Water-Resistant ‘Plybarrow’

By Pete Chasar
Published on July 12, 2021
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by Pete Chasar
A plywood design will provide the function of a traditional wheelbarrow without the risk of rust or rot.

Frustrated with store-bought wheelbarrows that rust and rot in Oregon’s wet coastal climate, I decided to build a wheelbarrow from exterior-grade plywood, which I’ve dubbed a “plybarrow.”

I chose to make my wheelbarrow out of plywood for several reasons. First, when I looked at other DIY wheelbarrow designs, I noticed that most were assembled from many different materials, often with complicated joinery. I wanted to avoid this, so I found one material (plywood) that could provide the majority of the design, and I kept the joinery simple, using 90-degree butt joints for every connection except one.

Second, I already had the plywood. I used a partial sheet of T1-11 exterior siding — the same material that’s on the outside of my house. (Because the plywood was manufactured for a house, there’s a horizontal groove on the side of my plybarrow.) Except for a new wheel and waterproof wood glue, all the materials I used for this project were either repurposed or left over from other projects.

Finally, plywood is strong in all directions, even when it’s relatively thin. The plywood I used is 5/8 inch thick, and my plybarrow is plenty sturdy.

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