Pallet Board Dog Kennel Crate Part 3 – Add Uprights
See how to add the upright supports to the top and bottom plywood for our pallet board crate in Part 3 of this build series.
See the Whole Series
This 5 part series takes you step-by-step through building this crate.
See the whole build series in order here
In Part 1 we took our measurements and we cut our plywood for the top and bottom.
In Part 2 we added the rails to the top and bottom plywood.
In Part 3 today you’ll see:
- How to add the upright supports
- Why a popsicle stick comes in super handy for gluing
- And why we want to do a little sanding now
Video
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Materials List for Part 3
See all of the lumber you will need for this part of the project.
The full lumber list is in Part 1
Tools and Supplies for Part 3
See tools and supplies you will need for this part of the project.
The full list for the whole project is in Part 1
Hand Tools and Supplies
Power Tools
What We’re Building Today
Here’s what a completed frame looks like when the uprights have been added.
Position and Glue Uprights
Dry fit one of the uprights in the corner of your top plywood with rails.
If all is square you’re ready to add the glue.
Spread the glue on the two sides of the upright that will touch the rails.
You can add glue to the bottom of the upright, but glue doesn’t tend to stick well on end grain.
Clamp and Nail
Clamp the upright into the corner.
Then use either 1” or 1-1/4” brad nails to tack the open side.
I put in 4 brad nails per side.
You likely won’t need to move the clamp around, just remove it, as the brad nailed side will hold the upright in place.
Repeat for the other three uprights.
Put Uprights Into Bottom Plywood
I found it easier to put my plywood bottom on the bench and then set the top, with the uprights, down into it.
Check for square and a tight fit.
Glue and Nail Uprights to the Bottom
This will be a little trickier than doing the bottom as you will have to raise two of the uprights out to glue them.
The first one is super easy.
But you’ll likely pull the first one out while gluing the second one.
That’s okay.
Once you have the first pair glued up, then brad nail them.
Use a Popsicle Stick
The last pair of legs will be really tight to get the glue on.
I found that using a popsicle stick worked very well and made the job easy!!
Then brad nail them up.
All Done with the Frame
You should have a super sturdy frame now.
Sand First
Before I add those side slats, and since this will be a crate for my dog, I took this opportunity to sand that bottom plywood like crazy so there would be no chance of my dog getting splinters if he scratched up his bed into a nest.
Next
Be sure to see Part 4 where we add the back and side slats.
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And I’ll see you in the shop.
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