How to Build a Box…
by Betsy Dahlstrom
Wear safety glasses, and gloves. Keep screws off ground!
Ingredients for each box: Three 8-ft (2-inch x12-inch) cedar boards (choose two that are the same length), one 4-ft (2-inch x4-inch) cedar board, two 4-ft (1-inch x 4-inch) cedar boards, sixteen 2 ½ -inch self-drilling deck screws, eight 1 5/8-inch self-drilling deck screws, power saw, power drill. Note: the actual dimensions of the boards are less than advertised.
See the raised beds at the Mirrormont Pea Patch to see the finished product.
STEP 1: For each box, cut one 8-ft 2×12 board in half. Measure from both ends then mark. Use the carpenter’s square to draw a cutting line across wood. (These will make one pair of about 4’ long boards.)
Either brace wood or have 2 helpers hold the ends level to prevent splits.
Keep these pairs together for Step 3!
STEP 2: Cut the 4-ft 2×4 into pieces the width of the boards, about 11 ½” (these will be used to brace the corners). Use a 2 x 12 as a guide to mark the 1st cutting line, then cut one piece to use to mark the cutting lines for the rest of the cuts.
As above, either brace wood (preferred FOR SAFETY) or have a brave helper hold while you saw. Keep fingers out of the way.
Tap ends of screws lightly with a hammer to prevent splitting of wood.
STEP 3: Attach 2×4’s to short boards that were cut in step one. (4+’ long)
Line up the short side of the 2×4 with the edge of the board on the wrong side of the board (rough side). Either brace or have a helper hold with positive pressure against the drive of the drill to prevent the wood separating. Center the two 2 ½-inch screws with the short side of the 2×4 and about 3 ½ inches from the edges of the board. If you are making more than one box, remember to keep each pair of short boards together.
STEP 4: Final assembly. Choose two long boards of the same length.
Take one of these and attach to one of the short boards with the 2×4’s attached. Line up ends so that the good side of the board is on the outside and lined up with the edge of the short board.
Place screws so that they are centered on the 2 x 4 and aligned about 1” from end of 2 x 4.
Check for square with the carpenter’s square. Use a helper to hold in square and push against the drive of the drill to prevent the wood separating, or brace.
Attach the other end of the long board to the other short board of the pair … By repeating the above steps in similar fashion.
Attach the other of the pair of long boards (good side out) in the same way as above.
FINISHED!
INSTALLATION:
Cut two 1×4s in half and trim one end of each to a point.
Put the box in the desired location. To keep it in place, and keep the long sides from bowing, pound two 1×4s into the dirt against each long side of the box at about the 1/3 and 2/3 points until the top of the 1×4 is level with the top of the 2×12. Screw each 1×4 to the box with two 1 5/8-inch screws.
Fill with Cedar Grove Vegetable Mix.