First, a moment of silence in remembrance of 9/11
. . .
Objective: To create a wooden crate using common woodshop tools, solid lumber planks, and post-processing products.
Resources (all lumber planks were pre-cut):
- 9 x 14.5” long pieces of 1×4 lumber
- 6 x 12” long pieces of 1×4 lumber
- 4 x 10-11” long pieces of 2×2 lumber
Tools Used:
- Belt Sander: Initial sanding for all lumber planks, whittling down the middle base plank (bottom of crate) to fit in the frame (did not have access to a planar during the day of construction)
- Random Orbital Sander: Used 60, 100, 180, and 200 grit sand paper to smoothen the entire crate, Smoothed out the base edges to make corners flushed
- Router: Created edge patterns for each frame of the crate
- Hand Drill, 1/8″ and 5/16″ drill bits, 2″ screws, hexagonal screw bit: Used to assemble the crate by creating pilot holes (1/8″ bit), then countersink holes (5/16″ bit), then fastening the frames, base, and side pillars (using 2″ nails)
- Ruler, Pencil: Used to measure and mark the locations of the screws
- Classic Black Wood Stain: Stained the wood to change crate’s color (to black) and protect the wood from dust and water
Operation Costs:
- 8 hours of labor
- 978 in^3 volume of lumber
- 1/6th of a can of Classic Black Wood Stain
- 1 hour of washing Black Wood Stain off of hands and arms
- Cumulative 45 minutes of cleaning wood dust after project work days
- Many, many mosquito bites
Operation Rewards:
- One functional, 16″ x 12″ x 12″ black crate
- Experience in assembling and post-processing wood
- Proficiency in using power tools such as sanders and hand drills
Reconnaissance:
Results of OPERATION C.R.A.T.E.
Inside view of OPERATION C.R.A.T.E.
View of crate corner, fastened and flushed
