Between Project Scrap Boxes

[gee-dub]

This may be a bit of a broken record but between projects I like to make up batches of boxes and picture frames to use up scraps. If you've seen one of my threads on these in the past, you've seen this one . After making the pair of dressers and few other odds and ends I have a lot of scrap. I gather pieces that are the right size for boxes.

I rough cut some blanks so that I have as little irregular material as possible before milling.

I have some scrap set aside that may make interesting tops and bottoms too.

I face joint, plane the opposite face, and edge joint one edge of the blanks. I then mark the jointed edge (since the non-jointed edge will get ripped off at the table saw when ripping for width) so I know which corners go together to provide continuous figure around the boxes. You can figure (no pun intended) out which pieces go where after cutting without the marks but, this is just easier.

So all milled square and cut to width. I don't have to worry too much about length since that will be taken care of when I miter the ends. You do need the blanks close to final length or the continuous grain effect gets messy.

Miter one end.

Flip the piece and use one of the stop blocks to cut a short side.

Miter the next continuous end.

Use the other stop block to cut a long side.

Rinse and repeat and you end up with a box with continuous figure wrapping around it.

I will cut the other box sides while I am already setup for it. Then on to slots for floating tops and bottoms.

[gee-dub]

So all the box body parts have been mitered.

I cut a groove at the top and bottom of each part to accept the floating tops and bottoms.



There you go.

I use a rubber band to temporarily hold the sides together to confirm my dimension for the tops and bottoms.

Joint and plane all the scraps that I selected for tops and bottoms, rip, and cross cut to final dimension.

I use an 1/8" groover blade to cut a tongue all the way around the tops and bottoms. Any FTG blade would do but I happen to have this 50 tooth version that I use for miter keys so I use that. Some of these cuts are the rare occasion when you can use a feather board centered on the blade. That is, a non-through cut. You always place your feather board ahead of the leading edge of the blade for any type of through cut.

I use the L-fence to shorten the tongues. I use a bit of scrap to back up the crosscuts so the delicate 1/8" tongue doesn't blow out.

This is the end result so far.

The tops and bottoms fit like so.

Once I get them all to this point I will profile the tops and bottoms.

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

Superb work! You always impress, whether it's jig building, problem solving or beautiful boxes out of scrap. I always learn something. Thank you for sharing your skill.

[gee-dub]

Thanks "Ron" .  It eats up scrap and gives me a break between larger projects to make boxes, frames and other small items.  It also stock piles potential gifts for those times when LOML 'suddenly' wants something for a gift item for someone. I guess I am a slow learner since I am dismayed by how repetitive the tasks become when batching out multiples of the same thing.  Really!?!  You don't remember that from last time???

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

On 7/16/2024 at 1:24 PM, gee-dub said:

Thanks "Ron" .  It eats up scrap and gives me a break between larger projects to make boxes, frames and other small items.  It also stock piles potential gifts for those times when LOML 'suddenly' wants something for a gift item for someone. I guess I am a slow learner since I am dismayed by how repetitive the tasks become when batching out multiples of the same thing.  Really!?!  You don't remember that from last time???

To get to the fun parts, you gotta slog through the monotonous stuff first. I definitely feel your pain there!

[gee-dub]

Since the L-fence is already on I use it to cut the shoulders for the raised panel profile on the tops.

Again I use a bit of scrap on the cross cuts to avoid blow out. The blow out area will probably be removed by the next operation but I have found it takes less time to be a little cautious than to try to do a repair or remake a part.

I made some stop blocks out of scrap beech, oak, or whatever was at hand at the time. These have served me well for years for the small time spent making them. This style only applies if your fences take t-slot type fixtures.

At any rate I position the stop blocks for some stopped-groove cuts. I use the dummy top/bottom once again to set the dimensions.

I run the 3/8" deep grooves in two passes of 3/16". I run the router a bit slow and the combination helps me avoid burning. I do one cut, then rotate the blank and do the mirror cut. Again, the time required for caution is way less than sanding out burn marks or tear out . . . or maybe I'm just getting old and lazy.

I then step the fence back 3/8" (half the bit's diameter) and make the second pair of cuts. I do this by eye so that I end up with a sort of random, kinda carved looking result. This serves two purposes; it lightens the lid helping the box not tip over when the stop-hinge limit is reached -and- I like the aesthetic .

I am using my panel raising jig at the tablesaw for these. I just wasn't feeling up to hand planing 24 edges for something that is supposed to be a relaxing break in the project schedule .

Here is the result right off the machine.

Five more to go.

[wtnhighlander]

@gee-dub, a question about your fence accessories...did you include any adjustment feature to 'square them up' to the saw table? I made a saddle-style fence addition for my saw, and getting it settle in square to the table is frustrating.

[gee-dub]

The L-fence and panel-raising jigs are as square as I could get them.  The table saw fence is likewise. When firmly placed the result is very workable. I have had jigs that just seemed to refuse to square up and it can be very frustrating. I can only say that I eventually figure out the problem or, worst case, take a do-over.

 

Update: I should have said . . . Short answer = no.  I do keep foil tape on hand for shimming out things.  I have some tape "adjustments" that have been in place for many years on things that get put on and taken off frequently.  Seems to hang in there pretty good. Not as pricey as it seems since I am still using the roll I bought back in the mid-2000s.

[gee-dub]

I'm at that stage where a lot of stuff happens but not much shows so pretty minimal on pics . . . Here's something that might help someone. I cut my router table fences at a 45 degree angle where they meet the bit. This helps with dust collection and bit clearance in general but also allows me to use ZCI's for difficult material. I batch out these blanks from scrap MDF. I label them for re-use when possible.

In this case I drill a clearance hole for the router bit's bearing. I will not be using it but the clearance hole let's me do the operation without removing the bearing. I place the blank insert in position, put the fence in front of the bit and back the fence/insert into the bit while it is spinning. This yields a ZCI for that particular bit at that height. This gives me nice clean cuts in things like shedua, ash, or oaks.

Another trick for profiles that have a fillet is to cut the shoulder at the tablesaw. This blank is cherry which is not really a problem but . . . it is what I had when I thought to take the picture.

This yields a nice clean shoulder right off the router table.

I'll continue to slog through the boring parts and catch up with you all later.

[gee-dub]

Production-line sanding the tops and bottoms. In the background you can see that I am filling a cherry pitch pocket that got exposed while cutting the profile on one of the bottoms.

I often use kitchen door bumpers as feet for small boxes. In this case I use setup blocks to place the foot in from the fillet of the bottom's profile. Stops let me quickly move through the 24 holes.

My eye sight is not what it used to be. This means I rely heavily on careful measuring and marking. Despite my confidence in the math, nothing says "good" like doing the procedure in a dummy blank. A cut off from a bottom blank lets me set the depth of the "foot" hole reliably with zero risk to my keepers.

I then quickly and confidently drill all the holes.

The same off cut lets me confirm the depth for my wooden medallions that I use to sign my work.



I do not use setup blocks or stop blocks for the medallion holes on scrap projects. Since I am burning scrap I sometimes have less than optimal parts. I can use the medallion placement to cover a defect sometimes. It is a small detail but, I feel better about the finished product, am retired, and do this because I like too so . . .



I use a gap filling glue for the medallions. A piece of painters tape lightly laid over the area levels the medallion and secures it so I can keep working.

I will shellac the interior surfaces of the tops and bottoms and then be ready to start gluing up boxes.

[wtnhighlander]

I like those madalluons, @gee-dub. Do you make them yourself, or farm them out? Engravings like that are the one application that might convince me to purchase a small CNC laser or router.

[gee-dub]

@wtnhighlander - I farm them out.  I couldn't use enough of them over the rest of my life to pay for what it takes to make them .  They are unfinished cherry.  I write the year on them with an indelible fine point marker and apply them prior to any finishing.  Once the finishing protocol is done they are pretty well built into the piece to which they are attached.  We have folks on here who do laser stuff.  You could give them some business and it would be a win-win.

[gee-dub]

This step is really easy. The shellac dries to sanding level in about 30 minutes. These parts really soaked it up so I sanded them to 400 and gave them a second coat.

While I was waiting I gathered up some more scrap to make the insert trays out of.

As stated, if you've seen other scrap box threads of mine . . . there is nothing new here . I clamp a straight edge to a protected glue surface. I put a bit of packing tape at each miter and use the straight edge to align things. This method assumes you milled your stock straight and true and cut your miters perpendicular to the long edges and parallel to each other.

I have a lot of these. I can remember groaning at spending $30 on the first one I bought oh-so-many years ago. I then got clever and asked for them for Christmas and Birthdays . . .

I apply a bit of silicone rubber to each slot. This takes hours to set and allows plenty of time to make sure the floating panels are right where you want them. When you come back tomorrow they will be fixed and the silicone cures into custom space-balls.

Glue is applied to the miters and you roll the box up. Dial in the floating panel position and . . .

. . . apply the clamps.

Just because I am a belt and suspenders kinda guy I set the clamped assembly on a known flat surface and apply some weight.

No one wants a box that teeter-totters. These will set in the clamps for about an hour. I will then carefully take the clamps off and use them on the next set of boxes . . . rinse and repeat.

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[gee-dub]

I am stopping for breakfast anyway so decided to post a few pics. This is not all that exciting; just a couple of boxes ready for the external finishing.

Possibly of more interest . . . if you haven't stumbled across this tip it is well worth the price of admission. If you have a minor gap at a mitered corner following glue up . . .

Take a smooth round shaft of some kind. I have seen people use a screwdriver but a card scraper burnisher can be a lot smoother. Rub the offending area from one surface . . .

and then from the perpendicular surface to close the gap.

and you end up with a nice air-tight miter.

No one need ever know.

[gee-dub]

Still not a lot going on.  Grandkids are stopping by and almost everything stops for grandkids.  There are memories to be made and these days don't come again ;-)

I don't use a lot of colorants but have found that a bit of dye on walnut helps it stay dark over the years.  I tape off the lighter woods and dye the walnut with a BLO:mineral spirits:Transtint Medium Brown combination.

A bit of an old gift card works well for burnishing down the tape to make it stick to the narrow ledge at the fillet of the profile.

Same dye, same mixture, different results.  The tops are sepele and take the dye well.  This is due to the scrap-wood nature of the material.  It just came as it was and reacts accordingly ;-)

[gee-dub]

Once again, nothing really new here. I use the tablesaw to cut the box carcass in two. I use the 'kerf-keepers' to keep things stable while performing the operation.

And you get this.

Look ma . . . I landed a job at Santa's Workshop

Time to route some hinge mortises.

[Von]

On 7/25/2024 at 2:35 PM, gee-dub said:

I use the tablesaw to cut the box carcass in two. I use the 'kerf-keepers' to keep things stable while performing the operation.
 

I assume there is an 1/8" something filling the kerf on the pieces you have taped to the box? Or how do they work? TIA

[gee-dub]

 Correct. The blocks have a kerf cut in them by the same blade used to separate the tops. There is a spline in that kerf that matches the blade width and makes a tongue about 1/2” proud of the block. This just provides a solid fill in the gap to keep the two parts stable as the additional cuts are made.

[Mark J]

18 hours ago, gee-dub said:

I use the tablesaw to cut the box carcass in two

What about a bandsaw?  

[gee-dub]

On 7/26/2024 at 5:52 AM, Mark J said:

What about a bandsaw?  

I do love my bandsaws.  They do so many tasks so well. The larger bandsaw with a carbide blade or a Woodslicer does leave a very clean cut.  Still nowhere near as clean as a well tuned tablesaw.  The tablesaw leaves me very little edge clean up if any.  It is amazing how small tasks add up when you are doing six at a time .

[gee-dub]

I cut some test blanks the same width as the box tops and bottoms. The trick here is to get well aligned as one half of the hinge mortise is a mirror image of the other half. This means if you are a bit off center things will not line up. I made three test cuts making minor adjustments until I had it dialed in.

The mortise depth places the hinge barrel in line with the rear of the box.

Kinda like so.

Once I am feeling confident I determine which face of each remaining box is the front. I then put a mark where the hinge mortise will go. This is not because I have ever routed the mortise on the wrong side of the box or lid . . . no, no, no . . . that has never happened.

Someone gave me some International Coffee containers that I use for hardware storage.

Today they will serve as supports while I apply the shellac coat to these boxes.

OK, everybody has a sealer coat on. You start to feel like you are almost done . . . but no! There are six hinge installations, six trays, and six pulls to be made yet. ***whew***

[gee-dub]

Once again, just moving along here.  Rattle can lacquer applied to these parts.

I chose to use an oil based colorant on these particular cherry pieces. I will have to wait another 24 hours more before applying the top coat.

Finish curing times dictate some of the progress but I seem to be using that as an excuse to not get started on the insert trays.

[Mark J]

It's a hobby.  Don't need a better excuse. 

[gee-dub]

I want the oil finish on the cherry parts to cure a bit more so I will play with some pulls. I think that half of the reason I take so many pictures and post them is so that I can go back and remember how I did some things . As with many smaller parts it is a good idea to make them at the end of a larger blank and cut them off. This is an off cut from one of the dresser tops recently completed. I use a spindle sleeve as a template.

Cut out the bulk of the waste at the bandsaw.

And sand it smooth.

I draw a rough form of the pull at an orientation that puts the arch where I want it. I then start to cut this shape at the bandsaw BUT, the blade broke . . . right at the weld.

This is why I always have spares.

I put the new blade on then took a moment to go online and order a couple more spares. That done I rough out the shape of the pull.

I will do these in a batch now that I have gone through the process and reminded myself of how I did it before . I only need one cherry one so it seemed logical to use it as my test piece. Smooth the rough form at the spindle sander.

Getting closer.

This is about what I am after.

I will use this one as a pattern for the others.