I felt like building something small and box-like this weekend. (Time to play with the new saw too). So I headed to the scrap pile. My goal was to chase the grain around the outside of the box. Just for fun.
After a false start I got the hang of it. It is kind of mind twisting.
How it worked
I found a nice specimen.
A piece of neglected walnut.

After jointing

Resawn to bookmatch. A cool little pattern.

Checking out the grain pattern after cutting 45 degree miters. It actually wraps around the entire box!
Closer look
Here is the cutting sequence.

And standing in order
Tips
Cut the board to length and sqaure up before bookmatching.
Mark the outsides. They will go facedown during mitering on the tablesaw.
And then…
I made a 1/8” thick bottom, cutting the groove with a tablesaw blade.
The lid is recessed in a rabbet. The lid operates by push. (I will show it next time).
This is my first mitered box and first time taping instead of clamps.

Tomorrow I will finish.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne






















20 comments so far
GaryK
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9536 posts in 885 days
posted 655 days ago
Looks like you are making good progress. Is that a piece of wood from the shelf on the north wall of you shop?
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
gizmodyne
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1678 posts in 987 days
posted 655 days ago
The lid is. The main chunk was hiding in a corner.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
ChicoWoodnut
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895 posts in 713 days
posted 655 days ago
Nice use of a nice board. there is a lot of walnut (or do they call it claro) here in the North State. I think my next project will use some. Chico has huge walnut trees lining the streets.
-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net
gizmodyne
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1678 posts in 987 days
posted 655 days ago
I don’t know if it is Claro or California Walnut. I have had this piece for about 3 years.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
Dorje
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1767 posts in 894 days
posted 655 days ago
Looking good -
What’s the final thickness of the stock for the sides? My eye says 3/8ths or so but hard to tell – could be a 1/2”...Let me know…Proportionally it looks really nice.
I’m with you on the just-want-to-make-something-small-and-boxlike feeling. I started something last week, but still haven’t blogged it yet. Your post reminded me to do that. Maybe in the next few days…
I’m doing a mitered corner thang too… took my board down to 5/8ths – it’ll be a little boxy-case with drawers, but it feels a little bulkier than I wanted. 1/2” would have done the trick for me. But, too late! Corners are glued.
I’ll look out for your next post on this!
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
MsDebbieP
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14162 posts in 1058 days
posted 655 days ago
a great tutorial. And the box—ooooh yah.. definitely worth the effort. Nice!
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
gizmodyne
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1678 posts in 987 days
posted 655 days ago
Dorje. Post your box please.
The sides and top are 1/4”. The bottom is 1/8” thick. It is super light.
As for overall dimensions, I did not measure anything. I just cut eyeballed it.
Thanks Debbie.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
Greg Salata
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85 posts in 659 days
posted 655 days ago
I like the idea of this bookmatched box.
Sometimes you need to make something small just for fun.
Starting with a nice piece of walnut with enough figure to make it interesting.
The figure looks to match up well and flow nicely around the piece.
I am finding I like working with walnut more all the time.
Looking forward to see the finished product and what type of finish you choose.
Nice work so far.
Greg
Mario
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882 posts in 949 days
posted 655 days ago
cool box, I always talk myself out of making baoxe like this because I don’t think that it will be strong anough without dovetailed sides. But After seeing this I think that I will try it. ( after it werms up, my shop is -2 this morning so I will not be doing much work for a while until it warms up here in Michigan.)
Thanks for the post.
-- Hope Never fails
rikkor
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11335 posts in 772 days
posted 655 days ago
Nice looking box. Good job on the miters.
Blake
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2760 posts in 771 days
posted 654 days ago
Wrap-around figure pattern is always so cool. I love doing this. Looks really nice.
-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com
gizmodyne
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1678 posts in 987 days
posted 654 days ago
Thanks guys.
Mario I don’t know how you all do it in the cold weather. Fortunate today it is in the mid 70’s F.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
Bob #2
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3047 posts in 919 days
posted 654 days ago
Can you folks get 5/4 walnut stock in California?
It kills me to take 4/4 and have to sacrifice half of it to get 1/2” box stock.
They charge 5.99 bdf here so that makes it a $12.00 /bdf piece of stock.
I love the grain in that piece you are finishing Giz.
I’m at the same stage with one and the bloody wood barely makes 3/8”.
Kind of limits my chioces.
Cheers
Bob
-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner
gizmodyne
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1678 posts in 987 days
posted 654 days ago
Thanks Bob.
I can get 5/4 – 8/4 yes. That was a 4/4 piece however. This came out to a hair over 1/4” x 2 plus a 1/16” veneer.
It was a little cupped though.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
gizmodyne
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1678 posts in 987 days
posted 654 days ago
Update: I am done with the box and it is drying. I will post it in the projects section later with a few more progress pics.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
Dorje
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1767 posts in 894 days
posted 654 days ago
Sounds like a plan!
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
Bradford
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787 posts in 720 days
posted 654 days ago
This is a very nice box, I feel I learned how to make a better box now. When my tools grow up and become “real tools”, I will make a mitered box too. But for now, finger joint/box joints are my only way of joinery. I love boxes and yours is a great teaching tool. Thanks for posting it.
-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.
gizmodyne
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1678 posts in 987 days
posted 654 days ago
You are welcome Bradford. I have seen simple mitered boxes made with a miter box or saw. You just set a stop block and cut them all to the same length.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
abie
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112 posts in 668 days
posted 630 days ago
tmx for the pictures,
this is just the way i learned in box making class.
BT
-- Bruce
Karson
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25805 posts in 1298 days
posted 628 days ago
John: A great demo of the procedures..
Nice job.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †