Vintage Wood Wagon

Attach the bottom panel to the front and back 1x12 pieces with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws, which hides the pocket holes on the underside. A predrilled 2" screw works as an alternative. Glue every joint here — this project should last.

Attach the 1x3 side boards to the 1x12 framing with 2" screws and glue. Take your time lining the screws up in a straight, even line — these holes may be visible in a stained finish.

Attach the decorative metal or lath pieces to the sides with 3/4" screws. If using metal, predrill the holes in the metal first so it doesn't crack when the screw goes through.

Attach the caster wheels to the underside of the wagon crate. If using two fixed and two swivel wheels, place the fixed ones at the back — like a car, where only the front end steers. All four swivel casters also work, and turn more like a shopping cart than a wagon.

Insert the dowel grip into the drilled end of the 1x2 handle with glue. Mount the two L brackets to the front of the wagon and pivot-attach the handle through them with the shear pin.

The shear pin is deliberately the weakest part of this whole assembly — if the handle is ever over-stressed, it's designed to break before anything else does. Keep a spare pin or two on hand; that's the entire reason it's there instead of a stronger fastener.