Small box near completion

[Philip Florio]

Today I cut open my small red oak 4x6 box on the table saw, the walls are 7/16" and as recommended I cut a slot 5/16". After separating the the halves I used a chisel to carve out the excess, now I need to sand it down.

Should I just lay the sandpaper on a flat surface and turn the piece over to get a good flat surface?

Also I'm using hinges that are 1/32" thick, should I make a mortise?

Pictures below.

Thanks,
Phil

[Jim Becker]

Since this appears to be a small box, sanding the edge to remove the burn by inverting on a piece of abrasive paper on a flat surface (like your table saw table) isn't a bad idea at all. I've done this a number of times with good success. It will help you avoid any inadvertent rounding of the edges like you might experience by using a small block just on top of the project pieces.

[Dewey Torres]

Nice box and a suggestion if I may...

You suffered some heavy burn there. Take a look at the alignment on your fence and check the teeth on your blade for pitch buildup and sharpness.

What kind of blade/model are you using?

[Bill Huber]

Just my 2 cents....

Nice little box, I have done the same thing you are thinking of doing many times. I have a 3/4 MDF board that is flat and I use 3m spray glue and put a piece of sandpaper on it and sand things flat.

I to wonder why you have so much burning on the box cuts.

On the hinges I would cut a mortise, I just thing it looks better and neater then putting them on the surface.

[Philip Florio]

I have been concerned about the burns, with this red oak, fast or slow cuts produce this. I recently just thoroughly cleaned the blade. The blade is the Freud LU91M010 10" 60 tooth.

The last time I used sand paper my table saw I found I that the fall off while cleaning the paper off caused scratches an scuffs on the table. I'm figuring on using the paper on hardboard on top of my workbench.

Thanks,
Phil

[Dewey Torres]

Phil,
The Freud LU91M010 is a crosscut blade made for sliding compound miter saws. The cut you are making is a rip.

If you like Freud I highly suggest the P410-Premier Fusion. It is a very high quality combination blade.

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-P410-Premier-10-Inch-PermaShield/dp/B000JNTG76

The Forrest Woodworker 2 is similar. I have both and my preference is the Freud but both are stellar to say the least.

http://www.amazon.com/Forrest-WW10407125-Woodworker-10-Inch-8-Inch/dp/B0000223VQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1227601124&sr=1-2

On the hinges... Yes do the mortise

On the idea for sanding on your bench... Good idea to keep it off the saw table since it already scratched it. That's how we learn though.

[Philip Florio]

Thanks Dewey,

I questioned that blade when it was suggested to me! I'll go ahead and get the P410.

Thanks,
Phil


Phil,
The Freud LU91M010 is a crosscut blade made for sliding compound miter saws. The cut you are making is a rip.

If you like Freud I highly suggest the P410-Premier Fusion. It is a very high quality combination blade.

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-P410-Premier-10-Inch-PermaShield/dp/B000JNTG76

The Forrest Woodworker 2 is similar. I have both and my preference is the Freud but both are stellar to say the least.

http://www.amazon.com/Forrest-WW10407125-Woodworker-10-Inch-8-Inch/dp/B0000223VQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1227601124&sr=1-2

On the hinges... Yes do the mortise

On the idea for sanding on your bench... Good idea to keep it off the saw table since it already scratched it. That's how we learn though.

[David Keller NC]

Philip - I've you've no block plane (that'd be my choice to smooth the edges), then sticking sandpaper down on your table saw table is a good choice. However, I'd suggest beveling the outside edges of the box and top very slightly to avoid the sandpaper snagging some of the grain and pulling it out - red oak is notorious for this.

Here's how to do the sandpaper trick on your table saw table or your jointer bed without leaving scratches: Get a can of 3M #77 spray adhesive from the local home improvement store. Lay some sandpaper with a heavy backing (i.e., good-quality sandpaper like Norton 3X or any of the 3M brands) grit-side down on some sacrificial newspaper. Spray the adhesive on the back, and within about 30 seconds or so, stick it down to your table saw table. Use it for the whatever purpose you needed it for, then within no longer than 2 days, simply peel up one corner of the sandpaper, pull off the sheet, and remove the glue residue with paint thinner.

This particular spray adhesive is very soluble in paint thinner, even after it's cured for a couple of days. If, however, you forget about it and leave it stuck down for a couple of weeks, you'll likely have to remove the sandpaper with a razor blade.

3M also makes a spray adhesive that's designed to be temporary, but the reason I suggest the #77 is that some permanent spray adhesive is very handy to have around the shop, and with the paint thinner trick, you only have to buy one can instead of both the permanent stick and temporary stick formulas.

[Philip Florio]

I have a small hand plane but I'm confused as to how I could level all 4 sides evenly using the hand plane.

I bought the 3M adhesive but would like to use the best method and the method that would improve my skills. However I need to be careful not to ruin the boxes {making 2} since they're Christmas gifts.

Phil

[Lee Schierer]

Phil,
The Freud LU91M010 is a crosscut blade made for sliding compound miter saws. The cut you are making is a rip.


I agree with the Senior Chief.... The LU91M010 is a sliding compound miter saw blade and I believe it has a negative hook angle on the teeth, which would make it a very poor choice for ripping. The LU72M 010 or LU73M or LU82 would be much better blades. The LU82 works well for crosscutting and ripping giving super smooth cuts.

As for your hinges, I would fold them and mount them so they are hidden except for the barrel when the box is closed. That will reqire a mortice for each.

[Ben Rafael]

I have a small hand plane but I'm confused as to how I could level all 4 sides evenly using the hand plane.

I bought the 3M adhesive but would like to use the best method and the method that would improve my skills. However I need to be careful not to ruin the boxes {making 2} since they're Christmas gifts.

Phil

I'm good with hand planes and I would still use sandpaper. It would be a good way to make certain your box is flat too. I use spray adhesive to adhere the sandpaper to a piece of mdf or plywood. They are flat enough for this purpose.