| Project by Boxguy | posted 329 days ago | 1481 views | 7 times favorited | 26 comments |  |
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Pictured: Two octagonal boxes with pivoting lids anchored in place with a screw in back and a rare earth magnet in front. They are about 4 inches tall and 8 inches side to side. One box is red alder with a figured anegre top. The splined box is curly cherry with white oak sides.
Story: From time to time I have made octagonal boxes. The problem is always the hinges. The short side does not allow for a long enough surface to make a hinge work well. The lid can wiggle and won’t stay aligned as well as I would like. This design solves those problems. The lid swivels and can actually turn far enough so you can access the entire box interior.
Techniques: Of course the eight sides are all cut the same length and the ends are each 22 1/2 degrees. Sizing the bottom is best done by taping the box together with masking tape on the outside then tracing around the inside on your bottom board. Now take a 1/4 in size scrap and re-mark and enlarge each side by 1/4 inch or whatever depth of cut you dadoed into the sides. Don’t try to fit the bottom in too tightly you will just fight the fit when you use your strap clamp to pull the box together after applying glue.
Rather than struggle with the alignment of the screw and the magnets in the top and the bottom, I found it was far easier to just drill through the lid and into the bottom. I filled the hole with a contrasting dowel and sanded it flush. It is a real help when you are opening the box to be able to know which sides have the pivot and the magnet.
As a practical matter I glued on the roughly sized top and shaped it before I cut the lid off. The splines in the one box add strength, but look pretty busy. Sides of about 3/4 of an inch work better because you need room for the screw and the magnets to be embedded.
Critique: The rare earth magnets hold the box in line and worked better than I thought they would. The octagonal form is attractive, but is not too practical for storage. Adding splines calls for building a special jig to cut the slots. I avoided that by just cutting the slot across the whole side and inserting a long spline.
Thanks: As always thanks for looking and a special thanks to those who take time to add comments and make suggestions. Wow, a “Top Three.” Thanks, Lumber Jocks!
-- Big Al in IN
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26 comments so far
robert triplett
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1306 posts in 1275 days
#1 posted 329 days ago
nice little boxes. Lots of details in these. Great wood choices for the tops and I like the splines.
-- Robert, so much inspiration here, and so little time!
Hawaiilad
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863 posts in 1191 days
#2 posted 329 days ago
Again you came through with some nice boxes
-- Hawaiilad Larry
Ken90712
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12665 posts in 1359 days
#3 posted 329 days ago
Nice job on these and I reall like the wood and the long splines. Very nice!
-- Ken, "Everyday above ground is a good day!"
marshee
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31 posts in 331 days
#4 posted 329 days ago
great job and good selection of wood
-- EMARSHAA
Boxguy
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925 posts in 438 days
#5 posted 329 days ago
Robert, Marshee and others. There is something magical about hearing comments from woodworkers in India, Alaska, California, and Hawaii on a box I made in my shop in a small town in Southern Indiana. Thanks for taking time to make comments and sending them along.
-- Big Al in IN
Tom Godfrey
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388 posts in 346 days
#6 posted 329 days ago
Great job. Keep up the good work. After making a few boxes I decided that wasn’t my cup of tea. Sure glad we have someone like you that seems to love making them.
Indeed a work of art and will be around many years after you are dead and gone. You know that’s a good feeling knowing a part of you will live for many years in your work.
God has blessed you
-- Tom Godfrey Landrum South Carolina (tom@thcww.com) 864-384-4938
Roger
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9191 posts in 974 days
#7 posted 329 days ago
Every bit o these are very neat. I like how you did the lid to open. Very nice
-- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Kentuk55@bellsouth.net
ratchet
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1190 posts in 1957 days
#8 posted 329 days ago
Very nice. I favor the long splines. Well done and thanks for sharing them with us.
dclark1943
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79 posts in 358 days
#9 posted 329 days ago
Hey Boxguy ! looks like time well spent in that little shop in southern Indiana ! It’s fun, and rewarding isn’t it? very nicely done friend!
-- Dave, Kansas City
dustyal
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1125 posts in 1645 days
#10 posted 329 days ago
I really like these… will have to put on my project list… they would look good sitting on a dresser… my wife likes to keep her clutter organized…
Thanks for posting and taking the time to describe the build.
-- Al H. - small shop, small projects...
helluvawreck
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10458 posts in 1037 days
#11 posted 329 days ago
I always like to see your work. These are no exceptions. Very nicely done!
helluvawreck
https://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau
littlecope
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2333 posts in 1672 days
#12 posted 329 days ago
You do good work Al…
Great Job on these!
-- Mike in Concord, NH---Unpleasant tasks are simply worthy challenges to improve skills.
Daiku
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186 posts in 1078 days
#13 posted 329 days ago
Boxguy
I really like the looks of the long splines! Very creative. My only suggestion would be to rotate the lid one more section so that the splines alternate rather than line up with the ones below.
Thanks for posting,
-- Cal Noguchi
Mosquito
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2785 posts in 462 days
#14 posted 329 days ago
Looks good! I really like the long splines, they’re unique and add a little something too it. Great work.
-- Mos - Twin Cities, MN -- Stanley #45 Evangelist - www.youtube.com/MosquitoMods
a1Jim
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87234 posts in 1747 days
#15 posted 329 days ago
Cool boxes Big Al
-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/
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