Thread: A few new boxes in progress

Glueless -Pinned ? Want to se the finished photos please. Looks good so far.

OK, Richard. Chair pulled up, glass of red in hand, bar of emergency chocolate handy. Let the fun commence!

Looking very good so far - can’t wait to see how it all progresses. Where did you source the African Wenge?

Brian

Originally Posted by wood spirit

Glueless -Pinned ? Want to se the finished photos please. Looks good so far.

Nope, nothing securing this other than expansion pressure from ridiculously thought fit. I honestly used a hammer to fit the pieces together. The base and lid will then tie it all together.

Originally Posted by homey

OK, Richard. Chair pulled up, glass of red in hand, bar of emergency chocolate handy. Let the fun commence!

Looking very good so far - can’t wait to see how it all progresses. Where did you source the African Wenge?

Brian

Brian, the African Wenge was donated by a work mate who was downsizing. I had about 9x2m lengths of 20x20. They are left overs from an old luthier friend of his who passed away. It’s going to be a reverse style of the starburst box ie dark lines seperating the pale. The figured NGR needed a top which doesn’t detract from the feature so I am bookmatching at 60deg.


oh,and I'm going to use tru-oil with your method as a test. its only a jig box so if it works I will do the jewellery box the same.

Fumbler, how on earth do you get such a seamless lid fit?

I thought the last couple of boxes I made were close, by sneaking up on the fit with a shooting board and plane, but holy smokes, your effort is just ridiculous!

Kind regards,
Lance

Originally Posted by LanceC

Fumbler, how on earth do you get such a seamless lid fit?
Lance

The man needs to change his moniker! He sure aint no Fumbler!

Originally Posted by LanceC

Fumbler, how on earth do you get such a seamless lid fit?

I thought the last couple of boxes I made were close, by sneaking up on the fit with a shooting board and plane, but holy smokes, your effort is just ridiculous!

Kind regards,
Lance

Thanks Lance, To coin Lightning McQueen "an insane amount of luck". I use some pretty accurate sleds at the workshop I use. Once the frame is set and glued I square off one corner of the lid, and put a mark to note which corner is square and then a dot on the rim of the box corner to which the square corner fits best. I then mark "close" to the size for the width and the length, only doing 1 side at a time. I then gradually creep up on it I the sled. I sometimes use my shooing board, but generally its all done a fraction (0.5mm or less) at a time (eyeballing it no measurements used). These a also a light press fit so as not to cause too much squeeze out. Heaven help me if I lose my eye sight.

Here's a close up, but just wait til you see the grain on the NSO after the finish is applied, its magnificent.

Originally Posted by Bendigo Bob

The man needs to change his moniker! He sure aint no Fumbler!

Thanks Bob, but I fudge just as much as I don't. I do however manage to recover from my disasters quite well.

All those boxes are looking really good.

I'm glad to see some movement on the forum, must be the winter months that has all of us hiding away quietly [emoji16].

I'm looking forward to see the jewellery box finished.

Originally Posted by botesmj1

All those boxes are looking really good.

I'm glad to see some movement on the forum, must be the winter months that has all of us hiding away quietly [emoji16].

I'm looking forward to see the jewellery box finished.

Thanks, me too as its for xmas and I have no idea about the layout of the inside other than I have split the wood so that the walls of the tray are in line with each other so I sliced 8mm, 5 mm, 5mm, 8mm if that makes sense.

Wow, your workmanship is so darn close to perfection. Getting the mitres to fit so perfectly requires some very accurate cutting, no doubt assisted by well made jigs.

Are you doing most of the work at a Mens Shed or similar organisation?. Looks like a fairly well set-up workshop.

Alan...

Originally Posted by Fumbler

Once the frame is set and glued I square off one corner of the lid, and put a mark to note which corner is square and then a dot on the rim of the box corner to which the square corner fits best.

This is one area I struggle with, getting square. Now don’t misunderstand me, the diagonals are square to within a mm of each other, but when aiming for a perfect fit, I then have to trim the lid to be the same close-to-square shape, which can be tricky to match the angles exactly.

I’d be interested to hear if you address this intentionally, be it a clamping jig during the glue-up to ensure perfect square corners, or a technique to match the lid angles.

I do recall when I first started making mitred corners, and how near impossible it seemed to get them to line up on both ends of all four corners, where now it just happens. So I expect that with practice I’ll get there, with regards to fit. But am always looking for theory to fast-track the practical learning.

Lance

Originally Posted by Uncle Al

Wow, your workmanship is so darn close to perfection. Getting the mitres to fit so perfectly requires some very accurate cutting, no doubt assisted by well made jigs.

Are you doing most of the work at a Mens Shed or similar organisation?. Looks like a fairly well set-up workshop.

Alan...

I am a member of the Woodworkers Assoc. of NSW. we have a very well appointed workshop in Abbotsford at the old Quarantine station. Why not pop up on a Wednesday or Sunday and i'll how you around, let me know so I an make sure i'm there. One of our members is the Jig King and being a former Dentist, accuracy is his game.

Originally Posted by LanceC

This is one area I struggle with, getting square. Now don’t misunderstand me, the diagonals are square to within a mm of each other, but when aiming for a perfect fit, I then have to trim the lid to be the same close-to-square shape, which can be tricky to match the angles exactly.

I’d be interested to hear if you address this intentionally, be it a clamping jig during the glue-up to ensure perfect square corners, or a technique to match the lid angles.

I do recall when I first started making mitred corners, and how near impossible it seemed to get them to line up on both ends of all four corners, where now it just happens. So I expect that with practice I’ll get there, with regards to fit. But am always looking for theory to fast-track the practical learning.

Lance

Lance, I will post a photo of our mitre sled in action. but here's what i do. I cut the mitres, moving from Cnr 1 (doesn't matter which one) then cut cnr 2, then 3 etc. matching as go. Then i lay the pieces out in a line, in order, outside face up get them butted together I then put Blue tape down the length of the joint and with the last one I add a long strip of tape with the end folded over to be able to release to adjust. and open to put glue in. I use so much tape its not funny. I the open out, spread glue then roll back together, then I use a box strap and before it sets, I check its square and adjust if not.


here's the box with splines in, note the tape to prevent glue spread .