| Blog series by Andy | updated 92 days ago | 14 parts | 19066 reads | 336 comments total |
Part 1: Intro
I recently asked if anyone was still interested in a tutorial on my boxes and the answer was a definite yes.So here we go! I want to start by saying: Be safe! Guards,etc…may not be visible in the pictures. This is written for woodworkers of all skill levels.But,please keep in mind that this is not woodworking #101.I am writing this in a step by step manner that should be easy for a beginner to follow,but some basic understanding of tools and terminology is required.I ask that the ...
Part 2: What wood?
Let the fun begin! I know everyone is hoping I will just shut up and just get down to the cutting and sanding :) BUT…..This is very important to those of you who are trying to imitate my process from beginning to end.Many of you have admitted that you have never built a box before and would like to know how to select a winning combination.So,the first bit of business is to select the wood you will be using.This decision will be based on A) what you find appealing.This is totally s...
Part 3: Box and miters
Now that everyone has their wood selected,lets get started. Note. There will not be your typical cut list of material sizes when making this box.We will cut the box body and a dado for the bottom.The size of the bottom will be measured off of that. We will then route out for the lid and its size will be determined from that. Lastly, we will route the recess for the medallion and we will get our final measurement from that. Note:Depending on your skill level and how clear my instru...
Part 4: Splines
We now have our box body assembled and glued up.Take off the tape and clean off any dried glue.This is a good time to smooth up the bottom to get rid of any rocking.You can double stick sandpaper onto a very flat and firm surface and slide the bottom across that.The problem with this approach is that sheet sandpaper is way too small.You can stick down several sheets and if you go very slow you may not tear the paper. Tip:I designed this sanding platform for leveling boxes and flushing out ...
Part 5: Cut the lip
At this point we have a box body with corner splines.Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top. DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE! For some, this may be the best option.They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion....
Part 6: Whats your style?
Now that we have our lid fitted to the box,we are ready to move onto the medallion. DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE! This is where you can get creative.I wet the surface of the box with mineral spirits to get a feel for what it will look like when finished and then start laying my selections across the top.Contrast is what you are after,either in grain or color or both. Example On Page # 1 of this series you will find a picture of Ra...
Part 7: Put a lid on it.
Three lid choices. DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE! At the start of this tutorial I mentioned that we would look at three ways to make this box. We are at a point in the project,where we need to decide how we want our lid to open.You will need to look at each type and decide which is your favorite or the easiest for you to make. I suggest following on with this tutorial and weighing the pros and cons of construction,before making a f...
Part 8: It all hinges on this.
Before shaping the lid we need to put in our hinge pins and fit our handle.Why now?,you may ask.Two reasons: The hinge pins keep the lid positioned during the carving stage.And its also to ensure that we know what areas to avoid with the grinder.We want to preserve as much wood over the pins as possible.The same holds true for the handle.Its best to cut the mortise in the lid for the handle while the lid is still flat.And we want to be careful around the area near the handle. Pin locati...
Part 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 ...
Part 10: Curves Ahead
This is the fun part! Up to this point,everything we have done has been carefully layed out and measured.This phase is more free form,its where we can cut loose a little, and see what we get.But a little care must be used or we can wind up with a ruined box.That happened on occasion when I first started playing around with this concept a few years ago.Just go slow and you will be fine. I like to mount my box to the “Moaning Stool”,to keep it from moving.This places it at a...
Part 11: Get in Shape
Here are some pictures after the final shaping using a random orbit palm sander.I just smooth one ridge into the next and regrind a new profile as I feel is needed.Its more about feel than any real definite plan of attack.I radius the lip of the box where it meets the lid by hand and then do the edge of the lid. Do just enough to roll one into the other,keeping the gap as small as possible.I use #150 for this final shaping/blending.Then I go through several sandings using finer grits until ...
Part 12: "We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties"
I apologize for the delay in posting the final chapter of the “Art Box” Tutorial. It is very close to being finished,but I keep getting interupted, and at my age it doesnt take much for me to lose my rythym.With summer here,we have been pretty busy with camping,hiking and visiting friends.But the biggest time wasters are my grandkids…all six of them!They show up at the most inconvenient times and expect me to drop everything and entertain them.Just to keep peace in the fa...
Part 13: "Art Box" tutorial...is anyone still interested?
I am sure most of you that have seen my Art Boxes have read my comments,tips and my lengthy answers explaining my process.So…I am thinking that many of you probably have enough information to make your own box without further help from me.But maybe not.What I would like to know is how many Jockeys out there would like me to do a tutorial,step by step,on a new box? With lots of clear photographs? I have to be honest here,its alot of work to do a good job on this and my time could be s...
Part 14: Final Chapter
This box required a great deal more time and care during the final sanding,mostly in trying to maintain the edge of the ridges.At first I intended to keep them as crisp as possible…which took alot of time…but I didnt care for the look afterwards.It just looked too machine made,not as organic as like.I started out with a concept of sand dunes that I thought would tie in nicely with the grain of the Myrtlewood,but thats about it.I dont try and plan out every detail of the shaping a...
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