Thread: newbie question/box making

I'll answer your question with a couple more...Once we know more, we can provide you with some more advice

1. What's your budget?

2. Is box making the only thing you plan to do?

3. Are you going to buy the materials as:
- box making kits ?
- dressed timber which you rip and crosscut to length and width ?
- rough sawn and salvaged timber that you want to machine to size ?

4. What sort of workspace do you have?

well, i want to accumulate the tools over time,and as some advised, i could
join a club,i am in Cranbourne,Victoria.
I have a double garage,plenty of room for my car and a decent size work area.
I think i would have to buy the box making kits to begin with, or find someone in the area willing to let me use thier thicknesser for a fee of course.
I do know of a few furniture making places that use other woods besides pine,and i have seen then chuck out lots of offcuts into industrial bins,they will be worth asking for.
I have a crosscut saw,and a drill press, i need to get a ripping saw have been using my power saw as a ripping saw to make my work benches,.but dont have chisels, routers, router bits or other things i may need

Hi Redd11,

I think the Gifkins Dovetail Jig is designed to be used on a router table. You can buy router tables but they tend to be expensive. You can of course make a basic router table quite easily but if you don't have any tools yet that could be tricky.

If you want to make boxes I suggest you get some education on the subject. Then at least you'll have an idea where to start.

Have a look at http://www.woodreview.com.au/home.html and click on "mail order books". Australian Wood Review is an excellent Australian magazine as well.

Also try http://www.thewoodworks.com.au/ and check out the books and videos there also.

Both of those sites are Australian.

Boxes don't have to be dovetailed, there are other ways of joining the sides and ends.

If you do wish to use dovetails (I make mine using dovetails) then you can make them by hand rather than using a router.

I suggest your basic tool kit if you were thinking of making them by hand would be a hand dovetail saw, a square, a marking gauge, a bevel gauge, some bevel chisels the smallest being 1/4 inch or smaller, some clamps, a vice and some glue.

To finish the box, some some Ubeaut shellac and some Ubeaut wax and you are up and away after a bit of practice and determination.

Originally Posted by Wood Borer

If you do wish to use dovetails (I make mine using dovetails) then you can make them by hand rather than using a router.

redd11, QUICK!, get a foilie hat ASAP, you are being lured to the darkside!

Resist, or forever be corrupted.

I'd agree with Wood Borer with the addition of a block plane to his list though. Start out with mitred corners first and then progress to dovetails later on.

Good idea to start off with hand tools, and then progress on to making a router table,( what sort of router? 1/2 or 1/4 ? what brand?) and hit the missus for athicknesser in the near future,,hmm will have to cancel my overseas holiday LOL.

The new smaller, cheaper, lighter Triton is out this month. Wait until you see it before buying anything else.

Join a woodwork club.

There are enough people here who can point you to a club in your neighbourhood.

Most clubs can help you decide what tools you need and you can probably try tools before making the financial plunge.

Originally Posted by Wood Borer

Most clubs can help you decide what tools you need and you can probably try tools before making the financial plunge.

You mean the finacial plunge router

Originally Posted by Gumby

redd11, QUICK!, get a foilie hat ASAP, you are being lured to the darkside!

Resist, or forever be corrupted.

Will someone Pleeeeaase explain what a foilie is. I haven't wished to make an idiot of myself....before now. But I give up, I'm an idiot, and I need to know.:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Check out this website. While you are there have a look in the testimonials and you will see one of our own has made it big time with a full on photo of himself holding a can of MFKL.

http://zapatopi.net/afdb/

Originally Posted by chrisb691

I haven't wished to make an idiot of myself...

Why not ? Don't you want to fit in around here.

Buy yourself a second hand triton Workcentre(when you outgrow it you can sell it again and you won't lose much money - if any). Maybe also get yourself a router table second hand so the Gifkins can then be used. Yes, the smaller Triton router is due out soon, it will be capable of doing Gifkin boxes.

Oh yeah, join a club, you can then use equipment you don't want to or have to buy straight away. You'll also get lots of help when you need it from people who have been in the position you are in now.