How would you cut the box top?

[Ronn W]

This is a pic of a keepsake box that I am making.  The is as yet unfinished and it is solid and enclosed.  I need to cut the box all the way around about 1" down from the top to create the top.  When finished I want edge banding on both the top of the bottom and the bottom of the top.  Each will be 1/8" thick so that when closed it will look like a 1/4" band all the way around.

Plan A:  Cut the box on the TS.  Glue a 1/8" band piece to the bottom of the top and and another to the top of the bottom.  Then dry clamp the top and bottom together and sand all 4 sides.  I don't think that this plan guarantees that the top and bottom will meet with out and gaps.

Plan B:  Cut the box on the TS.  Glue a 3/8" thick band to the top of the bottom. Sand it flush with the surfaces of the bottom and then glue the top to the band so that it aligns perfectly with the bottom all the way around.and in.  Cut the box open again on the TS with 1/8" kerf blade leaving a 1/8" band on both the top and the bottom.  I don't think that this plan garuntees that the sides and corner will be in perfect alignment.

Plan C: ???????

No hinges planned.  I will install a nice 1/8" liner that project above the lip of the bottom to hold the top in place.

How would you do it????

[Tom Cancelleri]

My approach would be the table saw. I wouldn't cut all the way through the box though, I foresee a lot of damage if you cut the top off on the table saw and the blade catches it. I'd cut all about 1/16" through almost like doing a dado around the whole top piece, and then I'd cut it off with a dozuki or fine tooth hand saw. 

[Ronn W]

I see your point about finishing with a hand saw.  Thanks.  Would you plan A or B to get the best shot at alignment when I am done??

[wtnhighlander]

Plan A, with Tom's suggestion. After the glue dries on the banding, use a flush trim bit in the router table to make it perfect, inside and out. Your banding material should be flat and square, and slightly wider than the box edges.

[wouldwurker]

You shouldn't even need a dozuki. Cut on the TS and leave a thin little hymen of wood all the way around...thin enough to break through with an exacto or putty knife.

[treeslayer]

i agree with all of the above Ronn, you don't say how big the box is, i have clamped an auxiliary (taller) piece of BB to my fence if the box is big, just make sure it's square to the table, great looking box by the way, nice job

[bleedinblue]

Table saw.  Cut three sides, then tape shims into place before making the cut on the 4th side.

[Ronn W]

Thanks, you all have good suggestions, I had not even considered a flush trim bit.  I have cut a couple of boxes before and I cut them all the way through (lucky?).  I like the idea of leaving just a little bit of wood for stability on the saw table. Should clean up easily. 

[Ronn W]

Hey Blue,  Do you like plan A or  Plan B for the banding?

 

[JosephThomas]

I have never done this before, but my first thought was to use the bandsaw. Seems like a normal bandsaw would have plenty of resaw capacity to lay the box on its side and run it through....very little waste to keep the grain match intact, less dangerous than the table saw I would think. I'd probably just use some tape on the cut line to help with tear out on the backside and follow it with a sacrificial board to push it thru safely.

....is there a reason I'm not thinking of that makes using the BS a bad idea?

[Nestor]

Use Vinnyjojo's approach but with a router table and 1/8 straight bit. Get a test piece of the same thickness and raise the bit until you get a sliver you can finish scoring with an exacto or utility knife.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[wtnhighlander]

@JosephThomas, the bandsaw approach should work if you have enough capacity, and your saw is tuned well enough that you can accurately resaw veneers. But the least bit of drift or wandering will ruin the cut.

[Chestnut]

7 hours ago, JosephThomas said:

I have never done this before, but my first thought was to use the bandsaw. Seems like a normal bandsaw would have plenty of resaw capacity to lay the box on its side and run it through....very little waste to keep the grain match intact, less dangerous than the table saw I would think. I'd probably just use some tape on the cut line to help with tear out on the backside and follow it with a sacrificial board to push it thru safely.

....is there a reason I'm not thinking of that makes using the BS a bad idea?

I thought band saw right away as well. I'd probably cut the grove out like the previous options and then inlay the band and take the hole thing to the band saw to open it up. I might be thinking this way because i have a new band saw that is freshly tuned up though.

[Eric.]

Biggest problem with the bandsaw is you'll have a lot more cleanup to do than after the table saw, which means it's much more difficult to get the lid to mate perfectly with the box.

Do exactly what Tom said, then clean up with a block plane.  If you find the lid and box aren't mating well, double stick tape a sheet of 180 to your table saw and sand the entire box top and lid bottom until perfectly flat.

Then glue on 5/32" banding to both the top and bottom, use flush trim bit and/or sanding block to flush trim to sides, trim thickness of banding down to 1/8" at the table saw, repeat flattening process if needed.

[wouldwurker]

Biggest problem with the bandsaw is you'll have a lot more cleanup to do than after the table saw, which means it's much more difficult to get the lid to mate perfectly with the box.

Do exactly what Tom said, then clean up with a block plane. 

If you leave a thin enough bit of material after cutting all four sides you shouldn't need a block plane...which is absolutely a recipe for the lid and bottom not mating flush. There should be no need for sanding at all. Once you pair through with the knife you can snap the rest off with your fingers cleanly.

If you do need to sand for some reason, twist the lid and bottom over a piece of sandpaper on a piece of glass, MDF, or your tablesaw bed.

Hope the pictures below give you an idea what I'm talking about.

Three through cuts and a shim also work quite well but still leaves a little too much room for error on the fourth cut.

[gee-dub]

I do as vinnyjojo does.

[Eric.]

I think you need to work on your block plane skills Vinny.

[Ronn W]

OK.  Plan A it is. Flush trim bit and sand paper clean up after gluing the trim. I will have to postpone my decision on making a final trim with the table saw as Eric suggests,  The first cut that opens the box will be done with the bottom of the box against the fence and the surfaces should mate nicely.  But for the trimming that would mean that I am trimming the bottom with the bottom of the box against the TS fence and the top with the top of the box against the fence.  If the 2 surface aren't perfect parallel, and they probably aren't, the surfaces won't mate.  I just have never done the sanding process you described and have to think about it.  I get nervous about the possibly of creating a doorstop this far into the project.

Thanks for all your responses.  I'll let you know how it goes.

[Tom Cancelleri]

8 hours ago, Ronn W said:

OK.  Plan A it is. Flush trim bit and sand paper clean up after gluing the trim. I will have to postpone my decision on making a final trim with the table saw as Eric suggests,  The first cut that opens the box will be done with the bottom of the box against the fence and the surfaces should mate nicely.  But for the trimming that would mean that I am trimming the bottom with the bottom of the box against the TS fence and the top with the top of the box against the fence.  If the 2 surface aren't perfect parallel, and they probably aren't, the surfaces won't mate.  I just have never done the sanding process you described and have to think about it.  I get nervous about the possibly of creating a doorstop this far into the project.

Thanks for all your responses.  I'll let you know how it goes.

The sanding is the biggest pain ever! I did this on a box I made for a friend's dog's cremains.