# Attaching an overhanging bottom on a box



## Pendragon1998 (Jan 31, 2014)

I'm an aspiring galoot, trying to learn to do everything using hand tool methods. My next (second) box attempt will be a 16"x10" walnut box. I have a nice walnut board with some pretty grain I want to highlight on the front of the box. The top will perhaps be bubinga, and I'm unsure if I want to use bubinga for the bottom, or just walnut.

I think I'd like to have a slightly overhanging bottom, basically like the one I did on my red oak first box:










However, the bottom of the box in the photo was only about 5-1/2" from front to back, which made me feel comfortable simply gluing the sides onto the bottom. Paul Sellers says his rule of thumb for gluing on a bottom is about 6" max before he worries about wood movement causing problems.

I'd like to attach my bottom on the larger 16"x10" box similarly, but I'm unsure what the best galoot approach is to attaching the bottom. May I have some pointers, please?

Edited to add: I had another question - more of a style-related thought. I was considering doing half blind dovetails on the front and perhaps the back, since I wanted to highlight a sort of attractive grain pattern in the front side board. Would that make it look more like a misplaced cabinet drawer than a 'jewelry' box?


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## jerryminer (Jun 15, 2014)

I see two options:

1) You can attach the bottom with screws in slotted or over-sized holes (no glue), or

2) Make a bottom that "floats" in a groove in the sides--like a drawer bottom--leaving a little room for expansion, and make a separate bottom frame to get the "overhang" you want. (If the end-grain bothers you, you can miter the frame).


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

I would use screws as the previous poster described.

You could do something like sliding dovetails or employ rabbets of some type, but why?


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I would cheat and make bottom out of plywood fitted in a rabbet then make a base w/ mitered corners to set it on, that could be simply glued on.


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## knockknock (Jun 13, 2012)

> ... I had another question - more of a style-related thought. I was considering doing half blind dovetails on the front and perhaps the back, since I wanted to highlight a sort of attractive grain pattern in the front side board. Would that make it look more like a misplaced cabinet drawer than a jewelry box?
> 
> - Pendragon1998


If you are asking about half blind dovetails on the ends like this box. That is one of the styles of dovetail boxes, because the half blinds can hide the grooves for top and/or bottom panels.


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