Box From Wood Shims Ver 3

• Version 3 of making a box from wood shims. It is similar to the 2 previous versions but a slightly different construction.
• Version 1 can be found here: Version 1
• Version 2 can be found here: Version 2

Parts list:

1. 6 inch wood shims; about 5 packs of 12 shims each
2. Wood glue to repair splits
3. #6 x 5/8 inch Spax screws (started with cam heads but finished with flat heads)
4. DeWalt #1 square bit
5. Husky ratcheting screwdriver
6. Pencil to mark where to put screws
7. All parts were purchased from Home Depot

Step 1: Screw in 1st Crosspiece

1. Take 2 shims and hold them together to create one piece; do this again for a 2nd piece
2. Match the thin side of one shim to the thick side of the other shim to create a uniform piece.
3. Screw the 2 pieces together; this is the first crosspiece

Step 2: Flip Over to Put 2nd Screw

1. Flip the 2 pieces over and put the 2nd screw in; make sure it is offset from the 1st one so that they don't collide.
2. If any of the shims crack, fill in the cracks with wood glue.

Step 3: Add 2nd Crossbeam to Bottom

1. Add 2nd crossbeam to bottom of box; be sure to put a screw in from the bottom and a screw on the top, once again offset so that they don't collide.
2. Repeat process until the bottom is complete.

Step 4: Screw in 3rd and 4th Crossbeams

1. Screw in 3rd and 4th crossbeams connecting the 1st 2 crossbeams at the corners.
2. In this case, one screw was used to hold them down, but you can use 2 for extra strength.
3. If any cracks develop, use wood glue to fill them in.
4. Continue to screw down additional crossbeams that connect opposite corners build up the sides of the box.

Step 5: Build Up Sides

1. As you add crossbeams connecting opposite corners, the sides of the box will continue to build up.
2. About halfway through, I switched to flathead Spax screws from the camhead screws. Both seemed to work ok.

Step 6: Build Sides As High As You Would Like

1. Build the sides of the box as high as you like.
2. In this case, I used 1 pack of shims for the bottom, and 4 packs for the sides.
3. Painting it will help to make it look more seamless and neat.