how to assemble a small crate

[Brian Sommers]

I have all my parts cut. they are all 1/2" thick, that I think is part of my problem but it is the way my dad wanted it.

It has solid sides, then 1-1/2" wide slats will be glued and screwed top, back and bottom.

The problem I'm having is getting everything squared up, nothing wants to true up.

so... my thoughts are:

1. build a jig that I can set the pieces in or
2. wait until this arrives, I ordered this today: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,43293,31162&p=31162

I'm hoping #2 will work.

any other ideas/thoughts?

[Bill ThompsonNM]

I have all my parts cut. they are all 1/2" thick, that I think is part of my problem but it is the way my dad wanted it. It has solid sides, then 1-1/2" wide slats will be glued and screwed top, back and bottom. The problem I'm having is getting everything squared up, nothing wants to true up. so... my thoughts are: 1. build a jig that I can set the pieces in or 2. wait until this arrives, I ordered this today: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,43293,31162&p=31162 I'm hoping #2 will work. any other ideas/thoughts?

That clamp works well. I have a different brand but it's very helpful. Did you only order one? I use them for frames. For a crate you'll probably need 2. You can also make triangular squares out of plywood with a few large holes in them and use those to clamp up corners. If the corners are square the box will be square.

[Brian Sommers]

I have to say as a woodworking newbie, getting stuff perpendicular is really trying my willpower. I feel like giving up many times during the day, but everyday I get down in the shop and keep plugging away.

I only ordered one for now, i'm tight. This weekend I'll order at least another one.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Make sure that your wood is indeed straight and flat. No bends, no bows, etc. Place it on a flat surface and they should lay flat.

I don't know exactly how things are going together, but, if you can cut a square edge, you can create something to keep things square when you glue them up.

[glenn bradley]

I also use that clamp and another one that may be a Woodriver(?). At any rate I use them as a pair on small boxes BUT, they will not make unsquare parts go together square . . . Down that road lies madness ;-)

Something else I do with small assemblies is to glue them up as sub-assemblies. A box might be glued up as two "L" shapes and then the "L" shapes get glued together as the bottom is added. Something to think about.

336429 . 336431

[johnny means]

Bone up on your Pythagorean. A tape measure or ruler will get you plenty square.

[Frederick Skelly]

I have the LV clamps you ordered Brian. They are a good product. You WILL need 2, as someone else noted.

Another thing I use a lot are corner clamps. Lowes has something similar to mine called "Irwin 3-in corner clamp" for $7 each. Amazon and other vendors sell something similar.

Good luck.
Fred

[Charles Lent]

The "crates" that I've built were all larger, like for tooling and they definitely are not furniture quality crates like Glenn Bradley posted, but they are very strong, dis-assemble easily with a screw gun or screwdriver, and can be reused. I never use glue, just regular power driven black screws of the appropriate size. On assembly, all are installed with my 18 v DeWalt impact screw driver

To me, a crate just has to survive shipping and it doesn't have to be perfectly square or pretty. I use 1/4" or thicker plywood depending on the size and weight of the item being shipped and 2 by stock (2 X 4, 2 X 6, etc.). The 2 by stock is cut to size so that a frame the size of each end of the crate can be made with butted joints. These pieces are attached by driving screws through the plywood and into this frame. Both crate ends are made the same. Then I make the two long sides the same way. Using long screws I then screw the two long sides and the ends together with the plywood side facing in. I then cut 2 pieces of plywood to use as the top and bottom that are large enough to completely cover the box including the 2 by stock. The bottom is screwed on, the item being crated is placed inside and scrap 2 by material is cut and fitted to keep the item held securely. These are screwed to the box sides and bottom wherever necessary to hold them in place. Foam padding is also applied where needed, usually attached with staples. The top is then screwed in place and labels applied for shipping. This makes a shipping crate that is strong enough to survive almost anything that a trucking company can do to it. The 2 by framing on the 4 sides also creates lifting points for easy lifting and carrying. For very large crates where the top and bottom need additional reinforcement I also apply the same exterior 2 by framing technique to them, sometimes even adding additional center cross bracing of 2 by material.

When building boxes to be used like furniture or that need to look real nice it becomes important to have square stock and good fitting joints. A good table saw and fence set up to make square cuts becomes very important. Ways of making tighter "invisible" corner joints becomes important too. Lock miter joints cut on a router table will produce very strong corner joints that are invisible, but your stock has to be cut square first.

I guess I need to know more about these "crates" that you are trying to build and your intended purpose for them.

Charley

[Brian Sommers]

They are going to be used for miniature portable book cases.
They will be 12" wide x 10" high and 8" deep all inside/open dimensions.

It is pine, the real nice select pine, I am blessed to live close to one of the best lumber yard/mills around, Keim Lumber in Charm OH - Google them. I had them plane/sand it for me then all I did was do the cross cutting by hand and the ripping of the slats with my TS.

I ordered some #4x1" screws. I was afraid that #6 would be to big and rough for the 1/2" pine.
This is for my dad, he doesn't expect perfection, however; he did give me a good chunk of money to help me get started and I figure If I can't get the corner 100% perpendicular to each other......I feel that is very basic.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Do you mean something like this:

336482336483

I am assuming not, since it seems like that would be pretty easy to fabricate a jig.

There was an article in one of the many magazines that I read (don't remember which, but I can try to find it if it matters) where a man built a bunch of boxes out of plywood I think. He then created a modular storage (shelves) system with it.

[Brian Sommers]

close, but the sides (the shorter length) are solid and then the slats will be 1-1/2" wide. top, bottom and back. I'll get picks soon.

[Davis Young]

I've done a bunch of crates for LPs except mine are solid all the way, no slats. I do runs of 12 and I've made 6 runs so far, all screwed, no glue. You don't have to worry too much about perpendicularity if you are screwing it in a piece at a time. The important thing is to have identical parts and have them flush. Pre drilling through holes in the slats is very helpful when attaching. Mark on the sides where the slats go or use a spacer for slat placement. Use a vise or hand screw to hold the sides vertical so you can position the slats on top. I managed to assemble each crate without clamps except when my parts were cupped and I had to persuade them to be flat as I screwed it together.

[Brian Sommers]

OK, here we go, some photos and a video. Something is really off.
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/cqirchlgxve9wh2/AABTWpw3F-WiDW-xlMj7c2fga

[Andrew Pitonyak]

OK, here we go, some photos and a video. Something is really off.
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/cqirchlgxve9wh2/AABTWpw3F-WiDW-xlMj7c2fga

First, the boxes look good

If I understand your dilemma...

You lay the crate on its side, and it does NOT lay flat so it rocks.



If you put a square against those corners at each slat, inside and out, does it show a perfect 90 degree angle? My first guess is that the answer is no.
Is the length of each slat exactly the same?
Is each board perfectly flat (well, wood working flat, it is never perfect according to a machinist).


IF each board is flat and not twisted or warped, then the problem likely has to do with perfect alignment on the sides. The question then becomes, how do you attach them perfectly.

If I had to do this, I would probably try something crazy like the image below. You have your solid sides (B in Red) and your slats (in yellow). Create some template sides (A in Blue) and (C in Green).

336850

With A and C in place, you clamp B in position so that they have 90 degree angles. Then, start with the slats on top. They are secured such that they are perpendicular to B. Next, flip it over and attach the slats from the other side.

The idea is that you are able to keep everything at 90 degrees while you work. The bottom is similar, but for that, you can simply place it face down and attach the bottom. You must make certain that the walls are kept at 90 when you do this as well.

[Brian Sommers]

yep they are not square, very close but no cigar.

2. no
3. yes, they were I had them planed/sanded at my lumber yard.

I'm going to make a small box next, more of a decorative box. I want to try my hand at box joints and then dovetails. solid wood all around.

I did all the xcutting by hand, I should have gone over then sanded/shot them flush
same with the slats, I really goofed those up. I should have cut them on the long side and come back through with my flex saw and trimmed them all up flush.

you almost need a custom jig like you have drawn made from a machinists to be the A and C

[Floyd Mah]

Consider getting a pin nailer. Pin nailers have many uses. Harbor Freight sells pin nailers and compressors (as low as $45). The 23 gauge pins are invisible for all practical purposes if you are building crates (vs. fine furniture). Using the pins will allow you to get the pieces together well enough to clamp up the final crate from subassemblies. Will also give you time to measure and even put in temporary braces (which you remove later) to stabilize your assembly. Think of the This Old House shows where they frame a wall and then put up a 2x4 to hold the new wall upright while they attach it to other walls.

[Al Launier]

I find these handy as well as band/strap clamps
http://www.rockler.com/clamp-it-assembly-square & http://www.rockler.com/deluxe-band-clamp & http://www.rockler.com/bessey-vas232k-variable-angle-strap-clamp.
You could check out Harbor Freight to find less costly alternatives.
Using sub-assemly approach as Glenn noted can keep you square & out of trouble.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

you almost need a custom jig like you have drawn made from a machinists to be the A and C

If you have a table saw or something to make some decent templates, you can sneak up on the measurements. If you can hold the boards in place, then the length of the slats is not critical.

If you want to wander out to Columbus, we can make a template and test assemble a few. I have a pin nailer we can use. Besides, two sets of hands makes most things easier...

What I am attempting to do with this is to provide a means of holding the board FLAT when you nail things together. I often see instructions to set things so that they become "flat"; for example, running the base or top of a box on sand paper so that it will sit flat. In your case, that won't work really well since you would need to flatten the entire side, but, perhaps you can cheat a little and apply another strip, one along each side edge. I am assuming that the intent is to lay these on their sides so that they lay flat. I am not convinced that it will work, but it might. My concern is that if you use that idea, then you cannot stack two of these on their sides (on top of each other) since then the strips used to provide an offset and then you only need to modify that so things lie flat, but if you stacked them then you probably need to stack those pieces on each other and that would not be stable.