The Process

Yesterday, Amanda and I set out to build a wooden box. Luckily, the amazing TAs had precut our wood for us, making our first step assembly.

After gathering our equipment, comprising a corner clamp, 2 table clamps, a power drill, 1/8″ drill bit (for pilot hole), 3/8″ drill bit (for countersink), and a Philips head driver in addition to our lumbar, we began with assembling 3 rectangular frames which would make up the four sides of the box. To start, we butted one 14.5″ piece of lumbar up to the 12″ piece and secured this angle with a corner clamp.  The unit was then secured to the table using 2 table clamps, and two pilot holes were drilled followed by a shallow countersink hole. Two wood screws were then placed using the Philips head driver, securing the two pieces of wood.

We repeated this 6 more times, then secured two units together to make a complete rectangle. By the end of this stage, we had 3 rectangles of equal size that would make up the sides of the box!

We took these pieces to the router to create smooth, curved edges. For the corners, we found that running the edge from two different angles (i.e. box laying flat then with the box standing up) on the router created the best and most finished look.

The next step was to create the floor of the box. We did this by laying three wooden planks (again, pre-cut which fit PERFECTLY) in the middle of a frame. We secured these planks to the frame using the same method of pilot hole, countersink, and wooden screws, using one screw on each end of the plank (6 in total). Since it was such a snug fit, we opted to only using screws on the short ends, as there was no room for rotation and we wanted the long ends to be screwless, if possible!

Next, we begin building our box vertically. We added four 2×2 vertical supports in the corners of the bottom frame, attaching them with wood screws using the same countersinking process. Some of these pieces had slight curves to them and drifted away from the frame, so we used small table clamps to bring these back flesh to the frame. Following this, we lowered on top our second frame and used spare 1×4 lumbar to help create space between this frame and the one at the bottom. Below is a picture taken from the Homework Assignment document that represents this set up (we were so in the zone that we forgot to image this part of the process). 

We secured the frame by drilling wood screws through the frame and towards the vertical supports from two different sides via the same countersinking method that was previously described. After securing the second frame, we removed the spacer wood and added the third frame above the second. When we attempted to use the same spacers, we saw that the top of the vertical supports was on a different level than the superior edge of the top frame. Therefore, we disregarded the spacer wood and manually aligned the top of the vertical supports with the top edge of the top frame, held together with table clamps at each corner. We secured this frame in place using wood screws and the same countersinking process, and voila!, the assembly stage was complete!

For the post-processing stage, we began with sanding the entire structure with an orbital sander. First, we used a 60 grit sander to all the surfaces, repeated 4 more times with 120, 180, 220, and 300 grit sandpaper, in that order.

For the really rough and splintering areas near some of the screws and edges, we hand-sanded with a piece of 120-grit sandpaper for better control. One edge of a vertical support began splitting, so we used wood glue to keep the piece together and prevent further splitting. After sanding down all the areas and removing some of the roughness and unlevel aspects of the box, we vacuumed up our workspace and excitedly went outside to start scoping out the available paints and stains…

Before we could commit to a paint/stain, we had to do a test run with the available options. We both agreed we were looking for a more natural brown, and selected a beautiful waterproofing stain and sealer combo that offered “all-weather protection”!

After reading the instructions, we were surprised to learn that we did not need to wipe off the stain. Therefore, Amanda and I decided to tag-team the painting stage and attack from two different ends. We applied a thin coat of stain to the entire box, including the bottom, and though it dried surprisingly quick, we left it on the drying rack overnight.

Before leaving, we cleaned up our assembly and painting workspaces, returning the paint to its shelf and discarding our brushes and mixing stick.

We returned in the morning to find our beautiful box waiting for us. Here she is in all of her glory…

Reflection

This was my first time woodworking, and I certainly learned a lot throughout this process. Below are some things I learned as well as points of improvement I will look to make in the future…

• Go slower and apply less pressure with the larger bit used to countersink. I found that when I started at higher speeds, the wood would splinter more easily.
• The wood was more warped than I thought, which impacted the joints more than I thought. Next time, I would like to run all the wood pieces through the planer prior to assembly.

Cost Estimate

Materials

• Lumbar: estimated $20 (Home Depot)
  • 9 pieces of 14.5” x 1” x 4” lumber
  • 6 pieces of 12” x 1” x 4” lumber
  • 4 pieces of 10” x 2” x 2” lumber
• 54 6 x 1-1/4-in screws: estimate $4.59 (Amazon for $8.49 for 100 pcs)
• 5 pcs of sandpaper: $3.37 (Home Depot for $40.38 for 60 pack)
• 1 pint of BEHR Premium Solid Color Waterproofing Stain & Sealer: $6.12 (Home Depot for $48.98/gal)

Time/Labor

• 5 hours at $15/hour x 2 workers: $150

Overhead

• Individual monthly membership to a makerspace with a woodshop is $40/month

Total: $224.08

If we were to do this again, the quality will increase and time required will decrease, ultimately lowering production costs!