Logo_SMW

O. S. Cutting Board: Packaging

All thumbnail pictures can be enlarged by clicking them.

Today we will complete this project by packaging the cutting boards we've made so they are ready for shipment.  In many cases we can use ready-made cardboard cartons to ship our projects, but in cases like these boards suitable boxes are not on hand so we make our own.

SuppliesWe start by gathering the things we'll need: large sheets of corrugated cardboard (a large box flattened out) scraps of crate board, a utility knife with a new blade installed, a straight edge, pencil, spray contact cement, and packaging tape.

Cutting outI use the cutting board itself to lay out the shape of the box, allowing room for the strips of crate board that will form the edges of the box, I cut the corrugated with a sharp utility knife.

Note that paper and cardboard dull knife blades quickly because of the resins used in making them.  A dull blade is difficult to steer along a line, tears the paper and because it requires more force to make the cut, actually increases the likelihood that you will cut yourself.

Instead of making a box entirely of the thin corrugated cardboard commonly used in cardboard boxes, I'll be making a "sandwich" box.  The center of this sandwich is made of strips of crate board, this offers much more cushioning around the edges of the board than a standard box would.  To accommodate the 7/8" thickness of these boards I'll need to build up the sides by gluing two layers of the 1/2" thick crate board together.  This will leave about 1/8" extra inside for cushioning around the board.

Apply cementTo hold all this together I use a spary on contact cement.  We commonly use this stuff to assemble our shipping crates; it has plenty of strength if applied properly.  As with most contact cements, a coating of the glue is applied to both surfaces, allowed to dry then when the surfaces come together they form a permanent bond.

First layerI use a cheap blade on the table saw to cut the cardboard crate board strips.  I keep a couple of 'disposable' blades on hand for cutting crate board and Styrofoam because they will ruin a blade quickly and I don't want to use up our expensive wood cutting blades for this.

After applying the cement I start to lay them into place along the perimeter of the box.  Once they are all in I go back and trim off the overhanging pieces with a utility knife and apply contact cement to the top of the first layer.

Locking cornersAs I lay in the second layer I pay particular attention to staggering joints and locking the corners.  If you've ever played with a set of Lincoln Logs, you know exactly what I'm talking about, for the rest of you, this is a means of reinforcing joints, especially corners, where I alternate the way things line up so that a "crack" in the joint does not extend all the way through both layers.  If a piece ended up sticking out the front on one layer, the other will stick out to the side.

TemplateI try to always return the template the client sent me.  Not that they need it for anything, but so they can see that I did make the board to their specifications.  If the board does not fit the sink, they will generally find that they made an error in the template.  The worst case of this I've seen was the guy who wanted an old and dilapidated board re-made.  But to get the shape of the board he flipped it upside down on some cardboard, traced around it and then labeled that side as "Top", so when the board was made it turned out to be a mirror image of what he wanted.

Lined w/bubblesNext I line the newly made carton with bubble wrap.  Normally we use paper shred or cornstarch peanuts as filler in our boxes because these are Earth friendly.  Bubble wrap made of plastic and foam packing sheets are not biodegradable so we avoid using them whenever possible.

Board in boxFinally I lay the board into its box, lay in some cushioning on top and and begin securing the box top in place with packaging tape.

Completed cartonWhen it's all done I write some brief instructions for opening the thing along the edges and set it out on the dock for Willis to retrieve this afternoon.  Opening the carton is simple if you just slit the tape to free the top piece of cardboard.  Anyone who doesn't realize this could damage the board in trying to cut the box open, so I include these instructions on the box.

And that ends this project.  Thank you for following along with us, I hope you enjoyed this project.


Prev Project Home