Box making by hand?

[Keefaz]

Hi, all.

I'm really interested in box making and would like to give it a go but currently I'm living in a small flat without access to any large power tools at all. Is it possible to make boxes use handheld power tools and manual hand tools and do any of you have experience doing so?

Thanks!

[woodbe]

Getting your stock properly dimensioned is probably the biggest challenge, but there is no reason a box could not be constructed entirely with handtools.

I'm only a newbie at this, but the only powertools used so far have been a thicknesser to get the stock all the same thickness and a tablesaw to cut to size.

You can use all the latest equipment, but you don't need to. In some ways, the powertools take some of the challenge out of the operation.

woodbe.

[Pat]

Box Making using exclusively hand tools is alot of fun! As noted above dimension your stock is interesting, but with a few planes, time and practice it is doable. You also have to decide what method you will use to join the box together eg Thru dovetails, Half blind dovetails, butt joins etc.

The easy way is to go to Home improvement centre and purchase some cheap and nasty pine boards of 12mm (1/2") to 19mm (3/4") thickness and practice your joins. The tops and bottems can be MDF 3mm(1/8"). Once you get comfortable with the pine, you can branch out with better timber/different joins/more details - carved lids etc

Just have a go and enjoy yourself!

[zenwood]

It is absolutely possible to make boxes using hand tools. People have been doing it for thousands of years, after all. Here are some that I made without any electrickery at all:

macassar ebony and tagua nut
cherry and purpleheart
purpleheart and tulipwood
purpleheart and ebony

Some kind of bench with a vice is going to help you stay sane, though. Also, have a look here for how to make a basic box (Stickmangumby's guitar case) using pine, screws, and plywood.

[Keefaz]

Thanks, guys.

That simple guitar case has really got me thinking of making a large-ish box for my girlfriend's craft stuff.

I'm off to the hardware place today, so I'll see what I can pick up. I may just get some cheap pine if they have any and practise my joints as per Pat's recommendation and work through the logistics of building something in my flat!

[Keefaz]

It is absolutely possible to make boxes using hand tools. People have been doing it for thousands of years, after all. Here are some that I made without any electrickery at all:

macassar ebony and tagua nut
cherry and purpleheart
purpleheart and tulipwood
purpleheart and ebony

Some kind of bench with a vice is going to help you stay sane, though. Also, have a look here for how to make a basic box (Stickmangumby's guitar case) using pine, screws, and plywood.

Oh. I was just checking out you macassar ebony box, Zenwood, and was impressed with the accuracy of your mitres there. Could you tell me what your process was for making them?

[JDarvall]

Accuracy.....focus on that from the very beginning.

If I was you, to breed confidence (so you feel like a natural, and find the motivation to practise), is work with good straight grained pine, and buy yourself a jap saw, marking knife, square, and a vice. Bolt the vice to an old heavy table.....Learn a bit about joints ....

but firstly to get a feel, just scribe a few knife lines square accross grain on the wood with your square and marking knife, along the widest part of the wood, and continue it over the thinner edge.....squint and squint, with that wood in the vice, try real hard, with little back and forth movements to cut right on the marked line....with a jap saw its remarkable easy and accurate...practise a few of these cuts and you'll find you'll be able to keep that saw right on the line with subtle adjustments to your saw swing.....Your love it....you'll soon realise how easy box making by hand can be.

But commit yourself, and find patience, or else your just wasting your money on the tools.

[AlexS]

Apricotripper is spot on the money. Boxes are easy to make without power tools, but if you start one and it doesn't work because of inaccuracy, you'll be disheartened. Some straight grained timber, practice marking out with a marking knife (craft knife will do in an emergency), cutting square on the line, and practice cutting dovetails or finger joints (easier and stronger than mitres for a start). When you're happy that you can do a reasonable job, make your first box and post some pics here. Go for it.

[zenwood]

Keefaz: my mitres were cut using a handplane and something called a donkey's ear shooting board, which is thoroughly discussed here, and is seen in action making a box here. A donkey's ear shooting board is easy to make with some plywood, handtools, and careful marking out and trimming.

[keju]

Why not try making your boxes with a scroll saw?
I have found the scroll saw to be one of the most versatile tools to own.
Here are a couple of pictures of boxes I made:
snowflake boxes and a celtic knot box



Juvy

[scooter]

Nice work juvy! How about posting the pics on the scrollsaw forum, so those that don't read the whole forum can appreciate your good work.


Cheers..................Sean