Our Wooden Crate!

• Lindsay Levy

We are so back

This time, our project was to use 1×4 in. and 2×2 in. lumber to create a 16x12x12 in. crate to store future class materials in! And for this one, I partnered with Lily to make it!

Step 1) We decided to cut our own wood, so we first collected the long pieces of lumber and marked where we would be cutting them. We needed 9 pieces of 14.5″ and 6 pieces of 12″ 1×4 in. lumber and 4 pieces of 11″ 2×2 in. lumber. After making initial marks, we used the Miter Saw to cut them! However, halfway through using it, we got signed out since there was a reservation, so we used the table saw for the last few bits! And for future reference, due to our lack of practice with the saws, some of our pieces came out shorter than expected.

Step 2) Next we used 2 pieces of the 12″ and 2 pieces of the 14.5″ lumber to create the bottom rectangle of the crate. This was done by using corner clamps to ensure we screwed them together at their corners and that they were square. To drill them together, we drilled a pilot hole with a 1/8th in. drill bit, then used a larger drill bit to create a countersink, then screwed in the screws. And did this twice for each corner. By doing this, we were able to screw them in straight and sunken into the wood for a more polished look.

Step 3) Next, we used the table router to round the edges of the currently unused pieces of lumber. We only wanted the outside facing edges to be rounded and keep the inside edges more square. After getting through the loose pieces, we attempted to route our assembled rectangle with the table router, but due to the inconsistencies in our cutting, the sides were not flush and the edges were not able to sit flush against the table router. But we still wanted to round the corners, so we got the hand router and went over the outside edges.

Step 4) With everything rounded, we continued putting together the crate. We grabbed 3 pieces of 14.5″ lumber and placed them inside the rectangle and using the pilot, countersink, screw method, we put 2 screws on each side of each plank to ensure they wouldn’t move.

Step 5) Now we construct the rest of the crate. To allow us to build upwards, we used the 4 pieces of 11″ lumber and screwed them vertically in the corners of the rectangle. We were supposed to construct 2 more of the rectangles, however since the remaining loose pieces of lumber were shorter than expected, we knew we wouldn’t be able to slide them over the 4 vertical pieces… So instead, we constructed 4 “corners” which were just a 12″ and 14.5″ plank screwed together to create a corner.

Step 6) Then using scrap wood as a spacer to ensure a consistent gap, we screwed the corners to the vertical pieces, then screwed the corners together. When placing one of the corners, we noticed that there was one piece that stuck out a significant amount and we used the miter saw to cut off a small chunk. Now it is perfectly flush on that corner! Since wood is a mostly inflexible material, we did have some gaps between the pieces of wood.  One of the larger gaps, we used the small chunk of wood we previously cut off and slid it in the gap to fill it! Then we screwed all the pieces together. And the crate is put together!

Step 6) While looking over our work, we noticed again some small chunks missing from when we made the countersink, and another semi-large gap between planks. So we mixed up some wood filler using sawdust and wood glue. And we placed them in those gaps!

Step 7) Now that the crate is together, we have to beautify it. We did this by using the orbital sander to sand the outside sides of the crate using a 100 grit then a P180 grit. Then we hand sanded the corners and the interior sides using a P60, P120, P180, and P220 grit. So that the wood looks good, is smooth, and so that it is prepped to stain!

Step 8) After sanding and dusting the sawdust off, we stained the crate! We decided to go with a red mahogany stain. To make sure the table stays clean, we placed the crate on cardboard. One of us placed the stain on the crate while the other wiped it off almost immediately as per the instructions. And we stained the entire crate, inside and out. After, I placed it on the outside drying rack for 8 hours to ensure the stain is fully dry.

Step 9) After letting the stain dry outside for 8 hours, per the instructions, we brought it inside to finish drying completely overnight. Now our crate is complete!!

And of course, the OEDK is a shared space and everyone should keep their space clean so that others are able to use it properly! So after every time we worked, we ensured we cleaned up our workspace.

And with that, our crate is complete! We definitely made some mistakes, but we took our mistakes and inconsistencies as a woodworking learning process! (And I say they they add more character to our crate) So now, I know how to better use the tools and how to avoid certain problems in the future!

Cost Analysis: (Due to the nature of the tools used like drills and saws, I will be omitting them from the analysis)

So the total cost for the Crate would be $238.87!!!

Thanks again to the OEDK and this class for providing all the tools and materials to allow me to create this project! So the only true cost of mine was my time.

 

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