Thread: WIP- 10 Display boxes

I think you could only use Alex's method with the table saw when using mitred joints for the box sides........It would not apply to dovetailed boxes, as you would see the 1/8" slot at the ends of the box; that is when a slot cutter around the internal perimeter of the box may be more appropriate to do that groove for the lid and base.

Correct. For dovetail or finger joint boxes, you would have to use either a slot cutter, or do it on a router table, being careful not to cut through the ends.

I didn't get much done today. I spent a lot of time in the workshop but I wasn't very productive.

The hinges did arrive today from the UK (smart hinge).

I spent my day oiling my first dovetail box, then making your dust collector with a 63mm hose connection for use with the Gifkin's jig. Using a mag switch to hold it in position.

My router table has two hoses, 63mm for the fence, and 41mm for the Triton router. These connect to a small timber junction box with a 100mm hose connection to my Thien dust separator and 2hp dust collector. Works well!

Looking forward to your next lot of photos, Andy, esp the ones showing the lid design.

What are you using to cut the lid off the box?

There is a few options to separate the lid - table saw, bandsaw, router table with slot cutter or spiral cutter.

I think I'll use the table saw, ensuring I leave a tiny bit to cut with a handsaw, then plane it flush.

Today I had a few visitors in the workshop, AlexS was kind enough to come around with his mate to help tune up my bandsaw, and Paul (Pacman) dropped by to say Gday.

I managed to get the lid done, I'm working very slowly ....

I used a rebate cutter, set to the thickness of the lid.

uploadfromtaptalk1358231457192.jpg

Then put the rebate around the inside of the box. 5mm deep and 4mm wide.

uploadfromtaptalk1358231826432.jpg

Then cut the panels to the inside diameter plus 8mm (4mm extra each side).
I then used my panel raising bit to create the tongue. I left just under 5mm for the tongue so it fits nicely into the rebate. This is the router bit I used.

uploadfromtaptalk1358231855011.jpg


Horrible quality photo, but here I'm running the panel through the router table to create the tongue/tenon. I run the end grain first then long grain.

Thenuploadfromtaptalk1358231995923.jpg

I slightly round over the corners to match the rebate, then test fit.

uploadfromtaptalk1358232106960.jpg

Dry fit with some water to see the contrast.

uploadfromtaptalk1358232165291.jpg

You can play with the size of the gap in the lid, I chose a very small gap (about 1mm), in my opinion it looks nicer than a larger gap.


I'm working very slowly, I'm very rusty as it's been a while since I've been in the workshop.

Thanks for looking,
Andy

Many thanks for sharing this, Andy, and going to the time and trouble of photographing and posting the pics of the WIP.

From what you are saying, can you please confirm that your design is as shown below?

also, what had to be done to tune your bandsaw? You are lucky to live in Sydney with friends that drop in and assist - great stuff!!


keep up the good work

box lid_2.JPG

The timber I used for the lid was rough sawn at 20mm. After I dressed it I couldn't bring myself to waste the rest so I resawed the board and got two just under 7mm boards out of it, but that's fine and I'm happy with that. But yes your photo is correct, but my reveal around lid is only 1mm. Also the router bit I use is not straight, it actually has a 8 degree negative shear angle.

There wasn't a lot of tuning required, it was more a matter of squaring the fence to the table and showing Andy how to set the blade guides and adjust the tilt of the top wheel. The table was square to the blade. When he ripped a piece of jarrah, all seemed well, no drift, so didn't need to touch anything else.

Doing well Andy

Its nice when people call round no matter what the reasons.

It was great of Alex to do this, and to be able to do a straight line resaw of jarrah.

At the risk of hijacking Andy's valuable thread, I thought I would share my jarrah resaw experience so others may learn:

I tried a resaw 1.8m x 33 x 200mm wide jarrah board the other day on my son's bandsaw - went beautifully, 1mm cut all the way, a straight line until the last 400mm when I pushed it too hard. I was on the end pushing, he was keeping it flat against the fence , and the blade bent for about 100mm

In the end I got two boards, with minimum thicknesses 17mm and 15mm before dressing the resawn side. I hope to resaw the thicker side for thin box lids, and dress the smaller board to 12mm for box sides and thicker lids.

Today I find the boards all bent off the central resaw plane alignment ( make sense?), and have to be clamped each end to hold together - must be all the rain we have had overnight after a very long hot dry spell. Fortunately they are not cupped.

I can understand your frustration, it's happened to me before but I now do things a little differently and perhaps a little cautious but it works for me.

I resaw and leave 4mm extra to the thickness, then leave it stacked. When I'm ready to use it I'll dress it to final dimension. That way it can move and with the extra thickness I can mill it dead flat.





I'll bring it down to 11.5mm tomorrow and cut material for 3 or 4 boxes.

I just took the first box out of the clamps and started flushing the dovetails with my very sharp #7. I put a sacrificial piece on the end so I didn't blow out the ends which seems to work well.

The next few days I should be able to see some real progress.

Input and comments welcome.

Andy

My comment.

That was interesting, I have never seen that before - sure beats sanding!

how high did you place the sacrificial board, Andy, level with the top of the pins, or level with the box side?