Box Making Tutorial

[Mike Henderson]

Kent Bathurst asked me for a tutorial on making a jewelry box after I showed the sample boxes I had made. I had planned to do a tutorial so I got started on it and got one done. Kent reviewed it and made some excellent suggestions, not all of which I used, just because some were too much work (even though they were good suggestions).

Anyway, you can see the tutorial here (http://www.mikes-woodwork.com/BoxTutorial.htm). I realize that making a box is not all that complex but there are a lot of steps to making even a basic box.

I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions you might offer.

Mike

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[Metod Alif]

Mike,
Yes, boxes might not be complex, but your tutorial leads to elegant boxes. I appreciate it very much.
Best wishes,
Metod

[Frederick Skelly]

This is great Mike. I make boxes regularly but learned a few methods that will improve my work. Thank you!
Fred

[Jebediah Eckert]

Great tutorial, thanks for posting.

[Howard Pollack]

I'd like to see this, but the tutorial doesn't seem to show up, just two pictures of boxes. Thanks.
-Howard

[daryl moses]

Very well written and some great info. Thanks for taking the time putting it together!!

[Mike Henderson]

I'd like to see this, but the tutorial doesn't seem to show up, just two pictures of boxes. Thanks.
-Howard
You have to click on the "here" in the text to see the tutorial. It's the "here" that's a slightly different color from the rest of the text. Like this "here (http://www.mikes-woodwork.com/BoxTutorial.htm)".

Mike

[Kent A Bathurst]

Came out great, Mike. I like the into photos - very clear where we are heading.

Sorry to have made things too complicated in my comments....:p...but - Hey - you asked. That'll teach you.

Not to get flagged for piling on, but: Is it your experience that we don't need to worry about wood movement with something on this scale? Referring, of course, to the top and bottom....

[Mike Henderson]

Came out great, Mike. I like the into photos - very clear where we are heading.

Sorry to have made things too complicated in my comments....:p...but - Hey - you asked. That'll teach you.

Not to get flagged for piling on, but: Is it your experience that we don't need to worry about wood movement with something on this scale? Referring, of course, to the top and bottom....
I've never had any problem with wood movement in boxes. Not to say that you couldn't. I live in California which is pretty dry and doesn't have a lot of temperature swings.

In looking at other people's boxes, it appears that they use similar construction techniques. If wood movement was a real problem, I think you'd see a lot more "frame and panel" type tops, or veneer on MDF. When I was taking woodworking classes, the instructor mentioned that a wooden bottom could cause problems but never said anything about the top. I didn't think to challenge him on that - as you did me.

I suppose we get away with it because of the small size of boxes and the slight "give" that's in PVA glue.

Mike

[John Sincerbeaux]

Nice work Mike. I'm thinking you must have taken a marquetry class from Paul Schurch?

[Mike Henderson]

Nice work Mike. I'm thinking you must have taken a marquetry class from Paul Schurch?
Yes, that's correct. Was it the veneer tape that tipped you off?

Mike

[David Ragan]

Thanks for that Mike. I'll review the remainder later, before my next box.

[David Helm]

Looks pretty good in general. I do wonder why you didn't show the way to have the grain flow all the way around all four corners. Only takes using one piece and resawing then a particular layout for glue up.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Thanks Mike, I found this very helpful. You included many of those small steps that are usually left out (much to my annoyance) to save space since obviously no one cares to see it; for example: Using Tape before finishing and then applying the finish and Showing the test cuts to see how deep when cutting the box.

It had never occurred to me to purchase a huge piece of sandpaper to make things flat; brilliant. After I read it, I thought "well duh, of course", but I don't remember it being spelled out before (and I have never done it).

So, lots of little details that were very useful to me personally. I really appreciate your taking the time and posting the results. I have learned much from you over the years.

[Mike Henderson]

Looks pretty good in general. I do wonder why you didn't show the way to have the grain flow all the way around all four corners. Only takes using one piece and resawing then a particular layout for glue up.
Yes, you can have all four corners with the grain flowing around them by resawing a board. But I was trying to do a beginner's tutorial. And I used some scrap that I had in the shop for that box - I mentioned that very early in the tutorial. The wood was not long enough to even give three perfect matches.

And the wood I had was S3S 4/4 (about 3/4" thick) - not thick enough to resaw into two pieces a bit over 1/2" each.

Perhaps you would be willing to do a tutorial on how to resaw a board to give four perfect matches at the corners.

Mike

[Ellen Benkin]

Excellent tutorial. I appreciate the level of detail in the instructions. My only "complaint" is that a printout of all the sections would be over 100 pages! Is there any way to reduce this, like scaling the pictures slightly smaller so that one photo and one sentence don't fill one page.

I am looking forward to building one (or more) to use of some of my scraps -- as soon as I can get a printed copy into the shop.

Great work!

[Larry Edgerton]

I've never had any problem with wood movement in boxes. Not to say that you couldn't. I live in California which is pretty dry and doesn't have a lot of temperature swings.

In looking at other people's boxes, it appears that they use similar construction techniques. If wood movement was a real problem, I think you'd see a lot more "frame and panel" type tops, or veneer on MDF. When I was taking woodworking classes, the instructor mentioned that a wooden bottom could cause problems but never said anything about the top. I didn't think to challenge him on that - as you did me.

I suppose we get away with it because of the small size of boxes and the slight "give" that's in PVA glue.

Mike

Here we have 150 degree temp swings and humidity swings to match so floating panels top and bottom are almost a must. Small boxes, maybe, but on larger stuff it a must have.

I have always wanted to build a house in a climate that will allow you to be more creative. Get too complicated here on roof lines and you are looking for a leak. Northern California sounds good......

[Mike Henderson]

Excellent tutorial. I appreciate the level of detail in the instructions. My only "complaint" is that a printout of all the sections would be over 100 pages! Is there any way to reduce this, like scaling the pictures slightly smaller so that one photo and one sentence don't fill one page.

I am looking forward to building one (or more) to use of some of my scraps -- as soon as I can get a printed copy into the shop.

Great work!
Thank you, Ellen. I'm sorry, but I don't know of any way to do what you want. The only suggestion I might offer is to take your laptop or tablet into the shop and scroll through the tutorial. Maybe someone else will chime in with a solution.

Mike

[Ellery Becnel]

Thanks for the excellent tutorial. I have been making a few boxes lately. Using different types of joinery, for tools, jigs, and fixtures that I have purchased and made.
I will be making a jewelery box next year with some spalted silver oak, that was given to me. It is still drying. I will certainly use some of your helpful techniques.
I have incorporated many of your techniques already. A work in progress.

Ellery Becnel