Just a simple little box

[bandit571]

Ok, since the desk project is sitting upstairs, awaiting the top coats to be applied, means I have a cleared ( almost..) bench.   Need to make a small "Candy Box" to be deliver with the desk....I have a week to get it done, might as well get started..

   
Started with a 6" wide board, planed to 7/16" thick, used the old mitre saw to cut it into five pieces..

   
L-R:  panel for the lid, a side, a front and back and another side...I set the ends and lid out of the way

   
I used a 1/4" wide mortise chisel to set the spacings ( bandsaw to make all them cuts)then I got out an old 1/4" firmer chisel to chop a bit

   
I chop in about half way, flip over and finish the chop..no blow-outs that way..

   
Had a marking gauge in use, a try square and a Kobalt Utility knife to make knife lines for the chisel to register to.   A small combo square to set depths, and mark cut lines with.   Block plane to clean a few edges with,  my usual mallet to power the chisel.   Old chisel is a Buck Brothers, and NOT the ones you buy at Home Despot, either. 

Took a break, as I had run out of Mountain Dew in the shop......then a gulley-washer of a thunderstorm (or two)  caused that creek to run across the floor of the shop!....letting the shop dry out today, start in again tomorrow, I hope....stay tuned.

[bandit571]

Ok, shop has dried out,finally
 

Corners were worked on..

   
Corner #1, used this to help layout corner #2

   
Got it fitted..

   
Used this mess to lay out the last two corners.

   
And got them fitted.

   
Next time I go to the shop, I need to build a jig to hold the side in place, long enough to make three grooves.   I fit the top and bottom panels and glue the entire mess up.  After the glue has cured, a fourth groove will be ploughed around the outside, just below the inside groove.    I then can split the lid off the box.


Shoulders are sore, right now, think I'll just have a Guinness or two, and call it a day.....


Stay tuned

[bandit571]

Panels have been cut to size, grooves have been milled...dry fit?

   
Maybe a glue up later?



Have a LONG morning's work  and about 20 pictures....to get this far....way too many for one post.


If you be interested, maybe later tonight, I can relate the whole story.....was kind of "Groovy"

[bandit571]

Somewhere, under all these clamps..

   
Might be a box..

   
Maybe?

I may tried to remove all of them clamps..later....we'll see

[Bill Wilson]

Nice! 


Might I suggest a set of these for next time you do a box joint glue up?  

[bandit571]

Not sure I could get a set to fit....I usually use  1/4" spacing on the fingers....afraid I'd wind up gluing that to the joints..

   
Simple jig to hold parts still, long enough to plough a few grooves

   
Had to reset the fence, to plough the middle groove.  Used a story board to get the sizes needed for the panels..

   
Panels were too thick..

   
Made the top panel into a raised panel..

   
But I needed a different jig.   The plane is a Millers Falls No. 8 (#3 size) and it will do the beveled edges
Stay tuned...

[bandit571]

Ok, in the last picture, there is/was a line, about 1" from the edge   I plane at an angle to make a beveled edge.   When I reach the line, I stop

   
Check the fit.   When the fit looks good, I do the other end grain the same way.   Then I can plane a bevel along the edge grain sides

   
Then a dry fit.   Note the beveled edges.   Now, the bottom panel does not need to be fancy, will be covered in candy, anyway.

   
End grain rebates were with the bandsaw, the shoulder plane can clean those up.   The rebates along the sides...a marking gauge to cut a line the shoulder plane could follow.  After a few swipes, I can slowly tilt the plane up into vertical....the Poplar board was a bit rough sawn, that little hand plane was still out, might as well smooth the board  a bit..

   
Made a lot of shavings that morning..

   
Had to keep sweeping the floor.   I fine tuned the panels to fit, and did the glue up.....I think that will do for one day.....

[Bill Wilson]

Not sure I could get a set to fit....I usually use  1/4" spacing on the fingers....afraid I'd wind up gluing that to the joints..

I make small chests for my church (Baptismal faith chests).  After the first few, I realized that I was not getting proper clamping pressure on the box joints unless I was able to put the clamps directly over the joint. I made my own, custom notched to fit each corner.  I went so far as to cover the contact points with clear packing tape to prevent sticking to the box.  I've made several dozen of these boxes over the past few years and these cauls have really helped during glue-up.  For a one time project, it may not be worth the time, but when making multiples, they have worked great.

[bandit571]

Box has been freed from the clamps..

   
Not too hateful..

   
The crew came out..

   
And groove was milled....

   
The opening will be later today...

[hbmcc]

Someone likes candy! I usually think small in this sense as a pound at most. 

I like box joints but only if made on a table saw, which I don't have.