Shipping crate design for shops
Size it. Cut it. Ship it.
Enter the crate size, or the size of the thing going in it. Pick your plywood and lumber. Cratesmith builds the crate in 3D and hands you the cut list, sheet layouts, build plan, customer quote and CNC files.
Launching soon. Free to start. 50 founding shops get lifetime access.
- 01
Enter the size
Outside dimensions, or the item plus padding. Fractions or millimeters, both work.
- 02
Pick your materials
Plywood or OSB walls, lumber or plywood-strip framing, skids, lids, struts and dados.
- 03
Cut, build, ship
Print the plan, send the quote, run the CNC. Every number comes from the same model.
What you get
Everything the shop floor needs, from one model
Change one number and the 3D model, cut list, sheet layouts, build plan, quote and CNC files all update together.
Every part, in 3D
Orbit the crate, explode it, hide the lid. Tap any part to find it in the cut list.
- Cleats, mid rails and extra verticals placed for you as crates get bigger
- Skids, bottom boards, cross struts, load blocking and dados
- Realistic wood or a clean drawing look, your choice
Sheet layouts that waste less
Every panel nested on your sheet size with blade kerf, plus board layouts for the lumber. Know how many sheets to buy before you touch the saw.
- Lettered parts that match the cut list and build plan
- Plywood, OSB and plywood-strip framing
- Your own stock sizes and prices
A build plan you can hand off
Printable pages for the shop floor: the crate assembled and exploded, dimensioned elevations, the cut list, the fastening schedule and the assembly order.
- Letter-size pages that split cleanly
- Save jobs and crate designs to your library
- Multiple crates in one job
Quotes in a minute
Your shop rate, labor cost, markup and waste. Labor scales with each crate's part count, quantity breaks are built in, and you see your margin before the customer sees the price.
- A clean customer view to print or send
- Extras for foam, hardware, stamping and delivery
CNC files, ready to cut
One DXF per sheet with clean layers for profiles, dado pockets and screw holes. Opens in VCarve, Aspire, Fusion and most CAM software.
- Screw holes drilled through stacked parts so they line up
- Inches or millimeters, your bit size and edge margin
- Go all plywood and cut the whole crate on the router
Mozaik add-on
Already run Mozaik? Send crates straight in.
Design the crate in Cratesmith, then cut it through the Mozaik setup you already have. No redrawing, no retyping.
Mozaik is a trademark of its owner. Cratesmith is independent and not affiliated with Mozaik.
Pricing
Start free. Pay when it earns its keep.
One crate pays for Pro. Shop pays for itself the first week you quote.
FREE
- Design crates in 3D
- Cut list and material cost
- Up to 3 crates per job
PRO
- Everything in Free
- Sheet and board cutting diagrams
- Printable build plans
- Saved jobs, designs and materials
SHOP
- Everything in Pro
- Customer quotes with your margin
- CNC export with dados and screw holes
FOUNDING SHOP
- Everything in Shop, forever
- Never pay monthly
- A direct line to shape what gets built next
The Mozaik add-on is separate, at +$50/month.
Founding spots open at launch. Join the list to hear first.
Prices in US dollars. Launch pricing, subject to change before launch. See our refund policy.
Early access
Get in before launch
Leave your email and we'll let you know when Cratesmith opens, and when the 50 founding spots go on sale.
- First shot at a founding spot
- Early access to try it on your own crates
- No spam. One email when it matters.
You're on the list
Thanks. We'll be in touch.
Watch for an email from [email protected] when Cratesmith opens and founding spots go on sale.
Questions
Good to know
When can I use it?
Cratesmith is in final testing now. Join the early access list and you'll hear the moment it opens, along with first access to founding spots.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It runs in your web browser on a computer, tablet or phone. Plans print from the browser, and CNC and Mozaik files download straight to your computer.
What kinds of crates does it design?
Cleated plywood and OSB shipping crates: sized from outside dimensions or from the item with padding, with lumber or plywood-strip framing, skids, bottom boards, screw-down lids, cross struts, load blocking and dadoed panels.
Does it handle export crates (ISPM 15)?
Yes. Turn on international shipping and Cratesmith marks every solid-wood part that needs heat-treated, stamped lumber, and adds the requirements to the build plan. Plywood and OSB are exempt.
Inches or millimeters?
Both. Switch any time, round to the fraction you cut to, and export CNC files in either unit.
How does the Mozaik add-on work?
It adds two downloads: a parts file for Mozaik's Optimizer and a ready-made product library with the crate built in 3D. Your Mozaik material list is read right in your browser to match materials. It isn't uploaded anywhere.
What happens to founding pricing after 50 shops?
It closes. Founding shops keep lifetime Shop access for the one-time price, and everyone after that is on the regular monthly or yearly plan. The Mozaik add-on isn’t part of founding access; founding shops can add it for $50 a month like any Shop.