Jim Becker
05-09-2011, 9:48 PM
I actually got some time in the shop this weekend. I intended to do some cleanup and sharpening, but when I came home from the barn on Saturday after my riding lesson, my younger daughter, Alesya, brought a friend with her to hang out for awhile. Necessarily, I needed to distract the older (who has issues) so she wouldn't horn in on the younger girls' fun...so...Tia got to design and help make a simple lidded box.
I insisted that she work things out on paper first relative to dimensions. While I held the pencil, she had to think through the math. This was particularly important because she chose to have me cut mitered corners for the best look. (scrap 1/2" cherry plywood was used for the box and solid cherry for the lid). Once the "plan" was drawn, I cut out the pieces and then she applied the glue. She had trouble with the clamps, so I completed that part. While the box was setting up, we figured out the dimensions for the lid by measuring the actual size of the box (which varied slightly from the plan...no surprise there!) and I cut the piece out of some 3/4" thick scrap. She then chose an edge profile from my box 'o bits and I machined the lid, including rabiting around the bottom so that the lid was captured by the box. She then had to sand the top, both along the routed profiles and on the flat top. While she did that, I made a simple lid handle out of scrap black walnut. The sanding was a little challenging for her, both with patience and because she refuses to wear her glasses...something she really needs for close work. Oh, well...she's a teenager.
At any rate, the box turned out nice. It's simple and she enjoyed the time. It's not "fine cabinetry", but the smile on a not normally motivated 15 year old was worth it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/a-j-adopt/tia-shop-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/a-j-adopt/tia-shop-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/a-j-adopt/tia-shop-3.jpg
I insisted that she work things out on paper first relative to dimensions. While I held the pencil, she had to think through the math. This was particularly important because she chose to have me cut mitered corners for the best look. (scrap 1/2" cherry plywood was used for the box and solid cherry for the lid). Once the "plan" was drawn, I cut out the pieces and then she applied the glue. She had trouble with the clamps, so I completed that part. While the box was setting up, we figured out the dimensions for the lid by measuring the actual size of the box (which varied slightly from the plan...no surprise there!) and I cut the piece out of some 3/4" thick scrap. She then chose an edge profile from my box 'o bits and I machined the lid, including rabiting around the bottom so that the lid was captured by the box. She then had to sand the top, both along the routed profiles and on the flat top. While she did that, I made a simple lid handle out of scrap black walnut. The sanding was a little challenging for her, both with patience and because she refuses to wear her glasses...something she really needs for close work. Oh, well...she's a teenager.
At any rate, the box turned out nice. It's simple and she enjoyed the time. It's not "fine cabinetry", but the smile on a not normally motivated 15 year old was worth it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/a-j-adopt/tia-shop-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/a-j-adopt/tia-shop-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v646/a-j-adopt/tia-shop-3.jpg