Coop

I think the #3 option has an interesting look and would be a problem solver.

+1

Are the panels/mat boards glued to a recessed area of the back of the frame? Have you ever attached them to the frame prior to cutting and mitering them?

A small piece of spalted elm was the intended piece. It was thick enough that I resawed it to hopefully get the continuous grain wrap. As my piece was not very wide, the box was not going to be as large as the eventual one. After using my small parts sled designed with the 90* cut on one end and a 45* on the other end, I used your idea of using the removable stop block that you showed in one of your post. The design was to be like a small pencil box with a sliding lid.After making all of the cuts and grooves, a dry fit revealed that I used my id dimensions as my od dimensions and the box was 1” too short and 1” too narrow, due to the 1/2” thickness of the board pieces. As it was too long to make a pencil box, I cut the sides down which left me with grain match on only two corners. Now I have a sliding lid pencil box!

Thanks Dave! The box was constructed from one of the last pieces I had from a cherry tree that I cut down in Louisiana about 5 years ago. The lid frame from the same tree, just more heart wood. The walnut lid panel, also the last of a walnut tree from the same trip to LA. Since the box side boards were not from a re-sawn piece, the grain skips a beat on the fourth corner, which I intentionally didn’t show. The box’s mitered corners were secured with blind splines with their mortises cut with a jig in the router table. Unfortunately, the finger grips for the lid did not turn out as I had hoped. With your advance advice, I used a router core box bit on my router table with stop blocks. I set the height of the bit against a scrap piece and adjusted the fence to nibble a small amount at a time. Yeah, it is time to buy a new quality bit. I ended up having to remove the burn marks with a chisel to the config shown. The finish was 2 coats of high gloss ARS and three coats of GF HP satin top coat, sanding the nibs with a 240 foamed backed paper between coats. After the last coat, I finished it to baby butt smooth with a small piece of brown paper bag.

I concur. On the other box that op referred to, the 3/8” solid wood panel was glued to a 1/4” ply that fit into the lid sides with a mirror glued to the underside. With those dimensions, there should be no noticeable movement.

Just a bunch of Good Ol’ Boys! Glad you’re amongst us!

Hijacking someone else’s thread again but hopefully @Chet won’t mind. The original shipping box for my miter box and saw was about 4”x12” x 2” high. I figured as small as it was, there was a possibility that in my shop, it could get damaged or greater still, lost. So I decided to build it a new home.

I’m just asking for a matching pair of socks. Let us know how that wish works for ya!

I think it would look great and better than ply. Just cut it like the lid panel, allowing for expansion. Please post a pic when completed. I cut my Woodworking teeth on Stowe’s book, starting with the first box and have referred back to his book several times. Good luck!

I’ve used space balls before and yes, they are too large unless you cut the panel sides down to allow for them. The Lexel never hardens and remains flexible. You can also use a silicone caulk that does get firm. Run you a thin bead on some wax paper and after it firms up, take small slices and use like you would the space balls.

Yes I did. When assembling the lid, go by Stowe’s example on page 147, using blue tape and rubber bands. Once the glue is dry, use splines or keys as on page 148 to strengthen the joint and add a little flavor to the looks. Pages 16 & 17 shows how to make a jig to cut the slots for these keys.

One way is to apply a few small dabs of clear Lexel into the grooves of the frame during assembly. Or shoot a pin nail from the underside thru the frame, into the panel, at the center of each end.

On the box lid on the page 96 illustration, page 104, #2 says to apply glue to the mitered edges. He didn’t state but glue should not be applied to the grooves. I’m working on a box now with this particular lid (it’s made separate and not sawn away from the box, but same principle). I cut the overall width of my top panel about 1/16” short to allow for expansion. When cutting the tongue around the perimeter of the panel, I cut the exposed part approx. 1/32” shy of the inside dimensions of the lid frame, on all four sides. It’s not necessary for expansion to leave this space on the ends but it gives an equal gap on all four sides. I cut the groove in the lid sides first and set the thickness of the tongue on a test piece.

Tom, I have that book. Which two boxes are you referring to?