# Bandsaw Boxes Made Easy



## JonH (Mar 19, 2007)

*Lets Get Started*

For the first part of the project, you must ask yourself, "What size is the box going to be?" If you aren't sure, just take a couple 2×4's and glue them together, or get a chunk of a cedar 4×4, they work good, and smell nice when they are cut up. You can get as elaborate as you want later on, but for starters keep things simple to manage.

The project must be made from a solid piece of wood or several pieces glued together to become solid. By laminating several types of wood together you can get some cool designs.

There are some awesome boxes on this website, just enter a search for projects labeled bandsaw and box. Here is a link: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/tag/bandsaw+box


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Lets Get Started*
> 
> For the first part of the project, you must ask yourself, "What size is the box going to be?" If you aren't sure, just take a couple 2×4's and glue them together, or get a chunk of a cedar 4×4, they work good, and smell nice when they are cut up. You can get as elaborate as you want later on, but for starters keep things simple to manage.
> 
> ...


Nice Blog, could you post some pictures to help those of us who are imagination challenged?


----------



## Russel (Aug 13, 2007)

JonH said:


> *Lets Get Started*
> 
> For the first part of the project, you must ask yourself, "What size is the box going to be?" If you aren't sure, just take a couple 2×4's and glue them together, or get a chunk of a cedar 4×4, they work good, and smell nice when they are cut up. You can get as elaborate as you want later on, but for starters keep things simple to manage.
> 
> ...


I'll second the request for pictures. Bandsaw boxes are fascinating, and with a step by step illustrated example, I might get up the courage to try one.


----------



## JonH (Mar 19, 2007)

*Let the creativity flow.*

Open up your creative mind and let it flow! The easiest design for a bandsaw box is one that allows for the fewest cuts. If you could make one continuous cut around the box, that would be great, but do what your design calls for. If you want square corners, you may need to use another tool like a miter saw to trim the ends of the block. For this example, I chose a heart shaped design.

Draw the outline of the box on the front of the block.


----------



## JonH (Mar 19, 2007)

*Give it some curves.*

Cut out the shape of the body. For the heart example I needed two cuts. For some other more exotic examples, you may need more cuts, or maybe even one cut! Here one of my students demonstrates.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Give it some curves.*
> 
> Cut out the shape of the body. For the heart example I needed two cuts. For some other more exotic examples, you may need more cuts, or maybe even one cut! Here one of my students demonstrates.


Good start


----------



## JonH (Mar 19, 2007)

*Lets cut the back off of this thing.*

Once the body is the right shape, cut ¼" to ½" off the back of the body and set that aside. That piece will be the back of the bandsaw box.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Lets cut the back off of this thing.*
> 
> Once the body is the right shape, cut ¼" to ½" off the back of the body and set that aside. That piece will be the back of the bandsaw box.


good job


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Lets cut the back off of this thing.*
> 
> Once the body is the right shape, cut ¼" to ½" off the back of the body and set that aside. That piece will be the back of the bandsaw box.


Thanks!


----------



## Russel (Aug 13, 2007)

JonH said:


> *Lets cut the back off of this thing.*
> 
> Once the body is the right shape, cut ¼" to ½" off the back of the body and set that aside. That piece will be the back of the bandsaw box.


The pictures make a big difference. I like picutres. ;-)


----------



## ellen35 (Jan 1, 2009)

JonH said:


> *Lets cut the back off of this thing.*
> 
> Once the body is the right shape, cut ¼" to ½" off the back of the body and set that aside. That piece will be the back of the bandsaw box.


cool pics…and very clear!


----------



## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

JonH said:


> *Lets cut the back off of this thing.*
> 
> Once the body is the right shape, cut ¼" to ½" off the back of the body and set that aside. That piece will be the back of the bandsaw box.


I agree the pictures help a great deal in following this.


----------



## JonH (Mar 19, 2007)

*Layout the drawers for easy cutting.*

Draw the shape of the drawer on the body. Remember to think about the cut when you design your drawers. The idea is to make it easy to cut out the drawers in one continuous motion for each drawer. Since you are using a bandsaw, you aren't able to avoid cutting through the sides of your project. In most cases, you can just glue the wood back together where you cut into the side and you will never notice. In some cases, you must cut into multiple sides of your box and glue the box back together. Some folks even leave the cut line open and emphasize it! If you ever want to make a bandsaw box that has a square drawer, this will require you to cut the body of the box apart and glue it back together later. My apologies on the second picture you can barely see the lines drawn for the heart shaped drawer. You can see in the last picture where we had to cut through the body to make the drawer. Enough talk, onto the pictures.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Layout the drawers for easy cutting.*
> 
> Draw the shape of the drawer on the body. Remember to think about the cut when you design your drawers. The idea is to make it easy to cut out the drawers in one continuous motion for each drawer. Since you are using a bandsaw, you aren't able to avoid cutting through the sides of your project. In most cases, you can just glue the wood back together where you cut into the side and you will never notice. In some cases, you must cut into multiple sides of your box and glue the box back together. Some folks even leave the cut line open and emphasize it! If you ever want to make a bandsaw box that has a square drawer, this will require you to cut the body of the box apart and glue it back together later. My apologies on the second picture you can barely see the lines drawn for the heart shaped drawer. You can see in the last picture where we had to cut through the body to make the drawer. Enough talk, onto the pictures.


Cool great tutorial


----------



## bnoles (Aug 25, 2007)

JonH said:


> *Layout the drawers for easy cutting.*
> 
> Draw the shape of the drawer on the body. Remember to think about the cut when you design your drawers. The idea is to make it easy to cut out the drawers in one continuous motion for each drawer. Since you are using a bandsaw, you aren't able to avoid cutting through the sides of your project. In most cases, you can just glue the wood back together where you cut into the side and you will never notice. In some cases, you must cut into multiple sides of your box and glue the box back together. Some folks even leave the cut line open and emphasize it! If you ever want to make a bandsaw box that has a square drawer, this will require you to cut the body of the box apart and glue it back together later. My apologies on the second picture you can barely see the lines drawn for the heart shaped drawer. You can see in the last picture where we had to cut through the body to make the drawer. Enough talk, onto the pictures.


You have no idea how long and hard I have been looking for a "good" tutorial on bandsaw boxes that was easy enough for me to follow. I cannot begin to tell you how much this is appreciated.

any Thanks!


----------



## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

JonH said:


> *Layout the drawers for easy cutting.*
> 
> Draw the shape of the drawer on the body. Remember to think about the cut when you design your drawers. The idea is to make it easy to cut out the drawers in one continuous motion for each drawer. Since you are using a bandsaw, you aren't able to avoid cutting through the sides of your project. In most cases, you can just glue the wood back together where you cut into the side and you will never notice. In some cases, you must cut into multiple sides of your box and glue the box back together. Some folks even leave the cut line open and emphasize it! If you ever want to make a bandsaw box that has a square drawer, this will require you to cut the body of the box apart and glue it back together later. My apologies on the second picture you can barely see the lines drawn for the heart shaped drawer. You can see in the last picture where we had to cut through the body to make the drawer. Enough talk, onto the pictures.


This is a really interesting series. I have not attempted a band sawn box yet but one has been on my to-do list. This tutorial does help explain the process well.


----------



## JonH (Mar 19, 2007)

*Put the Body of the Box back together.*

Once you have cut the drawer out of the body, you can glue the box back together and attach the back of the box to the body. Make sure you clamp the body back together tight enough to hide the cut you made to create the drawer. If you have a complex drawer, you may have to glue the body back together first, then attach the back later. If you need to sand the inside of the body, you may want to get that done prior to putting the back on, it will be a lot more difficult with the back attached.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Put the Body of the Box back together.*
> 
> Once you have cut the drawer out of the body, you can glue the box back together and attach the back of the box to the body. Make sure you clamp the body back together tight enough to hide the cut you made to create the drawer. If you have a complex drawer, you may have to glue the body back together first, then attach the back later. If you need to sand the inside of the body, you may want to get that done prior to putting the back on, it will be a lot more difficult with the back attached.


Keep up the good work


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Put the Body of the Box back together.*
> 
> Once you have cut the drawer out of the body, you can glue the box back together and attach the back of the box to the body. Make sure you clamp the body back together tight enough to hide the cut you made to create the drawer. If you have a complex drawer, you may have to glue the body back together first, then attach the back later. If you need to sand the inside of the body, you may want to get that done prior to putting the back on, it will be a lot more difficult with the back attached.


Thanks for the "How To"!!


----------



## affyx (Jan 1, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Put the Body of the Box back together.*
> 
> Once you have cut the drawer out of the body, you can glue the box back together and attach the back of the box to the body. Make sure you clamp the body back together tight enough to hide the cut you made to create the drawer. If you have a complex drawer, you may have to glue the body back together first, then attach the back later. If you need to sand the inside of the body, you may want to get that done prior to putting the back on, it will be a lot more difficult with the back attached.


I am enjoying this series - thanks!


----------



## JonH (Mar 19, 2007)

JonH said:


> *Put the Body of the Box back together.*
> 
> Once you have cut the drawer out of the body, you can glue the box back together and attach the back of the box to the body. Make sure you clamp the body back together tight enough to hide the cut you made to create the drawer. If you have a complex drawer, you may have to glue the body back together first, then attach the back later. If you need to sand the inside of the body, you may want to get that done prior to putting the back on, it will be a lot more difficult with the back attached.


Thank you for all the kind words. If you can think of anything I could do better, let me know, I'll make changes. I love this blogging feature of Lumberjocks. All my students next fall will be on here.


----------



## JonH (Mar 19, 2007)

*Lets hollow out that drawer.*

While the body of the Bandsaw Box is drying, you can work on the drawer. Cut ¼" to ½" off the front and back of the drawer. Make sure you label the pieces so they go back together properly. We will then cut out the piece left over in the middle to create the cavity for the drawer. This can be anything you want, but it basically creates the amount of storage space in your drawer. It could be square or curved, but with a bandsaw you could accomplish nearly anything for this task. Just make sure you keep the "walls" of the drawer thick enough to be stable. I recommend 1/4" to 1/2" thickness, just like the front and back of the drawer. Keep the chunk that you cut out to make a drawer handle. Lets see some pictures!


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Lets hollow out that drawer.*
> 
> While the body of the Bandsaw Box is drying, you can work on the drawer. Cut ¼" to ½" off the front and back of the drawer. Make sure you label the pieces so they go back together properly. We will then cut out the piece left over in the middle to create the cavity for the drawer. This can be anything you want, but it basically creates the amount of storage space in your drawer. It could be square or curved, but with a bandsaw you could accomplish nearly anything for this task. Just make sure you keep the "walls" of the drawer thick enough to be stable. I recommend 1/4" to 1/2" thickness, just like the front and back of the drawer. Keep the chunk that you cut out to make a drawer handle. Lets see some pictures!


This blog is great, Thanks!!


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Lets hollow out that drawer.*
> 
> While the body of the Bandsaw Box is drying, you can work on the drawer. Cut ¼" to ½" off the front and back of the drawer. Make sure you label the pieces so they go back together properly. We will then cut out the piece left over in the middle to create the cavity for the drawer. This can be anything you want, but it basically creates the amount of storage space in your drawer. It could be square or curved, but with a bandsaw you could accomplish nearly anything for this task. Just make sure you keep the "walls" of the drawer thick enough to be stable. I recommend 1/4" to 1/2" thickness, just like the front and back of the drawer. Keep the chunk that you cut out to make a drawer handle. Lets see some pictures!


good job


----------



## JonH (Mar 19, 2007)

*Glue that drawer back together.*

Glue the drawer together using the front, body and the back of the drawer. Remember to keep the chunk left over from the inside of the drawer to use for a drawer handle.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

JonH said:


> *Glue that drawer back together.*
> 
> Glue the drawer together using the front, body and the back of the drawer. Remember to keep the chunk left over from the inside of the drawer to use for a drawer handle.


good series


----------



## JonH (Mar 19, 2007)

*The Grand Finale.*

Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.

Once all the pieces are glued up, just sand up the body of the drawer so it fits nicely in the body. Once that is good, apply your finish. Be careful not to put too much in the drawer cavity of the body, it can keep the drawer from fitting right.

Finally, Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Here is a look at all the pieces prior to glue up. 

Not finish sanded, but I completed it so I could get this blog finished prior to the end of the school year! I like to keep the handle of the drawer similar to the style of the drawer, but mine needs a little work.


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


Thank You very much for this blog! I gotta try one of these!


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


Thanks Jon enjoyed the journey


----------



## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


This has been a wonderful series from which I have learned a great deal. I have been meaning to tackle one of these boxes but have had some questions about the process. This series has helped clarify the process for me.

Thanks for taking the time to post this. I really appreciate it.


----------



## DaleM (Feb 18, 2009)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I enjoyed your whole series.


----------



## toolman77 (Mar 10, 2009)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


Thank You Jon. This was very informative. I hope to try one of these soon.


----------



## VinnieP (Apr 22, 2009)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the breakdown. I've always wanted to try one. Now I have a great source.


----------



## bnoles (Aug 25, 2007)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


Thank you again Jon!


----------



## bamasawduster (Jul 23, 2008)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


Great job, Jon. Hopefully this will get more people making bandsaw boxes. They can be rather addictive. Nothing is more relaxing than to massage wood into something that someone will look at and say, "Now, how did he do that?"


----------



## Al_PG (Jan 29, 2009)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


Great series Jon. Thank you.


----------



## DTWoodknot (Sep 4, 2009)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


thanks Jon great series I always wanted to know how to make these. I just cut out, glued ans sanded my first one (of many) still need just need to stain it. maybe i will post it when I'm finished


----------



## bb71 (Jan 22, 2010)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


This is a great intro to bandsaw boxes! I've never taken this one before but now I feel inspired. Time to hit the shop.


----------



## DTWoodknot (Sep 4, 2009)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


Jon I want to give credit were credit is due http://lumberjocks.com/projects/30827 thanks again for this series


----------



## twotoekenn (Mar 30, 2010)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


thanks for posting, always thought that boxes like these would be way to hard for me to make.


----------



## luckydawg (Mar 17, 2010)

JonH said:


> *The Grand Finale.*
> 
> Remember the chunk of wood from inside your drawer? That works nicely for a handle since the grain of the wood is all consistent. If not, you can put anything in for a handle, a dowel, a screw, a nail, a pull from the hardware store, a hole, you name it, just get that drawer open somehow. That is up to you.
> 
> ...


Exactly on the drawer pull comment!
That what I did for my first box and it turned out awesome!


----------

