instructables
Ultimate Wooden Crate
by ctstarkdesigns
How do you organize and carry a number of items
and then use the same carrier to display those items?
Paper bags can work, but can be pretty weak and
definitely aren't show-worthy. Cardboard boxes work
well enough, until they get wet or you overload them
and once again, not much for the eyes. Milk crates
are great if you happen to have a slew of them to use,
but they are relatively small and not the most
attractive thing. You could also go to your local craft
store and order some nice wooden crates with 3/8"
thick slats and 3/4" wooden sides with handles.
These work well overall and look nice but over time
the thin slats will break, come detached, or loose.
So what do we do? That's easy enough, build the
ultimate wooden crate! These beasts are used by my
wife to carry all of her goods to the markets she
attends. Mostly she uses them for her breads, which
are loaded up in her bakery and then stacked in the
truck. The depth of the crates was purposefully
designed to fit the breads in them vertically so that
there would be enough room between the top of crate
and the end of the loaf of bread to stack another crate
directly on top. The crates are designed so that, when
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empty, they can be stacked with a third crate
sandwiched between them to help conserve space.
They are made entirely of 3/4" eastern white pine
bought at a local mill (to make five of them cost only
$50). They are simply glued and nailed together and
are truly indestructible. The crates are also used to
carry both pottery and woodworking to the markets
and have easily been loaded with fifty pounds of
material with no problem (I am certain you could
double that no problem... but then again, what are
you bringing to a market that is that heavy?).
They are easy to build and are a great project for the
beginning woodworker... that's why I wanted to post it
here to instructables. I had my youngest brother
helping me out in the shop because he expressed
some interest in using woodworking machinery and
this project includes the use of router, bandsaw, miter
saw, table saw, air compressor, nail gun, orbital
sander, and measuring tools such as squares, tape
measures, and rulers. A perfect project for the
budding woodworker!
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1. The breads were stacked in here before going to the market and then
the crates were just flipped on the side for the display.

1 1 2

1. Thin slats have a tendency to break, fall off, or become loose with a few 1. All constructed of 3-1/2" x 3/4" eastern white pine
years of use. 2. 1/4" plywood bottom
2. The bottom of these crates are made of the same slats that the sides
are made from. This works but does allow goods to slip down through the
cracks and get damaged.

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1. 2 Cubic Feet of internal space! 1. They all stack together. One will stack inside another as shown here.

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Step 1: Tools and Materials

Components of the crate: 2" brad or finish nails

(6) 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 24" eastern white pine - these are
the side slats
(6) 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 14" eastern white pine - these are
the end slats
(4) 3/4" x 1-5/8" x 12" eastern white pine - these are
the support slats
*Note: I purchased 3-1/2" wide pine (1x4) but you
could use any other variant that you like
(1) 1/4" x 15" x 21" birch or pine plywood - the bottom
1" staples or 3/4" roofing nails
Tools needed (with alternatives in parenthesis):
Router with 1/4" quarter round bit (you can use sand
paper to round the sides and corners too)
Chop saw or miter saw (you can also use a miter box
and back saw)
Table saw (you can use a handsaw and a steady
hand or a jigsaw, bandsaw, or alternatively a circular
saw)

Hardware and other materials: Bandsaw (you can use a jig saw or coping saw)

Wood glue Air compressor and brad/finish nailer and stapler (you
can use just a plain old hammer and nail too)
1-1/4" brad or finish nails

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1. Standard grade eastern white pine used to build the crate.

Step 2: Bulk Routing of the Side and End Slats

The easiest way to route everything is by routing the
full length of the 8' pine boards on all four corners.
This let's you knock out a lot of the work really quickly
(and safely of course). I used a router table that I built
into my table saw with a 1/4" rounding bit. You could
use a router without the table or alternatively some
sandpaper to round over the edges. The purpose of
rounding over the edges is to protect the wood from
splintering and damage during use. It also gives the
entire crate a pleasant appearance.

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Step 3: Chop Them to Size

We used a sliding compound miter saw to cut all of the slats to dimension. We also made five new crates during
this session... that is why there are so many pieces in the picture. If you are making one crate you will need to cut
your six slats at 24" long and the other six end slats at 14" long.

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1. End slats
2. Side slats

Step 4: Support Slats

We used a table saw to rip the support slats that go along the corners of the end and side slats. We ripped the
support slats from the 3-1/2" stock creating two 1-5/8" wide strips at 12" long. You will need four of these pieces for
each crate you build. Once again route the sides of these pieces using the rounding bit.

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1. These are the 3-1/2" slats ripped down the center
Step 5: Routing the End Grain
Pine is a beautiful wood to work with since it is so
forgiving, this makes it a great wood for beginners to
work with. Routing the end grain of pine, just as any
wood, can be tricky since it has a tendency to
splinter. Pine definitely splinters less but it is still
important to back up the board to prevent tear out and
to keep your fingers safe. We used a scrap piece of
plywood with a piece of 3/4" pine screwed to it as our
1
1. Support slats
backer, pushing the slats slowly and carefully across
the spinning router bit. This backer board will double
as a gauge later down the road.
Rout all the ends of your boards and stack them up in
a nice neat pile... it just makes you smile.
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1

1. To safely route the end grain of all the pieces use a backer board with handle. 1. All pieces for five crates are now cut and ready to
go!

Step 6: Cut Out the Handle Arches in Your End Slats

You will need two end slats to have a handle arch cut
out of them for each crate you make. I made a quick
template using the bandsaw since I make a lot of
these crates. I used a large compass to make the
arch on the template and then cut it out on the
bandsaw. I then traced the arch on to one end slat.
Due to my bandsaws capacity I can easily cut a
bunch of handles out at once. This is easily done by
taping together however many pieces you want to cut
at once using painter's tape. We used a oscillating
spindle sander to sand the arches but you could do
so just as easily with a sheet of 150 grit sand paper in
your hand. Finally, we rounded over the edges of the
arch using the router bit.

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1. Template cut from 1/4" hardboard. We find this shape to be the most 1. Mark the arch onto one end slat
comfortable to use as a handle.

1. We taped together five end slats at a time to speed up the process. 1. Cut out on the bandsaw.

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1. Using the oscillating spindle sander definitely gives them a uniform finish, but it is not 1. Routed edges.
necessary, you can use just sandpaper.

Step 7: Build the End Pieces to the Crate First

To keep the spacing uniform between the slats we used scrap 3/4" pine pieces as shown in the pictures. We
clamped down a straight piece of plywood to butt the ends of the slats up to so that everything is nice and lined up.
Put some glue down on the end slats where the support slats will go and then use 1-1/4" brad or finish nails to hold
it all together.

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1. Straight edge to keep everything lined up.

2. 3/4" spacers

1. Supports glued and nailed to end slats

2. Make sure you have your arched end slat in the right place

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Step 8: Attach Side Slats to Your End Slat Assembly
This part is only a bit cumbersome but really isn't too
difficult if you take your time. Make sure you keep
everything oriented correctly with your support slats
facing outward and that you use a flat surface for this
part of the assembly. You will use two end slat
assemblies to hold up your side slats. Apply glue to
both the end grain of your end slats and along the
support piece (see picture one). With your other end
slat assembly standing up place a side slat (24" long)
on the end of your end slat assembly getting
everything lined up neatly. Check it for square and
then use a nail gun or hammer and nail to put a 2"
finish nail or brad nail through the side slat and into
the end slat assembly. Apply glue to the other end
slat assembly and do the same thing once again
making sure that the side slat is square to the end
slat assembly. Once you are certain everything is
squared up use three more nails at each end (two into
1. Glue on the end slat assembly. 1. Spacer in place to make sure boards are spaced out correctly
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the end grain of the side slat assembly and two into
the support piece).
We then used that same backer board with the 3/4"
pine handle as our gauge to make sure the boards
were the proper spacing from each other (see the
second picture). Place your next side slat and follow
the same steps above (you probably won't need to
use the square at this point but it doesn't hurt to
check for square.
Once you are done with that side, flip the entire thing
over and attach the other side's slats. Check the
assembly for square and adjust as necessary before
nailing the slats into place. All we need now is a
bottom!
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1. Check for square frequently to keep everything in

order.

1. One side is fully assembled. 1. All sides are now assembled

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Step 9: Make Your Bottom

The final step here is to create your bottom for the And that's it. These crates take a very short period of
crate. Although 1/4" plywood seems pretty thin and time to manufacture. In fact with the two of us working
floppy it is extremely rigid and strong when adhered all five only took about 2 hours from lumber to
to the bottom of a box. We used both glue and 1" finished product. You can, of course, paint them, stain
staples to adhere the plywood bottom to the crate. them, wood burn them, etc... to your liking. They are
extraordinarily robust and you can even sit on them
Using the table saw cut your bottom so that it fits the with no problems at all. Simplicity, utility, appearance,
bottom of your crate leaving at least 1/8" around the and overall ease of assembly... I think these things hit
edge at each side. Sand the plywood and make sure the mark and I hope you try your hand at making
the edges are not going to splinter at all on you. Apply them. Please do not hesitate at all to ask any
a bead of glue around the entire edge of the bottom of questions and happy building!
the crate and place your plywood bottom on top. Use
1" staples or alternatively 3/4" roofing nails to adhere
the bottom to the crate spaced out at about every 4".

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1. Cut your plywood using a table saw, bandsaw, circular saw, jigsaw, or 1. Sand the base so it doesn't splinter later on down the road.
whatever else you have available.

1. After applying the bead of glue put nails or staples every 4"

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1. Done!

Great design :D

Thanks so much! Happy you like it.

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