SOLIDWORKS Bridge

Machine crate build packet, NSF PCL Kickoff, Hart SH-216, September 2026
NSF PCL Kickoff · Machine crate
Fit
Side
End
Cap
Base
Joints
Bracing
Marks
Plywood
Lumber
Buy
Casters
Shock label
Assembly
September DC event · Drawing packet · rev D
Machine crate: exact 8 x 4 ft footprint, gravity-stacked
The shipping crate for the Hart SH-216 showcase workcell. The base and cap are full uncut 48 x 96 sheets that cap the stack, so the plan footprint is
exactly 96 x 48″
. Walls stand on the deck, the deck sits on the 2x4 ring, casters bolt under the ring, and the cap rests on the wall tops:
gravity carries the weight, screws only locate and resist racking
. Framing stays on the outside of every face, flush at the crate’s planes, and the whole interior is smooth ply. Every dimension comes from one generator script (
build-crate.py
), which also exports the
interactive 3D model
and machine-checks the fit.
FOOTPRINT
96 x 48″
exact
HEIGHT
49″
box,
~56½″
on casters
INTERIOR
92 x 44 x 45″
clear, all faces smooth
EMPTY
~400 lb
MATERIAL
5 sheets ply, 16 x 2x4, 6 casters
D0
How the box fits together
Sized to the payload: one gravity stack, one joint everywhere, handles on the ends
The base deck and cap are straight-off-the-rack uncut 48 x 96 sheets and carry their frames outside (2x4 ring below the deck, ripped-rail ring on top of the cap), flush with the ply edges. The walls inset so each frame ring sits
flush at the crate’s side planes
with the ply just inboard, which is what keeps the footprint at exactly 96 x 48. The PK ships
front face down
(electronics panel up), which stands its 36.2″ depth vertical, so the walls rip to
42″
(sides one rip each, ends crosscut plus two rips): payload on its 2″ foam bed tops out at 40.2″ with the hold-down stack filling the last 3.8″ to the ceiling. Each end carries a
full-width 2x4 pull handle bolted flat across the edge rails
, proud 1½″ beyond the box (99″ over the handles); hands wrap the bar inside the recessed ply pockets between the rails.
The load path is pure bearing: cap on wall tops, walls on the deck, deck on the ring, ring on the casters. The joint is the same everywhere, rail + ply + the neighbor’s rail with a #10 x 3″ screw: horizontal at the four corners, and
vertical
at the floor (down through the wall bottom rails and deck into the 2x4 ring) and at the lid (down through the cap ring into the wall top rails). Each handle mounts through bar + edge rail + ply with four 1/4 x 3″ SPAX PowerLag structural screws driven from outside (as purchased, replacing the original ⅜-16 carriage-bolt spec): crews will yank a quarter-ton crate by these.
All framing comes from
one lumber SKU
: sixteen 2x4s. Ten of them rip in half into 1¾ x 1½″ rails for the walls and cap, always mounted with the
1½″ side proud
, so every face of the crate is the same 2″ thick (½″ ply + 1½″ rail), matching the 2x4-flat base exactly.
Automated fit check (72 pieces):
0 interferences
142 flush contacts
footprint 96 x 48″ exact, 49″ box
interior 92 x 44 x 45″ clear
Open the interactive 3D model
Exploded view.
The cap lifts off the wall tops, sides and ends step off the deck, and the base ring with its casters drops down. Tan is ½″ plywood, amber is 2x2 framing, brown is the 2x4 base ring.
Assembled.
A clean 96 x 48 silhouette in plan; every vertical face is a flush frame ring with a recessed ply field, and the cap ring crowns the stack.
~53½″
overall
handles proud 1½″ per end
(99″ over the handles)
cap ring on top
walls rest on the deck
6″ casters x6
96″ box, exact
The gravity stack.
1½″ ring + ½″ deck + 45″ walls + ½″ cap + 1½″ cap ring = 49″ box, about 56½″ on 6″ casters. The box holds exactly 96 x 48″; only the pull handles stand proud, 1½″ per end.
PK fit check (from the real CAD):
measured from Drew’s STEP export of Kiosk - 0 - Probing Workcell, the probing kiosk is
33.9 x 36.2 x 88.1″
with the 32″ monitor mounted (83.8″ tall without it). Upright would force an over-8-ft crate that cannot roll through a standard doorway, so it ships
lying front face down, electronics panel up
, monitor still mounted: 88.1 vs 92 length, 33.9 vs 44 width, and height now budgets the electronics: DIN-rail devices on the panel (which faces UP) protrude up to 5″, so 36.2 + 5 DIN + 2″ foam = 43.2 vs the 45″ interior (1.8″ clear). That protrusion is what pushed the walls from 42 to 45″ in rev G. See the PK loaded view in the
3D model
. Brace the gantry carriage and Z axis before it ships horizontal.
Interior mounting:
all six inner faces are bare ply, 92 x 44 x 45″ clear. For strong anchor points, land screws where the exterior rails run (perimeter plus verticals at 24″ o.c., visible from outside). Between rails there is ½″ ply for light blocking, or through-bolt for heavy brackets.
D1
Side panel, build 2
Ply 96 x 45 x ½″ (one rip from a full sheet, label P3), frame ring flush at the crate side plane
96″ sheet length, no crosscut
45″
24″ o.c.
41½″
OUTSIDE FACE: one rip brings the 48″ sheet to 45″
Orthographic, outside face.
Rails flush with all four edges. The bottom rail bears on the deck; the top rail takes the lid screws; the corner rails back the corner joints. Save the 6″ rip offcut for blocking stock.
P3
R1
R1
R2
Isometric, outside face up.
Ply down on the bench, frame up. Every frame member is one straight cut; the verticals sit between the rails.
Qty
Ripped rail (1¾ x 1½″)
Length
2
Top and bottom rails
[R1]
96″
5
Verticals: 2 corner rails + 3 intermediate
[R2]
41½″
D2
End panel, build 2
Ply 43⅞ x 45 x ½″ (label P4), drops in between the side plies, 2x4 pull handle flat across the edge rails
43⅞″
45″
full 2x4 bar bolted flat across the edge
rails, proud 1½″; hands wrap it in the
recessed ply pockets between the rails
OUTSIDE FACE: handle center ~34½″ off the ground
Orthographic, outside face.
The edge rails run the full 45″ height and back every corner screw. The 2x4 handle bolts flat across the edge rails, proud 1½″, and a gloved hand wraps it inside the recessed pockets against the ply. Ripped 1/16″ shy per side so the panel drops in without persuasion.
P4
R3
R4
R2
B5
Isometric, outside face up.
The handle bar lies directly on the edge rails. Four 1/4 x 3″ SPAX PowerLags per handle run bar into rail and ply, washers under the heads, driven from outside (as purchased; original spec was ⅜-16 carriage bolts).
Qty
Ripped rail (1¾ x 1½″)
Length
2
Edge rails, full height
[R3]
45″
2
Top and bottom rails
[R4]
40⅜″
1
Center vertical
[R2]
41½″
1
Pull handle (full 2x4, flat across the edge rails)
43⅞″
D3
Cap, build 1
Full uncut 48 x 96 sheet (label P2) resting on the wall tops, rip ring on top
96″ full sheet, no cuts
48″
24″ o.c.
TOP FACE: screws drop through the ring into the wall top rails
Orthographic, from above.
Framed identically to a side panel. The sheet rests on the wall top edges all the way around; the ring rails land directly over the wall top rails, so the lid screws go straight down through 2″ of stack into 1½″ of meat.
P2
R1
R5
Isometric, outside face up.
The ring doubles as a curb: anything set on the crate top is fenced by 1½″ of rail.
Qty
Ripped rail (1¾ x 1½″)
Length
2
Long rails
[R1]
96″
5
End rails (2) + crossmembers (3) at 24″ o.c.
[R5]
44½″
D4
Base, build 1
Full uncut 48 x 96 deck (label P1) on a 2x4 ring, six 6″ swivel casters bolted through
96″ full sheet, no cuts
48″
9″
39″
dashed: caster plate x6
VIEW FROM BELOW: bolts up through ply + ring
Orthographic, from below.
Crossmembers at 24″ o.c. Corner casters land on rail + 10″ doubler pad; the mid pair lands where the center crossmembers meet the rails, so they need no pad.
P1
B1
B2
B3
B4
Isometric, upside down as you build it.
Deck ply down, ring and casters up. Bolt the casters, flip it onto its wheels, and everything else stacks on top: the machine’s weight runs deck to ring to casters by bearing alone.
Qty
2x4 piece
Length
2
Long rails
[B1]
96″
5
End rails (2) + crossmembers (3)
41″
4
Corner caster doubler pads, from offcuts
10″
D5
The one joint, everywhere
Outer rail + ply + the neighbor’s edge rail
side corner rail, at the side plane
side ply
end edge rail backs the joint
end ply
#10 x 3″ @ 8″ o.c.
crate end plane: all faces land flush
Corner in plan.
Screws pass through the side’s corner rail and ply into the end panel’s full-height edge rail: 2″ of stack into 1½″ of meat. The identical stack runs
vertically
at the floor (wall bottom rail, deck ply, base ring) and at the lid (cap ring, cap ply, wall top rail), so the whole crate uses one screw spec. The automated check proves nothing collides.
D6
Bracing the payload
Foam everywhere the crate touches the machine; 2x4s everywhere the foam needs backing
The rule is simple:
wood never touches the workcell
. The payload rides on a 2″ polyethylene foam bed, every brace presses through a foam face, and every brace anchors to the crate’s existing rail grid, either screwed from outside through an exterior rail + ply into the brace end (the same joint as the crate itself), or screwed down through the deck into the base ring and crossmembers. Never anchor into unbacked ply.
For the PK lying front-down: on the 2″ bed the frame tops out at 38.2″ above the deck and the DIN-rail devices on the up-facing electronics panel reach 43.2″, under the 45″ ceiling with 1.8″ to spare. The hold-downs sit at the
wall-vertical planes (x = 24 and 72″)
: a 2″ foam pad on clear panel, a 2x4 laid flat on top, and the bar ends screwed through the side ply into the wall verticals. The cap no longer captures the bars (rev G walls leave air above them), the screws into the verticals do the work — and
place each bar where the panel is clear of DIN devices
, shifting a few inches along the machine if needed. The
PK loaded view
shows the whole system, and the exploded view now floats the foam layers and the intact workcell out of the stack.
Will the foam carry it?
Fusion volumes total 62.6 L of solid material; at a realistic aluminum/steel mix that is roughly
210 kg / 460 lb
(169 kg if it were all 6061; read the exact mass off Fusion’s Properties dialog to confirm). On two 4″ x 88″ bed strips (704 in²) that is
~0.65 psi static
, square in the cushioning sweet spot for 2.2 lb/ft³ polyethylene plank (~0.3 to 1.2 psi) and far below its long-term creep threshold: expect under 10% thickness loss over years, and PE does not absorb water in Gulf humidity. Even at 350 kg the bed stays under 1.1 psi; if the confirmed mass exceeds that, widen the strips to 6″. On density: the priced Uline plank is
1.7 lb/ft³
, not 2.2. Density sets the cushioning band, and 1.7 pcf PE is happiest at roughly 0.2 to 0.9 psi static, which brackets our ~0.65 psi bed load better than 2.2 pcf (whose sweet spot starts around 0.5 and whose 25% compression point is ~9 psi vs ~6). Softer foam here means better vibration isolation, at the cost of slightly earlier creep; strip width is the tuning knob if the confirmed mass runs high. Isolation-wise the machine floats on foam in every axis: bed below, faced hold-downs above, ~2″ foam pads compressed directly between the frame ends and the end walls (the walls are the thrust structure; the interior leaves no room for blocks), and foam-faced 2x4 side blocks screwed to the deck; nothing rigid touches it, which is what protects a 50 µm end effector and a galvo through trailer shock. Two transport rules ride with the crates:
book air-ride trailers
(tell District Moving), and walk the crate slowly over rough asphalt.
Foam attachment for years of reuse:
hot Fort Worth trailers will cook a spray adhesive loose, so sprays are for positioning only. Bond every permanent foam face with
polyurethane construction adhesive
(Loctite PL Premium or similar: heat and humidity stable, bonds PE plank to wood), and give the bed strips mechanical capture too: screw ply-offcut curbs to the deck along each strip’s edges so the foam cannot walk even if a bond lets go.
Brace
Qty/crate
Build
Anchor
Foam bed strips
2 + pads
2″ PE plank under the frame contact lines
Friction + payload weight; spray-tack to the deck
Hold-down braces
2
2x4 flat x 43⅞″ + 1″ foam pad
#10 x 3″ from outside through the side top rail + ply into each end; cap bears on top
End thrust pads
2
~2″ foam, wall to frame, light compression fit
The end walls take the thrust directly; no blocks
Side stations
4
12 x 12″ ply backer (rip offcuts) + 2″ foam pad + two rip-to-fit 2x4 spacer blocks
Stations sit at the wall-vertical lines (x = 24, 72). Spacer blocks at the backer’s TOP and BOTTOM brace it against the side wall, so the thrust path is backer, block, ply, exterior rail: no cantilever. Bottom block also screws down into the deck. Foam glues full-face to the backer with PL Premium; optionally add four corner screws with 1″ fender washers, snug not compressing, as mechanical backup in trailer heat
Both kiosks measured, one crate design:
the LK comes in at
33.1 x 34.6 x 86.6″
(exact OCCT bbox from its STEP), a near-twin of the PK, and ships the same way: front face down on the foam bed, 36.6″ tall on the bed against the 42″ ceiling. Both crates are identical; only the pack-time foam cuts differ. The
3D model
has PK loaded and LK loaded views (LK massing is approximate within its exact envelope; its quantized CAD export defeats per-part decoding).
D7
Field disassembly markings
Anyone on the crew can see what comes apart, in what order, and what goes back where
3″ black dots on every wall-to-wall fastener.
Spray-painted through a 3″ circle template after first assembly: down the four corner columns (screws through the side faces into the end edge rails, 8″ o.c.) and around the cap ring (lid screws into the wall top rails). A screw with a dot is a field fastener; a screw without a dot stays put. The
3D model
renders every dot in place.
Corner match letters.
Freehand-paint
A, B, C, D
across each vertical corner seam so the letter reads half on the side panel, half on the end panel: panels can only go back where the letters heal. Add the crate ID (
PK
/
LK
) beside each letter so parts never swap between crates.
Floor screws live inside
(down through the wall bottom rails into the base ring): dot them from inside at first assembly. Full teardown order: cap, ends, sides, everything back by the letters.
One driver, spare bits.
All field screws are Torx structural: keep spare
T20
and
T30
impact bits taped inside the cap ring, plus a ⅞″ socket for the handle and caster bolts.
C1
Plywood cut list — both crates
Ten sheets of ½″ 4 x 8 (eleven bought; the spare also feeds the 12 x 12″ side-station backers). Write the label on every piece as it comes off the saw.
Label
Piece
Cut size
Per crate
Both crates
Cuts
P1
Base deck
48 x 96″
1
2
None, straight off the rack
P2
Cap
48 x 96″
1
2
None
P3
Side wall ply
96 x 45″
2
4
One rip per sheet; keep the 3″ offcut strips for blocking
P4
End wall ply
43⅞ x 45″
2
4
One sheet yields both: crosscut at 48″, rip each half to 43⅞″, then rip to 45″
P5
Side-station backer
12 x 12″
4
8
From the spare (11th) sheet; bed curbs and blocking from the rest of it
Why these numbers:
the base and cap are full sheets and set the exact 96 x 48″ footprint. The walls rip to
45″
tall (rev G): the PK lies at 36.2″ plus up to 5″ of DIN-rail devices standing off its up-facing electronics panel, plus the 2″ bed — 43.2″ of payload under a 45″ ceiling. The wall sleeve leaves a 44″ opening between the side plies, so the ends rip to 43⅞″ (a 1/16″ gap each side) and slide straight down onto the deck. Sheet count: per crate, deck + cap + two side sheets + one end sheet = 5; both crates = 10, plus the spare. Use ½″ CDX, ACX, or BC sanded, not underlayment (purchased: 15/32″ CDX, see C3).
C2
Lumber cut plan — both crates
One SKU: 2x4 x 8 ft, 36 used of the 50 bought. Per crate: ten rip in half into rail stock, eight stay full. Label every piece at the saw; identical labels are interchangeable.
The rip:
one table-saw pass down the middle of a 2x4 yields two rails at 1¾ x 1½″ nominal (the kerf really leaves about 1​
11
⁄
16
″). Mount every rail with the
1½″ side proud of the ply
so all four wall faces and the cap match the 2x4-flat base at 2″ total thickness. The lengths below assume a full 1¾″ rip; if yours comes out narrower, the between-rail pieces (44½″ and 40⅜″) grow by twice the difference, so cut those to fit after the perimeter rails are on.
Ripped rail pieces
Label
Piece
Length
Per crate
Both
R1
Side top+bottom rails, cap long rails
96″
6
12
R2
Wall verticals (side corners + intermediates, end centers)
41½″
12
24
R3
End edge rails, full height
45″
4
8
R4
End top/bottom rails
40⅜″
4
8
R5
Cap end rails + crossmembers
44½″
5
10
Stick plan per crate (10 sticks → 20 rails): 6 rails stay full 96″ (R1); 6 rails cut 2 x 41½″ (R2); 2 rails cut 2 x 45″ (R3); 2 rails cut 2 x 40⅜″ (R4); 3 rails cut 44½″ (R5; the third rail’s 51½″ offcut goes to spacer-block stock). Both crates: 20 sticks.
Full 2x4 pieces
Label
Piece
Length
Per crate
Both
B1
Base long rails
96″
2
4
B2
Base end rails
41″
2
4
B3
Base crossmembers
41″
3
6
B4
Caster pads
10″
4
8
B5
Pull handles
43⅞″
2
4
B6
Hold-down bars
43⅞″
2
4
B7
Side-station spacer blocks (rip to fit)
~12″
8
16
Stick plan per crate (8 sticks): 2 x B1 full; 3 sticks cut 2/2/1 x 41″ (B2 + B3); 1 stick cut 2 x 43⅞″ (B5); 2 sticks for bracing (B6 + B7); B4 pads come from the 41″-stick offcuts. Both crates: 16 sticks. Total: 36 of the 50 purchased — 14 spare for pack-time blocking.
Why 2x4 for the base and rips for the rest:
the base ring carries the machine, spans between casters, and takes the caster bolts, so it keeps the full 3½″ face. Everywhere else the plywood is the structure and the ripped rails stiffen the panels, give every joint its meat, and their recessed bays are the handholds. Upgrade the walls to full 2x4 only if the machine tops roughly 1,500 lb, the crate will be stacked, or it ships common-carrier freight.
C3
Purchasing list — as purchased
Everything for BOTH crates is bought (8/27–8/28), $1,483.74 all-in with tax and freight. Links go to the exact items; order numbers reference Drew’s accounts. Sources: Lowe’s Flower Mound in-store 8/27 ($861.04), Uline order 57096663, Amazon orders 112-2336638-0154627, 112-5723421-2594632, 112-7152192-0797848, 112-3272759-2120239.
Item
As purchased
Qty
Paid
Notes
Plywood
15/32″ CAT CDX 3-ply 4 x 8, Lowe’s item 12192
11
$284.46
One spare over the ten; four go in uncut per crate
2x4 x 8 ft
KD whitewood select stud, item 6005
50
$179.00
Eight spares over the 42; ten per crate rip into rail stock
Structural screws
SPAX #10 x 3″ washer-head T-Star, 3 lb (item 3753135)
x3 +
1 lb (item 3753046)
10 lb
$119.92
Every panel-to-panel field joint
Panel screws
SPAX #8 x 1¼″ 1 lb (item 3753042)
x3 +
#8 x 2″ 1 lb (item 3753044)
4 lb
$59.92
Ply to frame from the inside face
Structural lags
(replaces the carriage-bolt spec)
SPAX 1/4 x 2½″ washer-head (item 5641068)
+
SPAX 1/4 x 3″ PowerLag (item 3753018)
+
100x #10 3/4″ washers (item 61697)
2 boxes
$68.96
2½″ washer-heads take the casters, 3″ PowerLags take the handles; no nuts to fish inside
Construction adhesive
Loctite PL Premium 10 oz (item 100575)
3
$22.14
Permanent foam-to-wood bonds; survives Texas trailer heat
Wood glue
Gorilla Ultimate wood glue (item 1068391)
— sub for Titebond II
3
$41.04
Every rail-to-ply bond inside every panel; field joints stay dry
Spray adhesive
Gorilla Ultimate spray adhesive (item 5348950)
— sub for 3M 90
1
$19.98
Positioning tack only
Casters
YAEMIKY 6″ PU, sets of 4, all swivel + brake, 3,000 lb/set
12
$204.16
Amazon order 112-2336638-0154627 (8/27, delivered 8/28, price incl. straps); every caster locks
Lashing straps
Cartman 1″ x 12 ft, 600 lb — same Amazon order
12
incl.
Payload lashing inside the crates
Torx bits
Bosch Impact Tough ITT20205 T20 5-pk + ITT302B T30 10-pk
2 packs
$13.16
Amazon order 112-5723421-2594632, arrives Mon 8/31; spares taped inside the cap rings
PE foam plank
Uline S-12856, 48 x 96 x 2″, 1.7 pcf, carton of 2
1 carton
$261.48
Uline order 57096663 ($182 + tax + $59.55 Lykes Cartage freight), delivers Mon 8/31; one carton cuts all foam for both crates
Shock indicators
Thermlogix impact indicator 25G yellow, 20-pack
20
$55.00
Generic ShockWatch-2-style clone, field-armable; Amazon order 112-7152192-0797848, arrives Wed Sep 9
Tilt indicators
Thermlogix tilt indicator, 20-pack
20
$60.00
Same order as shock ($124.49 with tax); arrives Wed Sep 9
Marking paint
Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover flat black 12 oz
3
$19.41
Amazon order 112-3272759-2120239, arrives Mon 8/31; dots and letters are freehanded (no stencils), plus one can already on hand
Total, all purchased
$1,483.74
Lowe’s $861.04 + Uline $261.48 + Amazon $361.22
C4
Casters and handling
Are PU casters right for 50 µm payloads?
Yes, with the isolation living in the foam, not the wheel. Solid PU transmits more high-frequency vibration than a pneumatic tire, but the payload never touches the crate structure: every path from wheel to machine crosses 2″ of PE foam, which is the actual suspension. Avoiding pneumatics is the right call (pressure drift, flats, load squirm). If you want extra insurance for asphalt, two upgrades stay plate-mount and tube-free:
spring-loaded shock-absorbing casters
(6″ PU on a sprung fork, ~$70 each) or flat-free microcellular foam wheels (softer tread, no inflation). The PL keeps standard PU; say the word and I swap the spec.
Six 6″ casters per crate bolted straight to the base ring (purchased: YAEMIKY sets, 3,000 lb per set of four),
all swivel and every one carries a brake
: sidestep and rotate anywhere, park anywhere. The tradeoff is that an all-swivel 8 ft crate wants to crab on long straight pushes, so plan on two people for corridor runs and lock the corners the moment it parks. 6″ wheels roll thresholds and door saddles that stop 4″ wheels, and their 500 lb+ ratings add margin. Fasten every plate through the deck into the 2x4 ring with 1/4 x 2½″ SPAX washer-head structural screws, four per plate (as purchased, replacing the ⅜″ carriage-bolt spec): they thread into the solid ring, never ply alone, which would work loose on the first curb.
Handling: each end carries a full-width 2x4 pull handle at ~34½″ grip height with finger pockets above and below, every vertical face is a flush frame ring with recessed ply bays, and the cap ring is a full-perimeter lip up top. Quote the carrier
96 x 48″ box (99″ over the handles), ~56½″ tall, rolls on its own casters
: no skids, no forklift pockets, liftgate truck and hand-rolling on the
Hart freight route
.
C5
Shock and tilt indicators
Crate empty is about 400 lb; with the workcell aboard the gross weight plausibly lands in the 600 to 1,200 lb range. On the standard SpotSee/ShockWatch selection chart, a large crate at 250 to 1,000 lb gross takes a
ShockWatch 2, 25G (red)
label. If gross weight exceeds about 1,000 lb, or the payload carries precision optics or spindles, step down to
15G
: heavier packages see lower G in the same drop, so the sticker must be more sensitive to still catch a mishandling event.
Recommendation: ShockWatch 2, 25G
, one label on each of two adjacent faces in the upper third (on the ply field, not a rail), plus the companion handle-with-care alert stickers.
Add a
TiltWatch XTR
on two faces: a crate on casters still earns tilt monitoring, and the 49″ box with the payload lying flat keeps the center of gravity low.
Arm the labels at the last moment before carrier handoff. They are single-use, and a slammed liftgate during your own load-in fires them too.
As purchased:
generic Thermlogix clones of both (25G shock 20-pack + tilt 20-pack, links in C3), arriving Sep 9. Same mechanisms, but no factory calibration certs, serials, or carrier brand recognition — they are our own telltales rather than freight-claim evidence. Apply two of each per crate as above; the 20-packs leave plenty of spares for re-arming across the two-year tour.
A1
Assembly order
Rip ten of the 2x4s in half: one table-saw pass each yields the twenty rail sticks. Cut the perimeter rails to length first and save the between-rail pieces for cut-to-fit.
Write the part label (C1/C2, first column) on every piece as it comes off the saw
— the same codes sit on the 2D drawings and in the 3D viewer’s Labels panel, so a pile of labeled parts reassembles days later without guesswork.
Build the base deck-down: glue + screw the 2x4 ring, crossmembers, and corner pads through the ply from the deck side, then bolt on all six casters and flip it onto its wheels.
Frame the five remaining panels: Gorilla Ultimate wood glue (as purchased) on every rail-to-ply face plus #8 x 1¼″ driven from the ply (inside) face at 8″ o.c., frames flush with the panel edges. Intermediate verticals and crossmembers butt the perimeter rails without screws: the ply skin is the structural web, and end-grain screws would split the rip stock for nothing. Swipe glue on the butt faces as they go in. This includes the cap and the door end: the glue-free rule is only for the joints BETWEEN panels. Lag on the end pull handles (1/4 x 3″ PowerLags).
Stand the sides on the deck, frame face flush with the deck edge. They rest on the floor of the crate by gravity; #10 x 3″ straight down through the bottom rail and deck into the base ring, 8″ o.c.
Drop the ends in between the side plies onto the deck. Screw the vertical corner stacks (through the side corner rails into the end edge rails) and down through the end bottom rails into the ring’s end rails.
Load the payload onto its 2″ foam bed before closing the second end. Box the frame ends with the foam-faced thrust blocks (screwed down into the base grid), set the foam-padded hold-down bars across the top at the wall-vertical planes (x = 24 / 72″, dodging the DIN devices) with their ends screwed through the side ply into the verticals, and add side blocking from the ply offcuts. Wood never touches the machine.
Set the cap on: it rests on the wall tops all the way around. Screw down through the cap ring into the wall top rails. No glue on the cap or one end: those are the doors.
Mark for the field: spray the 3″ black dots on every wall-to-wall fastener (corner columns and cap ring, plus the floor screws from inside), freehand the corner letters A to D across each corner seam with the crate ID (Rust-Oleum 2X flat black, no stencils), and tape spare T20/T30 bits inside the cap ring.
Paint the marks, then apply the shock and tilt indicator labels last.
Generated by
build-crate.py
in this folder: geometry, isometric views, the GLB models behind the
3D viewer
, and the interference check all come from the same piece definitions. Edit the script, rerun it, and the packet and model stay in lockstep.