"Art Box" Tutorial #9: Get a grip.

The handle.

You dont really need a handle to open this box.You can just press down on the top,at the back, and the front will lift up.

But a handle keeps the finger prints down and adds to the overall design too.It can accentuate the linear flow if it is long and delicate,or it may add more of a whimsical feel to the box if it is stubby and rounded.And it is a visual tie-in to the medallion if they are made from the same wood.

For this box, we are going to make a handle, and cut out a section of the front lip to form a seat.

( Feel free to make your handle any size you wish.I am just going to show you how I did mine)

I chose a piece of Myrtle Wood to accent the medallion.I cut a blank 1/2’’ thick x 3/4’’ front to back,and 4’’ long.
Our handle is going to finish out at about 3.5’’ long and show a little of the lid front,above and below,after shaping.

Mounting the handle:
You could use concealed dowels,brass screws,or screws with plugs,small biscuits,or just glue it on.All of these will work just fine.I often cut a slot in the face of the lid and machine a tenon on the handle like this (but without the pins and magnet)...

But there is an easier way…its more forgiving and just as strong.Just route a slot mortise in both the lid and the handle blank and cut a floating tenon (spline).

How I do it:

Insert a 1/8’’ bit in your table mounted router and cut a slot in the lid and a matching one in the handle blank,about 3/16’’ deep.On the handle, stop your mortise about 3/8’’ from the ends.Now cut a spline to slip into the slot and make it about 3/8’’ shorter than the length of the slot.This will allow you to slide the handle back and forth to position it.If you do much shaping to the handle it may get shorter,maybe on one side more than the other.The wider slot will let you move it back into center.Ease the edges of your spline with sandpaper to make it easier to slip in and out.

Here is what it should look like.

In this shot you can see that I have done some shaping on the sander.
_Be careful that you dont sand through to the slot at the ends of the blank.

_

Mark the location of the handle on the lid and box.You can offset your handle to the right or left of center for a different look if you like.A typical way to do this is to make two marks that divide the front into 3 equal sections.Then position the center of the handle over one of the marks.This will keep it from looking like a mistake.

DO NOT GLUE YOUR HANDLE IN!
We want our handle loose until we are done shaping.The reasons for this are: It makes it easier to shape the front edge of the top with the handle removed,and just in case of a boo boo,and… we simply may not like the size or shape of the handle after we are done shaping the box.It just might look like a big fat lip sticking out there.We can always make another,very easily,if its not glued in.

This picture shows the seat roughed out.
Cut a kerf with a handsaw at each end of the box lip where we marked the seat for our handle.This will prevent the router from tearing out a chunk of wood.You can use a sharp chisel to remove the waste,but I prefer a spiral bit in my table mounted router.Make several shallow passes and clean up the last bit with a chisel and a sanding block.Just get it to where the lid will close all the way.Fine sanding can be done later.

And here we have our rough shaped handle, temporarily mounted,and resting in its seat.Now we know where we need to stay away from when we start shaping.

Next,we will start shaping our box.That is the scariest part but also the most fun of the entire project :)

-- " If I can make it,so can you" Andy in Oregon