Stacking box ideas

[jives]

Looking for some ideas on how to securely stack boxes on top of one another. I will be making 5 boxes with dimensions of 15" x 15" x 3". Only the top box will have a top. The other four are front and side frames, only. The boxes are made to be stepped on and the height adjusted by stacking one box on top of another. Boxes will be placed on force places to measure stepping forces. They must be boxes of this size to be consistent with the original box dimensions that came with our force plate apparatus. They must be absolutely rigid to transfer forces from the top to the force plate. They must be secure to not wobble (force transfer) and to insure user safety.

I have provided a couple of ideas. The first (fig 2) is a cleat system (will go on all four sides), the third figure is a pin system (female receptacles on the bottom, one pin per corner would be used). Alternately, I could just use a box toggle latch (fig 4), or a window sill lock (fig 5). That is an awful lot of latches (8 per box), but they would certainly cinch down the boxes.

Anyway, got any other ideas? BTW, I'll be using 3/4 ply, **** joints with corner glue blocks. This is not a piece of furniture.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

Needs to be simple and foolproof.
Build your boxes out of 3/4” ply, all exactly the same size. For the lower boxes, cut strips of 1/4“ ply to fit inside the box, stick up about 3/4”. This shows it on one end, needs to be on all 4 sides. Then they will stack perfectly.

 

[jives]

Needs to be simple and foolproof.
Build your boxes out of 3/4” ply, all exactly the same size. For the lower boxes, cut strips of 1/4“ ply to fit inside the box, stick up about 3/4”. This shows it on one end, needs to be on all 4 sides. Then they will stack perfectly.

Yes, the cleats on the inside is a better and cleaner look. The plan is to make a large 15" tall box and then cut off sections on the table saw. This technique has always been a bit iffy for me for some reason, but I reckon if I am careful it will work out.

 

[no704]

Make them like milk crates.

 

[Badhabit]

Just offset the corner glue blocks to they are recessed on the top side and stick out on the bottom side

H

 

[bdbecker]

Needs to be simple and foolproof.
Build your boxes out of 3/4” ply, all exactly the same size. For the lower boxes, cut strips of 1/4“ ply to fit inside the box, stick up about 3/4”. This shows it on one end, needs to be on all 4 sides. Then they will stack perfectly.

That is a good way of doing it, but it assumes he's using a dado for the bottoms and has a recess for the 1/4" ply to fit into. If that is not how he's building his boxes, the same concept can be used, but as feet/runners attached to the bottoms of the boxes. Basically a pair of wood strips 1-2" wide on each end that could be used to align the boxes with each other.

 

[budget76]

didn't see it mentioned. Don't make 10 3" tall boxes. make 1 30" tall box, and rip it down on the table saw to be a 3" box. one glue-up versus 10

 

[yhprum]

You could use something like large dowels made from a chopped up broomstick on the bottom surface to act as feet that fit into corresponding holes or recesses on the top surfaces when stacked.

 

[jives]

One box, ripped into three pieces. . . 4", 4", 8", can mix 'n match for a 4" step, 8" step, 12" step, and 16". Used only scrap ply (crummy void filled CDX stuff salvaged from my son's homemade truck tool box he tore off). Also finished off 4 cans of partially used spray paint. Note the green overspray in the inside. The fully stacked boxes are placed on side by side forceplates for measuring jumping forces. The top is covered with leftover bedliner spray for good grip.

With the inside flanges the boxes stack tight. The paint tightens the fit. Takes a bit of effort to pull apart, but better than being loose.

Okay, so it is only a box, a 7th grade shop project. But a few hours (minus paint drying time) of fun work to solve a problem at work.

 

[bdbecker]

Okay, so it is only a box, a 7th grade shop project. But a few hours (minus paint drying time) of fun work to solve a problem at work.

They look pretty good from here! If it works, it works. Nice job!

 

[Half-fast eddie]

Nice. I like the bedliner spray. Needs some graffiti on the sides.