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Plywood Boxes - Photography Props

Wayne
Becoming a Leader

Plywood Boxes - Photography Props

Plywood Boxes 8.jpg

My son asked if I could make some varying sized boxes that he could use as props for photography, to sit things on or stage things to be photographed.
I bought a 2420 x 1200mm sheet of CD grade Non Structual 12mm Plywood and had it cut into 4 600 x 1200mm pieces at Bunnings so that I could bring them home in the car.
I drew a rough plan for three boxes in sizes of 600mm x 300mm x 300mm, 600mm x 300mm x 150mm and lastly 600mm x 300mm x 75mm.
Plywood Boxes 1.jpg
Using my table saw I cut the Tops and Bottoms, Side and End panels from the smaller sheets of Plywood.
I also found a couple 140mm x 19mm pine boards laying around that I cut up into 19mm x 19mm strips that I would use as framework for the boxes.
Plywood Boxes 6.jpg
I used an old single bed base slat and brad nailed a strip of 12mm plywood to the edge and used this as a jig/guide to position then glue and brad nail the framework pieces to the top and bottom box pieces.
Plywood Boxes 5.jpg
I used my CNC Router to carve some handle cutouts in the end pieces and used a 25mm Forstner Drill bit for finger holes in the smallest box.
Plywood Boxes 2.jpg
Then used a 1/4" roundover bit on the Router Table to smooth the handle cutouts.
Plywood Boxes 3.jpg

Plywood Boxes 4.jpg
Then it was simply a matter of assembling all the pieces with glue and brad nails.
Plywood Boxes 7.jpg
This would have been a lot nicer using Marine Grade Plywood but I couldn't justify the difference in cost. CD Grade plywood has 1 good face and 1 rough face but even the good face required lots of sanding to get a smooth finish. Once the boxes were assembled and left for a couple hours for the glue to dry I then rounded over all the corners and edges on the router table as well.
Plywood Boxes 9.jpgI sanded them fully starting with 80 Grit, then 120 Grit and finally 240 Grit using Random Orbital Disk Sanders then a 1/3 sheet finish orbital sander.
I will fill the nail holes with putty then give one final sanding so they are ready for painting. I think he will paint them in a Matt Black or Chalk Board Paint.

Wood Working with Wayne
Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Plywood Boxes - Photography Props

Great to see you back on the tools and getting stuck into projects @Wayne. Many thanks for sharing. I'm sure your son is rapt in your handiwork.

 

Jason

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