making a simple but utile box

[LGS]

Hi all,

I thought I might run through the construction details of what I refer to as a desk box, which is based on a plan by Peter Lloyd in his book Making Heirloom Boxes.

Pic 1. Timber squared and planed to required dimensions:
Red Gum: 8mm for front and back, 16mm for lid.
Wenge: 8mm for sides
New Guinea Rosewood: 5mm for base.
Box Dimensions are 300mm long, 165mm wide and 85mm deep.

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Pic 2. Making the lid. I like to have the lid made up before I glue up the box, so I can use it to help keep the box square. Because I didn't have one piece of Red gum which would fit, I have joined two pieces together using 4mm dominoes. This is not really necessary, a butt joint will suffice, but anyway.
You can see the pencil marks on the timber which will locate the dominoes.

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Pic 3. Dominoes in place.

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Pic 4 Lid clamped up and drying.

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Pic 5. Base clamped and drying. The base consists of two pieces of New Guinea Rosewood, trimmed to size using a Festool TS75 Plunge saw and guide rail. This was also used the dimension the other timbers (see Pics 6 and 7.)

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Pic 6 and 7. Dimensioning the Red Gum with the TS75 and guide rail. A pencil line is drawn along the timber at the desired dimension, measuring from the edge closest to yourself. If the dimension is marked from the distal edge, you need to allow 3mm for the kerf.

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[LGS]

Pic 8. The grooves for the base and also for the lid rest which is mounted in the front panel of the box are made using the Domino with a collar allowing for a depth of cut of 3mm.
I could have used a 5mm slot cutter, but I find the domino to be faster and also I have more control over how wide the cut will be. This is important when cutting the slot for the lid rest as you do not want to go right to the end of the panel. This lid rest is 280mm long x 5mm deep and is centred at 10.5mm from the top of the panel.

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Pic 9. The Domino with a 25mm orange collar which will allow a 3mm deep cut.

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Pic 10. The design calls for two semicircular finger holes to be cut , one on each side panel. Lloyd uses a table mounted router to do this, but I find that placing the two side panels back to back on a drill press then cutting one hole with a 32mm Forstner bit much easier. The cut should be centred about 40mm back from the front of the panel.

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Pic 11. The box dry assembled to get the final dimensions for the base and lid. The base piece is cut to the width and length plus 3mm at each end which will fit into the slots
The lid is cut to be an exact fit. This is important as it makes drilling the pivot hinge holes easier if the lid is snug.

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Pic 12. The lid is tapered from back to front, with the back being 16mm deep and the front being 8mm. (Being as I have used a 5mm lid rest centred at 10.5mm below the top of the front panel, the top of the rest is 8mm from the top of the front panel.
Lloyd uses an Arbortech to remove the stock required, but I managed with a Rotex RO150 and some 36mm grit. This pic shows the bench hold downs I use to stabilise the work piece.

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Pic 13. The lid in profile after some aggressive sanding.

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Pic 14 and 15 show the assembled box and the lid rest in place along with the hemispheric finger holes.

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[LGS]

I insert the lid which is a tight fit so that the top of the lid is flush with the back corners and also the front of the box. Then I drill holes for the pivot hinges.

Lloyd makes his own dowels but I decided that drilling a 6.5mm hole on each side about 20mm in from the back and 8mm down from the top allows me to use 6mm dowels as pins. Then I cut plugs from the same timber as the sides. Plane or saw about 0.2mm off the edges of the lid to allow for easy lifting.

The back of the lid will require a radius on the top back edge to allow the box to open. You could use a router, but I have found that I get a great result using a Festool DTS400 with 80 grit or finer paper.

At this stage, its easier to finish the box with the lid separate and add the lid at the end.
I should mention that before gluing up, I sand the interior surfaces to 400g, add oil (Scandinavian or Hard Burnishing) then continue sanding to 4000g I guess you could wax them as well, but they look petty OK just sanded.
The outside of the box is finished following the regimen outlined above, then the lid which has been finished separately is put in place, the hinges inserted and the plugs put in place and touched up with oil.

Sorry I don't have photos of the final part of the construction, but I forgot while I was working.

Pics 14, 15 and 16 show the finished item.

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Regards,

Rob

[artme]

Nice looking box sire!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

Thefinish looks great on that combination of timbers.

Thanxfor the WIP>:)

[RufflyRustic]

Wow! Great to see another Peter Lloyd inspired box :2tsup:

[munruben]

Well done.:2tsup:

[Waldo]

So the 1/2 holes at either end are just to get your finger under and open? :2tsup:

(he reads over the copy for shot 10 and confirms his question :doh2: )

[Old farmer]

Thanks very much, Rob for a great tutorial, invaluable for one who knows nothing.

I should know, no doubt, but would you tell us the make of the hold-dpwns, please?

[LGS]

Hi O.F.,

The hold downs are Veritas, available from Carbatec. I find them invaluable.

Regards,

Rob

[Old farmer]

Thanks, mate.

[benupton]

The wood is impressive. Great job:2tsup::2tsup:

[Lignum]

Good run down:2tsup: Love the timber.