A repaired crate should still look like a working crate, not a piece that has been scrubbed until every edge disappears. The trick is to sand just enough to remove splinters, glue smears and proud patches while leaving the shape of the box honest.
Keep a small cork or wood sanding block beside the bench and use it before reaching for a power sander. The block spreads hand pressure across the repair, so one corner of the paper is less likely to dig a hollow beside a new slat, handle or divider.
Start with the roughest area only. If a fastener hole has raised fibres, knock those down first, then make two or three longer passes with the grain to blend the spot into the surrounding board. Short frantic strokes usually leave shiny little dents that show up once finish or shop dust hits the wood.
On crate edges, tip the block very slightly and make one light pass instead of rounding the whole corner. You want the edge safe to handle, but still square enough that the crate stacks, sits flat and keeps its made-for-work character.
Before calling it done, run a clean rag over the repair. Threads catch on splinters that fingers sometimes miss, and the rag will also show where glue squeeze-out is still sitting on the surface. A quick scrape and one final sanding pass now saves a rough-looking patch later.
Practical takeaway: keep a flat sanding block handy, sand with the grain, ease only the sharpest edges, and use a rag check before the crate leaves the bench.
Crate RepairsSandingShop Tips