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Corrugated Metal Raised Planter

The fastest raised bed in the catalog: two cedar-clad 2x4 leg frames joined by a wrap of corrugated roofing tin. Two steps, an afternoon hour, done.

Cut list

Part	Qty	T × W × L	Material	✓
Legs	4	1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 20"	2x4	☐
End cladding Three boards per end, screwed across the leg pairs.	6	5/8" × 5 1/2" × 18"	Cedar fence picket	☐

Item	Qty	✓
2x4, 8 ft Red-toned or treated — the legs live against damp soil.	1 each	☐
Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", not dog-eared (Cedar) End cladding.	2 each	☐
Corrugated metal roofing, 26" x 36" panel A 36"-wide panel makes a deeper bed; longer panels make longer beds. Farm-store standard sizes.	1 each	☐
Exterior screws, 1-1/2", self-tapping, star drive Wood-to-wood: legs and cladding.	24 each	☐
Roofing screws with washers, 1-1/4" The gasketed kind — they seal their own holes and stop rust streaks.	16 each	☐
Exterior wood glue	2 oz	☐
Landscape fabric Liner. Soil goes in it, not against bare tin and cedar.	1 each	☐

Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.

Circular Saw
The eight wood cuts. The metal panel is used as purchased — no metal cutting in the stock size.
Drill / Driver
Drives everything, including the roofing screws through the tin ribs.
Hearing Protection
Pencil
Random Orbit Sander
Break the picket edges — this is a bed you'll lean over all season.
Safety Glasses
Tape Measure

1. Build the two end assemblies
Tools: Drill / Driver, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", not dog-eared, Exterior screws, 1-1/2", self-tapping, star drive, Exterior wood glue
For each end, lay a pair of 20" legs parallel and screw three 18" picket boards across them with the 1-1/2" screws and glue — a little ladder, pickets on the outside face.
Build the second one on top of the first so they match exactly. These two frames are the entire skeleton; if they agree with each other, the planter comes out square on its own.
2. Wrap the tin and fill
Tools: Drill / Driver, Safety Glasses. Materials: Corrugated metal roofing, 26" x 36" panel, Roofing screws with washers, 1-1/4", Landscape fabric
Bend the corrugated panel around between the two end assemblies and screw it to the legs with the gasketed roofing screws — drive through the ribs into the 2x4s, snug enough to seat the washer without crushing the corrugation. Space the screws evenly; the tin carries the soil load out to the legs through those fasteners.
Check for any sharp cut edge at the soil line and file or hide it. Line the inside with landscape fabric, set the bed in its final sunny spot, fill with soil, and plant. Total elapsed time should embarrass every other project you own.