Pallet Board Dog Kennel Crate Part 5 – Add the Casters

See how to add support blocks and casters to the bottom of our crate in Part 5 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 we added the upright supports and did a little sanding.

In Part 4 we added the back and side slats and built the hinged door.

In Part 5 today you’ll see:

• How to shore up the bottom of the crate if you used
  thin plywood
• How to mount the casters

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Pallet Board Dog Kennel Crate Part 5 – Add the Casters

What We’re Building Today

In this last part of the build series we’ll be adding the extra pallet boards to the bottom of the crate to make it sturdy and for blocks to add our casters.

Layout of Bottom Scrap Boards

I used thin ¼” plywood for my top and bottom.

And that will bow in the center with the weight of the dog.

Plus, I need blocks to mount the casters.

So, I used scrap pieces of the leftover pallet boards to shore up the bottom.

You can use any size for the caster blocks that you like. I just cut 4 equal pieces that were long enough to nearly go to the center board.

And then I laid the longest scrap piece across the center.

Spread Glue the Easy Way

Because I want the casters mounted securely to the bottom, I glued the block boards down before brad nailing them.

And because that’s a LOT of glue to spread, I used a popsicle stick to help me do it.

And I used Titebond III glue.

Brad Nails

Because the pallet boards are so thick, I used 1-1/4” brad nails to hold them into place until the glue dried.

Choose Your Casters Wisely

I used 2” casters, but 1” would work just fine as well.

Don’t use the black rubber ones!!

They will mark up your floor every time you move the crate.

And be sure to get brakes on at least 2 of them so the crate doesn’t move as the dog comes in and out of it. I got brakes on all 4 because that’s all the hardware store had.

See How to Choose the Right Caster for Your Workbench as the same principles apply here.

Lag Bolts

I used 1×1/4 lag bolts.

They go all the way through my pallet board and just the tip of them goes into the plywood.

So, there is no way they will poke through the plywood.

Attach Bottom Caster Block Boards

There’s no need to be too exact with getting every one of the caster block boards exactly in line with each other on this project.

I simply laid the board so that it was in from the edges by about ½” so that the brakes on the casters would be flush with the sides of the crate.

That way they would not stick out, but I could still get to them with my toe.

I marked two sides of the board outline so that I could reposition it there after gluing.

Glue Up

Here’s a great glue trick that will save you time and mess!

Because there is so much glue to spread over such a wide surface, I laid the glue in a zig-zag pattern and used a popsicle stick to spread it.

Tack Nail into Place

Then I put about 8 brad nails into the board.

Be careful to stay withing ¼” the edges so no brad nails will be in the way of the lag bolts you’ll be adding later.

And then repeat this process for the other 4 caster block boards.

Attach the Bottom Support Board

Here I’m spreading the glue for the long support board that will lay across the center.

Add as many support boards as you think you need.

My dog is little, so I think only 1 is needed to keep the thin plywood from bowing.

Mark the Caster Mount

Now it’s time to mark the mount holes for the casters.

Again, this doesn’t have to be exact.

Just pay attention to the how you lay the rectangle mount on the board.

(Those mounting plates are not square!)

Mark the holes with a pencil.

Drill Mounting Holes

Use a 3/16” bit if you are 1-1/4” lag screws.

See: How to Choose the right Drill Bit for making your pilot holes.

There are a couple of ways you can do this.

If you will be free-hand drilling, put a piece of tape on your drill bit to mark the max depth so you don’t drill through the plywood.

I used a drill block and it just happened to be tall enough that I could drill to the top of it and that was the right depth.

The drill block also helped ensure that I drilled the hole straight up and down.

Attach the Casters

Then screw in your lag bolts using a socket wrench.

My dad taught me to do the diagonals first and not to tighten any all the way down until all of the screws were in first.

So that’s the way I’ve always done it and never had an alignment problem.

See if the Dog Likes It

Time to see if the dog likes it – and he does!!!!

Wrap

I sure hope you’ve enjoyed this rustic kennel crate build from pallet boards.

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Get more easy DIY build plans here.

And I’ll see you in the shop.