DRYING BOX BUILDING AND ASSEMBLY INSTURCTIONS

©Martin Kaminsky, 2003

 

 

Refer to Sketch 1 and 2.

 

Materials:

3/16” or ¼” plywood (all plywood except heater end)

¾” plywood (for heater end)

2 x 2 lumber (actual dimension is 1-1/2 x 1-1/2)

¾” foam residential insulation sheathing

2) 3” hinges

2) sash latches

¼” x ½” soft foam insulation tape with pressure sensitive adhesive (lid seal)

foam rubber insulation (space heater seal)

wood or drywall screws

 

 

 

The joinery (OK, the lack of joinery) in this construction may offend woodworking purists but, I assure you, the plywood sheathing over a frame produces a very strong structure.

 

  1. Make identical left and right sides – attach plywood to 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 (3.8 x 3.8 cm) frame with glue and screws (sketch 1).

 

  1. Cut the panel for the bottom.

 

  1. Cut four pieces of lumber: 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 x 17-1/2 (3.8 x 3.8 x 44.45 cm),

 

  1. Assemble sides, bottom and four 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 x 18 (3.8 x 3.8 x 45.7 cm) with glue and screws to form the box minus the ends (sketch 2).

 

  1. Fit a piece of ¼” plywood for one end and cut a 4” hole as shown in sketch 1.  Attach with glue and screws to the box frame. 

 

  1. Fit a piece of ¾” ply for the opposite end. 

 

  1. OK, this is the tricky part that requires a bit of ingenuity: your space heater is going to be different from mine and you’ll have to figure out the configuration of the hole needed to install it in the ¾” plywood and how to hold it in place.  Mine had straight vertical sides, so I attached angle aluminum to the heater to serve as a flange.

 

  1. After you’ve cut the hole for the heater attach it to the box with glue and screws.

 

  1. Make the top – attach plywood to 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 (3.8 x 3.8 cm) frame with glue and screws (sketch 1).

 

  1. Install ¾” foam in all of the interior recesses and the top recess.  Trim the foam from the holes at the ends.

 

  1.  Install the heater.

 

  1. Calk (or staple rubber foam) to seal around the heater on the outside of the box.

 

  1. Hinge the top with 3” hinges.

 

  1. Install two sash latches.

 

  1. Install PSA foam tape around the top opening of the box.

 

  1. Glue ¾” residential Styrofoam sheathing insulation in recess of all four panels (I used a caulk gun applied product which is intended for installing paneling without nails.