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Cut-list for apple boxes – both for 5’x5′ sheet goods & 4’x8′ sheet goods
Steve Oakley – June 30, 2015
having made apple boxes in 1/2 ply, screws are crazy. they will split or just be way too critical in placement. use either brad nailer or narrow crown staples + glue when building. Vastly faster, better results.
Nick – July 7, 2015
screws can take some practice, but if pre-drilled and marked out properly you can use them – crown staples & glue are faster for sure
john – February 28, 2016
since the advent of the cordless drill everybody is a carpenter forgetting about the basics as, pilot hole or clearance hole
Nick – February 28, 2016
not really sure what you mean but when I make these I like the fastener free look – when use screws, I make a pilot hole
Ian j – February 29, 2016
Thank you for this Nick, much appreciated and the cutting list is a great time saver.
Nick – February 29, 2016
no problem – glad you found it useful!
Daniel – March 14, 2016
Your plans are incredibly helpful. I was told by a woodworker at a specialty store that biscuits aren’t structural. What’s your experience with box failure from biscuit joinery?
Nick – March 14, 2016
thanks – biscuits aren’t really structural – I use them more for alignment
Gee – September 5, 2016
Thanks Nick, buying Apple Boxes in Australia cost a fortune, so you’ve helped out three very grateful indy film makers down under.
Nick – September 5, 2016
So very cool to hear – glad the video helped you guys out!!!
geektinker – September 20, 2016
thanks for making this video and providing the plans. I’m planning to make a set for me and a set for my local Hackerspace in St. Louis, Arch Reactor.
Nick – September 20, 2016
awesome – let me know how the project goes!
Michael AAkin – October 12, 2016
Hi Nick. Thanks for the video and plans. What do you think the cost of materials should run? Also, how long should it take for a novice to make one set?
Nick – October 12, 2016
tool cost aside – baltic birch (what I used) should run around $45-55 or so – AC plywood, which is less expensive and commonly used for painted and unpainted boxes, should run $10-20 – for a beginner with limited tools, I’d just glue and nail it and omit the biscuits – that will hold just fine – you could add some screws if you pre-drill for them but they really aren’t needed – take your time building them, it’s not a race – might take 1-3 hours – any other questions let me know
martin – January 13, 2017
hi nick, thanks for the video and the plans for apple boxes – that’s really helpful. can i just clarify your response to daniel’s comment re: “biscuits aren’t really structural”. Are you suggesting that if people are going to be sitting on the boxes, then we should also be using screws/nails to help add structural integrity, or do you think the biscuits and glue alone should suffice ?
Nick – January 13, 2017
as I built them, they will be plenty stable for just about anything you would throw at it – if properly glued, glue alone would be fine to have people sitting or standing on them – biscuits aren’t really meant to add structural stability to joints – they do slightly, but nothing to where you would design a joint to be structural merely by adding biscuits – with the exception of maybe to act as a spline for a miter, but that’s not what we have here – keep in mind if you use cheap plywood that the laminations aren’t strong, you can have weak apple boxes as well – hope that helps clear things up
@nick – great, that’s really clear, and really helpful. thanks for getting back so quickly to my question.
no problem!
Virginia Dodson – May 12, 2017
What an awesome guy you are! This Grandma of 4 is a new photographer. I plan on many beautiful, fun filled sessions with these boxes. Thank you so much!
Nick – May 17, 2017
awesome – glad you liked it!
Joe – July 25, 2017
Hi Nick,
If I wanted to finish the boxes to look rustic, I should probably go with the cheaper plywood don’t you think? Also, do you have any articles on techniques for making wood look old?
Nick – August 1, 2017
for sure go with something cheaper – just not too cheap if you still want them to hold up weight – I don’t have anything up yet for aging wood but it’s something I want to show at some point
Wade Carrier – November 29, 2017
Do you think MDF would be usable in a project like this?
Nick – November 29, 2017
I personally would not use MDF – it is rather heavy and doesn’t have as much strength as I would like to see for an item like this that people may be standing on
Trip Horseleech – June 23, 2018
Thanks so much for this. Good a decent table saw for father’s day, and this was the first project to check the saw. Great plans!
Nick – June 25, 2018
thank you – glad you liked them – time to break in that new saw!
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