My first attempt at a box, Walnut and Curly Maple

Very Nice Box!! Your first one? It is VERY NICE!
Keep up the great work!
Thanks for sharing.

-- Robert B. Sabina, Ohio..... http://www.etsy.com/shop/WoodenfrogWoodenProd

First box? Great looking box! Love the look of walnut. I can’t wait until you show the next box you make.

Judging by your past offerings, it seems like your first anything will do just fine. Great job!

-- Brian Timmons - http://www.BigTWoodworks.com

Very nice!

-- (- |: \,/

Hard to believe it is a first. Must be a hidden skill.

-- John, Colorado's (Wooden Wizard)

Great looking first box Jacob.

Keep doing the good work.

Jacob, this is an impressive start. You have some real talent and a great eye for wood. It looks like you have all the basics down pat. You also did a nice job of photographing your project. I really like the box you have made.

You are ready to take on hinges, internal trays and other challenges. Here are some tutorials I have indexed if you want to consider another design for your slot cutting jig :Making a jig to cut spline slots: for example. The trick is to use your fence to take all the play out of the jig’s travel. The $5 Band Clamps also might interest you. There is no particular order to read these in. Keep boxing and keep posting.

Tutorials: For methods used to make a box just click on the blue links below. They are arranged by topic.

Combining Wood Colors:
Adding finger indents:
Mortising and installing hinges:
Cutting off the box top:
Adding splines to a box:
Making splines with a simple jig:
Making a jig to cut spline slots:
Measuring for spline slot cuts:
$5 band clamps:
Installing an attached top: like that pictured above.
Jig for 45ing corners:
Organizing a glue-up table:
Finishing tips:
Tips on making trays: for inside boxes:

-- Big Al in IN

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Big Al, I just looked at your tutorials this morning and the spline cutting jig was a big “ah ha” moment after wondering about the shortcomings of mine.

-- https://knotty-dawg-woodworks.myshopify.com/

Nice work! That curly top POPS and looks great.

-- Use it up, Wear it out --------------- Make it do, Or do without!

Yes… This is an exquisite box. Truly hard to believe its a first effort. You are a natural.

-- Support woodworking hand models. Buy me a sawstop.

Nice! Wish I could find some curly maple with all that color.

-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm

Jacob, if this is what you can do on your first try, you are going to be SCARY when you get the hang of it!! :)
Very Nicely Done!!

-- Mike in Concord, NH---Unpleasant tasks are simply worthy challenges to improve skills.

Awesome looking box.

Very appealing box, well done.

-- Tom D

Great looking first box…keep up the good work.

-- Dave.......If at first you don’t succeed redefine success....