Question for boxmakers - seperating lid from base

[Larry Fox]

I have built two desk-top humidors out of Spanish Cedar with Figured Bubinga veneer and am getting back to working on them after a hiatus to do a shop upgrade (pic below for reference). These are essentially the first real boxes that I have built and I have a few questions for those among us with more experience than I.

1) I built them as a single unit as opposed to base and lid as I assume is standard for these type of boxes. I plan on cutting the lid free using the bandsaw. My question is, should I scrape and sand them to at or near pre-finish state before or after cutting it free? It seems that doing it before would allow for the best match between the lid and the base but thought I would seek advise first.
2) Same question as above but for the application of oil (BLO). I would like to apply BLO to pop the figured bubinga but don’t want it on the cedar. I am concerned about applying it after I separate the lid and base and having it “creep” over the edge onto the cedar (if that makes any sense).

I plan on using a 1” Leonix Trimaster 3-tpi blade and a high resaw fence to separate the lid and base if this information helps in any way.

Thanks in advance for your time . . .

L

84250

[Sam Yerardi]

I would suggest a couple things. Make test cuts with the bandsaw prior to doing the boxes to make sure that the bottom of the blade is in line with the top of the blade. Also, I would apply masking tape across the area that you will be cutting through to help prevent tear-out.

As far as using BLO I've built humidors and the rule of thumb I've always used is to not do anything that will add scent or smell to the box. BLO will do this to some extent when first applied. I would try shellac to see if you get a suitable result. The only thing that you should be able to smell when your done is the Spanish cedar.

[Ben Rafael]

Those boxes look beautiful, it would be ashamed to cut them.

[Larry Fox]

Thanks Sam - I appreciate the advise. I never considered the scenting. I plan on doing a LOT of test cuts.

Ben - appreciate the kind words. I have to cut them in order to get into them :)

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Larry, they look very nice indeed.

I normally separate the lids from the boxes on the tablesaw, by cutting all most all the way through, leaving perhaps 1/64 of an inch.

Then I take a sharp utility knife and cut through the middle of the kerf. Some trimming and sanding, and they're done.

Applying masking tape is a good idea to reduce tear out.

Regards, Rod.

[Jim Barstow]

I build jewelery boxes the same way and cut them apart on a table saw. Before separation, I sand them to the pointer where they are slmost ready for finishing. After separation, I tape 4 sheets of sandpaper down to a flat surface (router table) and carefully sand both cut surfaces coplaner.

[Lee Schierer]

I would not recommend cutting the lids free on a BS because the cut line will not be as straight or smooth as the one you would get on a TS. I generally cut the two long sides of the box first and put in strips of 1/8" ply from plywood I buy at Michaels craft store. The thickness seems to exactly match the kerf on my blades. With the spacers taped in place I can cut the two short sides without the lid falling off. I do all the sanding to the final finish before cutting the lid.

If you cut grooves with a router on the inside of the box before assembly you can cut the same width groove around the outside only slightly deeper and offset by the width of the groove and have a lip on the box bottom that will let you set the top on the bottom.

[Sean Kinn]

Just incase you need any more votes for the table saw....do it on the table saw. I'm currently working on my first box, and after many hours of aligning all of my machiney to perfection for the mitered joints......I headed to the BS to cut er open. I was not happy with the edge left by my BS at all (even though it was perfectly aligned). I thought, no problem I'll just use my finely tuned jointer plane to level off all of the edges to perfection. This became an exercise in futility for my newbie level skills. After much frustration I nded up "re-cutting" the lid and box edges on the TS using some temporary jigs I whipped up to hold things rock solid.

A tip I saw on Finewoodworking also mentioned using the TS, but not cutting all the way through. It recommended cutting to within 1/16 - 1/32 or so on the TS, then cutting through the remainder with a fine pull saw or utility knife. The idea behind this was that you avoid any potential blade pinch issues when you go to cut open sides 3 and 4 on the TS. I plan to try this on my next box.

EDIT: I just noticed Lee's proposal above, and that seems like an even better alternative.

[Peter Quinn]

I cut my last box on the bandsaw...I will be cutting my next box on the TS. One more vote for TS!

[Ted Jay]

Those boxes look beautiful, it would be ashamed to cut them.

... and even harder to put anything in too!!::D:p

[Doug Shepard]

I love my Trimaster but without having first hand experience cutting boxes apart with one I wonder about using it for this. If you've got it on a quality BS, set up well and tensioned up I dont think you'd have any problems with straightness or smoothness of cut on the entry and exiting sides. What I'm wondering about though is the other 2 sides. Normally you want a TPI for a few teeth in the wood. How thick are your sides? I wonder if you would get a pretty rough cut on the horizontal cut sides??? And possibly even a grabby cut on the top side that doesn't have anything supporting the cut like the side on the table.?? My gut feel would have me shying away from it but that's all it is - a gut feel. I'd be much more inclined to do this with a japanese pull saw for the thinnest possible kerf.

[Jim Becker]

The few that I have made, I cut the tops off using the table saw...but those cuts were not all the way through....just shy a whisker of that so that the top didn't flop while making all four passes. Once scored like that, a sharp utility knife finished the job. Backers should also be used so that the exit of the blade doesn't splinter out wood. I'd be uncomfortable doing this at the band saw, but if I did, it would be with the Lennox carbide tipped blade to keep things clean and with a small piece of wood inserted in the kerf once past the blade to insure things stay rectangular through the completion of the cut.

[Larry Fox]

Thanks for your time guys - tablesaw it is.

Any more thoughts on surface prep before or after the cut is made?