Todays shop time.

[4570Man]

I was going to do a firewood door but that's not happened in 6 years. My biscuits jointer was at the house so I didn't do that either. I planned on glueing triangles in the corners of the finished box.

 

[kenlip]

My guess is that the box is about a cubic yard and that a cubic yard of wood could weigh around 1,000 pounds.

I am an over-engineering kinda guy, so I'd be thinking more along the lines of 2x2 (or maybe a bit smaller) lengths glued and/or screwed, inside all the joins.

For the fourth side, to compensate for the effective zero glues strength, I'd be considering gluing and/or screwing a strip of ply that runs perpendicular to the joins. I'd probably be looking at 3 or more inches wide. This would be on the inside and wouldn't be a significant aesthetic problem.

What is the little 'box' on the floor of the box, evident in the first photo?

Ken

 

[4570Man]

The box is only 23"x23"x23" so maybe 5 cubic feet heaped. The box in the floor is a recessed wheel.

 

[kenlip]

Cool idea for the wheel.

23" cubed is a tad over 7 cubic feet. Looking a lot more manageable now. Probably still worth reinforcing the fourth wall. I suppose you can always do it later, even if the box is assembled, although clamping will be more difficult. But, if you glue and screw, then there won't be a need for clamps.

 

[4570Man]

You're right on the volume. It should still be manageable. I got the triangles glued in.

 

[kenlip]

Those triangles will do the job nicely.

Gotta love the Bessey clamps..

Looking at this latest photo, is looks like you have the grain of the three pieces of ply running in the same direction. In the first photos, they looked like the centre panel had its grain running at 90 degrees to the other two panels. If all three are in the same direction then ignore all the fuss I was making about zero glue strength. If not..

 

[4570Man]

It is that way but since it's plywood I'm not sure how much difference it makes.

 

[Redneck in training]

I installed Fujitsu Halcyon 36000 BTU heat pump in my shop. It isn't the most efficient machine but since it will be operated almost exclusively during the day when power is generated by our PV it was the most cost effective solution. I did the installation by myself and paid only for evacuating and charging the pipes.

 

[kenlip]

It is that way but since it's plywood I'm not sure how much difference it makes.

Let me try explain my thinking (which might be totally wrong).

We need to accept that end grain gluing has, to all intents and purposes, no strength.

Imagine, for the sake of the discussion, that you make up your own ply, consisting of two boards. The bottom board is Ash and the grain runs east-west. On top of that, you glue a board of Oak with its grain running north-south.

Rip the ply in half, along the grain of the Oak.

If you were to glue those two halves back together again without changing any orientation, the Oak will be glued long-grain to long-grain (lots of strength), and the Ash end-grain to end-grain (no strength). The joint has 50% glue strength.

If you were to glue those two halves back together again but this time rotating one board 90 degrees, the Oak will be glued long-grain to end-grain (no strength), and the Ash end-grain to long-grain (no strength). The joint has zero glue strength.

Ken

 

[daugen]

I ran out of plywood for the 4th side. I glued up scraps of plywood for that side. I've never done that before so we'll see how it turns out

I think we have to remember this from the beginning, not a perfect world, nor is my woodshop for sure. You use what you've got...
Assuming 4570 doesn't chuck logs into this thing from twenty feet out, this wood holder looks like it will do great. I work in wood and reinforce the same way. I have never had a glue joint rip out; have had the wood fail, but not the glue. Today's glues are insanely strong. Titebond 2 or 3 are my choices.
Franklin International 1414 Titebond-3 Ultimate Wood Glue, 16-Ounce - - Amazon.com

Have learned something good about grain and glue here, but admit I tend to just build it up to strength needed, like 4570 is doing. I built a carryall box a few weeks ago, used lots of glue and screws were mostly for holding it together while the glue finished setting up. And I throw things in there, not like 4570 will. That glue is just not going to give up.