WIP- 10 Display boxes

**groeneaj** · 12th January 2013, 06:45 PM

Hey all,
I've been commissioned 10 display boxes. I'll be using Jarrah with a mixture of different timbers for the panels, trays and dividers including Huon pine and figured Maple.

Today I started making just one box, mainly to make sure I like the proportions and to see if I'll run into any troubles along the way when making the big batch. I'm also a bit rusty as it's been about 12 months since I've done some serious woodworking, so it was good to get back into it.

I started the day with dressing the Jarrah and Maple (i'm about 95% sure it's maple - glad to be corrected). I dressed the Jarrah down to 11.5mm and the Maple, which will be the top panel, down to 8mm. When I begin to batch out the boxes I'll mill up the rest of the timber for the dividers and trays down to a few mm shy of the final thickness to allow for it to move, then on the day I need it I'll bring it down to final dimension.

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So after dressing, I went to the table saw and cut the Jarrah to dimension. The boxes will be 340mm long x 220mm wide x 120mm high and 11.5mm thick.

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Then it was time for the dovetailing. I'll be honest, I'd love to be able to cut 10 lots of dovetails, but it would take me a very long time (which is ok), but I have a deadline and my skills are not quite up to standard yet to make them by hand.
I made the mistake of cutting the dovetails on the sides and the pins on the front - it's not a big issue and I won't make that mistake when making the batch. So i'm glad I did a trial box!

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After the dovetails I cut the rebate for the lid and base, I used a 5mm rebating bit with a bearing set at 8mm so the panels will sit flush with the carcass.

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I then measured and cut the panels to size, I noticed I had a little bit of tearout on the Maple which kind of excited me (I enjoy the challenge). I used my freshly sharpened card scraper which made very easy work. As you can see when a scraper is sharpened properly it can produce a hand plane like shaving. I wet the Maple to see what it will look like finished - suburb! I got another 4 panels which will be used in the batch.

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I had two pieces of Jarrah left over that were too narrow for the base, so I decided to glue them up to produce the bottom panel. After taking the panel out of the clamps I decided to flatten it with hand planes rather than using the jointer. I then brought it down to final dimension with the thicknesser.

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And this is where i'm at now, i'll use a panel raising bit to fit the panels then glue up tomorrow ready for the box to be split.

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I'll start the batch next week, it's going to be a big challenge but i'm sure i'll learn a lot. I'm looking forward to you joining me in this project with your input and advice.

Regards,
Andy

**artme** · 12th January 2013, 09:41 PM

Jarrah - Yummy!!

**AlexS** · 13th January 2013, 07:33 AM

Nice commission to get, looking forward to this WIP. Looking good so far.

**Dengue** · 13th January 2013, 08:41 AM

We expect to learn lots from your WIP photos and explanations, Andy - thanks for sharing, and really looking forward to the next installation

I already like your dust catcher for the Gifkins jig - that is the first to be built - this week !!

Jarrah is supposed to be a very hard timber - how often do you replace / sharpen your Gikin jig cutters? How do you sharpen them?

Here is a link to determine the optimum box dimensions, based on the golden Ratio as used down through the ages, as those dimensions that are most pleasing to the eye

**groeneaj** · 13th January 2013, 03:08 PM

Thanks for the replies.

The dust box is wonderful and very easy to use, it could be improved but it picks up most of the dust as it is anyway.

In regards to the cutters, I think after I finish this project I'll get them sharpened - Jarrah is a hard timber so the cutters will get a real workout.

Thanks for posting the golden ratio link, I've seen that before and it's very useful. I actually went into the workshop today and had a look at the first box and decided that it's not long enough. It's a little bit smaller than what I used in my plans (just trial and error at this stage), so I'll go back to my original plan as mentioned in my original post - 340mm long x 220mm wide x 120mm high. I'm glad I did the first box as a trial.

I typed in the width of the box on the golden ratio site (220mm) and it came up with 356mm for the length and 136mm for the height, so I'm close, however I might play around with these dimensions and see what I come up with.

I'll start another two tomorrow and take it from there.

Thanks for contributing,
Andy

**crowie** · 13th January 2013, 03:19 PM

I think I'll pull up a pew on this build.....thanks Andy for the WIP photos & build notes...Cheers, Crowie

**A Duke** · 13th January 2013, 03:49 PM

Hi,
If you really want to get into box size ratios check out Golden RatioTNG2.xls

From the library section of this forum, developed by Formarites.
Have fun

**Dengue** · 13th January 2013, 05:22 PM

hi Andrew, would it be possible for you to post a hand sketch of how you intend doing the lid?

Depending on turnaround time for sharpening , can I suggest it might pay you to get a spare pair of cutters, especially as you are on a tight deadline. I suspect they will not cut neatly well before you have done all 10 boxes

**groeneaj** · 13th January 2013, 06:58 PM

I'll take some photos tomorrow when I make the panels for the top and bottom. I like them around 8mm thick, then I put a rebate into the box carcass that is 5mm deep and 4mm wide. The distance from the rebate and the bottom/top of the box is 8mm, so I use a panel raising router bit to create a hair under 4mm tongue or tenon in the panel that sits into the rebate therefore leaving the panels flush with the top and bottom of the carcass.

It's quite simple really as long as you understand the process.

**groeneaj** · 13th January 2013, 07:03 PM

With the cutters I'll see how I go, they are still quite sharp but I'll keep a close eye on them.

**Christos** · 13th January 2013, 08:01 PM

This will be an interesting thread to follow.

**Dengue** · 13th January 2013, 09:34 PM

It's quite simple really as long as you understand the process.

I'm afraid that I am a bit slow on the uptake here, but I think I understand what you are doing, similar to the pics below. A pic is worth thousand words

How will you allow for expansion and contraction across the width of the panel?

Please correct me if I am wrong

**groeneaj** · 13th January 2013, 10:05 PM

It's funny that you post that lid, I''ve been thinking about doing some of the boxes like that. I always do them flush so I'd like to mix it up. I've got free range on these boxes so I can change the design if I like.

In regards to wood moving with changes in season etc, I leave a 1mm gap. So if the width was 300mm including the 10mm rebate (5mm each side) I'll cut the panel to 298mm leaving a 1mm gap either side. You can use fly screen lining to hold the lid in place, so when it expands it can easily expand into the lining.

I'm no expert on this, but I've done a couple of boxes using this method with success.

**wheelinround** · 13th January 2013, 10:23 PM

I'll pull up my seat Andy.

That nice new machine getting a good work out.

I have a number of boxes I need to make for tools to be stored in

**AlexS** · 13th January 2013, 10:31 PM

I use the method in Dengue's first pic, with a bevel on the top edges. Started doing them that way when a client didn't want anywhere that could catch dust. I use a 1/8" slot cut on the TS, on both the lid and the sides.

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