# Milk Crates



## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

I was looking to build my cemetery columns using the milk crate technique but I've run into two problems. 

One being that the milk crate tutorial is gone and there only seemed to be one. This is not a major problem as I can probably just use common sense building it anyways - would have been nice for reference purposes.

Second and more importantly I can't find a good source of crates. I've tried several grocery stores in the area and they all give me the same shmeel - they recycle them back to the vendors because it's the vendor's property.

I know there's always the old fashioned way of making a midnight run behind the store and um err borrowing a few. But, while resourceful and frugal, I'm an honest haunter.

Short of that or paying through the nose for a new one anyone know a cheap or preferably free source? I just seem to be having trouble getting any merchants, manufacturers, or distributors to just give away, sell, or donate anything outside of their normal product lines here in Connecticut. If you ever seen the Geico Connecticut Richest State commercial I guess it all makes sense ;-)

I guess if all else fails I could go the wood frame route.

Thanks,
-TM


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Check Menards or your local hardware store. Also, some dollar stores (dollar trees) carry them.


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## The_Caretaker (Mar 6, 2007)

If I remember the tutorial correctly, the milk crate were used as a base for foam insulation. You could easily make a frame from 1 x 2 and keep it roughly the same weight, but if you build it so that one side was applied with velcro the empty space of the coulumns could be used for storage


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## Scary Godmother (Oct 13, 2007)

I have also seen the milk crates in the dollar store.:laugheton:


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## PeeWeePinson (Feb 23, 2006)

I am with Terrormaster, I would love to have a tutorial on how to make collums out of milk crates as I have about 40 of them and I need to make cemetery collums this year. Please help us if anyone can!


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## The_Caretaker (Mar 6, 2007)

Did you check the monsterlist? http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

The_Caretaker said:


> Did you check the monsterlist? http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/


Yup, thats the first place I always go for tutorials. There's one tutorial on milk crates there and the link is more or less dead...

Like I said, the crates and foam are kinda common sense and maybe a little creativity... But it's always nice to have reference material to maybe learn from other's mistakes.

-TM


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## The_Caretaker (Mar 6, 2007)

Why milk crates? why not 1x2 and plywood/osb?


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Being a coder/programmer in addition to a haunter I like to do things modular and in an object oriented reusable fashion. With crates I can take a side or more off and use it as storage from lighting, etc. Now if I were putting any mechanisms on the inside of the design it'd be a different story ;-)

-TM


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## The_Caretaker (Mar 6, 2007)

Be an embedded programmer myself I understand where you are coming from.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

you might try gas stations for the milk crates ..ours usually toss them


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## The_Caretaker (Mar 6, 2007)

remember milk crates are made to stack on the open end they are a wide as they are deep but not as high as they are wide and deep they may not stack to well side to side


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Well stopped into a Dollar store (not an official Dollar Tree though) while in the mall this evening to look specifically for crates... Oh they had $1 crates alright... The kind just big enough to stash DVDs in though. No more than 10"x10" I'd say.

Think I'm just gonna go with either 1x1's or 1x2s and build a frame. Just like to avoid wood working when possible - I'm more a PVC man... I could be a pioneer and try building a column out of 1/2" PVC and velcro the foam boards to it.

-TM


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## Metaluna Mutant (May 18, 2008)

Try your local mini-marts. I live in Lancaster Pennsylvania where Turkey Hill is king. We ask for a crate when we have four one gallon jugs. We return them, but they tell us that we don't have to. So check the mini-marts.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Still sitting on the fence on this one and no luck with crates. For the wood based columns, is their a particular construction reason why most folk back the foam with 1/4" plywood? Has anyone tried it without the plywood? What were the challenges of that if so and were there any issues?

I don't fear woodworking, I just don't have the tools or money to invest in said tools (I don't own a miter saw or any shape or form of circular saw - in fact the only saws I do own are hand saws).

UPDATE: Found some milk crates at Amazon, set of 6 for $5 a set: 



 - shipping is a killer though since it's oversized, $31.17 (yeow) for two sets of six.

Any advice in general? All the tutorials I've seen involve building a wood frame.

-TM


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## dave the dead (Jan 31, 2007)

Terrormaster said:


> Any advice in general? All the tutorials I've seen involve building a wood frame.
> 
> -TM


Hey TM....what about a pvc box frame??? Depending on how large you want the column to be, you could probably make a pretty sturdy box out of 3/4"pvc (or even 1/2" if you get fancy with cross fittings and stuff) You could then make a wrap of pink or blue foam, duct tape the seams, and screw it right to the pvc...then when halloween is over unscrew it, fold the foam at the seams, knock the pvc apart and you are good for storage between seasons.

Hey, I might be on to something here......:googly:


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## trishaanne (Aug 20, 2005)

Too bad you don't live in NJ.....someone on craigslilst is giving away milk crates. At one point they had over 250 of them and are now down to about 50 or so. I'd pick them up for ya but shipping would kill me!


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## Vikeman (Aug 3, 2006)

Terrormaster, I made these columns a few years ago.

http://halloweengallery.com/displayimage.php?album=47&pos=4

They are made with a simple 2x2 frame. The foam is glued right over the 2x2's. I did put in a plywood bottom for some extra weight. The tops and the back panel come off, so I can stack them in storage and use the insides to store boxes, etc.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

dave the dead said:


> Hey TM....what about a pvc box frame??? Depending on how large you want the column to be, you could probably make a pretty sturdy box out of 3/4"pvc (or even 1/2" if you get fancy with cross fittings and stuff) You could then make a wrap of pink or blue foam, duct tape the seams, and screw it right to the pvc...then when halloween is over unscrew it, fold the foam at the seams, knock the pvc apart and you are good for storage between seasons.


Thats not a bad idea Dave... Thoughts - would I put the duct tape on the inside or outside? How would the latex paint react to the folding between storage and display over the years? Also, ever see any 3-way fittings that are usable as corners (not necessary really and can work around it - but would make life easier)?



trishaanne said:


> Too bad you don't live in NJ.....someone on craigslilst is giving away milk crates. At one point they had over 250 of them and are now down to about 50 or so. I'd pick them up for ya but shipping would kill me!


Thanks a bunch, that would have been cool. Heh, I'd cover it but what it'd cost I might as well buy them at Home Depot. Not to mention the cost of gas to drive down these days hehe. But the offer is much appreciated.

-TM


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## tcarter (Aug 18, 2006)

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/430723/Office-Brand-Crate-Black/


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

tcarter said:


> http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/430723/Office-Brand-Crate-Black/


Heh, ya meant Office Depot not Home Depot up above... The cost ain't too shabby and comes about 3-5 bucks less after tax than getting the cheap ones from Amazon with the shipping.

Right now weighing the cost and stability advantages of the crates vs. PVC.

-TM


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## The_Caretaker (Mar 6, 2007)

Duct Tape would be on the inside or you could cut the edges of the insulation so they interlace


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## Silent Requiem (Feb 17, 2008)

unfortunatly, i also saw the possiblilities of a milk crate collumn that doubled as storage, but also came up with only thebcrates already in my garage. the difficulty with dollarstore crates is they are fragile crap. keep an eye out at thriftstores and garage sales, and maybe some dumpster diving. 

ironically i ended up making plywood pillars anyway, and using my milk crates for storage stacked inside them. i'm still serching for the perfect modular pillar archway.

one thing i did have some creative success with, thoiugh, was those wire modular shelves you can get for 15 bucks at walmart. their fragile, so they need to be zip ties a bajillian times, but you can make em however you want(short thick ones, long skinny ones, ) and they are great for light storage. if you don't cover them with foam or canvase they give a industrial goth look, especially if you string rope lights through it. two pakages got me enough for a seven foot tall pillared archway. good luck, keep me posted on the PVC pillars, i'm a PVC freak too.


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