DIY Wooden Battery Box: How To Make a Wooden Battery Box
Innovation can be old-school. When doing projects yourself, it is okay to go old-school. Too many people are looking for that better mousetrap when they build their own items. However, that better mousetrap or battery box may be made of wood.
One of the keys to building your wooden battery box would be to install proper venting. Batteries need good ventilation to last a lot longer and perform better. A solid wood box may be the easiest to build but it won’t help your batteries.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can build a better battery box even if it is old-school. Take a few minutes to see how this information helps you.
Can You Use Wood For a Battery Box?
Yes, you can and there are quite a few DIY plans that will help you do it. Wood is a very good material to use as it is strong and durable, and you can make it look any way you want it to look.
In making this wood battery box there are two main questions you need to answer before you get started. The first question would be ‘Do you have enough weight allowance for your RV or trailer to hold the wood box?
Weight is always going to be an issue and you need to know how much the wood type you want to use weighs before getting started. One reason aluminum is used more often is that it is lighter than plywood and other wood types.
The second question to answer will be ‘What type of wood do you want to use?’ If you are a qualified and experienced carpenter, then there are a myriad of wood types you can use including both soft and hardwood.
Both of these questions can and should be asked at the same time. The type of wood you want to use will help determine the answer to the weight question. Also, you need to make sure you have the budget to buy the wood type you want to use.
Even once-cheap plywood is now very expensive to buy so make sure you take a trip to the lumber yard to see what is available and at what cost.
What is The Best Wood For a Battery Box?
This is hard to determine as one lumber yard website said there are at least 35 timber or wood options you can choose from to make a top-quality wood battery box.
What makes a good battery box using wood is if you are skilled at working in those wood items. Some can be hard to work with, especially the hardwoods, and if you do not have the skills, leave those wood options alone.
Here are 6 options recommended by that lumber yard website- Wenge, a hardwood; South Yellow Pine, a softwood; Seasoned Oak, a hardwood; Scandinavian Redwood, a softwood; Green Oak, a hardwood, and Balau, a hardwood.
If your budget eliminates some of the more exotic options, there is still birch, maple, fir, and even plywood to choose from. The best wood battery box will be the one that has the proper insulation, the proper pad to soak up any spills, and good ventilation.
Plus, it should not be too heavy as you always have to factor in the weight of your completed wood box into your cargo weight allowance. The good aspect about using wood is that you can sand it and apply varnish or a stain and use router bits to make it look really good.
The decorative side of the wood battery box has unlimited options.
How To Make a Wooden Battery Box
The first step in this process is to decide which type of wood you can afford and want to use. Make sure you have a second and third choice just in case the other two choices are too expensive for the size you want to build.
The second step is designing your battery box. Know where you want to put it and take accurate measurements so you have the space you need. Before you start designing your battery box, you need to decide if you are going to house 1, 2, or even 3 batteries inside.
That decision can be for your present battery situation or for a future upgrade. No sense in doing the work twice if you will add a battery or two in the near future.
Once your design is ready and you know which type of wood you will use, it is time to take the third step and buy your materials and round up your tools. The following is just an example of the materials and tools you may need:
- ½” Birch Plywood
- 1×3 furring strips
- 6 Mil Plastic Sheeting
- 1-½” Angle Brackets
- 1” Pocket Hole Screws
- 1-¼” Pocket Hole Screws
- 1” GRK Cabinet Screws
- 1-¼” GRK Trim Head Screws
- 1-½” Spade Drill Bit or Hole Saw
- 3/4″ Self-tapping Screws
- 12” Piano Hinge
- Safety Hasp (Latch)
- Gorilla Tape
- 3M High Strength 90 Spray Adhesive
- Titebond II Wood Glue
- Tie Down Straps
- Light Duty D-Ring Anchor Points
- Kreg Jig Pocket Hole Kit
- Cordless Drill
- Carpenter’s Square
- Jigsaw
One note of caution. When you are working with a hardwood you will need carbide tipped blades and drill bits as well as router bits and so on. Regular blades, etc., will not last long when working with hardwoods.
Make sure you have all the tools you need on hand and keep in mind that end grains do not hold so screws will not be enough to hold the wood panels or strips together.
Once your materials and tools are ready, cut all the pieces you need first. That will make the project go a little faster and be more accurate. Then do your assembly work taking one piece at a time and making sure you drill correctly and in the right spots.
Keep taking measurements before you cut or drill to make sure you did not make an error. When you glue pieced make sure you have the right sized clamps to hold the wood together.
Big clamps are not good for small tasks and small clamps will be too small in some applications as well as not strong enough.
DIY Wooden Battery Box Design
The design is going to be up to you and how you want the box to look. You have plenty of options available to use but your overall design will be limited by the space you want to place the battery box.
Aesthetically speaking there are some wood types that look better than others even after varnishing and staining. Painting wood can be done but it is a cardinal sin for many wood enthusiasts.
Painting will help protect the wood and preserve it but varnish and stain give it that extra look that when one looks at their handiwork they think a job well done. There is a difference between staining, varnishing, and painting and painting is not on the same level as the first two.
Also, if you are so inclined and the battery box is going to be seen by guests and the general public, you can take the extra step and use a router to create some nice details on your battery box.
Elevating the look says a lot about you and your abilities. Plus, the extra design touch will enhance any location where you place that battery box. But as we said at the beginning of this section, the design is up to you and how you want your battery box to look.
Each type of wood option contributes its own characteristics when sanded and polished just right. Some battery boxes do not need that extra touch to look elegant.
As a final word on this topic, finding designs to copy is as easy as going to your library and getting how-to books or looking designs up on the internet. There is a wealth of information to tap into when you are looking at doing this project.
Wood Inverter Battery Box Cabinet
Two ideas that have not been discussed already and the above words will apply to his simple project. First, you can put your inverter battery box cabinet on castor wheels. That way it is very easy and convenient to move around when that task needs to be done.
Just build some solid brakes into your design to keep it from rolling around when you are traveling. The second idea that has not been mentioned yet is termites.
If you live in an area where termites live, then you need to treat the wood to protect against that invasive insect. OR you can use a wood like Sheesham wood which is termite proof.
One cabinet made from this wood can cost up to $400 or more and can be found on sale for only $200. You can go to Amazon and get some ideas for simple designs.
That marketplace has many inverter cabinets on sale. However, the drawback to using those designs is that those examples are all made from either particle board or MDF wood. Those wood items are not the most durable to use.
Of course, you can take the design and use a better wood product. Again, the how-to books and the internet will provide some great ideas as well as step-by-step instructions.
Finding a Wood Battery Box For Sale
As we mentioned in the previous section, Amazon has a few on sale but they look cheaply made using cheap materials. If your budget is not that strong, that may be your only option.
If you do not like the options you find at that marketplace, you can try Etsy and see what boxes are on sale. That website has all different types and sizes of wood boxes for sale and some should fit your requirements.
You can get some nice design ideas from that website. EBay may be another source but its selection is very dependent on who is placing their items up for sale. It may take a while to search that site to find what you want.
Another place to find wood battery boxes or wood boxes or cabinets that can be used for batteries and inverters would be the big box stores. Check out their inventory to see what they have in stock.
The key to using this last option is to bring your measurements with you so you can find the right-sized box for the space you want to put it. Or you can try furniture stores for cabinets that will house your inverter and batteries.
There are a lot of options where you can find wood boxes for sale that will meet your needs. Some options just happen to be more economical than others but what you get in return for your money is not always durable or good-looking.
Sometimes, the best option is for you to go to the lumber yard and pick out the type of wood that will not only look good but fit your budget. Plywood has been a go to construction material because it is strong and it lasts.
Some Additional Words
When you have nothing but time, building your own wood battery box or inverter cabinet is a smart way to go. That way you get the look you want, the durable materials that you need, and a sense of achievement once it all comes together.
However, when you take on a DIY project like this, you do need to have the skills to work with wood. While wood is very forgiving, it is too easy to make mistakes and waste your money and time.
The location of your battery box and cabinet will help you determine if you should build it yourself or buy a new one.
