Thread: Here is my first box

Looks very good. And with a personal coach like boxinator and following the instruction os Doug Stowe you cant go to wrong. About the only thing I can see with the pictures as far as "errors" is your corners where the lid and panel meet seem to be a bit rounded down. Might try to flatten the lid and body with sandpaper on a flat surface. Also, the top panel looks to square on the edges for me. You might want to radius the edges or something like that to make it flow better. And maybe mortise the hinges in next time instead of just screwing to the back. Now these comments are just ideas and not to put the box down in anyway. For a first box it beats the heck out of my first one. In fact it beats the heck out of quite a few of my boxes. I think you did an excellent job and look forward to seeing more from you.

Gecko,

Your comments are well taken my friend. I always appreciate when someone is honest enough to critique a project as that is the only way to learn how to improve technique.

I am in the middle of my 2nd box at this time. It is a box built by the Gifkins jig to store the Gifkins jig in. Being a utility type box and a large one at that, it will have no air of fancy, but has been a great learning experience of the DT technique in making boxes. After that one is finished, I hope to start a nice box out of some of my better wood. Just need to be thinking on a design.

Thanks again!

Bob,

What a great first box. Attempting a lidded box with hinges no doubt. My first one was a simple 4 sided, plywood bottom and a lid from different material that just kind of fit on top.

Just a little tweaking here or there will come with more boxes behind you. I've always learned something from each box I've made that improves the quality, detail or even design of the next.


Look forward to more. Hey.....I'm in your neck of the woods next Tues-Thurs at my facility in Stone Mtn. You probably know the local Rockler store and if you look though the local talent scrap book they have you'll see a picture of one of my State Fair Jewelry box entries a couple years ago.

ICN,

Bill

Hi Bob,
looks great to me too,wish my first box had been as good. As Bwillie say you will learn with each box, as there is no substitute for practice. Hope to see more of your work in the future

Harold

You are off to a good start. This is a great first box. Well done!

Congrats on your first born

Excellent start.

Very nice Bob. This was a much more of an ambitious undertaking than my first box. I still haven't done a leaf hinged box yet and a paneled lid is not as easy as it looks especially for a first box. If it was me I wouldn't change a thing.. save it as the "first" box and as nice as it is, in a years time you will notice how much confidence and skill you have gained. Keep'em coming bud! You got the bug and the knack!

Corey

VBG (Very Bloody Good).......you have done your instructors "well".
With the hinge mount....did you use doug stowe's folded business card trick.....I tried one yesterday, and found that our business cards are too thick???

Thanks for all of your kind comments and compliments. They are an encouragement to me and will serve to drive me further into this new found interest and work on improvements for future boxes.

Watson, I did in fact use the folded card tip from Doug and it seemed to work pretty well. I used one of my own business cards which appears to be fairly standard in thickness.

Bill, I will check with Rockler and see if I can find your box. Stone Mountain is on the other side of Atlanta from me. I am over in Paulding County.

Very impressive box: nice crisp detailing, accurate mitres, pleasing prorportions. My only suggestions would be to consider (1) thinning down the lid insert just a tad, and (2) replacing the brass knob with a nice wooden one. Nicely finished too.

My goodness, compared to my first box, yours is a gem! I chose to keep mine inexpensive too: by using MDF

Just as impressive as the box is the photography. Nice little light box and everything. Though maybe the sides should be a bit further out, and some light coming from the front would seem to be in order...

Thanks for posting, and look forward to more.

Very nice box, Bob. I basically agree with Gocko's & Zenwoods recommendations, but for a 1st box it's a beauty. Good move varying the spacing on the slipfeathers, it looks good.

Great box for a first attempt, I prefer hinges to be recessed or hidden. The knob does look a little out of place. A wooden one would have looked nicer I think, but that is just personal preference and in no way am I putting your work down. It is an excellent piece of work for your first box. Wish mine had turned out like that.. Look forward to seeing pictures of your next project.
BTW whats the "folded card trick"
John

G'day Munruben,
I can probably answer that..... and probably not much else!!
When placing hinges flat like that, Doug Stowe places two folded business cards between the lid and the base at the rear of the box. He then rubber bands the lid tightly to the box, and then proceeds to mark his screw holes.
His point is that this will relieve any tension in the lid caused by mounting the hinge, that may prevent the lid closing correctly at the front of the box.
As I posted earlier I had tried that tip, but found the gap at the rear looked a little bit too much.
Next time I'll try one playing card and see if that improves the look.

Thanks again my friends in Oz, your comments and critiques are well taken and will be most helpful in future boxes. This being my first box will remain as is so that I have something to look back on and compare to as my skills improve.

Y'all have been most kind and most helpful in celebrating my enrty into this end of the hobby and I appreciate each and every one who took the time to look.