How To Build A Wood Box
Rod has the plans, equipment, ability to build a quality wooden box as show here.
Materials:
- Two Pieces, 1" rough Oak or other hardwood: 8" x 96"
- One Piece, 1/4" Plywood: 12" x 20"
- Pair of Hinges
- One Hasp
- Friction Lid Support
- Eight Wood Screws: 1 5/8"
- Eight Felt Pads
- Sandpaper
- Wood Filler
- Satin Finish Polyurethane
Copyright 2009 - Wayne Murray
Step 1: Make the Board Material - Select the two, one inch hardwood boards
- Rip the rough edge of each board
- Adjust the fence and rip the other rough edge of each
- Both boards have two straight edges; rip each board in half
- Glue and clamp the four boards together, alternating the woodgrain
- After the glue has dried overnight, run it through the planer to 3/4"
Step 2: Cut the Panels to Size - Select the 15" (Approximate width) x 96"
- Rip the board to 12" (remove material from each edge)
- Crosscut three pieces @ 20"
- Crosscut two pieces @ 12"
- Mark with a pencil, all the edges: "Front, Back, Right, Left, Interior, Exterior"
- Select the 1/4" plywood for the bottom panel and cut it as shown above
Step 3: Cut the Box Joints - Select the four, 3/4" boards: Front, Back, and two Sides
- Cut the 3/4" Box Joints with a push router and jig as shown above
- Using your table saw, make the 1/4" wide (two passes with a standard blade) x 3/8" deep dado cut to receive the bottom panel on the interior, 1 5/8" from the bottom edge of each of the four panels: Front, Back, Left Side, Right Side
- Dry-fit the box
Step 4: Cutout the legs - Select the Front, Back, and two Sides
- Using a Bandsaw, cutout the legs per the dimensions as shown above
- Sand all edges and surfaces (especially the interior) of the box with the exception of the box joints - DO NOT SAND THE BOX JOINTS
Step 5: Glue, Assemble, and Sand - Select all the pieces: Front, Back, Two sides, and the Bottom Panel
- Glue and clamp all sides with the bottom panel in place (avoid all glue spills on the interior of the box)
- Ensure the box corners are tight and square
- Select eight screws @ 1 5/8" and pre-drill and screw them into each corner Top and Bottom, below the surface
- Allow to dry over night
- Glue and clamp the Top Panel into place (no screws) and allow to dry over night
- Using a Belt Sander, sand all the rough box joints and the Top Panel so they are all smooth to the touch; no rough edges
- Use a Finishing Sander to complete the sanding
Step 6: Cut the Top Lid, Finish, and apply Hardware - Select the completed box
- Set the fence of the table saw so that it cuts at the first joint (1 1/4" down from the top edge), as shown above; cut in the following order: 1.Front Panel 2.Back Panel 3.Insert a spacer the thickness of the sawblade in both grooves and clamp them 4.Cut Right Side 5.Cut Left Side
- Complete all sanding and apply a minimum of three coats of polyurethane
- Apply the hinges, Hasp, Lid Support, Felt Tabs
Copyright 2009 - Wayne Murray
If you are a member of a non-profit organization and have any requests or suggestions regarding projects for your group, you can send Rod an email at: rodneyg@cheqnet.net
