Thread: Squaring the top and bottom of a box.

I fear it may be too late. In my experience, albeit limited, I find that the timber has to be perfectly parallel before you start.

It maybe too late .... but the way to get a level finish scribed on the box is as follows.

You will need a thin wedge, a clamp, sharp knife, ruler, a 100mm wide piece of masonite at least as long as the box, and a plane.

Place the box on a flat surface and then wedge up the bottom corner that has dropped until the top is level. You will know when its is level because the top edge will be at a uniform height above the table. There should be a gap at the bottom where the box has been wedged up.

Then get a piece of wood the is as thick as the highest gap space ..... masonite will probably do the trick. while the box is clamped in place (with the offending corner wedged up) lay the masonite beside the other sides of the box and scribe a line (stanley knife for example). Do all sides in the same manner and that will give you a bottom line that is parallel with the top.

Then plane/shave down to the scribed line.

Alternately, recycle the wood into a slightly smaller box.

Good luck

Rob

Try gluing a couple of sheets of 240 grit sandpaper onto some melamine. Then move the top & bottom of the box back & forth on that to sand them until they're even.

When you put the offending box on a true flat surface (saw bench table) how much does it "rock"?. What you have is a box that is twisted! The cause could be a slight twist in one or more pieces that make up the box. Scribing the sides to a true flat surface may make dove tailed joints look wrong but if you have a simpler joint you will get away with the scribe.

Future message for the next box....be more critical of any twist in the pieces that are ear marked for the box