Boxes #2: Bookmatched Box

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.

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

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

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

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

a great tutorial. And the box—ooooh yah.. definitely worth the effort. Nice!

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

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

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

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

Nice looking box. Good job on the miters.

Wrap-around figure pattern is always so cool. I love doing this. Looks really nice.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

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

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

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

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

Sounds like a plan!

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

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.

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

tmx for the pictures,
this is just the way i learned in box making class.
BT

-- Bruce

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 †