Building a wooden crate was one of my most anticipated projects in this class. On my way to ENGI 120, I would often see a multitude of crates and admire their simplicity, creativity, and craftsmanship. I noticed that a simple wooden box — a seemingly straightforward project — seemed to be the backbone of storage in EDES 210.
Tomi was my wonderful partner for this project. Since we both had minimal experience with woodworking, we aimed to follow the assignment guidelines to a T. We planned out the deliverables and determined our workflow:
- Route and sand
- Cut handles and sand/route handles
- Assemble stages of the box
- Sand stages
- Stain stages
- Assemble the box
Routing and Sanding
By far, the most time-consuming aspect of making the box was finishing the wood, which began with routing and sanding each piece. We took turns sanding each piece through four different grits: 60, 120, 180, and 320. Afterward, we used a handheld fillet cutter to deeply filet two of the top edges of our uppermost pieces of wood. The rest of the wood was lightly filleted using the router.
Cutting Handles
We traced our handles on the top two 12” pieces of wood. Using a jigsaw, we cut out the handles by removing sections of the wood, then pushed each section out. We post-processed the handles with a sanding dremel.
Assembling the Stages of the Box
To maximize time and ensure our stain adhered properly, we built the three stages of our box first. Using corner clamps and several handmade jigs (fashioned from tape and commercial metal brackets), we planned and drilled the assembly holes.
Sanding the Stages
After assembling the stages, we sanded them down to eliminate any small imperfections at the joints.
Staining
Staining the wood was the messiest part of the project. We chose a very light stain, which meant that, while we didn’t have to worry about prominent blotches, we needed to apply many coats to achieve a noticeable color change. After several applications, we left the stained wood to dry overnight.
Final Assembly
The next day, we were ready to assemble the entire box. Using multiple clamps for stability and scrap pieces for even spacing, we first secured the bottom planks, followed by the second and third stages. We countersunk each screw hole and measured the spacing using brackets and painter’s tape jigs. At last, the box was finished!
Cost Analysis:
– Wood: ~$5 (Home Depot)
– Fasteners: ~$2.50 (Home Depot)
– Stain: ~$6.00 (Home Depot)
– Labor: 9 hours * $7.25 (Texas minimum wage) = $65.25
– Total cost: ~$78.75
Final Workspace:
