24
Jul
2014
Building a custom transport box is nothing more than designing a simple wooden crate. We also make a cover that slips over the top from regular corrugated board. Gather a few pine boards and a sheet or two of 1/4″ plywood, some hardware and you are ready to start building. I like to use an air brad nailer and a cutoff saw, but you can get by with a few hand tools. I rip 1″x10″ lumber into 2″ runners and this requires a table saw. You could buy pine in 1″x2″ and skip this step if you don’t have a table saw. The side panels are made by cutting 1/4″ plywood to the desired size and then edging it by nailing and glueing 2″ runners on all four sides. These panels are then assembled into the box using more glue, brads and deck screws. The bottom of each crate is reinforced with wooden cleats and also have wooden skids with tapered ends. Take a look at the photos to get an idea of how our crates are built.
Once the box is assembled, I will go over the outside with a belt sander to smooth things out. Next I like to use a router with a 1/4″ round-over bit to round all edges. A little hand sanding and any chance of splinters is pretty much eliminated.