Putting Our Crate Together
Our first step was to use the router to smooth out all the edges of the wood. Once this was done, we sanded each plank using 60, 120, and 240-grit sandpaper.
For fun, Josefina took two shorter pieces of wood and added handles using the jigsaw, and sanded down any rough edges (these would be used for the top frame of the crate).
Next, we used the corner clamping method, as taught in class, to create three frames (with two screws at each corner). We took measurements and used a pencil to mark where we would drill the holes so that all screws would be placed in the same location for all three frames.
- For screwing our pieces together, we used a small drill bit to provide space for the wood screw to go in without splitting the wood. We then used a larger drill bit to create a countersink, and finally, we drilled a wood screw into the planks to connect our pieces of wood. This technique was consistently applied each time we needed to screw pieces together to create a flush finish.
Once the frames were put together, we needed to connect three bottom planks to the first frame. To do this, we put three screws on each side of the crate that connected the frame to the bottom planks. After that, we clamped the supports down at each of the four corners, ensuring they were snug and could be screwed on the side with the shorter planks, with a single screw at each frame level. Once the first frame was connected to the supports at all four corners, we repeated the process for the second frame. To ensure equal spacing, we placed a spare piece of wood between the bottom and the next frame. The third frame went through the same procedure, and the crate was finally built.
There was quite a bit of mess after this long day of work so we made sure to clean up our work area with the vacuum and threw away any scraps. All pieces of equipment were put back in their correct locations.
Post-Processing and Finishing
Once our crate was assembled, it was time to make it look polished. We had chunks missing due to the countersinking drill, which pulled out some layers of the soft wood. Additionally, one of our frames was not level due to warped wood, so we had to recreate one of the frames, leaving visible holes. We filled these holes and imperfections with wood filler mixed with sawdust, which we sanded down after drying.
We decided to sand down the wood one final time with 240-grit sandpaper before applying wood wax. After sanding, we used compressed air to remove any wood dust particles. We tested the wood wax on one of our spare pieces of wood and, after reviewing the results, we agreed as a group that we really liked the look and feel, so we moved forward with applying the wood wax to our crate.
To apply the wood wax, we covered the entire crate with a cloth and let it sit for 20 minutes before buffing it out with another cloth. We decided to do a second coat, repeating the process and leaving it overnight to soak in thoroughly. After this step we made sure to clean up the area that we used on the loading dock.
When we returned the next day, we were really impressed with the look of our crate and decided it was finished.
This assignment taught me about the hard work and labor required with woodworking as well as the patience required with the more tedious parts of the assignment such as sanding and post processing, but overall it was a very rewarding experience.
Cost Estimate
| Cost Type | Cost | Price | Source | Quantity | Total |
| Materials | 1×4 Board | $2.98/8 ft | Lowes | 16.88 ft | $6.29 |
| Screws | $9.98/184 screws | Home Depot | 48 Screws | $2.60 | |
| Sand Paper | $19.59/100 sheets | Home Depot | 6 Sheets | $1.20 | |
| Labor | Woodworking Operator | $21.00/hr | Ziprecruiter | 0.75 hours | $15.75 |
| Prototyping Engineer (You!) | $20/hr | Personal Cost | 6 hours | $120.00 | |
| Overhead | Facility Cost (Machine Time) | $60/day | BPT Team | 6 hours | $45.00 |
| Quality Control | $32.00/hr | Ziprecruiter | 0.09 hrs | $2.88 | |
| Design | Engineering and Development | $47.00/hr | Ziprecruiter | 0.5 hrs | $23.50 |
| Iterations | $47.00/hr | Ziprecruiter | 0.5 hrs | $23.50 | |
| Misc. | Waste and Scrap | 20% | Paper | $2.02 |
Total Cost Not Considering labor and facility costs: $ 59.97
Total Considering Labor (6hrs for me): $ 224.97
Total Considering Labor (experienced woodworking operator 0.75hrs): $ 120.00
In reality, crates like this will be mass manufactured which will increase efficiency and lower cost, however our crate is high quality and required us to do things by hand which is why the cost is so high. Similar crates can be found between $15 and $35.
