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Storage Box for joinery

Project by GaryK posted 851 days ago 4433 views 26 times favorited 50 comments Add to Favorites Watch

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.


50 comments so far

View oscorner's profile

oscorner

4572 posts in 1204 days


posted 851 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

4902 posts in 929 days


posted 851 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

25797 posts in 1293 days


posted 851 days ago

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

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View DAN 's profile

DAN

6438 posts in 876 days


posted 851 days ago

very impressive work. beautiful box.

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

3424 posts in 956 days


posted 851 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

1808 posts in 979 days


posted 851 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

1559 posts in 916 days


posted 851 days ago

View Aubster's profile

Aubster

122 posts in 921 days


posted 851 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

2590 posts in 1070 days


posted 851 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.hilsbiblechurch.org/

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

14161 posts in 1053 days


posted 850 days ago

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

ALL well done!!

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

View Chris Davis's profile

Chris Davis

554 posts in 875 days


posted 850 days ago

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

-- Watch live video from our shop. http://wwbeds.com/live.htm

View TomFran's profile

TomFran

2513 posts in 887 days


posted 850 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

770 posts in 978 days


posted 850 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

457 posts in 1007 days


posted 850 days ago

Very nice, excellent work!

-- http://theinquisitivewoodworker.com/

View RobS's profile

RobS

1243 posts in 1199 days


posted 850 days ago

Incredible display of joinery, great job!

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

7608 posts in 1111 days


posted 850 days ago

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

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

View Bill's profile

Bill

2562 posts in 1054 days


posted 850 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

9522 posts in 881 days


posted 850 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

4015 posts in 855 days


posted 850 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

View Greg Mitchell's profile

Greg Mitchell

1383 posts in 962 days


posted 850 days ago

Beautifully done Gary. Great job all the way around.

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

View woodspar's profile

woodspar

705 posts in 992 days


posted 850 days ago

Wow Gary, thanks for posting the how to photos!

-- John

View TonyWard's profile

TonyWard

285 posts in 1221 days


posted 849 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

3403 posts in 1220 days


posted 849 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!

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

View Obi's profile

Obi

2191 posts in 1130 days


posted 849 days ago

Definately looks like a winner.

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

View Joe_F's profile

Joe_F

5 posts in 861 days


posted 848 days ago

Beautiful, Gary.

View Bob Babcock's profile

Bob Babcock

1808 posts in 979 days


posted 848 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

2590 posts in 1070 days


posted 847 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.hilsbiblechurch.org/

View Thos. Angle's profile

Thos. Angle

4015 posts in 855 days


posted 847 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

View Sawhorse's profile

Sawhorse

279 posts in 1333 days


posted 847 days ago

Beautiful work, great ideas and the tutorial was excellent…

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

View scottb's profile

scottb

3403 posts in 1220 days


posted 847 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 ;)

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

View Drew1House's profile

Drew1House

425 posts in 981 days


posted 847 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

9522 posts in 881 days


posted 847 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

14161 posts in 1053 days


posted 847 days ago

oh my goodness !!!!

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

Amazing

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

View Mike Lingenfelter's profile

Mike Lingenfelter

457 posts in 1007 days


posted 847 days ago

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

-- http://theinquisitivewoodworker.com/

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

9522 posts in 881 days


posted 847 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

285 posts in 1221 days


posted 847 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

9522 posts in 881 days


posted 847 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

214 posts in 1137 days


posted 847 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

7299 posts in 1139 days


posted 844 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. mwurm13@yahoo.com

View Chuck Vosburgh's profile

Chuck Vosburgh

26 posts in 890 days


posted 843 days ago

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

-- Chuck, chuckvosburgh.com

View Joel Tille's profile

Joel Tille

214 posts in 1137 days


posted 837 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

9522 posts in 881 days


posted 837 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

945 posts in 775 days


posted 659 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

2057 posts in 832 days


posted 659 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.

-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.

View Zuki's profile

Zuki

1232 posts in 970 days


posted 659 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

11338 posts in 767 days


posted 658 days ago

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

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

20575 posts in 715 days


posted 625 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.

View jeanmarc's profile

jeanmarc

1751 posts in 609 days


posted 470 days ago

very impressive work.Very Nice box GaryK.

-- jeanmarc manosque france

View a1Jim's profile

a1Jim

16684 posts in 470 days


posted 278 days ago

Hey Gary
Once Again I’m very impressed and intrigued by your work. I really like the joinery in the box and the Box WOW but the blow by blow photos are no longer there. Were did you find all of those most unique joints you so beautifully executed ?

Jim

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

9522 posts in 881 days


posted 277 days ago

Thanks Jim. The pictures are still there.

If for some reason you can’t see them, you can find them here: http://www.arealnice.com/box/

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

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