Sandbox Tech

VortecJeep

VortecJeep

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Aug 24, 2005
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Concord, NC
We currently have one of those plastic turtle sandboxes for our daughter. It is too small for two kids to play in, so I'm thinking about building a sandbox.

I definitely have to come up with a cover for it to keep rain and animals out of it.

I am also thinking about putting it up on wheels and having a removable handle where I could move it around the yard for when I am mowing and to move it every day or two to try to prevent having a big dead spot in the grass.

Any ideas? I may back down on putting it on wheels if I find that is too expensive.
 
get an old tobacco trailer. Those are basically oversized wagons (with 4 wheels and a steering axle). I'd remove the sides to the floor and build off of that for the box. A top can be something similar to that used on a whirl pool minus the insulation.
 
holy crap, have been pondering the same thing, my 3 are way to big for that dumb turtle. I've been thinking about using logs from the trees I've cut down recently to build a mega-sandbox. for the cover, I would like to make something that rolls up, like a cheap tarp fastened to a pole, mounted along one end of the sandbox. This will be on the edge of the lawn by the woods, so I'm not concerned about moving it.
 
Why not use poles at the corners of the box to slide a "roof/lid" upon? Basically a roof for when they are in it to keep some of the sun off them (kids are miserable with a bad sunburn). Make a frame to the top of the poles to keep it steady and then use some pvc or even condiut as the roof frame. Attach a tarp or something to shed water, put some holes near the top to slide some pins into to hold the roof up when they are in it. Do the same thing down low to secure the lid in storms/not in use.
 
gmcjimmy88 said:
Why not use poles at the corners of the box to slide a "roof/lid" upon? Basically a roof for when they are in it to keep some of the sun off them (kids are miserable with a bad sunburn). Make a frame to the top of the poles to keep it steady and then use some pvc or even condiut as the roof frame. Attach a tarp or something to shed water, put some holes near the top to slide some pins into to hold the roof up when they are in it. Do the same thing down low to secure the lid in storms/not in use.
Click to expand...

I like it! I havent put much thought into it yet, this might work.
 
I went to Harbor Freight and Lowes. Got four 5" casters on sale, two of them swivel, 330 pound rating. I got some treated lumber at Lowes. Ready to get started on the box. I like the roof ideas, keep 'em coming.
 
Keep in mind that any sandbox that is big enough for several kids will have a lot of sand - and be VERY heavy to push around... at 100lbs per cubic foot (dry!) it will add up fast
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_weight_of_2_cubic_yards_of_sand
say 4'x4'x.5'deep = 8 cf ~800 lbs

if it is on the ground, key is to have a vey thick plastic on bottom so things can't get/grow through, and rolled up around corners so wate will run under/around and not get in.
We had the turtle too - blue sand FTW! - left that mofo when we sold the house
 
thinking more about this raisable cover/roof, I'm not sure I want my kids underneath this, what if it falls on top of them (I'll be building this myself :lol:)? Mine will be located the edge of the woods with trees to the south, there should be plenty of shade. I guess I'll pursue the rollable tarp concept.
 
i remember when i was a kid my dad got a dumptruck load of sand and had it dumped in the back yard and said have at it. no walls, no roof, no bottom....just a humungous pile of sand. it was great.

of course, 25 years ago, the pile may have seemed huge to me, not sure what i would think if same pile today. weird how things get smaller as you get older.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Keep in mind that any sandbox that is big enough for several kids will have a lot of sand - and be VERY heavy to push around... at 100lbs per cubic foot (dry!) it will add up fast
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_weight_of_2_cubic_yards_of_sand
say 4'x4'x.5'deep = 8 cf ~800 lbs
if it is on the ground, key is to have a vey thick plastic on bottom so things can't get/grow through, and rolled up around corners so wate will run under/around and not get in.
We had the turtle too - blue sand FTW! - left that mofo when we sold the house
Click to expand...
:poop: I didn't realize it was that heavy. I've gotten use to dragging the turtle sandbox around, but the box I just built is 4' x 4', where as the turtle sandbox is about 2' in diameter. This sandbox may just have to sit in one place.
 
yager said:
When I was a kid I didn't had a fancy shmancy sand box, we played in the dirt and we liked it... :flipoff2:
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same here, and im a whole lot younger than you are :flipoff2:

we had a nice sandbox that my dad built for us but my brother an i would always rather dig holes and make "forts" in the edge of the field than play in the box.
 
yager said:
When I was a kid I didn't had a fancy shmancy sand box, we played in the dirt and we liked it... :flipoff2:
Click to expand...

My dad just gave me a giant box of glass, we broke it up and played in that - and we lived it!
 
Rox&Mud said:
We have two of these at our School. We have had up to 6-8 children at one at any given time. We just put sand in both sides of the table. It's still easy to move, w/help, and it wont kill the grass.
http://www.step2.com/imgdetails.cfm?&product_id=1304&whichthumb=4
Click to expand...

yeah but w/ that, how do they get the sand in their pockets and socks and underwear and hair and then run inside and get it all over the kitchen floor?
I mean, isn't that what a sandbox is for?
 
yager said:
When I was a kid I didn't had a fancy shmancy sand box, we played in the dirt and we liked it... :flipoff2:
Click to expand...
We had to pull our rolling 800+lbs sandboxes 45 miles to school and back uphill both ways....
 
yager said:
we played in the dirt and we liked it... :flipoff2:
Click to expand...


...you ain't growed up yhet Mikey,,,sept you like :beer: now more than Koolaid....:lol:
 
LOL!!! We had a sand box, but dad put so much sand in it, it overflowed and was just a big pile. Every now and then we would dig up a chunk of the box.
 
I built my kids one that is 10'x10'x10" (well real close.... keep reading)

- Bought (4)2"x10"x10' treated boards nailed them into a square.
- Sprayed the target are down with ground clear
- Next 2 layers of weed barrier (the mesh kind not the plastic) laid n the ground and held in place with a few nails through simply pushed into the ground
- 2 more layers of above weed barrier stapled to the bottom of the wooden box
- lay wooden box on top of prepped area
- Filled with 2 truck loads (short bed f250) of sand

kids have enjoyed for 3 years or so now.
I hate cats...and keep them away with a .22
Water is not a problem because it filters right on through...weeds still havent turned up.

the dogs have shit in it a time or two and my kids simply shovel it out and keep going
 
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