For our second project in ENGI 210, my partner Tyra and I were tasked with building a crate using woodworking skills. While I’ve used a band saw in the past to cut wood panels for paintings, I have never constructed something this ambitious. My experience in construction is limited.

We decided to challenge ourselves by cutting our own wood and not using the pre-cut pieces. In the woodshop, I measured and divided the 1×4 planks into 12″ and 14.5″ sections. While I marked an additional 1/16th inch gap to account for the blade width of the miter/chop saw, there was still a slight variance after I cut the wood. Learning from my process, I measured the next sections as I cut, using each previous section as a reference. This ensured that all my pieces were exactly the same length. Lastly, I cut four 10″ sections of the 2×2 wood. I vacuumed and swept the woodshop to leave it clean for the next students.

My partner Tyra sanded, routed, and oiled the planks I cut to prepare them for assembly. She also cut handles into two of the 12″ 1×4 sections. For each connection, we drilled pilot holes, redrilled each hole using a countersink bit, and finally screwed the sections together.

I had difficulty boring identically sized holes with the countersink, which resulted in the screws being different depths within the wood. We attempted to fill the holes left by the deeper screws using wood glue, which did not turn out as clean as I had hoped. Additionally, since we opted to oil our wood instead of painting over it completely, the residue left by the wood glue was visible I’ve learned that it is better to plan and devote undivided attention to every step in the process, since mistakes are harder to fix after their made. If I were to repeat this project, I would meticulously prep the holes for the screws so that they would be even and flush with the surface, creating a uniform look.

After completing the assembly of our crate, I painted accents near the handles in gold. I was inspired by iris flowers and art nouveau tattoo styles! Placing our crate on the ENGI 210 table to be evaluated, I found myself noticing all the small things I wish I’d done better. But stepping back, I realized that this class is about the process. It’s not a perfect crate, but it’s my first time building one! Nothing is perfect on a first attempt. What matters is that I’m walking away with new skills and a great friend (love you Tyra!).

Cost Breakdown:

Raw materials (using prices from Home Depot as a reference):

202.5” 1×4 pine plank = $18.25

40” 2×2 pine plank = $1.24

56 wood screws = $5.13

oil finish = $15.00

Labor:

6 hours each at $12 an hour = $144

Total = $183.62

*Note that this total does not include the resources of the OEDK space, which we were free to use and explore. If we needed to pay for a membership at a makerspace, such as TXRX Labs, it would add an additional $50 to our total. If we were to buy every machine used just to make the crate, this would be the most expensive wood crate on the market.

Proof of a clean workspace: