The original design of the porch vault enclosure was using welded sheet metal. This would create a strong body and minimize the number of seams in the design. However, as the Ontario-wide January lockdown was enacted, the feasibility of this solution came into question. Heavy use of the University of Waterloo’s E5 student machine shop would be needed for the sheet metal components, and as it would be closed for student use for an indeterminate amount of time, a simpler solution was required.
With home manufacturability now being the focus, it was decided that wood would be an acceptable substitute. A main consideration was to only design the box using right angle cuts since I would only be using a hand saw, drill, and screwdriver. Using 1 x 6 mill stead dimensional lumber as the base material, a frame was designed in SolidWorks to meet the size requirements of the project (1’ x 1’ x 1’ minimum volume). Sealant and rubber would still be used as waterproofing agents to meet the waterproofing requirements.
The lid design was considered but will remain unfinished until the electrical design is completed and handed off for measurements.