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Storage Box for joinery

Project by GaryK posted 359 days ago 2017 views 11 times favorited 47 comments Add to Favorites
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GaryK

8243 posts in 389 days


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box jewelry carving pegs pins

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Storage Box for joinery Storage Box for joinery Storage Box for joinery Click the pictures to enlarge them

Well, this is my first attempt to build something without glue. To allay any
suspicion that any glue or mechanical fasteners were used in the construction I
have included a blow by blow of the construction process. 100% wood with NO GLUE used at all.
The other reason for showing the construction is to show some of the ideas I came up with.
One of the methods I came up with I have never seen used before.

All the methods presented here can be applied to larger projects. Just scale them up.

No special tools or fixtures were used in the construction.

Just a table saw, drill, and carving chisels for the top.

I think that the carved top gives it a distinctive look.

The wood used is pommele Sapele for the outsides of the box, and mahogany for the
inner panel for the lid, as well as the carved panel. The hinges are made from
swiss pear.

I have decided to add some contents for my box. This project is to display joinery
without glue. Therefore at the end of this listing I show some of my favorite samples.

To start with, the following picture shows everything fit together before any
pegs were used. The reason I show this is to display how tight everything
fits. The bottom panel is an exact fit to keep everything square. Same with the
two panels in the lid.

The next two pictures show the construction of the panels in the lid. The first
shows the panel that I will use to peg in place to hold everything together. The
second picture shows the panel which is rabbited around the perimeter to allow
it to be installed flush. This is actually my first attempt at carving a panel
like this. If I had screwed it up I would have put something else there :-)

Below are the pegs that I used to hold the hinges and the lid together. I used
the same method a couple of years ago to hold the head on a mallet I made. I
always call it a blind wedge tenon, but then I heard it called a foxed tenon on
this website. How it works is the wedge hits the bottom of the hole and as you
beat in the peg the wedge will expand the end of the peg wedging it into the hole.
It holds so well that the only way I have found to remove them is to drill them
out.

The following two pictures show the hinge blocks pinned in. The hinge blocks are
made from swiss pear and are mortised into the lid for strength.

The following picture shows the first three pegs installed.

The lid completed with all 12 pegs in place.

The completed lid.

The next two pictures show the hinge assembly. These pins will be cut flush and
captivated permanently once the sides are pinned in place.

This picture shows the rounded edges which allow the lid to pivot. Note that
hinge blocks are rounded also.

Now to the sides. This method of pinning I have never seen used before. (if
someone knows what it’s called please let me know). This method kills two birds
with one stone. First the pins are installed at an angle. This will prevent
either side from coming loose. They can’t be pulled apart without drilling (I
know because I forgot to put the hinge pins in before I put the sides together).
The second thing will keep the pins themselves in place. The holes intersect
each other about 1/64". This means that once the first pin is in place it
partially blocks the hole for the pin coming in the other direction. This puts
tension on both pins preventing them from coming out.

This shows the over lapping holes.

The completed box with no finish.

A couple more angles of the completed box

This ended up being a pretty quick project. A couple of days to think about it.
Two days for the carving. Two days to build it, and another two to finish it
with my favorite water based dye and oil based poly. This one definitely made me
think out of the "box".

If for some reason you can’t see the pictures properly that can see them here:
http://www.arealnice.com/box/

The following shows some of my favorite joints. They are made from mahogany, maple
and swiss pear for the ‘keys’. They were vary hard to make this small and are much easier
to make larger.

Here is the collection

The first is my all time favorite joint. I am showing many views of it because it is hard to grasp
from a single photo. This is basically a decorative joint for columns since it is not keyed.

These joints are for joining peices end to end and are very nice joints.
This one is like a standard saddle joint but with keys instead of glue to hold it together.
The advantage it that you can take it apart if needed.

This is a scarf joint with two keys. This joint must be slid together sideways to be assembled.

This is another scarf joint but has the advantage of being assembled any way. A single key holds
everything in place.

These are truly beautiful joints, and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did making them.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.


47 comments so far

View oscorner's profile

oscorner

4576 posts in 711 days


posted 359 days ago

Gary, your work is exquisite and the details in the posting and pictures are most appreciated. It turned out…I can’t find the words…WOW!!

-- Jesus is Lord!

View mot's profile

mot

4830 posts in 437 days


posted 359 days ago

That’s just awesome, Gary! Thanks for the detailed views. I love the process and the outcome!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

View Karson's profile

Karson

11919 posts in 801 days


posted 359 days ago

Great construction and great box. Good Luck. But if I get mine completed your in trouble. LOL

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

View DAN's profile

DAN

2627 posts in 383 days


posted 359 days ago

very impressive work. beautiful box.

-- I made a cool back scratcher !!

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2286 posts in 464 days


posted 359 days ago

Holy smokes! Glorious box, and thanks for the blow by blow. Really cool joinery and stunning carving work.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

View Bob Babcock's profile

Bob Babcock

1809 posts in 487 days


posted 359 days ago

Very, very, cool Gary. Of course at this point I expect nothing less than the best from you. This is a great entry to the challenge and very true to the rules.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

View TreeBones's profile

TreeBones

1343 posts in 424 days


posted 358 days ago

Most Excellent

-- Ron, Twain Harte, Ca. Portable on site Sawmill Service http://westcoastlands.net/Sawmill.html http://westcoastlands.net/SawBucks2/phpBB3

View Aubster's profile

Aubster

105 posts in 429 days


posted 358 days ago

Very nice craftmanship in this box, and the over all box is very elegant. good luck on the contest.

-- A man who moves mountains starts one stone at a time.

View Don's profile

Don

2585 posts in 577 days


posted 358 days ago

Gary, congratulations! This is an exquisite example of glueless joinery at its best. Some very careful planning here and great execution. Thanks so much for sharing the details of your joinery methods. Finally, in case you were unaware, I just love small wooden boxes.

Best wishes!

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

11011 posts in 561 days


posted 358 days ago

the lid!!!
The box!!
The joinery!!
and the process photos/description

ALL well done!!

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

View Chris Davis's profile

Chris Davis

194 posts in 383 days


posted 358 days ago

that is a great piece of work, thanks for the details.

-- Check out the live video stream from our shop. http://wwbeds.com

View TomFran's profile

TomFran

2333 posts in 395 days


posted 358 days ago

Gary,
Great work as always. It’s great to have guys like you here, who can show us “ordinary” folks how it’s done!
I really appreciate your taking the time to produce these process pictures with explanation.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

View Greg3G's profile

Greg3G

616 posts in 486 days


posted 358 days ago

Gary,
Great use of the Fox Tenon…If I had more time to compete, that was going to be my method. I love the finish and the carving. Overall a great job. I am sure it will be cherished for years to come.

Karson, you have some competition now… ;-)

-- Greg - Charles Town, WV

View Mike Lingenfelter's profile

Mike Lingenfelter

361 posts in 515 days


posted 358 days ago

Very nice, excellent work!

-- Mike - "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." (Scott Adams)

View RobS's profile

RobS

1009 posts in 707 days


posted 358 days ago

Incredible display of joinery, great job!

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

3635 posts in 619 days


posted 358 days ago

Great technique, Gary…. you really gave me some ideas to think about.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View Bill's profile

Bill

2508 posts in 562 days


posted 358 days ago

A wonderful piece Gary, and even more wonderful when you know what was involved with making it. The story and pictures were a great help. Some day I will have to try something like this. You and Don have been inspirational on how to make a box without glue or mechanical fasteners. Well done to both of you.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

8243 posts in 389 days


posted 358 days ago

Thanks for all your great comments, I appreciate them.

These little boxes are fun to build! I think that I will be making a lot more of them.
It’s something that doesn’t take weeks or months to make like most everything else
I make.

It will also give me a chance to use all the small pieces of exotic woods that I couldn’t
just throw away. (I get a nice piece of wood and I tend to save all the small scrapes)

Well Don, you’ve got a convert.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View Thos. Angle's profile

Thos. Angle

3243 posts in 363 days


posted 358 days ago

Gary, I think you’ve out done yourself!! Thanks for the blow by blow. It will get some use at some point int he future. Great job and thanks

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

View Greg Mitchell's profile

Greg Mitchell

1366 posts in 470 days


posted 358 days ago

Beautifully done Gary. Great job all the way around.

-- Greg Mitchell--Lowell, AR--gdamitchell@sbcglobal.net

View woodspar's profile

woodspar

637 posts in 500 days


posted 357 days ago

Wow Gary, thanks for posting the how to photos!

-- John

View TonyWard's profile

TonyWard

162 posts in 729 days


posted 357 days ago

GaryK

Well done!

As Don as suggested it is a competition, in this Category, of three box makers (so far) ~ I look forward to seeing a flood of other entries within the next 4 days !!!!!!!

-- Bandsaw Box Plans

View scottb's profile

scottb

2771 posts in 728 days


posted 357 days ago

Nice box. Thanks for sharing the construction process. Nothing like having to undo part of it as a reassurance everything will hold.

4 more days for the contest – oops – I best be getting busy!

-- The opposite of war isn't peace. It's creation. -- Wood T's: http://www.printfection.com/snbcreative

View Obi's profile

Obi

2139 posts in 638 days


posted 356 days ago

Definately looks like a winner.

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

View Joe_F's profile

Joe_F

5 posts in 369 days


posted 356 days ago

Beautiful, Gary.

View Bob Babcock's profile

Bob Babcock

1809 posts in 487 days


posted 355 days ago

This has been great to see Gary. I love the idea of storing the joint examples in there. They are beautiful. Fantastic job all around.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

View Don's profile

Don

2585 posts in 577 days


posted 355 days ago

Gary, I would also like to see seperately the two pieces that make up the joint.

Very interesting.

Best wishes.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

View Thos. Angle's profile

Thos. Angle

3243 posts in 363 days


posted 355 days ago

I just read the new addition, you just keep raising the bar. You may be the next Tage Frid. Keep at it.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

View Sawhorse's profile

Sawhorse

270 posts in 841 days


posted 355 days ago

Beautiful work, great ideas and the tutorial was excellent…

-- Sawhorse - Sulphur Springs, TX - www.sawhorseworkshop.com

View scottb's profile

scottb

2771 posts in 728 days


posted 355 days ago

Wow… someone who literally made “wood joinery” for the competition. and beautiful ones at that. Looks like i’m not the only lateral thinker here ;)

-- The opposite of war isn't peace. It's creation. -- Wood T's: http://www.printfection.com/snbcreative

View Drew1House's profile

Drew1House

420 posts in 488 days


posted 355 days ago

just hand over the prize and lets move on to the next contest…

WOW

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

8243 posts in 389 days


posted 355 days ago

Don – When I get the chance I will take pictures of the other joints separated. I didn’t
do that because they are kind of easy to visualize unlike the first one.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

11011 posts in 561 days


posted 355 days ago

oh my goodness !!!!

lol and I’m still working on a straight line.

Amazing

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

View Mike Lingenfelter's profile

Mike Lingenfelter

361 posts in 515 days


posted 355 days ago

Absolutely incredible. I’d love to see how you laid out and cut some of those samples.

-- Mike - "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." (Scott Adams)

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

8243 posts in 389 days


posted 355 days ago

Mike – I will show how I laid them out in a new forum or blog.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View TonyWard's profile

TonyWard

162 posts in 729 days


posted 355 days ago

GaryK

Your joints are great, just one question at this time ~ were you able to use any of them as part of this competition?

t.w.

-- Bandsaw Box Plans

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

8243 posts in 389 days


posted 355 days ago

TonyWard,

Yes, every one of them. I started out just building a box, but since I finished it with time to spare I
figured that I could use my extra time to fill it up.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View Joel Tille's profile

Joel Tille

200 posts in 645 days


posted 355 days ago

Very Nice box GaryK. love the finish on that one.

Very good on your how to photos, and glad you disassebled the one sample. That was a little puzzling to look at.

-- Joel Tille

View jockmike2's profile

jockmike2

3833 posts in 647 days


posted 352 days ago

Nice job Gary, it looks like you got a lot out of this no glue joinery project. You sure impressed the heck out of me. Great job. I bet you learned a lot. jockmike

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

View Chuck Vosburgh's profile

Chuck Vosburgh

11 posts in 398 days


posted 351 days ago

Thanks for your detailed descriptions and photos. Very educational and inspiring!

-- Chuck, chuckvosburgh.com

View Joel Tille's profile

Joel Tille

200 posts in 645 days


posted 345 days ago

Gary – Congrats … have shown your box to a few friends. One of them had a question about where you get this wood. She searched the web for Sepele and found a couple of spots, but none of them had near the grain that you have. The store I go to does not carry this.

-- Joel Tille

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

8243 posts in 389 days


posted 344 days ago

It’s called either Pommele or Quilted Sapele, and it’s rare and expensive to find it with this much figure.
It goes for about $30 to $40 a BF.

I bought a big piece from http://www.anexotichardwood.com before I moved to Texas and
brought it with me.

You can see a sample on the top of the hope chest I made: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/1750

Hope this helps.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View SPalm's profile

SPalm

668 posts in 283 days


posted 167 days ago

Hey Gary, I just found this in the archives and had to comment. This is truly inspiring. I love joinery and you have kicked it up there. I love the explanation and visuals of what I have always called Japanese skarf joinery.

Thank you,
Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

View Russel's profile

Russel

1093 posts in 340 days


posted 167 days ago

Gary this is very impressive work. The engineering is well thought out and the final product is beautiful. I’m glad Steve kicked this back to the top or I might not have seen it.

-- If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a darn fool about it.

View Zuki's profile

Zuki

658 posts in 478 days


posted 167 days ago

i missed it also.

tks for sharing G.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

View rikkor's profile

rikkor

6604 posts in 275 days


posted 166 days ago

I am glad this got yanked out of the archives. Consistently good work, as usual.

-- Maplewood, MN

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

7957 posts in 223 days


posted 133 days ago

Gary,

Like rikkor I pulled this one too. (Actually I just needed to spend more time on the site). This is a gorgeous box. As always it looks like a wonderfully “engineered” project. You definately stepped outside the box on this one. By the way the carving adds nice detail to the piece. I am not sure that I would have had the “courage” to attempt something like this as an initial carving project. But this one is very nice. You should add more of this to your projects. It is really well done.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

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