Thread: WIP - Small mitred box

Gret post Alex. Many thanks for sharing this.

Cleaned the wax off, then sawed part way through the sides on the tablesaw. It's easier to leave 1-2mm to cut through by hand, rather than have to control the two halves of the box if you cut right through.
Before separating the top & bottom, I checked all over them looking for any imperfections that are easier to fix now. There were a couple of small dings that I steamed out using a wet towel and a hot iron, and a couple of rough spots that I touched up with a scraper.
To separate the top and bottom, clamp them lightly in the vice end to end or front to back. This way the top & bottom are not being pushed together. I used a small Jap saw to separate them, but you could use any small saw.
After they are separated there will be a small lip to be pared away using a chisel. I then used 80 grit W&D stuck to a sheet of laminate to sand off the saw marks. After that, I sand those surfaces to 800 grit using a sanding block.

The boxes are getting close to completion now. Today I fitted the hinges. I don't usually like barrel hinges, but for small boxes like this, where time is at a premium, they are the best option.

Installing them is, theoretically, simple. Just remove the small conical tipped screws, pop the hinges in the hole and do the screws up. In practice, there are a few tricks. Firstly, the two parts of the box must be held in the correct position. If they aren't, the box parts will never match and there will be an annoying edge between top and bottom. I hold them in place by lightly clamping.

Sometimes it is difficult to get the small screw out of the hinge, and its size makes it easy to strip out the slot. If the screw is tight, jam another small screwdriver into the expansion slot at the bottom of the barrel, to ease the pressure on the screw.

I made up a slotted wooden drift to push the hinges into their holes. Sometimes you may need to tap them with a mallet, but usually they can be pushed home. Push each barrel in a little bit at a time. Some people put a little epoxy glue in the holes, but I only do so if the hinges are still loose after tightening the screws.

Once the hinges are in I plug the holes on the underside. I use tapered plugs, and put a little glue inside the holes and on the ends of the plugs. The plugs are pared down and planed until almost flush with the underside. They are finished off by sanding flush, touching up with shellac and re-sanding.

The boxes now get their first coat of oil. I'm using Livos Ardvos, cut 50/50 with Bio-thinners. The first coat is a flood coat. I leave it for about 20 minutes, then wipe it lightly to remove any excess. I'll leave it overnight before the next coat.

Nice fingernails Alex.

Thanks Cliff, I did them specially for you.

The first coat of oil is a flood coat, followed by one put on with 0000 steel wool and wiped off, followed by two more progressively lighter coats that are buffed off after 15 minutes or so.
The last thing to do was insert the sterling silver clasps. These are held in with Techniglue. Have to be careful to use enough, but not get it squeezing out of the hole. Also, you don't want it getting between the pin and its bush or the clasp won't turn. I did get some in a couple, but solved it by waiting until the epoxy had got to the gummy stage (about 3 hours), then rotating the clasp and injecting a very small drop of metho inside the bush. This allows the clasp to rotate freely.
Once the glue had set, I gave the boxes a final check & dust, brushed the suede, packed them up and posted them off to the client. She is having them professionally photographed with the contents, so that will complete this WIP.

These were pretty straightforward boxes, but they show a range of techniques, so I hope it is useful for anyone planning to make a mitred box.

Originally Posted by AlexS

These were pretty straightforward boxes, but they show a range of techniques, so I hope it is useful for anyone planning to make a mitred box.

Yep. I picked up a few tricks.

Great boxes.

I'll be referring back to this thread in the future. Packed with useful info.

Lovely boxes and great instructional write-up, well done!

Enjoyed the WIP Alex. The finished product looks great.

Thanks for such a great WIP Alex.

The finished box is a piece to be proud of!

Alex, Excellent tutorial on box making…Thanks for posting the process.

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Picked up a few neat tips and tricks - and a dose of 'skill envy' I would like to think that one day I'll make something with your level of detail and precision Alex

Thanks Alex for a great WIP and detailed explanation of the steps, it's been a fascinating read, I've enjoyed it very much. I don't think there's a book out there that could match this.

Glenn

Thanks all, glad it was helpful. I'm now doing a couple of similar construction, but larger.