Introduction: Raised Sand Box With Lid Made From Treated Fence Boards.
This is how I made a raised sand box complete with lid using standard pressure treated pine fenceboards.
I was asked to build a sand box for my friends little boy Connor. To avoid any of the nasty parasites and things that can come with a sand box I wanted to put a bit of effort into the design of the box to make play time as safe as possible.
I used standard 1mtr treated fence boards as they are cheap and weather resistant, this box uses about 16 fence boards in total. When picking the boards try and choose boards with as few knots as possible and avoid boards that have a rough surface.
I decided to raise the box up on legs for several reasons.
The raised box will not suck up ground water and become a breading ground for micobes etc. The sand actually stated to dry out quite quickly and we had to sprinkle some water on with a watering can which just adds to the fun for kids anyway.
The raised box will hopefully stop Connor from climbing into the sand box thus reducing the amount of sand that he carries back inside, he has been told that it will break if he climbs inside, it should actually carry the weight of a child but I didn't test this out. Time will tell on this one.
The box can be moved around when the grass needs cut etc.
The boards where cut down to 95cm long, this was so the box would fit into my Fiesta for transporting to my friends house, I didn't account for the length of the legs when measuring the car and it was a very close shave that we managed to get it in the back with just a bit sticking out and the tail door tied down.
The box is 1 and a half boards deep this allows for about 5-6 inches of sand.
The frame was put together with external grade wood glue and a nail gun, the legs where later strengthened with wood screws. I used a nail gun as hammering is not good for my medical condition, The box can be nailed or screwed together just use what you are used working with.
Once the box was finished it was roughly sanded just to remove any splinters and sharp edges, it was then painted with a coloured wood preserver.
The lid was made using planed lathes and a plastic sign board, this will stop any of the local cats or other animals from using the box as a litter tray.
I used garden fabric to line the box, the lining is so the sand does not run through any small gaps in the box. My upholstery skills are very basic but they got the job done and once the sand is in the box the liner will be hidden. I used an upholstery stapler and 6mm staples once the liner was fitted i went over the staples with a hammer making sure they where all flush with the surface.
We got 2 bags of play sand from the toy shop at £4.00 each (I worked in a hardware store and this price for sand is shear robbery in my mind) and it could do with at least 3-4 more to fill it right up, We will probably end up taking a day trip to the beach and bring back a few bags of free sand and wash it ourselves and the fuel used to take the family to the seaside will cost less than the sand.
Here is a video of Connor pretending to be Godzilla and smashing a load of sand castles, He has been playing Rampage on the X Box.
Thanks for looking and I hope you like the idea.
I was asked to build a sand box for my friends little boy Connor. To avoid any of the nasty parasites and things that can come with a sand box I wanted to put a bit of effort into the design of the box to make play time as safe as possible.
I used standard 1mtr treated fence boards as they are cheap and weather resistant, this box uses about 16 fence boards in total. When picking the boards try and choose boards with as few knots as possible and avoid boards that have a rough surface.
I decided to raise the box up on legs for several reasons.
The raised box will not suck up ground water and become a breading ground for micobes etc. The sand actually stated to dry out quite quickly and we had to sprinkle some water on with a watering can which just adds to the fun for kids anyway.
The raised box will hopefully stop Connor from climbing into the sand box thus reducing the amount of sand that he carries back inside, he has been told that it will break if he climbs inside, it should actually carry the weight of a child but I didn't test this out. Time will tell on this one.
The box can be moved around when the grass needs cut etc.
The boards where cut down to 95cm long, this was so the box would fit into my Fiesta for transporting to my friends house, I didn't account for the length of the legs when measuring the car and it was a very close shave that we managed to get it in the back with just a bit sticking out and the tail door tied down.
The box is 1 and a half boards deep this allows for about 5-6 inches of sand.
The frame was put together with external grade wood glue and a nail gun, the legs where later strengthened with wood screws. I used a nail gun as hammering is not good for my medical condition, The box can be nailed or screwed together just use what you are used working with.
Once the box was finished it was roughly sanded just to remove any splinters and sharp edges, it was then painted with a coloured wood preserver.
The lid was made using planed lathes and a plastic sign board, this will stop any of the local cats or other animals from using the box as a litter tray.
I used garden fabric to line the box, the lining is so the sand does not run through any small gaps in the box. My upholstery skills are very basic but they got the job done and once the sand is in the box the liner will be hidden. I used an upholstery stapler and 6mm staples once the liner was fitted i went over the staples with a hammer making sure they where all flush with the surface.
We got 2 bags of play sand from the toy shop at £4.00 each (I worked in a hardware store and this price for sand is shear robbery in my mind) and it could do with at least 3-4 more to fill it right up, We will probably end up taking a day trip to the beach and bring back a few bags of free sand and wash it ourselves and the fuel used to take the family to the seaside will cost less than the sand.
Here is a video of Connor pretending to be Godzilla and smashing a load of sand castles, He has been playing Rampage on the X Box.
Thanks for looking and I hope you like the idea.
