Bunch O' Boxes, part deux


wtnhighlander

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OK, so here is another box-like object, made from that pile of resawn lumber that I posted previously. This is a bit of red oak, formed into a box shape with all mitered corners, using the tablesaw. My technique for this is getting more efficient, but I feel I need to construct a sacrificial miter fence or sled to get the cleanest possible cut. For those of you new to this sort of box, the routine goes like this:

  1. Lay out the components (all six sides) of the box for desired grain orientation.
  2. With the saw blade still at 90*, cut parts slightly oversized.
  3. Tilt saw blade to 45*.
  4. Cut the long dimension of the top, bottom, and 2 long sides, using a stop block on the rip fence. Spin each piece so the just-cut mitered end is against the stop, and miter the opposite end. No adjustments necessary. My saw tilts left, and I cut from the right, so inside face is against the table.
  5. Now adjust the stop block for the desired width of the top & bottom. Cut the width of the top & bottom, and long dimension of the two short sides at this setting. Spin and cut opposite as described above.
  6. Now adjust the stop to the desired width of the long & short sides. This is a ripping cut, and is a bit easier to manage on the saw. Cut, spin and repeat as described above.
  7. Lay the side & end pieces out on the bench, in order of grain orientation, with the inside face down, and long edges against a straight edge. Should be short, long, short, long.
  8. With the ends firmly butted together, use painter's tape to cover the joint and hold it tight.
  9. Flip the assembly over to be outside face down. The glue surfaces of the miter joints are now ready for glue application (assuming you did this dry first, to check the fit).
  10. Apply the glue and "roll up" the assembly to bring all the joints together, forming a rectangle.
  11. Place the rectangle so that the open top or bottom is exposed, and glue the panel in, "clamping" it with tape. Flip over and repeat.

Points to remember - supporting the cut is CRUCIAL to getting clean corners, and avoiding injury. Unsupported pieces under the tilted blade WILL kick out at you with considerable momentum!

The end result looks something like the first photo below. I had already beaded the corners at the router table, but you get the idea.

 

105c23c133fdc3ca4783645f710f05b8.jpg

 

 

Kind of making this up as I go, I decided this will be a pair of magazine holder thingies, rather than a traditional box, so I laid out a curvy line and cut it on my bandsaw. My tiny benchtop saw was barely large enough for the job.

 086c1965cfec890726f70773b66ab211.jpg

 

The last step so far was to cut some holes in the back to facilitate picking the boxes up. I used a hole saw on the drill press, cutting trhough half way from each side to get the smoothest possible hole. Still need a little fairing of the curves on my spindle sander. Then I have to determine how to bead the curved edges; the wall is so thin that I may not be able to ride it against the bearing of the beading bit I used on the box corners. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

3d463a28e9d82aa3d276ea091f68dc65.jpg

H3nry has inspired me to maybe try some relief carving, if I can find a pattern suited to my (non-existant) skill level. We'll see how that goes ...

 

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Nothing like red oak to cut your teeth with relief carving :0.   

Yeah, well...inspiration and action are different things. IF I carve anything, it will mostly be done with a router and dremel.

Never saw a beaded mitre joint before...bet that would look cool with a few contrasting keys running through it!

 

The beaded corners turned out well. The miters are tight, and the bead disguises even more, so it appears as a solid piece. Beading the cut edges of this thin stock is causing problems, though, as it won't ride against the bearing. I think I have a solution, if it works, I'll post it later.
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A recent thread about turner's tape prompted me to post this photo. I used a carpet tape ( Duck brand ) from the local big box store to apply a routing template. Lightly cutting across the backing, and peeling from the cut outward makes it a snap. b6f4493661e94cdf847ceb8ccc631ca7.jpg The template was used to refine the curved sides of tha box, and also to provide a surface for the bearing of my 1/4" roundover bit to ride on while forming the half-bead on the open edges. cb93fa2907375ba4e966129a4282d83c.jpgb76768891996e01b6bd7074aff34b359.jpg And that's when my 'Get to work!' alarm went off. Morning playtime over.

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The final machining step was to do the half-bead around the finger holes in the backs. Like the sides, I needed to scab on a spacer for the router bit bearing to ride on. I used the same hole saw that I cut the holes with to cut a spacer from pine scrap. Here, I use the hole saw to align the spacer and stick it in place. 49e505cf487f318240f662c1f70bc602.jpg And here are the finished holes. 0921678e0848dc0b1d43ffcf145956f2.jpg I was going to do a little inlay on the fronts, using one if those 1/8" bit and bushing sets to make inlays with a router, but I broke the bit doing a trial run on scrap, and didn't have another, so these will remain plain. I had already chickened out of doing any hand carving on the red oak - at least until I can practice a bit. These are now sanded, and ready to finish. I really wanted to char and wax them. I thougt the sample I did looked better than any finish I've ever used on red oak ( mostly good for burning, right Eric? ? ). But neither boy nor wife liked the black, so he gets to pick. He wants them dyed ORANGE! I have to experiment with top coats to see how the dye responds, this should be interesting. Stay tuned ...

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