| STEP 1: Cut a 4x4 to 6 inch lengths. Position them as the corners. |  |
How to crate a
cocktail table video game for shipping.
04/16/01
Note:
This method could also be used for an upright, other video game, or any other item. This method provides the closest match between the size of the crate and the game that we have seen. By using the method in the other tutorial, you could get extra charges due to the extra size of the crate.
The example pictures only show a cocktail table, however. These crates have been accepted by Forward Air for shipping games insured on several occasions.
Supplies:
Nails - 6d 2" and 1.5" roofing nails.
Wood glue
Stretch Wrap
Foam padding
Tape (for stretch wrap)
Hardware:
Ratchet Straps
Two Eye bolts
Four 3" Lag screws (optional)
Washers (1 for each lag screw, 2 for each eye bolt)
Tools:
Box knife
Hammer
Drill (with screw adapter and drill bits)
Hand saw
Safety glasses
Gloves
| STEP 0: Prepare a cut
sheet for your local home improvement store. This is done by measuring the dimensions
of the game and adding 6 to 8 inches per dimension. It varies based upon the shape of the
game to allow for packing materials, how big the base is, etc.. Call ahead to ensure someone in the store is there to cut lumber. This could save you a wasted trip. We draw out the cut sheet to minimize the number of cuts to the wood. This is to both conserve materials and minimize charges. It also helps so that the store doesn't forget pieces of lumber and speeds up the process. You could cut these yourself, but it is not that expensive to have them cut at the store. It saves mess and time. Get the following pieces cut: One - 5/8" particle board for bottom One - 3/8" plywood for the top Two - 3/8" plywood for the sides Two - 3/8" plywood for the ends Several 8 foot 2x3 boards for strapping. If you do the math (draw a picture based on the below instructions), you can figure exactly how much you will need.
|
| STEP 1: Cut a 4x4 to 6 inch lengths. Position them as the corners. | |
| STEP 2: Apply wood glue to the blocks. |  |
| STEP 3: Place the base on the corners. Align them as shown. Drill holes large enough for the lag screws to pass into the blocks. Make sure you put some weight (your own) when drilling the holes. Otherwise, everything could (and will) shift. |  |
| STEP 4a: Screw the lag screws in place. |  |
| STEP 4b: Alternatively to the lag screw method, use nails to attach the legs to the base. |  |
| Step 5: Set the bottom(s) aside until the wood
glue dries. Do several at the same time if you are doing them. By combining cut sheets from multiple games, you can save more on materials and cuts at the home improvement store. As you can see in the picture, there are several bases already made. The sides, bottoms, and tops are stacked neatly as they were precut at the store. When these pics were taken, we were building three cocktail table crates - two to ship and one to keep for later. Based on the cut sheets, the third crate was almost free - two would have cost the same as three. |
 |
| STEP 6: Cut the 2x3s and form a four sided frame around the bottom of the base. We usually have the base flipped and nail it from the underside of the base. In other words, lay out the frame, and place the base upside-down on top of it. Nail it every 6 to 8 inches along the bottom. |  |
| We use the 6d 2" nails shown here for the base nailing. |  |
| STEP 7: Next, take one of the sides and put the
2x3 strapping on three sides. Note that the bottom of the side strapping
will sit directly on the base frame. So, measure the thickness of the 2x3s (1.5 inches
usually) and make sure the side strapping is that far from the bottom. Repeat with the opposite side. |
 |
| STEP 8: Next take one of the end pieces
and nail a piece along the top edge. Only one edge. Make sure that the
2x3 is the length of the top edge minus two times the thickness of the strapping (3"
in this case). This strapping will butt right against the sides you had made previously. Repeat with the opposite end. |
 |
| STEP 9: Drill holes for the eye bolts in the
centers of the ends such that they will be inside the frame, but outside the table. Take
the eye bolts and 2 washers (one above and one below) and use a nut to hold them in place.
Tighten the eye bolts in place. For larger tables, you may want to use 4 eye bolts. Either in the corners near the feet or one in the center of each edge. The idea is to make them such that the game will not tip if the crate is tipped. At this point, you could stop and save the pieces for assembly later. This was the case for our third crate. |
 |
| STEP 10: Center the table on the base. | 
|
| STEP 11: Use foam padding or other packing
material to cover the table top. Use stretch wrap and cardboard to ensure the game does
not get damaged. Secure the table to the base with ratchet straps. Do not tighten too tight. You could break the glass. Once tight you should be able to push the table in any direction and have the game not tip over or slide. It is is unstable in any direction, reposition or add new straps. |
|
| STEP 12: Nail one of the long sides in place. This is the side with 3 pieces of strapping on it. Use roofing nails all along the bottom. Once nailed every 6 to 8 inches along a side, the side should be free standing. |
|
| STEP 13: Nail the other long side in place. The crate should look like the picture. |  |
| STEP 14: Nail one of the ends in place. This is
the side with 1 piece of strapping on it. We usually start by putting a nail in each top
corner. Use roofing nails all along the bottom and then into the strapping from the long
sides. Note how the corner should look before (and after) nailing. Everything should be aligned for the most part. If not, you could have had a bad measurement somewhere. You could also have a bad cut (Home Depot doesn't make precision cuts). Either way, make it line up the best you can such that there are no gaps. |
|
| STEP 15: Nail the other end in place. Use
roofing nails all along the bottom and then into the strapping from the long sides. It is almost done at this point. It should be sturdy enough that you can push the crate up on one edge from any direction. Don't do this if you could hurt yourself doing it. |
 |
| STEP 16: Lay the top in place and align it. Use
roofing nails all along the edges and into the strapping from the all four sides. Start on
one side and go all the way around Label the game at this point so you don't forget which one is inside. Especially if you are shipping more than one game on the same day. DONE! SHIP IT!! |
 |
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