Dog-Crate End Table

The cut sheets

Sheet 1 of 2

6 parts on this sheet. They cover 66.7% of a 1220 × 2440 mm sheet. Cut path 49.67 m. About 3 h 8 min at the typical diode estimate (best 1 h 41 min, slow 7 h 18 min).

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• 1 TOP 900 × 600 mm Qty 1 Top
• 2 BACK 824 × 554 mm Qty 1 Carcass
• 4 FLOOR 824 × 560 mm Qty 1 Carcass
• 5 SIDE-L 560 × 682 mm Qty 1 Carcass
• 5 SIDE-R 560 × 682 mm Qty 1 Carcass
• 6 DOOR 480 × 483 mm Qty 1 Door

Sheet 2 of 2

3 parts on this sheet. They cover 19.4% of a 1220 × 2440 mm sheet. Cut path 12.18 m. About 57 min at the typical diode estimate (best 36 min, slow 1 h 59 min).

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• 3 FRONT 824 × 554 mm Qty 1 Carcass
• 7 TRAY-L 409 × 480 mm Qty 1 Tray
• 7 TRAY-R 409 × 480 mm Qty 1 Tray

Build stages

1. 1

   Cut the sheets about 412 min (6 h 52 min)

   Fit-test coupon first (slot = tab + 0.1 mm); cut 2 sheet(s): 62 m of path with 30 rounded vent/slat openings. Use cabinet-grade ply with NAUF/CARB2 glue (no MDF - dogs chew it and moisture swells it). Inside-out order, air assist on.

2. 2

   Remove char, sand, round every edge about 120 min (2 h)

   Brush the char off, 120 then 180 then 220 grit. Hand-round ALL edges, slot ends and the inside of the door opening (about 3 mm) - no splinters or sharp arrises where a dog can rub. Sand the tab ends flush later.

3. 3

   Dry fit about 20 min

   Stand SIDE-L/R, slide in FLOOR, FRONT and BACK, then drop TOP over every tab. Check the DOOR sits in its opening with about 2 mm all round and the trays drop in.

4. 4

   Pre-finish (pet-safe) about 75 min (1 h 15 min)

   Finish every part before glue-up with a cured pet-safe finish (water-based poly or food-safe hardwax oil, 2-3 coats); let it cure fully (3-7 days is best) before a dog goes in. Mask tabs and slots.

5. 5

   Glue-up (Titebond III) about 35 min

   Glue FLOOR, FRONT and BACK into SIDE-L, add SIDE-R, then seat TOP on all tabs. Clamp across the width and check it is square. Wipe squeeze-out; no glue on the door or trays.

6. 6

   Screws from the outside only about 20 min

   12 #8 x 1-1/2 in screws (3.0 mm pilots pre-cut) through the side faces into the floor, front and back edges. Nothing protrudes inside the crate. Countersink and plug.

7. 7

   Hang the door about 30 min

   Two 3 in surface-mount flush hinges on the right: pre-drill 2.5 mm for the hinge screws, set the door with 2 mm gaps (never wider than 4 mm - paw safety). Fit a dog-proof barrel bolt on the door and drop its pin through the 9 mm hole in the header.

8. 8

   Sand tab ends and final finish about 40 min

   Sand the tab ends on the tabletop flush, final coat on the top (wipe-clean, heat/water resistant poly), edge-seal the cut ends.

9. 9

   Pad, test, pack about 30 min

   Lay a washable pad on the trays. Shake test, then flat-pack: parts up to 900 x 600 mm in one box with corner guards; include hinge and bolt hardware and the care and safety sheet.

About 13 h 2 min for all 9 stages.

Materials and hardware

18 mm (3/4 in) birch cabinet plywood (NAUF/CARB2 glue), 4 x 8 ft x 2 - no MDF. Thickness 18 mm. 2 sheets.

Glue: Titebond III, about 5 oz.

Finish: pet-safe water-based poly or food-safe hardwax oil, 3 coats (about $18).

Screws counted from the model: #8 x 1-1/2 in × 12.

Profit estimate

Diode machine time

These three columns are the same unit at the mid selling price. Best, typical, and slow are the diode estimates. Based on reported 120 W-class diode speeds, multiple passes at 18 mm. One timed scrap cut will replace this.

Commercial laser (assumptions)

These columns are assumptions, not a cut on this machine. ASSUMPTION. Sourced case: 300-600 W CO2 flatbed, single pass at ~600 mm/min (vendor 480-720), 60 m/min rapids, 5 min/sheet, $8/h operating cost. What-if cases: a machine 10x / 20x faster than the diode mid cut+travel time (not sourced for 18 mm ply).

Selling price, at the typical diode time

ESTIMATE: 4.1 h (low-speed case 9.3 h, best case 2.3 h) of machine time per unit for 62 m of cut path in 2 sheet(s) on a 120 W diode, 18 mm plywood. Machine time, not material, is still the limit on profit per hour, but a single test cut on scrap will replace this range with a real number.

All dollar figures are planning ESTIMATES / ASSUMPTIONS, not quotes, not guaranteed. Sheet prices: 4x8 ft 18 mm birch plywood $70-110, basic plywood $55-75 (assumption). Machine time uses a sourced RANGE for a 120 W diode on 18 mm ply (low 120 / typical 300 / high 600 mm/min effective, i.e. after multiple passes; taken from reported speeds for a 120 W-class diode); ACMER publishes no 18 mm ply feed rate, so none of it is measured on this machine. Machine wear/electricity $1.70 per machine-hour (assumption). Labor valued at $25/h for the "after labor" line only. Marketplace fees 10% (assumption, e.g. Etsy-style).

Where the price band came from: Etsy median $395; custom target $350-$700 (estimate)

Try your own numbers

Change the sheet cost, hardware, selling price, labor rate, or machine time. Finish ($18.00) and packaging ($20.00) stay put. Machine wear follows the machine-time choice: $1.70 per hour on the diode estimates, $8.00 per hour on the commercial assumptions. Fees stay at 10% of the selling price. Labor uses the planned 3.5 h at the rate you type.

Still an estimate. Based on reported 120 W-class diode speeds, multiple passes at 18 mm. One timed scrap cut will replace this. The commercial rows are assumptions, not a cut on this machine.

Parameters

These are the knobs for a custom order. The model on this page uses the defaults. Stay inside the limits.

Safety notes

• Animal safety (design intent, NOT certified): all openings <= 38 mm, every slot end rounded, door gap about 2 mm, no screws or hinge hardware inside, tabs flush.
• Use a dog-proof latch and test with the dog supervised; this is a rest crate, not a restraint or vehicle crate.
• Pet-safe cured finish only; no MDF, no chemical stains inside; ventilation about 30 slotted openings.
• Interior 824 x 484 x 536 mm: check the dog's shoulder height + 50 mm, nose-to-tail length + 80 mm before ordering; the default suits a dog up to about 18 kg.
• Tabletop rating target 25 kg of objects (UNVERIFIED); the crate floor target 40 kg dog (UNVERIFIED).

Unverified / to test

• Not tested with an animal; rating and chew resistance unknown.
• Hinge and bolt positions are guidance; screw holes for hinges are drilled by hand.
• Machine time is an estimate (120 W diode on 18 mm ply, sourced range, not measured on this machine); cut time and profit/hour depend on it.
• Height default is 700 mm (spec said ~650): the extra 50 mm keeps a 90 mm robot-vac plinth and a 536 mm interior.
• Visible tab ends on the tabletop (sand flush or cover).
• Price band is an estimate from a survey of similar pieces for sale.

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