Box From Wood Shims Ver 3
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- Version 3 of making a box from wood shims. It is similar to the 2 previous versions but a slightly different construction.
- Version 1 can be found here: Version 1
- Version 2 can be found here: Version 2
Parts list:
- 6 inch wood shims; about 5 packs of 12 shims each
- Wood glue to repair splits
- #6 x 5/8 inch Spax screws (started with cam heads but finished with flat heads)
- DeWalt #1 square bit
- Husky ratcheting screwdriver
- Pencil to mark where to put screws
- All parts were purchased from Home Depot
Screw in 1st Crosspiece
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- Take 2 shims and hold them together to create one piece; do this again for a 2nd piece
- Match the thin side of one shim to the thick side of the other shim to create a uniform piece.
- Screw the 2 pieces together; this is the first crosspiece
Flip Over to Put 2nd Screw
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- Flip the 2 pieces over and put the 2nd screw in; make sure it is offset from the 1st one so that they don't collide.
- If any of the shims crack, fill in the cracks with wood glue.
Add 2nd Crossbeam to Bottom
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- Add 2nd crossbeam to bottom of box; be sure to put a screw in from the bottom and a screw on the top, once again offset so that they don't collide.
- Repeat process until the bottom is complete.
Screw in 3rd and 4th Crossbeams
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- Screw in 3rd and 4th crossbeams connecting the 1st 2 crossbeams at the corners.
- In this case, one screw was used to hold them down, but you can use 2 for extra strength.
- If any cracks develop, use wood glue to fill them in.
- Continue to screw down additional crossbeams that connect opposite corners build up the sides of the box.
Build Up Sides
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- As you add crossbeams connecting opposite corners, the sides of the box will continue to build up.
- About halfway through, I switched to flathead Spax screws from the camhead screws. Both seemed to work ok.
Build Sides As High As You Would Like
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- Build the sides of the box as high as you like.
- In this case, I used 1 pack of shims for the bottom, and 4 packs for the sides.
- Painting it will help to make it look more seamless and neat.