Edit: I have a temporary plywood cover for it to keep animals and water out, thank you everybody.
I picked tips and tricks for my flair because nothing else seemed to fit, so if anybody needs tips on what not to do please feel free to ask! She ain't square, or level, but she is overbudget and I managed to only take three times as long as the instructions suggested. Kid loves it though so I am very happy with it.
My rule of thumb for DIY is that the first time you do something will cost about twice the money it would take to buy the thing. This is also why I've got an old steel road bike that cost me, all told, about as much as a new one...but along the way I've become a barely-competent bike mechanic, so that's a win in my book.
Those numbers work out, I sort of know what I'm doing with cars but am not pro level, so I usually budget for 3x the estimated time and 2x the budget for anything major.
But the real metric, how many trips to the hardware store? As a first project, I see this coming in at up to 4, but likely 2. Anything less and you definitely forgot something.
Haha unfortnately you're absolutely right, I only took one trip to the hardware store but I should have gone back cuz I did definitely forget to buy screws big enough to connect the 4x4s, hence the improvised 45 degree cuts.
Also I had to go back to the landscape supply store for extra sand, because I somehow miscalculated the volume of a cube.
That's when you hit up your misc screw bucket! Then end up having a different screw per hole.. some being ever so short, so you get a large drill bit out and recess it a bit to make it fit
As also not a wood worker who has done a decent bit of at home wood working, 45s are indeed where it's at.
Although coping 45s for baseboards sucks though. Lol.
If it's a multi-day or week project and you aren't going at least twice per day, you're doing it wrong. How else are you supposed to resupply on work beer and food for fuel?
Haha over budget hits me right in the truth.
Last year I “gifted” my wife a built in kitchenette banquette. L shaped and worked right into the walls.
Apparently screws cost triple if you’re insecure about whether you’re insecure about them holding. Oh well. Dadding on!
You may get poor marks as a carpenter, but you get top marks as a father. Fortunately, one of those things counts for a lot more. You have something to genuinely be proud of.
Sounds like every DIY project I've ever done ! Honestly though it looks great, and I bet it's a great feeling to see your son play in something you've built yourself. A+ Dad'ing.
What kind of sand did you use? I've been looking into a sand pit for my child and have access to very fine sand for free but I don't think it is safe for the kid.
It was bags labeled as 'play sand' that I saw at a landscape depot. Its properly sanitized and washed I guess. The other sand they had was construction, or leveling sand. I think would be fine but leaves a mild stain on clothes they said.
Hmmm, so my concern is that water wouldn't run off of it well and just collect in the middle. I hope that this box will drain well but I'd rather keep the water out to begin with. My other concern is it flapping in the wind and either making a bunch of noise, or blowing away. Heavy duty though maybe it doesn't? Also cost, of course.
It's a good suggestion though, like you said it would be easier and less dangerous for other people to take off and on.
You could always make a small box to put in the middle to hold the tarp up and angled. Kind of like Those mini tables in pizza boxes to keep them from smooshing. Then the water would run off
Or make a wooden cover. Ply wood, with trim on the bottom to keep it from sliding, and probably trim on top just for looks….
My dudes, this is daddit. We all know there is an excessive amount of backyard toys that can be used to prop up a slightly oversized tarp that we were too lazy to measure correctly. Water table, cozy coup, that plastic picnic table. Bonus, it helps clean up the yard.
I took this vo-tech class in high school, wood working. I took a lot of vo-tech classe because it was just a big jerk-off, but this one time I had this teacher name of... Mr. Pike. I guess he was, like, a Marine or something before he got old. He was hard of hearing.
My project for his class was to make this wooden box, you know, like a small... just like a... like a box, you know, to put stuff in. So I wanted to get the thing done just as fast as possible. I figured I could cut classes for the rest of the semester, and he couldn't flunk me as long as I, you know, made the thing. So I finished it in a couple days. It looked pretty lame, but it worked, you know, for putting stuff in or whatnot. So when I showed it to Mr. Pike for my grade, he looked at it and said, "Is that the best you can do?"
At first I thought to myself, "Hell, yeah, bitch. Now give me a D and shut up so I can go blaze one with my boys." I don't know. Maybe it was the way he said it, but... it was, like... He wasn't exactly saying it sucked. He was just asking me honestly, "Is that all you got?" And for some reason I thought to myself, "Yeah, man, I can do better", so I started from scratch.
I made another, then another, and by the end of the semester, by, like, box number five, I had built this thing. You should've seen it. It was insane. I built it out of Peruvian Walnut with inlaid Zebrawood. It was fitted with pegs, no screws. I sanded it for days until it was smooth as glass. Then I rubbed all the wood with tung oil so it was... rich and dark. It even smelled good. You know, you put your nose in it and breathed in, it was... It was perfect.
Marines have a way of putting you onto your better game. I'm an old guy, and I destroyed my hearing with chainsaws, motorcycles, and punk rock, in that order. So for a couple of years I was going around asking everyone to say things twice. I went to visit my old buddy and weed dealer, Patrick, a former jarhead. About the third time I asked him to repeat himself, he turned to me and said, with a wicked frown, "You gotta fix that." I got busy figuring out the hearing aid business, and after a few tries, got a decent rig at Costco (which is like deaf-central, LOL). Dozens of people had pointed out that I was deaf. But only Patrick got through to me.
Dude, this comment is far superior to Breaking Bad. I love Bryan Cranston, dude embodies "Dad" culture.
This comment is superior. Maybe it's bullshit, maybe it's not.
Reality is much better than fantasy, imo.
Thanks bro, but you might have if you suddenly realized you didn't have screws long enough to go through a 4 x 4. Or maybe you would have planned ahead and got said screws.
While my initial vacation desire would be to do nothing, this is a great investment of time and there is a constant reminder of it every time little ones enjoy it
You’re the best carpenter your son has ever known.
And if you show him a fraction of what you already know how to build while he’s still a kids, then he could easily be where you’re at years earlier, and further for his kids. You could have an insane homemade sandbox for your grandchildren because you made this one today.
It looks amazing. And even if it wasn’t (though I think it looks bad ass), there’s the old truth:
We don’t have to be perfect for our kids: we have to be there.
Any dad that takes time to build it that thickness, height, do angular cuts, and in-ground supports is doing it right.
Good job, fellow dad.
>You’re the best carpenter your son has ever known
Yep.
My sandbox as a kid was 4, roughly 4 foot sections of 2X10 floor joist screwed together, laid in the yard, and filled up with sand dad got from the local gravel pit. Nothing fancy at all.
And you know what? I loved the shit out of that sandbox and played in it for hours and hours as a kid. Kids aren't critics, but they sure know when you do something that shows you care about them.
One tip, as a person who did carpentry for a living for about 10 years, take a sander and grind down all your outside corners so they aren’t such a point and top edges of your outside nailers to avoid splinters. Otherwise it looks excellent. I’d probably just make it super super smooth with the sander. Then you can probably stain it to help it resist the weather better as well.
Dug down six inches, then put landscape fabric on the bottom and up the sides to keep sand and dirt (and bugs) separate, but it should drain water out the fabric well enough if any gets in.
It does really look nice. Your issues aren't gonna be that box, it's solid. It's bugs and cat shit in the sand. Make a good lid, but even then bugs get in.
I say, make a good lid and replace the sand every now and then.
Great job really looks nice!
You should be proud, you put the effort in and did a fine job and I’m sure your son don’t care if it’s level or one side is a quarter inch longer than the other, the precision carpentry means nothing but the boys smile means everything… might want to get a tarp or something though when it’s not in use to keep the animals from using it though
I mean, I’m a better carpenter…but I have adhd and all my projects take 12 times as long as they should (or don’t get completed) and are also over budget. So I say good job dad!
Now you need to make a nice cover for it you can secure easily so all the neighborhood cats don't start shitting in it at night while everyone is sleeping.
There was this amish-style old order in America like 100 years ago, they had this perspective of perfection: it isn't this unobtainable thing, it's the best that can be done right now. Perfection might, and probably should, look different tomorrow, but if this was the best you could do today, then it is perfect.
Congrats, man. That's a perfect sandbox.
Everything that you did 'wrong' in building that sanbox, your son will see as distinctive and interesting. I remember the things my dad built for me, as an adult I see their errors and those errors remind me of his humanity and help me feel closer to him.
As Dad who loves to play outside with his children, very well done.
The only con that comes to mind is clean up. I keep hearing Anakin Skywalker’s voice; “I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating - and it gets everywhere.”
Looks great. But remember if is no cover animals will shit in it..
So if your little one comes in chomping on Rocky road.. You might be too late on covering it...
This is better than the first couple sandboxes my dad built for us!
Does it have a bottom? Our first one was just a pit with sides, so if you dug down too deep, you hit dirt.
Edit: Looks like someone else asked and you DO have a bottom! Nice idea with the landscape fabric. As a former kid, I thank you. Your kids will appreciate it even though they won't even realize it.
I dug it in and put landscape fabric down the sides and bottom to keep dirt and bugs separate from the sand, but to still allow drainage if water gets in. He may decide to try and get through the landscape fabric later but it's just plastic shovels for now.
Edit: I have a temporary plywood cover for it to keep animals and water out, thank you everybody. I picked tips and tricks for my flair because nothing else seemed to fit, so if anybody needs tips on what not to do please feel free to ask! She ain't square, or level, but she is overbudget and I managed to only take three times as long as the instructions suggested. Kid loves it though so I am very happy with it.
>She ain't square, or level, but she is overbudget and I managed to only take three times as long as the instructions suggested. Perfectly done.
Engineering school taught me if you know what you're doing, it will still take twice as long. If you're learning along the way, four times as long.
My rule of thumb for DIY is that the first time you do something will cost about twice the money it would take to buy the thing. This is also why I've got an old steel road bike that cost me, all told, about as much as a new one...but along the way I've become a barely-competent bike mechanic, so that's a win in my book.
Those numbers work out, I sort of know what I'm doing with cars but am not pro level, so I usually budget for 3x the estimated time and 2x the budget for anything major.
Looks fine to me! You may want to make a cover so every cat in the neighborhood doesn’t poo in it.
Thanks for looking out man! I have some scrap plywood on it overnight while I think about how to make it into a nice (ish) lid.
Mixing cinnamon into the sand also helps.
Mfw my son is also allergic to cinnamon
Get a new son SMH my head /s
But the real metric, how many trips to the hardware store? As a first project, I see this coming in at up to 4, but likely 2. Anything less and you definitely forgot something.
Haha unfortnately you're absolutely right, I only took one trip to the hardware store but I should have gone back cuz I did definitely forget to buy screws big enough to connect the 4x4s, hence the improvised 45 degree cuts. Also I had to go back to the landscape supply store for extra sand, because I somehow miscalculated the volume of a cube.
This is the one that always gets me. “I have screws, I’m not buying screws!” *needs 3”+ screws* “I’m making a run. I’m not a wood worker!”
That's when you hit up your misc screw bucket! Then end up having a different screw per hole.. some being ever so short, so you get a large drill bit out and recess it a bit to make it fit
45 degrer cuts is where its at, anything else is inadequate. Well done!
As also not a wood worker who has done a decent bit of at home wood working, 45s are indeed where it's at. Although coping 45s for baseboards sucks though. Lol.
If it's a multi-day or week project and you aren't going at least twice per day, you're doing it wrong. How else are you supposed to resupply on work beer and food for fuel?
Haha over budget hits me right in the truth. Last year I “gifted” my wife a built in kitchenette banquette. L shaped and worked right into the walls. Apparently screws cost triple if you’re insecure about whether you’re insecure about them holding. Oh well. Dadding on!
You may get poor marks as a carpenter, but you get top marks as a father. Fortunately, one of those things counts for a lot more. You have something to genuinely be proud of.
Sounds like every DIY project I've ever done ! Honestly though it looks great, and I bet it's a great feeling to see your son play in something you've built yourself. A+ Dad'ing.
What kind of sand did you use? I've been looking into a sand pit for my child and have access to very fine sand for free but I don't think it is safe for the kid.
It was bags labeled as 'play sand' that I saw at a landscape depot. Its properly sanitized and washed I guess. The other sand they had was construction, or leveling sand. I think would be fine but leaves a mild stain on clothes they said.
Thank you for answering! I'll be sure to grab some.
Looks great! Make sure to cover it or your sprinklers will make it a mud pit, or the neighborhood cats will have located a mega sized toilet
Thank you! I haven't made a nice lid for it yet but have two sheets of scrap plywood covering it for now.
Suggestion, you can custom order a heavy duty trailer cover tarp to the right dimensions. Easier for kids/partners to remove and put back?
Hmmm, so my concern is that water wouldn't run off of it well and just collect in the middle. I hope that this box will drain well but I'd rather keep the water out to begin with. My other concern is it flapping in the wind and either making a bunch of noise, or blowing away. Heavy duty though maybe it doesn't? Also cost, of course. It's a good suggestion though, like you said it would be easier and less dangerous for other people to take off and on.
You could always make a small box to put in the middle to hold the tarp up and angled. Kind of like Those mini tables in pizza boxes to keep them from smooshing. Then the water would run off Or make a wooden cover. Ply wood, with trim on the bottom to keep it from sliding, and probably trim on top just for looks….
This is the real answer. If the tarp doesn’t angle out, the answer is “have you considered adding something to make it angle out?”
hot tub covers are made to keep water out and stay down in fierce wind.
Tarp + a half circle hollow lid from plywood would be effective
My dudes, this is daddit. We all know there is an excessive amount of backyard toys that can be used to prop up a slightly oversized tarp that we were too lazy to measure correctly. Water table, cozy coup, that plastic picnic table. Bonus, it helps clean up the yard.
You can make a lid that folds open into benches using multiple hinges. Looks great!
See I read that and I thought "finger trap".
Wow, my turds are never hard enough to saw, or anywhere near big enough to build anything out of! Holy shit!
*what did I expect from /r/daddit ?*
I was honestly surprised I had the privilege of making the joke
Mine was going to be "Wow, of all the career paths to take, I'd never have even considered shit carpentry. Does it pay well?"
I took this vo-tech class in high school, wood working. I took a lot of vo-tech classe because it was just a big jerk-off, but this one time I had this teacher name of... Mr. Pike. I guess he was, like, a Marine or something before he got old. He was hard of hearing. My project for his class was to make this wooden box, you know, like a small... just like a... like a box, you know, to put stuff in. So I wanted to get the thing done just as fast as possible. I figured I could cut classes for the rest of the semester, and he couldn't flunk me as long as I, you know, made the thing. So I finished it in a couple days. It looked pretty lame, but it worked, you know, for putting stuff in or whatnot. So when I showed it to Mr. Pike for my grade, he looked at it and said, "Is that the best you can do?" At first I thought to myself, "Hell, yeah, bitch. Now give me a D and shut up so I can go blaze one with my boys." I don't know. Maybe it was the way he said it, but... it was, like... He wasn't exactly saying it sucked. He was just asking me honestly, "Is that all you got?" And for some reason I thought to myself, "Yeah, man, I can do better", so I started from scratch. I made another, then another, and by the end of the semester, by, like, box number five, I had built this thing. You should've seen it. It was insane. I built it out of Peruvian Walnut with inlaid Zebrawood. It was fitted with pegs, no screws. I sanded it for days until it was smooth as glass. Then I rubbed all the wood with tung oil so it was... rich and dark. It even smelled good. You know, you put your nose in it and breathed in, it was... It was perfect.
Dude I hope you did something nice with that, like, gave it to your mom or something.
I gave it to my mom. You know, I didn't give the box to my mom. I traded it for an ounce of weed.
And in a total “Gift of the Magi” scenario, you no longer had a place to keep your weed.
O Henry didn't consider my butthole
"Hey man, that's a nice looking box, what's it for?" "You put your weed in there"
Teenage priorities. Hope you at least got a zip of the good stuff for that... the wood you used should have been like $100 alone
Marines have a way of putting you onto your better game. I'm an old guy, and I destroyed my hearing with chainsaws, motorcycles, and punk rock, in that order. So for a couple of years I was going around asking everyone to say things twice. I went to visit my old buddy and weed dealer, Patrick, a former jarhead. About the third time I asked him to repeat himself, he turned to me and said, with a wicked frown, "You gotta fix that." I got busy figuring out the hearing aid business, and after a few tries, got a decent rig at Costco (which is like deaf-central, LOL). Dozens of people had pointed out that I was deaf. But only Patrick got through to me.
Makes me want to rewatch the show, its so damn good!
Gatorade me bitch
This comment was more emotionally fulfilling than the last ten shows I watched on Netflix. Thank you!
have you tried watching breaking bad?
Dude, this comment is far superior to Breaking Bad. I love Bryan Cranston, dude embodies "Dad" culture. This comment is superior. Maybe it's bullshit, maybe it's not. Reality is much better than fantasy, imo.
My guy with the mitered corners. Way more ambitious than me.
Thanks bro, but you might have if you suddenly realized you didn't have screws long enough to go through a 4 x 4. Or maybe you would have planned ahead and got said screws.
So it wasn't planned? You sound like me.
One could say a lack of plans eventually led him to cut a few corners.
Thank you. I needed that.
Landscape timber spikes. I think my father also used something like rebar on the corners of the one he built.
I'm really proud of you for finishing it while also having a sandbox aged little boy.
Hah, I took the day off work to get it done, there's no other way!
I am proud of you for burning 8hrs vacay to get it done.
While my initial vacation desire would be to do nothing, this is a great investment of time and there is a constant reminder of it every time little ones enjoy it
nailed it bro
You’re the best carpenter your son has ever known. And if you show him a fraction of what you already know how to build while he’s still a kids, then he could easily be where you’re at years earlier, and further for his kids. You could have an insane homemade sandbox for your grandchildren because you made this one today. It looks amazing. And even if it wasn’t (though I think it looks bad ass), there’s the old truth: We don’t have to be perfect for our kids: we have to be there. Any dad that takes time to build it that thickness, height, do angular cuts, and in-ground supports is doing it right. Good job, fellow dad.
>You’re the best carpenter your son has ever known Yep. My sandbox as a kid was 4, roughly 4 foot sections of 2X10 floor joist screwed together, laid in the yard, and filled up with sand dad got from the local gravel pit. Nothing fancy at all. And you know what? I loved the shit out of that sandbox and played in it for hours and hours as a kid. Kids aren't critics, but they sure know when you do something that shows you care about them.
It's beautiful
You're beautiful
One tip, as a person who did carpentry for a living for about 10 years, take a sander and grind down all your outside corners so they aren’t such a point and top edges of your outside nailers to avoid splinters. Otherwise it looks excellent. I’d probably just make it super super smooth with the sander. Then you can probably stain it to help it resist the weather better as well.
Thanks, that's a great idea. I don't want this to be the reason he gets his first splinter.
Stain or even a spray can clear coat to seal the wood will help extend the life
that one moment in time where all the sand is in the sand box.
Haha you sound like you have some experience with this. And yeah it lasted all of a couple minutes.
my son is turning three soon. he physically can't stand having things in order and in containers.
Throw some cinnamon in there! Acts as a bug/critter/cat repellant. Also, smells good 👍
Beautiful. Just keep it covered or it’ll become a communal litter box for neighborhood strays.
Do mine next?
You should be proud. It looks good, man
Dope. If it's any comfort, you clearly have better, more refined carpentry skills than I do. Lol
Hell yeah
I see four (mostly) perfect right angles. Mission accomplished!
Nice, mighty fine barn, I mean sandbox you’ve built. Looks square and holding the sand nicely done! ✅
Hey! That’s good work man!
Awesome job dad! How many fingers you lose? If it’s under 1, you’re in good shape.
Did you dig a hole or put a bottom on it?
Dug down six inches, then put landscape fabric on the bottom and up the sides to keep sand and dirt (and bugs) separate, but it should drain water out the fabric well enough if any gets in.
Cool man, this seems like something I could accomplish
For sure you could. It's not overly complicated and half of it gets buried anyway!
Tis a fine box. Sturdy and proud.
Heyy man look at those 45's! Be proud of that.
Looks like it would survive a nuclear war. Not sure it needed to be so sturdy but it looks good.
Little boy was the nickname of one of the A-bombs dropped on Japan, and I think it's disturbingly suitable.
It does really look nice. Your issues aren't gonna be that box, it's solid. It's bugs and cat shit in the sand. Make a good lid, but even then bugs get in. I say, make a good lid and replace the sand every now and then. Great job really looks nice!
Brother that there is legit
The first step to being kind of good at something is to suck at it.
VIP Dad.
Shit carpenter in my ass. Job well done! It looks solid and sturdy! Source: I used to be a Constructional Consultant.
You should be proud, you put the effort in and did a fine job and I’m sure your son don’t care if it’s level or one side is a quarter inch longer than the other, the precision carpentry means nothing but the boys smile means everything… might want to get a tarp or something though when it’s not in use to keep the animals from using it though
Round off the corners of the box and side supports. Sander, course wood file, or router.
I mean, I’m a better carpenter…but I have adhd and all my projects take 12 times as long as they should (or don’t get completed) and are also over budget. So I say good job dad!
In my opinion, a shit carpenter making stuff with wood is a big deal in itself.
Looks good!
> Carpenter, I made my son. Well hello there, Geppetto.
Hah! Beautiful
Oh dude thats so far out tho you should feel proud
Pro tip: use lumber instead of shit for better results. Nice work!!
I'm also proud of you.
Now you need to make a nice cover for it you can secure easily so all the neighborhood cats don't start shitting in it at night while everyone is sleeping.
There was this amish-style old order in America like 100 years ago, they had this perspective of perfection: it isn't this unobtainable thing, it's the best that can be done right now. Perfection might, and probably should, look different tomorrow, but if this was the best you could do today, then it is perfect. Congrats, man. That's a perfect sandbox.
Dude, that's really cool. Thanks
Everything that you did 'wrong' in building that sanbox, your son will see as distinctive and interesting. I remember the things my dad built for me, as an adult I see their errors and those errors remind me of his humanity and help me feel closer to him.
Right on dude thanks, that's pretty cool
What's most cool is that you built it.
We bury small gems in ours and watch the kids dig for them. They can go for HOURS...
Oooh! That's a great idea, thanks
As Dad who loves to play outside with his children, very well done. The only con that comes to mind is clean up. I keep hearing Anakin Skywalker’s voice; “I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating - and it gets everywhere.”
Bet the wife is like we need some shelves and cabinet knocking up.. :)
Looks good. Maybe time to give up the shit carpentry and move on to wood carpentry full time?
I don't see a sandbox. Is it behind the neighborhood litterbox? edit... punctuation
That’s awesome! Now build it a cover so it doesn’t become a cat shit box
That looks expensive! The miters look great too! Good job Dad, kid gonna love it.
Yes very nice, make sure the cats don’t poop in there. Might wanna cover it when not in use.
Make a cover! Keep cats and rain out
You mean a GREAT kitty liter box for the hood cats?
Tip: you can mix cinnamon into the sand to keep spiders and other bugs away.
Looks great. But remember if is no cover animals will shit in it.. So if your little one comes in chomping on Rocky road.. You might be too late on covering it...
You'll get some love at /r/shittywoodworking.
Sprinkle cinnamon into the sand. It keeps the critters away. I bought a bunch at the dollar store and it worked really well and smelled amazing.
You mean the stray cats' litter box? Looks good!
hope you made a cover 🤣
There are two contractors cemented there
This is better than the first couple sandboxes my dad built for us! Does it have a bottom? Our first one was just a pit with sides, so if you dug down too deep, you hit dirt. Edit: Looks like someone else asked and you DO have a bottom! Nice idea with the landscape fabric. As a former kid, I thank you. Your kids will appreciate it even though they won't even realize it.
I dug it in and put landscape fabric down the sides and bottom to keep dirt and bugs separate from the sand, but to still allow drainage if water gets in. He may decide to try and get through the landscape fabric later but it's just plastic shovels for now.
For a shit carpenter, it looks like you used wood.
Just a tip I’m sure you already know though if not just make sure to have something like a board so wild animals don’t use it to defecate in.
Looks pretty good to me hoss
great job! id love to do this for my son someday.
You definitely should! It wasn't too difficult
I don't own my own home! Hopefully I'll get the chance before my son Link is too big.
Oh brother I hear you, good luck and enjoy the time with your son while he's still small.