LumberJocks

Nic's change box-AKA the Pillow Topped Box

Project by Douglas Bordner posted 326 days ago 631 views 2 times favorited 35 comments Add to Favorites
View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2554 posts in 548 days


Embed This Project

LumberJocks Code

HTML Code

URL/IMG Code

Preview this project card

Nic's change box-AKA the Pillow Topped Box Nic's change box-AKA the Pillow Topped Box Nic's change box-AKA the Pillow Topped Box Click the pictures to enlarge them

This was a present for my step-son Nic. Now it holds his tip change. Tiger Maple pillow top, figured walnut sides. Incra-jigged box joints. Hinges are Beall's Nonpareil quads, installed using the Beall Hinge Wizard. Finish is Target Coating's waterborne Oxford Ultima Spray Lacquer with a Zinsser Sealcoat base layer. Rubbed out to P4000 with Mirka Abralon pads and a random orbit sander. Lined with black felt cloth.

Sorry, Gizmodyne – didn’t take process photos when I made this last year.

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


35 comments so far

View Don's profile

Don

2586 posts in 662 days


posted 326 days ago

Exceptional work, Mate! Is there any wonder why I just love small wooden boxes?

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

View Karson's profile

Karson

12902 posts in 885 days


posted 326 days ago

Great Douglas. Even with minimal pictures we see the beauty.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

View Max's profile

Max

5906 posts in 758 days


posted 326 days ago

A very nice box. I really like the pillow top and the finish it is great….

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2554 posts in 548 days


posted 325 days ago

Thanks, Gents. I had to sacrifice a round-over bit’s bearing to get the round-over and have enough wood beyond the pillow to fit into the rabbet. I ground off the tapped top of the bit. Now I have the Bordnerized Pillow Topper bit at the ready for the next go-round.

BTW, Don, rating as an Oz-type “Mate” is pretty special in my book.

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

View Dorje's profile

Dorje

1745 posts in 481 days


posted 325 days ago

Pretty box Douglas! That first picture is really nice – with the shimmer in the top and front of the box…

I’m a few days behind the Pulse, so thought I’d start at the beginning with the couple minutes I have…glad I did! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have caught up with this for awhile!

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

View cajunpen's profile

cajunpen

5348 posts in 550 days


posted 325 days ago

Outstanding box Douglas. I really like the contrast of woods and the finish is spectacular. I’ve noticed that Don has been rather quite lately (I’ve heard it said that he really loves small boxes) – your box brought him out and even rated a mate from him, good for you :-))

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

View Lee A. Jesberger's profile

Lee A. Jesberger

2758 posts in 464 days


posted 325 days ago

Hi Douglas;

A man of mant talents! Very nice work. Your son in law must get a lot of tips, huh. LOL

Very vice project.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

View dustynewt's profile

dustynewt

330 posts in 347 days


posted 325 days ago

Nice box Doug. I really like the “pillow” effect of the top. It really makes the box say “touch me”. What was your process for that? Is it one piece? Is it mounted to the lid via grooves ?

-- http://dustynewt.webs.com/

View rikkor's profile

rikkor

7632 posts in 359 days


posted 325 days ago

Very nice work.

-- Maplewood, MN

View Thos. Angle's profile

Thos. Angle

3236 posts in 447 days


posted 325 days ago

By golly, Douglas, that’s a really well done box. I especially like the effect of the top. Does it float in the groove? Great combination of woods.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

View Bob #2's profile

Bob #2

1948 posts in 506 days


posted 325 days ago

Very nice Doug.
The finger joints?
Did you cut them then dimension the box height?
The first and last fingers are almost identicle in size.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

View Gary's profile

Gary

325 posts in 809 days


posted 325 days ago

That’s just right. Nice.

View jockmike2's profile

jockmike2

4136 posts in 731 days


posted 325 days ago

Nice job Doug, very nice. mike

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

View David's profile

David

1821 posts in 623 days


posted 325 days ago

Douglas -

That is a very nice box! I like the pillow top and the figure.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

4192 posts in 703 days


posted 325 days ago

Gorgeous box, Doug!

I just bought my first quadrant hinges and will be installing them soon on a box I’m working on, so you have piqued my curiosity with this Beale hinge wizard. I must go DAG.

Being here in south Louisiana, our Cajun version of Don’s “exceptional work, Mate” would be something like “Dat be real nice, Cher!”

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

View Mark Mazzo's profile

Mark Mazzo

293 posts in 397 days


posted 325 days ago

Douglas,

Very nice work.

-- Mark, Webster New York, Visit my website at http://thecraftsmanspath.com

View SPalm's profile

SPalm

727 posts in 367 days


posted 325 days ago

Very nice Doug. Those hinges are pretty cool, even if they are a mouthful to say.

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

View TomFran's profile

TomFran

2360 posts in 479 days


posted 325 days ago

Very pretty box with great craftsmanship!

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

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

4192 posts in 703 days


posted 325 days ago

Dang it, Douglas… it’s BEALL hinge wizard, not “Beale”. If you’re going to post brand names, at least check your spelling so I’m not googling all over the internet looking for the wrong thing. LOL!

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

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2554 posts in 548 days


posted 325 days ago

Charlie,
Musta been thinking about Jennifer Beale (hopefully you got a good view of her on your circuitous path to the correct site). Sorry, Mon Cher. If I’m down your way I’ll buy you a beignet, or a muffeletta from Central Grocery in apology. I’ll correct the link. Didn’t mean to get you restless, irritable or discontented.

Bob,
I do cut the lid off and I did line up the cut to mimic the thickness of the top and bottom fingers. I can’t seem to make the leap of offsetting the fingers to account for the saw kerf so that all the fingers are the same full width. I think the math/physics part of my brain is withered. I often have to call Pam (the auxiliary other half of my brain) out to the shop to help me figure out what the heck to do next.

Tom, Scott-
The lid does float in a groove, so the trick was to round over the pillow and have enough wood beyond the top to fit the groove. That is why I had to height reduce the roundover bit so I would have the wood beyond the edge of the pillow. Thinking about it last night before sleep I could have used a plunge ovolo bit to get the same effect, but the one I have is dinky. And I think anyone else that might try this should go this route in case they alter the balance of the bit and compromise the integrity of their bit. I have a box lid unmounted like the one I used here in my one of my “save this bit of wood” bins. I’ll try and get a shot tonight after work.

I was tired after work last night, so I apologize about the shoddy posting of this project.

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

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

4192 posts in 703 days


posted 325 days ago

Doug, my brain may be withering too, but I could swear those links in your post were not links when I read it the first time… that is why I went googling. Oh well…senility, like ignorance, is bliss. :-)

Anyway, that looks like a handy gadget to put on my wish list.

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

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2554 posts in 548 days


posted 325 days ago

Charlie, your sanity is unimpinged. I put them in this morning after reading your post.

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

View Jeff's profile

Jeff

964 posts in 578 days


posted 325 days ago

Excellent as usual, Doug! I’m visiting my family in Texas for Thanksgiving and we are sitting here researching some saws, (as good LJs do), and I showed this to him. His comment, “Very nice, looks like a golden palomino.” I agree. The finish is really sweet.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

View DocK16's profile

DocK16

436 posts in 572 days


posted 325 days ago

Nice “Borderization”
Excellent work on the hinges. I know with the Leigh Jig you can set it to account for the width of the blade when you cut the top off but I have yet to figure out how to do this with the Incra. When you figure it out let us know…that way we won’t have think for ourselves.

-- DocK, WV

View Blake's profile

Blake

2016 posts in 359 days


posted 325 days ago

Beautiful, Doug! I love everything about it. Nice wood, nice proportions, nice details, nice finish. Having a hard time getting a sense of scale, however. Big box or little? Can you feed me some dimensions? And what’s it flocked with?

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

View Grumpy's profile

Grumpy

5631 posts in 336 days


posted 325 days ago

Well done Doug. Great finish. Those hinges are very nifty.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2554 posts in 548 days


posted 325 days ago

I’ll get a measurement for you tonight, Blake. I’m sneaking a LJ fix at work.

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

View YorkshireStewart's profile

YorkshireStewart

637 posts in 386 days


posted 325 days ago

17 hours late! But I had to wait for the sun to rise over here. You can’t beat a nice box and this is a nice box. And rubbed down to 4000. Phew, that’s smooth! I might well use that lid style for a box I’m starting. Thank you Doug.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2554 posts in 548 days


posted 324 days ago

Blake,
Measured the box – It’s 9.5 wide, 7.5 deep and 4.5˝ high. The bottom in black felt cloth is my usual method, adapted from Emily Palm of Blue Heron Woodworking. It was is an article in FWW #185 along with sage advice from Doug Stowe and David L. Shaw.

bottom

One reason I use the chipboard in addition to the Foamies, is that one can waste a few sheets of chipboard refining the fit if the box is not one hundred percent square. As the human eye can detect variances in angle that are minute, I use the disposable chipboard to get the best possible fit before going with the more expensive purchased materials. Use a butter knife to smooth the edges down into the box.

The other lid-in-waiting was a chamfered top, not a pillow and it could be done easily enough from the top with a handplane. Next one I do, I’ll take progress shots.

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

View Andy's profile

Andy

298 posts in 393 days


posted 320 days ago

That is one striking looking box Douglas! Hard to beat that combination,but its your fine craftsmanship that makes this sing.Very well done.

-- " Stubborn tenacity substitutes for natural ability" ANDY

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2554 posts in 548 days


posted 320 days ago

Coming from you, Andy, I take this as high praise indeed. Thank you.
In fact, with Don, Charlie, Blake, Jeff and you weighing in positively it’s pretty darn cool…

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

View miles125's profile

miles125

920 posts in 490 days


posted 320 days ago

Great looking box Douglas!

-- miles125, Alabama.."Architecture is frozen music""

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2554 posts in 548 days


posted 319 days ago

Thanks Miles!

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

View Jon3's profile

Jon3

253 posts in 590 days


posted 318 days ago

Very nice! How do you like the beall system? I picked up a pair of Brusso hinges for a jewelry box that I am (hopefully) completing before Xmas, but I haven’t installed them yet. Was planning to try scrapwood and a jig..

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

2554 posts in 548 days


posted 317 days ago

Jon – I bought it exclusively to help install the quads, which were beyond my ken to just start hogging out wood. I think I would forgo it for butt hinges, and have pretty much managed to do fine with homemade jigs made out of MDF for other hinges I’ve installed.
I think the Beall system is a tad expensive, and not as nice as one I borrowed from a buddy long ago that was made from Corian and was solely for quads. That one had pins that slid in to allow a person to cleanly plunge rout the quadrant pockets, but he lost that one in a move and is no longer available (it was in Woodcraft nearly a decade ago). With the Beall you have to dig out the pockets with yet another tool (you can buy a spiral end mill from Beall and then use the drill press) and it’s easy to get beyond the mortise if you are not careful. Another thing, if your router isn’t dead centered in the template guide your box and lid will not line up 100%. Something to think about.
I would have one recommendation for the Brussos or any hinge for small boxes. Get vix bits to help drill your screw holes. (google it, every tool catalogue has ‘em). Good luck, hope you get the box done, and don’t hesitate to ask if you need a hand with your Christmas projects. All the box guys here will be of help.

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

You must be signed in to post the comments.

Your Online Shop - Your Support Is Greatly Appreciated - Your Woodworking Showcase - 3 Ways To Help, Financially - Your Woodworking Community

Woodworking StoreApparel StoreMake a Donation
Bookmark And Share This Page
  • View all advertisers
  • Advertise with us

DISCLAIMER: All views and comments posted by members are not necessarily those of LumberJocks.com or of those working on the site.

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

HomeRefurbers.com

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

GardenTenders.com :: gardening showcase