# Crate It You work so hard to produce a lovely work of stone art and now you get to transport it to shows, galleries, benefactors, and clients. As likely as not, you'll be showing a piece in multiple places before a sale so you want to do more than throw it in a leftover cardboard box with some old bath towels. You want something that will keep your art safe during transit and be easy to move, and maybe also be a safe place to store it between shows. I don't know about you but I've pretty much run out of space in the house to display my own work. So you need a durable crate of some kind, but what? There are all sorts of really expensive and infinitely configurable off-the-shelf options, but I think that's a waste of money. Commercial milk crates are sturdy, stackable, and come with integrated handles, but they're only one size and I still worry about the milk-crate police coming to take them back. The other option is to *build your own* crates to cart your stuff around, and many of them are works of art themselves (shout out to Max Crothers and Ed Salerno). Here is one option for building a crate that relies on tools and skills you probably already have. This is about the size of a milk crate, can be handled by **one person** assuming the sculpture inside isn't too heavy, or by two people with larger handles attached. It's built with ⅜" plywood "craft panel" and commodity hardware, using tools you most likely have. They're sturdy enough to stack 4-5 high if you get that many. I'll cover a few options in the notes. ## Lightweight Crate *Materials list for 12x12x18", you can scale up or down as needed.* **Tools and Supplies** - Saw to cut the wood, in order of preference: table saw, track saw, circular saw, handsaw - Screwdriver, pref. power-drill (optional: riveter and drill) - Wood glue (Elmer's, Titebond) - Clamps that can reach the middle crate dimension (12-¾") - 2-8 corner clamps - 8 corner braces, 4 L-braces (inside or outside) *or* quarter-round molding **Exterior shell** - ⅜" CDX plywood 2'x4' - two - 2" hinges or a 12"-18" piano hinge - two - med duckbill hasps (about 1-½ x 2-¾) - two - 3" or 3-½" pull handle or toolbox handle **Interior** - Foam padding, expanding foam bags - Scrap wood for internal bracing if needed ### Layout I don't have a table saw, so I do things that make it more likely that I'll get an even and straight cut. You can make the cuts as you see fit, but I like to cut the longest dimension first, then stack the pieces to make the other cuts so that they're exactly the same. - Start with the 2'×4' (24"×48") sheet of ⅜" plywood - Cut in half lengthwise, making two 12" x 48" panels - Stack them and cut an 18" section for the top/bottom - Cut another 18" section for the front/back - Cut a ¾" strip off the remaining bit to end up with two 12"x11-¼" sides That extra cutoff is to fit the width of the plywood when you're laying up the box. <svg width="480" height="240" viewBox="0 0 480 240"> <rect x="0" y="0" width="480" height="240" fill="#deb887" stroke="#8B4513" stroke-width="2"/> <line x1="0" y1="120" x2="480" y2="120" stroke="#ff0000" stroke-width="3" stroke-dasharray="5,5"/> <text x="15" y="110" font-size="12" fill="#ff0000">CUT 1</text> <line x1="180" y1="0" x2="180" y2="240" stroke="#009900" stroke-width="3" stroke-dasharray="5,5"/> <text x="135" y="15" font-size="12" fill="#090">CUT 2</text> <line x1="360" y1="0" x2="360" y2="240" stroke="#009" stroke-width="3" stroke-dasharray="5,5"/> <text x="320" y="15" font-size="12" fill="#009">CUT 3</text> <line x1="472" y1="0" x2="472" y2="240" stroke="#009999" stroke-width="3" stroke-dasharray="5,5"/> <text x="435" y="15" font-size="12" fill="#099">CUT 4</text> <text x="50" y="60" font-size="12" fill="#333" font-weight="bold">TOP 12"×18"</text> <text x="40" y="180" font-size="12" fill="#333" font-weight="bold">BOTTOM 12"×18"</text> <text x="225" y="60" font-size="12" fill="#333" font-weight="bold">FRONT 12"×18"</text> <text x="230" y="180" font-size="12" fill="#333" font-weight="bold">BACK 12"×18"</text> <text x="370" y="60" font-size="12" fill="#333" font-weight="bold">L SIDE 12"×11¼"</text> <text x="370" y="180" font-size="12" fill="#333" font-weight="bold">R SIDE 12"×11¼"</text> </svg> At this point I stack and align the pieces to be sure they're as even as can be. As you assemble it, the box front/back covers the sides, and the top/bottom cover the sides/front/back. If you've made all the measurements right it'll line up. If you haven't (and I sometimes do) you may need to cut down one or more sets of the panels to square it up. <svg width="250" height="250" viewBox="10 10 250 250"> <text x="25" y="25" font-size="14" font-weight="bold">TOP VIEW - Apply glue & clamp</text> <rect x="50" y="70" width="10" height="120" fill="#c9a97a" stroke="#8B4513" stroke-width="2"/> <rect x="50" y="50" width="180" height="10" fill="#c9a97a" stroke="#8B4513" stroke-width="2"/> <rect x="220" y="70" width="10" height="120" fill="#c9a97a" stroke="#8B4513" stroke-width="2"/> <rect x="50" y="200" width="180" height="10" fill="#c9a97a" stroke="#8B4513" stroke-width="2"/> <circle cx="55" cy="65" r="4" fill="#ff6b6b"/> <circle cx="225" cy="195" r="4" fill="#ff6b6b"/> <circle cx="55" cy="195" r="4" fill="#ff6b6b"/> <circle cx="225" cy="65" r="4" fill="#ff6b6b"/> <text x="80" y="100" font-size="12">Glue the vertical</text> <text x="80" y="115" font-size="12">edges of the sides</text> <text x="80" y="130" font-size="12">and clamp with</text> <text x="80" y="145" font-size="12">corner clamps</text> <text x="80" y="160" font-size="11" fill="#ff6b6b">● glue</text> </svg> - Set up the two sides and the front/back on a flat surface. Apply glue on the vertical edges of the sides and clamp them with the corner clamps so that the font/back overlap the edge. Let that cure for 2+ hrs. - After it's set, remove the corner clamps and apply glue to the top and bottom edges of that box, then place it on the bottom side square and true, and then position the top side. - Clamp and let cure, usually overnight. You now have a very nice box, but no way to get in. So cut the box all around the font/side/back/side about 1-½" from the top. You now have a lid and box, and options... The glue alone won't be enough to hold it together, some kind of bracing is required. You can do internal, external, straps, quarter-round molding... anything to secure things together that don't rely on the glue. ### Screws vs. Rivets I prefer rivets over screws because they don’t leave pointy bits poking through the panels, but also have a professional finished appearance. Since you have access to the front/back on the panels, you would drill a hole (usually 1/8 to 3/16), then insert the rivet, put a backing washer on it, and pop/pull it. If you go with screws, be sure their points are either ground down or otherwise kept away from scratching your art. ### Corner and Edge Bracing You can do either internal brackets or external corner protectors: each one accomplishes the task of securing the three panels together, though inside brackets are more challenging in smaller boxes. Secure all eight corners Corners where only two sides come together around the lip of the lid can be secured with a corner strap or L-bracket. These can also be used on the long sides if you're concerned about the weight of your sculpture. A very simple and secure brace is quarter-round molding: just cut it slightly less than the inside dimension of the box plus 2x the molding size. You can screw or nail the sides into it, making things super strong even without glue. If you really have no clamps this is a good workaround instead of gluing up. ### Hinges and Latches With all corners and edges braced, set the lid back on the base, align it well, and attach the hinges and latches. I like piano hinges for their strength and simplicity, but I have used some nice "hold-open" hinges that allow the top to stop when opened just over 90°. I prefer duckbill hasps, especially the ones with a little notch on the base and tab on the loop: these ensure that the loop won't pop off under stress. ### Handles and Feets Don't forget the handles! You can attach the handles onto the sides. In some cases, you can put a single handle on the top, but know that's a lot of stress on your hasps if your sculpture is heavy. Choose a comfortable handle for the weight of the sculpture: go oversize when you can. I like to put feet on my boxes, this allows them to stack even if there's a top handle on the under-box. On larger boxes that you'll put on a hand truck, it makes scooping them up much easier. ## Summary I've used all these methods on different boxes. They're not exactly works of art, but they *carry* works of art safely. ### Links - 3 in corner clamps $3.49ea [HarborFreight](https://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-corner-clamp-63653.html) - 24 in clamp and saw guide $11.99 [HarborFreight](https://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-clamp-and-cut-edge-guide-66126.html) - 1" bugle head coarse thread drywall screws 1lb $6.97 [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Coarse-Thread-Drywall-Screw-Bugle/dp/B000M0DMEO/) - 4'x8' ⅜" CDX plywood $23.88 [Dunn Lumber](https://www.dunnlumber.com/cdx-3-8-inches-plywood-sheathing-4-feet-x-8-feet-net-11-32-inches-cdx38.html?queryID=57919ff20ae4ba8be13cb79bfc53d358&objectID=29449&indexName=prod_default_products) plus $2 - $5 for extra cuts - inside corner braces $3.19 [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZCQ23ZZ) - outside corner protectors $9.22 [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZCQ23ZZ)