GEDunton
04-09-2003, 7:49 PM
There seemed to be at least a passing interest in some of my boxes. Varied questions on how?? So why not post a little "how to" guide that doesn't have to be followed, just used as ideas?
So here goes:
1. Select a single piece of stock for the box body and cut it the length of a side plus an end, plus a bit for waste. I use an extra two inches. This is important if you want to "wrap the grain" around the box, especially in figured wood.
2. Resaw this into two "equal" width pieces and finish surface. I use a thickness sander, but a planer will do as well. Assume you started with surfaced stock, if not of course do that first. These pieces will form your box sides.
3. Joint one edge and rip saw to width for your desired box height. Set these aside to work on in a bit.
4. Select your top stock, at least the lenght of your box plus waste.
5. Resaw this as in 2 above. Glue it up as a book match. This is very important to the final appearance of the top.
6. Now back to the box sides. I use a SCMS, but you can do it on a table saw. Carefully and precisely set your cut to 45*. Take your side pieces and lay them back togehter as they were before the resaw. Open them up from one end so the ends match-like a long book macth. Pencil mark this joint with your choice of witness lines.
7. Miter this marked joint on both pieces at the joint where they seperate. Attention- this is the inside of the box, so watch the orientation.
8. On one piece mark off the length of the box from this joint, on the other piece mark off the width of the box. Again add witness marks to rematch later. Then cut that joint's miter. Remember, the next piece on each will be the opposite of the last.
9. Cut, with the proper miter oreintation, each of these pieces.
10. Cut the correctly oriented miter off the end of each remaining piece at the witness mark. Try to take no more than is necessary to get the miter. You loose a little of the waste here and shift the grain a little. So exercise care.
11. The remaining stubs are the other side and the other end. Lay the already cut side by the side piece and the end by the end. Use the finish cut piece as a guide to cut its mate. Be sure to align carefully.
ASIDE: Don't worry if you are off a triffle, just hold both together and recut them as a pair. They then will match perfectly. Just make sure that they do precisely match as pairs.
12. Now stand them up on the bench and form them into your box sides. Look to be certain that you have the right ends together, remember the witness marks. Check for satisfactory grain wrap and match. If good, then mark every joint top and bottom with some reference-I number them. Mark the outside with up arrows at the top, or downs on the bottom if you like.
13. I use 6mm baltic for bottoms, but that is free for you to choose. Next dado (two passes on the table saw works fine) about 1/8 or so deep around the bottom of the box, about 1/8 plus an 1/8 ( little under a 1/4 wide ) up from the outer edge. Remember the arrows, they help here to get the dado in the right edge. It helps if the dado is "tight" but ain't critical.
14. Cut the bottom to fit. I start close to final by eying the size off the side and end pieces, then sneakup on it with fine trims on the TS. Of course squareness is important. Fit and check by simply assembling the whole and seeing if you need to "shave" one side or the other of the bottom.
15. Lets stick with slide tops for simplicilty. Cut another 1/8x1/8 dado, saw kerf, around the top about an 1/8 down from the edge. Again, our friendly arrowshelp. Pick your opening end and slice off the edge and kerf by flipping the piece over. Be careful here not top knotch the edge.
16. Sand all the "inside" surfaces.
17. Assemble and glue up the bottom and sides. Take care with alignment and fit. I glue the bottom to the sides and ends it the center third. This seeems to add a lot of strength.
18. Box body is done!!!
19. Cut your top to the fit, remember to allow for the dado width where it will slide. Try to keep your glue line in the center to balance the book match effect.
20. Either bevel or cove all around the top to leave an 1/8- depth edge. This will slide in the dados. It should fit snug but never tight, sand off the edge to loosen. I also reverse bevel the rear edge for ease of clearance.
20a. After thought, I add feet to raise the box a little for effect. The packets of felt pads with self stick seeem to work fine, not really elegent, but effective. Turned feet are sexy for a little more efffort.
ASIDE: You've done it!! Just sand the outside, and bottom of the top, and finish away.
Paste wax in the slide groooves afer your done makes for slick top movement.
Important note-You can make a box faster than I can type these steps. Got a question-ask an expert. Sorry, I don't know any.
Enjoy yourself.
So here goes:
1. Select a single piece of stock for the box body and cut it the length of a side plus an end, plus a bit for waste. I use an extra two inches. This is important if you want to "wrap the grain" around the box, especially in figured wood.
2. Resaw this into two "equal" width pieces and finish surface. I use a thickness sander, but a planer will do as well. Assume you started with surfaced stock, if not of course do that first. These pieces will form your box sides.
3. Joint one edge and rip saw to width for your desired box height. Set these aside to work on in a bit.
4. Select your top stock, at least the lenght of your box plus waste.
5. Resaw this as in 2 above. Glue it up as a book match. This is very important to the final appearance of the top.
6. Now back to the box sides. I use a SCMS, but you can do it on a table saw. Carefully and precisely set your cut to 45*. Take your side pieces and lay them back togehter as they were before the resaw. Open them up from one end so the ends match-like a long book macth. Pencil mark this joint with your choice of witness lines.
7. Miter this marked joint on both pieces at the joint where they seperate. Attention- this is the inside of the box, so watch the orientation.
8. On one piece mark off the length of the box from this joint, on the other piece mark off the width of the box. Again add witness marks to rematch later. Then cut that joint's miter. Remember, the next piece on each will be the opposite of the last.
9. Cut, with the proper miter oreintation, each of these pieces.
10. Cut the correctly oriented miter off the end of each remaining piece at the witness mark. Try to take no more than is necessary to get the miter. You loose a little of the waste here and shift the grain a little. So exercise care.
11. The remaining stubs are the other side and the other end. Lay the already cut side by the side piece and the end by the end. Use the finish cut piece as a guide to cut its mate. Be sure to align carefully.
ASIDE: Don't worry if you are off a triffle, just hold both together and recut them as a pair. They then will match perfectly. Just make sure that they do precisely match as pairs.
12. Now stand them up on the bench and form them into your box sides. Look to be certain that you have the right ends together, remember the witness marks. Check for satisfactory grain wrap and match. If good, then mark every joint top and bottom with some reference-I number them. Mark the outside with up arrows at the top, or downs on the bottom if you like.
13. I use 6mm baltic for bottoms, but that is free for you to choose. Next dado (two passes on the table saw works fine) about 1/8 or so deep around the bottom of the box, about 1/8 plus an 1/8 ( little under a 1/4 wide ) up from the outer edge. Remember the arrows, they help here to get the dado in the right edge. It helps if the dado is "tight" but ain't critical.
14. Cut the bottom to fit. I start close to final by eying the size off the side and end pieces, then sneakup on it with fine trims on the TS. Of course squareness is important. Fit and check by simply assembling the whole and seeing if you need to "shave" one side or the other of the bottom.
15. Lets stick with slide tops for simplicilty. Cut another 1/8x1/8 dado, saw kerf, around the top about an 1/8 down from the edge. Again, our friendly arrowshelp. Pick your opening end and slice off the edge and kerf by flipping the piece over. Be careful here not top knotch the edge.
16. Sand all the "inside" surfaces.
17. Assemble and glue up the bottom and sides. Take care with alignment and fit. I glue the bottom to the sides and ends it the center third. This seeems to add a lot of strength.
18. Box body is done!!!
19. Cut your top to the fit, remember to allow for the dado width where it will slide. Try to keep your glue line in the center to balance the book match effect.
20. Either bevel or cove all around the top to leave an 1/8- depth edge. This will slide in the dados. It should fit snug but never tight, sand off the edge to loosen. I also reverse bevel the rear edge for ease of clearance.
20a. After thought, I add feet to raise the box a little for effect. The packets of felt pads with self stick seeem to work fine, not really elegent, but effective. Turned feet are sexy for a little more efffort.
ASIDE: You've done it!! Just sand the outside, and bottom of the top, and finish away.
Paste wax in the slide groooves afer your done makes for slick top movement.
Important note-You can make a box faster than I can type these steps. Got a question-ask an expert. Sorry, I don't know any.
Enjoy yourself.