing could have been a little cleaner, but the box is sturdy and functional. Learning how to use the kreg jig took HOURS but led to a clean look. Shaving down the excess post using an orbital sander is not the way I would recommend as it takes a ton of time. Taping will prevent the diagonal lines from looking bad but overall I am proud of the outcome and my first dive into advanced woodworking.

final costs (Based on home depot)

18′ of 1×4 Wood – $8

4′ of 2×2 Wood – $2

Wood Screws (38) – $8.50

Tools – Provided

15 Hours of Labor ($13 an hour) – $195

Total: $213.5