You will need:
Tools: Jigsaw,
Sander,
Drill,
Cordless screwdriver,
Router,
Tacker
Set of wood drill bits and Countersink bit
Sanding paper, (120 – 240 grit)
Exterior varnish, cloth or paintbrush
Folding rule, soft pencil, rubber, pencil sharpener
Pine laminated board of 18 mm and 27 mm thickness
You must adapt the list of materials accordingly if you opt for other materials or thicknesses.
Click here to open PDF Construction Diagram.
Ask your local Timbercity to cut the required boards to size.
1. Join the surrounds with the screw strips
First place all of the parts required for the frame in the way you want to assemble them. The short frame surrounds are enclosed within the long frame surrounds. Mark the different parts with a triangle so that you always know what goes where at a later stage of assembly.
Using screws (4 x 60 mm), mount the short and long surrounds using the upright screw strips to form a single frame.
Tip for screwing together two pieces of wood - In the piece where you want to insert the screws first, predrill a hole that is 0.5 to 1 mm larger than the screw diameter; countersink for the screw head. In the piece that you are going to drill second, predrill a hole that is always 1 mm smaller than the screw diameter.
Continue by assembling the horizontal screw strips between the upright screw strips, flush with the upper edge of the surrounds. The bench boards are fastened to these screw strips with screws at a later stage. Use a cordless screwdriver and screws (4 x 60 mm). Refer again to our tip about screwing together two pieces of wood.
You can now also predrill the 5-mm holes through the horizontal screw strips, through which the bench boards will be fastened with screws from below.
2. Join the bench boards with the frame
Lay the completed frame on trestles. Now position the first bench board on its side and the horizontal screw strip as illustrated in the drawing. Secure it in place with clamp clips. Remember to use pieces of scrap wood as buffer blocks while doing so to avoid leaving unsightly pressure marks on the workpieces.
Fit the bench board through the predrilled 5-mm holes in the horizontal screw strips. Follow the same procedure for the remaining bench boards.
The bench boards are joined together by connecting straps from below, which also ensure the sandpit is stable enough. Predrill these straps in each of the corners, using the drill and 5-mm drill bit.
Place the sandpit with the bench boards face down on the trestles. Mount the straps as shown in our illustration.
3. Fit the root barrier plastic or sheeting
To prevent plants from growing in the sand, you should line the sandpit with strong plastic sheeting. Use a tacker or staple gun to secure the layer of plastic below the horizontal screw strips on the sides.
4. Join the gable ends and cross connectors for the canopy
Using a pencil, draw the outline of the gable end on the gable boards. Cut the gable ends to size using the jigsaw. Secure a suitable rail with clamp clips to use as a parallel guide and help you cut in a long straight line.
Position the gable ends and the cross connectors in the way you want to assemble them. Use a pencil and triangles to mark their relative positions so that you always know what goes where at a later stage of assembly.
To fasten the gable ends to the canopy supports, use the drill and 8-mm wood drill bit to make a hole in each of the gable ends. This position is marked in the illustration.
Use a pencil to trace the outlines of the cross connectors on the gable panels. Using the drill and 5-mm wood drill bit, make at least two holes through which you can fasten the gable ends and cross connectors together.
5. Prepare the canopy supports and join them to the sandpit
Rout a notch at the top of each canopy support so that you can raise and lower the canopy to provide optimum sun protection. To do this, secure the canopy support with a clamp clip on your work surface (remember to use buffer blocks).
Using a router, parallel guide and an 8-mm straight bit, make the groove in the canopy support according to the specifications in our illustration. Complete the task in several steps, routing only about 4 mm at a time to go easy on the router bit.
Fit the canopy supports in the centre of each side of the sandpit so they are flush with the bottom edge.
We have also included a hole in the bottom of the canopy supports for the carriage bolts with wing nuts so that you can fasten the canopy as a lid on the sandpit and keep the sand clean. To mark this hole, align the canopy frame on the bench boards of the sandpit. Use a pencil to trace the hole position on the inside of the canopy supports and then make the hole with the drill and 8-mm wood drill bit.
6. Cover the canopy frame with canopy fabric
Stretch the canopy fabric lengthways over the canopy frame and gable ends. Fix the fabric in place on the outer cross connectors using the tacker.
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