Thread: Vic Ash & Blackwood

Very nice result Dallas. Dovetails on the Gifkins? How thick are the box sides? Gap filling foam doesn't sound easy, is it? I much prefer that lid panel to the inset style. The extended handles may be a bit too prominent, but personally I wouldn't change them, you can try some different styles on your future boxes.

Veryyyy impressive Dallas, you have been paying attention. Now that is a box. Looks super, everything looks spot on. Great contrasting timber also. I dont think the handles look funny, its all personal taste. Makes it easy for the owner of the box to lift the tray out. Love those scallops also.

Paul

Beautiful box, Dallas. My view is that VA is a difficult wood to make look good but you’ve made it look like a king with this combination. Congratulations!

The attention to detail shouts out - the dovetails, the excellent fit of the lid, the routing for feet, the neat little pull and the smart top panel. For the top panel did you use the tongue and groove approach?

Regards,

Brian

Thanks for your kind comments Brian. It's always encouraging when others can see some improvement in your work. Like everyone, I try to reduce the number of errors or imperfections with every project undertaken and with boxmaking everything stands out.
I agree with your thoughts on the Vic Ash, it's not an easy timber to work with and not a standout in looks but I seem to have heaps of it here so might as well use it and dress it up as best I can.
I did use the tongue & groove method for the top panel. As I said in the initial spiel, Alexs set me straight on how (post 17) to do it and made it very easy once I knew the right way. I took the sanding up to 2000 grit on the panel and it certainly does add a sheen to the surface which is very noticeable when the light hits it the right way.

Originally Posted by aldav

Very nice result Dallas. Dovetails on the Gifkins? How thick are the box sides? Gap filling foam doesn't sound easy, is it? I much prefer that lid panel to the inset style. The extended handles may be a bit too prominent, but personally I wouldn't change them, you can try some different styles on your future boxes.

Yes they are Gifkins dovetails. I need to use the jig more to get some value out of the purchase. The sides are 10mm thick.
The gap filler is quite easy to use as it is firm and you just need to stretch some of it on one side to get it straight because it deforms a bit in the packaging where bent too sharply. I was lucky when I made the rolls as 7 of them fitted perfectly in the gap.

I like it Dallas, very elegant box, especially the dovetails. Are those Andrew Crawford’s hinges and how did it work out with the smaller 10mm boards?


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Ahh! The 'gap filler' you're talking about is the foam backing strip used behind silicone type gap filling mastic's and with some wall and floor tiling waterproofing materials, this stuff - Ramset Australia? Good thinking.

Originally Posted by botesmj1

I like it Dallas, very elegant box, especially the dovetails. Are those Andrew Crawford’s hinges and how did it work out with the smaller 10mm boards?


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No I'm afraid they aren't Andrew's hinges. It would only do his injustice if I used them at this stage. These are only 6mm wide so they fitted in quite nicely.

Originally Posted by aldav

Ahh! The 'gap filler' you're talking about is the foam backing strip used behind silicone type gap filling mastic's and with some wall and floor tiling waterproofing materials, this stuff - Ramset Australia? Good thinking.

Glad I don't have to buy the Ramset rod as I would need to buy 50m at a time which would last me about 4 lifetimes at my rate.

Don't underestimate your skills Dallas [emoji16].

What's your view on the Griffin Jig? I'm seriously considering getting one.

I find the Gifkins jig very handy for repeatedly cutting neat dovetails that fit the same as the previous one cut. I can leave it for months after it has been dialed in and the next one will fit exactly the same. Timber that is a bit splintery can give you a few problems with small pieces chipping out but they are fairly easily disguised with a bit of glue and sanding dust. Occasionally I will need to glue a small sliver of wood back in if the chip was too large. The quality of the cutters that come with it is very good as they are made by Carbitool who have a very good reputation here. I also purchased the DVD Boxmaking #3 Special jewellery box which goes through the whole process of making a box with a tray and shows a number of jigs and setups that help make the processes repeatable.
It might cost a bit but I think it is worth it for ease and repeatability. With this jig, a 90° shooting board and a 45° ramp you can produce very accurate boxes.

Thanks Dallas

Jacques,

I use the Gifkins jig and I like it a lot. If you go slowly with the cuts and have very sharp router bits you can avoid most tearout. I’ve used this and the Leigh jig which I find far too complex. There were only two things in life I found too complicated but now there are three - the Leigh jig, a woman’s mind and a folding deck chair.

I bought my Gifkins jig on eBay - it is worth being patient, you can get some great deals. Recently I’ve used my Gifkins jig for dovetails and my Incra Box Joint jig for box joints - the Gifkins is so much nicer in my opinion.

Dallas - apologies, didn’t mean to hijack your thread

Best regards,

Brian

Have to throw my 2 cents worth in here. From what I can see the Gifkins is good if you want everything done for you, the price you pay for that ease of use is a lack of versatility. You're limited to through dovetails at the spacing prescribed by the templates. The Gifkins simply can't match what can be done with a Leigh or the Incra fence system, and for what it is it's pretty exxy. There are similar template based products from Asia for much less money than the Gifkins, and don't forget the similar template based product that Leigh makes.

Aldav makes a good point about half-blind dovetails. I only make boxes so half-blinds are less important to me.

I paid $75 for my Gifkins jig on eBay - they pop up there from time to time. Came with the variable dovetail spacers, cutters and several templates. If you like a Leigh-style jig Ttimbecon sell one for around $150.

Regards,

Brian