I blogged a couple of weeks ago about what I should charge for a small box I was asked to make.
I thought that those of you who haven’t delved into the wonderful world of box making might like to journey along with me as I make this commissioned box. I was given the outside dimension for the box, as the owner intends to place it in a chest of drawers, so it must fit the size constraints of the drawer. The box will be 95mm high x 360mm wide x 240mm deep (approximately 3.75” x 14” x 9.5”).
I have selected a wood I’ve had in my stock for some time. I’m not absolutely certain, but I believe it to be Northern Queensland Lacy Oak.
The joinery will be miters with splines. The lid will be a frame and panel with a Burl veneered.
Below I’ve milled the box walls to approximately 1/2” thickness, cut the pieces to length and mitered the ends.
Here I’m clamping the Victoria Ash trim to the lid frames.
After the glue has dried, I plane with a small Stanley adjustable mouth block plane and finish with a scraper. 

This shows that I’ve decided to add trim to the inside of the frame to highlight the veneered insert panel. I’ve also cut the rebate to hold the veneered panel using my router table.
Before cutting for the spline I glued up the lid frame. The box in the foreground is not yet glued up.
Then I used this miter spline jig to cut for the insertion of a spline.
Here you see the lid glued up with the splines inserted and glued. The box is only dry fitted at this point.
This final shot today shows the box being glued up. I use two picture frame clamps to apply even pressure to the miters. Note that I have stained and inserted the base of the box. The base is ‘trapped’ in a rebate, but not glued. I have found that installing the base this way when using mitered joinery helps to keep the corners square and stop the miter joint from creeping when the glue is drying.
This represents about eight hours of work thus far. More pictures in a few days when I progress.
-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/





















22 comments so far
Douglas Bordner
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3315 posts in 815 days
posted 693 days ago
Go Don Go! Very elegant splining jig. I had to subscribe to the RSS feed on this one…
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
Bob Babcock
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1808 posts in 837 days
posted 693 days ago
I can already tell its going to be a winner. Beautiful wood, and I like the addition of the trim. It should set the burl off to great effect. Great progress shots.
-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org
Lee A. Jesberger
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3494 posts in 730 days
posted 692 days ago
Don;
Absolutely beautiful ! The splines in the miters are larger then I’m used to seeing, and I love it.
It really stands out nicely. Also, as Bob pointed out, the trim added to the lid will make the burk really stand out.
You are going to end up making me build some small wooden boxes, I’ve had all I can stand, seeing how beautiful they can be!
I hope you’re happy! One more hobby to use up my spare time! LOL
I hope you get this done quickly, so I can see the final project photo’s.
Also, as Douglas mentioned the jig you used for the splines deserves some explaining.
Lee
-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com
Thos. Angle
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3949 posts in 713 days
posted 692 days ago
Boy, Don, you not only love small wooden boxes, you do a darn good job of making them! That wood is going to be pretty outstanding when you get some finish on it. Outstanding design! I can’t wait to see the finished product. Hurry up, will ya!!
Tom
-- Thos. Angle
DustyDave
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63 posts in 698 days
posted 692 days ago
Don,
Very nice. Great inspiration.
Dave
-- Dave _-^-_ Baltimore, MD
Obi
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2189 posts in 988 days
posted 692 days ago
Anyone who has a Barton Box, truly has a work of art.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
WayneC
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5774 posts in 848 days
posted 692 days ago
I can testify to that Obi. The one you have is wonderful.
Looking forward to seeing the completed box Don. It is coming along great.
-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov
Lboy
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120 posts in 833 days
posted 692 days ago
Thanks Don, for the detail in making this box. I have had it in my mind to make my daughter a jewlery box, but havn’t gotten past the thinking about it.
MsDebbieP
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13433 posts in 911 days
posted 691 days ago
how exciting – getting to watch you build a small wooden box!
I would like to see more on how to do the splines
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
TheGravedigger
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209 posts in 775 days
posted 691 days ago
Fantastic! I’ve always been scared of making a box because the joinery has to be so precise. You’re going to have me trying it before it’s over.
-- Robert from Raymond, MS. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not a practice, but a habit." - Aristotle
Steffen
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252 posts in 786 days
posted 691 days ago
very nice work Don…
-- Steffen
PanamaJack
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4449 posts in 828 days
posted 690 days ago
Great and wonderful work on this blog Don. You really got me interested!
Now I can say: I love small wooden boxes, Don! (With your permission.)
-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,
Joel Tille
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214 posts in 995 days
posted 690 days ago
Can’t wait to see the finished project, we all know it will be abeautiful one. Thanks for sharing you process.
-- Joel Tille
Jeff
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91 posts in 698 days
posted 690 days ago
This is one of the reasons that I joined Lj.com so that I could learn knew things and get ideas to try myself. Don your pictures say a lot and your box look great, the contrast in colors is cool and I would like to use your ideas to come up with something for myself. Great work.
-- Jeff B.
Karson
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21154 posts in 1151 days
posted 686 days ago
Don. Now I see it. It was reposted as a blog. Great job.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
Chip
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1058 posts in 843 days
posted 686 days ago
Exceptional work as always Don.
-- Better to say nothing and be thought the fool... then to speak and erase all doubt.
Jeff
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988 posts in 845 days
posted 686 days ago
It’s going to be gorgeous. Thans for sharing your progress with us.
-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN
Sawdust2
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1070 posts in 838 days
posted 685 days ago
I once made a spline jig to put fake dovetail splines in mitred corners. I should have used claimps to secure the box to the jig like you did.
Now I might make one I would keep.
-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.
mot
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4892 posts in 787 days
posted 683 days ago
Just wonderful Don! I’m so behind on everyone’s blogs I have a lot of reading to do. This is great instruction, and would sure make a great Cyber Skill Share episode! hint hint
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)
Zuki
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1179 posts in 828 days
posted 666 days ago
I just linked in from the LJMag.
Neat work there Don.
-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them
drknoxy
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31 posts in 233 days
posted 214 days ago
I’m starting my first small box, and about to start glue up. Any advice on aligning grain direction to make hand planing easier?
I am in the midst of making a wood whisperer cutting board (my 1st wood working project) and I try to generally keep the end grain directions the same. Any tips (outside of a sharp plane)?
-- Knoxy for short
Grumpy
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12048 posts in 602 days
posted 214 days ago
DON, QUITE OFTEN THE GOOD ONES ROLL AROUND AGAIN. GREAT JOB.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python