Thread: First ever box, finally finished

Thank a lot

I'm working on some designs at the moment for a smaller box based on the bottom half of this one, but instead of curved compartments, there will be four curved draws that rotate out, the same way the bottom lids on this box do. But the draws will be hidden completely from the outside, and will all open together mechanically by rotating a hidden disc in the top of the box.

Can't decide whether to have a top compartment on this next one or not though. Any thoughts?

Fantastic novel design, brilliantly executed - well done

Well done. There's more to this than meets the eye. Can you perhaps describe in words what we see in the pictures so we don't have to wait for the box to come back?

Regards,
Jim

Picture 1 - The Whole box, completely together. The carcass is constructed from maple with a walnut strip glued to the bottom and jointed with ply biscuits. Then the edges routed off and walnut edging strips glued in to give the walnut band all around the edge. The top is a burr walnut veneered panel with mitered walnut lippings around the edge, it opens by an angled sliding dovetail explained in pictures 4 and 5. The finish is cellulose based lacquer chosen to bring out the color of the walnut whilst minimizing the amount of color change in the maple. Then waxed with liberon black bison wax.

Picture 2 - Shows the top removed and the top compartment which houses the tray. The walnut corner pieces are drilled out from underneath and a brass rod is inserted to hold the top and bottom together and to act as a hinge for the bottom compartment lids.

Picture 3 - Shows the tray. the maple corners are jointed to the walnut sides with a 45 degree dovetail and the bottom panel is veneered mdf with maple and burr walnut veneers cut to the pattern shown to match the panel at the bottom of the entire box and the bottom compartment lids. The handle is hand shaped and fitted with a blind halving joint.

Pictures 4 and 5 - Show the lid half way off and the underside of the lid. The lid slides on a 45 degree sliding dovetail which when closed gives the impression of a single dovetail on each side of the box, making it seem impossible to open. If lifted or slid in the wrong direction the lid will not move. The two slides for the lid are constructed from three strips of walnut and two strips of maple butt jointed together and planed to exact size. The 1/8 dovetail angle was planed on a planner, using a sliding bevel to set the fence. The two slides were then glued with extreme precision one at a time to the underside of the lid. Then once the slides were completely dry the lid was fitted on the box put in a vice and planed flush with the edges of the box.

Picture 6 - Shows the box with the lid and tray both removed and the bottom compartment lids closed. The four lids are solid timber. The maple lids have a 2mm strip of walnut glued to the outside edge so that the walnut band around the outside of the box is consistent. The lids match the pattern of the veneered panels and hinge in the corners of the box on a brass rod.

Picture 7 - Shows the bottom compartment lids open to their fullest extent, they each have a dowel glued in the underside to act as a stop when opening and the small handles on the outside act as a stop when closing. The four dividers in the bottom are laminated with two 2.5mm walnut strips using cascamite glue and bent on an mdf former and clamped using band straps. They are fixed to the corner posts and center post with mortise and tenons. The bottom panel is fitted with the pattern going the opposite way to the dividers so that when the lids are open the dividers form a completely new pattern with the panel.

Picture 8 - Is just a detailed view of the top of the lid.

That's really all there is to say about it, if anyone has any questions i'm happy to answer them.

Writing it all out like that made it sound extremely simple

Very nice, indeed!

Well done!



.

Thanks a bunch trollhameran. That does make it seem rather simple. I'm sure we'll all be making these boxes now.

I appreciate you taking the time to add the description. I know how difficult it can be to describe a picture. I still love the precision and imagination you've displayed. You should make one for the contest too, maybe the one you describe above?

Regards,
Jim

what they all said