Pencil Boxes For Christmas

[Jim Koepke]

This year pencil boxes with coloring pencils were made for our five oldest grandchildren.

To start, scraps and other pieces of pine were selected to avoid knots then ripped to about 5 inches. This project was done without the use of a tape measure or other ruler. All pieces were marked for cutting from a story stick. Also, a few extra pieces were made. They ended up being needed due to one drilling error.

The clam shells for the pencil boxes were formed by plowing with A combination of planes. Two different planes were used to define the edges of the interior so that the set up would not have to be changed back and forth. The blade shown is the 1-1/4 inch blade. It is actually a bit hard to push, so it was changed for narrower blades. A #55 was also used for plowing.

135976

Once the edges were cut, an Ohio Tool Co. skew rabbet plane was used to remove the center.

135977

A #90 Bull Nose Shoulder plane and a #99 Side Rabbet were used to clean up the rough edges left by the plow planing.

135978

135979

After the clam shells were formed, the pieces were cut to length and the ends cleaned up on a shooting board. Pieces were then matched up for tops and bottoms. This included taking grain direction into account.

135980

End blocks were cut and and matched up with the clam shells. They were then trimmed to match the height of the two halves.

135981

The pieces were marked for box # and orientation. The end pieces were then drilled for dowels on drill press with a guide for the hole positions.

135982

To be continued,

jim

[Jim Koepke]

After these were drilled, dowel centers were inserted into the holes to mark the top and bottom clam shells. Then a brace and bit were fitted with a depth stop to drill the tops and bottoms.

135983

With this and other types of depth gauges it is a good idea to check for movement. Even tape can slip after a few holes.

135984

After the dowel holes were drilled, the back of the tops and bottoms were trimmed to form a hinge. A #45 with a fluting blade was used to form the bottom and a rounding plane was used to form the top.

135985

135986

The pieces were dry fit to insure clearance.
The corners were relieved using planes, chisels and gouges as needed.

After glueing there was a little final fitting again with the planes, chisels and gouges.

135987

Then the work was signed and filled with pencils, eraser, a sharpener and one piece of dark chocolate.

135988

jim

[Chris S Anderson]

Love to see pics of planes in motion. Wonderful job there.

[Jim Koepke]

Love to see pics of planes in motion. Wonderful job there.

Thanks, I have gotten pretty good at knowing how much planing can be done until the delay shoots the picture.

This project also gave me a new understanding about the #55. Since there were a lot of set ups, different planes were set up and left for different cuts. I do not like to change a set up on a project where multiples are being made just in case a part or two has to be remade.

The #55 revelation was that using it with a straight rabbeting/plow blade helps one to learn some of the idiosyncrasies of setting it up. When time allows, more will be posted on this.

Right now, I feel like I could sleep through straight into the New Year.

jim

[John Keeton]

Looks like you gave a workout to you, and to a good portion of your fleet of planes! The end results are some very nice gifts!

I did notice that you started out with gloves, and what looks to be a heater in the background. Then, on into the projects - no gloves! Worked up a sweat, didn't ya!!:D

[John Thompson]

Nice pencil box Jim. I need one like that for the shop as I get tired of the plastic one I use. Nice work with those hand-planes BTW...

[David Christopher]

nice box Jim, Im sure it will be treasured

[gary Zimmel]

Great work on the pencil case Jim.
Thanks for the pics.
And extra points for being a hand tool project.

[John Olson]

Really nice work , I will still use my table saw for the groves though.

[Jim Koepke]

Looks like you gave a workout to you, and to a good portion of your fleet of planes! The end results are some very nice gifts!

I did notice that you started out with gloves, and what looks to be a heater in the background. Then, on into the projects - no gloves! Worked up a sweat, didn't ya!!:D

During the time this project was being worked on, we had a cold snap come through. A few of those days it did not get above the high teens outside or in the shop. Good thing my blades were sharpened before and there were some to spare. The water for my stones was frozen solid in the shop. That little heater just blows some warm air my way. Towards the end of the project the temps actually got up into the 40s and 50s. In that kind of weather I will often go out side in short sleeves. One time when I mentioned that I was cold, my wife put her hand on my forehead and then announced that I was sick and needed to get in bed.

As far as the fleet of planes goes, a lot is not shown here. After the wood was ripped to size they were given the full treatment with the bench planes from #3 to #8. A lot of work was also done with low angle block planes in the #60 and #65 families.

And yes, sometimes the heart rate did go up and a few beads of sweat came to visit.

John, David, Gary and John,

Thanks for the comments. I do not have a table saw, but I understand, my wife thinks I should have used our router. I just get more pleasure from the planes and besides there is more benefit in the exercise than in the little bit of time saved.

Besides, the quiet swish of a hand plane is a very satisfying sound.

jim

[John Olson]

Jim you build the way you want and enjoy nothing wrong with that. I can't do that any more from doing finger tip push ups and knuckle push ups for over 25 years my hands ake. Thanks to those who invented the table saw. You keep me in the woodworking game.

[Jim Koepke]

Jim you build the way you want and enjoy nothing wrong with that. I can't do that any more from doing finger tip push ups and knuckle push ups for over 25 years my hands ake. Thanks to those who invented the table saw. You keep me in the woodworking game.

If we all did everything the same way, there wouldn't be the great exchange of ideas or opportunities of meeting each other though forums like this.

I am all too familiar with the aching hand and body stuff. My body was pretty beat up in my youth from getting tackled by a truck while riding a bicycle to almost losing my thumb in a stumble on to a broken bottle in a creek bed. Then there was all the other stupid stuff done that bent or broke parts of me.

Fortunately for me most of the time I can work through or around the pain.

Besides, the left side of me is relatively injury, fracture and scar free.

There is a bright side to everything.

jim