"Art Box" Tutorial

Argyllshire said:

Corner Splines

Updated 1/15/12

We now have our box assembled and glued up. Depending on the temperature, let it dry for a couple of hours, or overnight to be safe.
Take the tape off and clean up any dried glue.

This is a good time to smooth up the bottom to get rid of any rocking.
You can double stick sandpaper onto a very flat and firm surface and slide the bottom across that. The problem with this approach is that sheet sandpaper is way too small. You can stick down several sheets and if you go very slow, you may not tear the paper.You can also use a sanding block or a hand plane. I have a Jet 6×48 belt sander/disc combo, but is just not quite wide enough.

I decided there had to be a better way.
I work for a cabinet shop,( in the office only, where I design and blah,blah,blah) and we have a 36" wide Time Saver sander. We toss the belts after they are worn out but I knew they had a little life left so I snagged one to make a sanding platform. After a little trial and error it looked like this:

I use it for the bottom, top and for leveling out the sides after cutting off the splines.
The belts I get are 36'' wide and a 60'' loop. I split them in half lengthwise ( they rip very straight after you get it started with a cut from a razor knife.)
and that gives me a sanding surface of about 18×24.
Do not try ripping these on the table saw…kids!
The angle of the sanding bed gives a nice working position and the ell leg lets it hook onto the edge of a bench, keeping it in place. ( I am sorry but the ell leg I am refering to is not shown in this photo, its at the operators end, its not the one to the right in the picture.) The taper lets the rod progressively tighten the belt by wedging it in place. Simply pull the rod back and the belt slackens so you can rotate it to a new clean section.

There is still enough life in these belts for this purpose. Just check with a local cabinet shop and offer them a few bucks for discards. They will probably just give them to you, but you may get turned away if you go asking for a handout.

Or you could order a new one from Klingspore
They sell this same size but they also have a 17" x54" and they cost about $33 plus s&H

Another shot.

Next we are going to cut for the corner splines (aka slip feathers or corner keys ).

Layout, and how many you use is strictly up to you. You can just place them randomly if you wish making each corner unique.

Tip:
If you are going to really do some wild shaping then placement isnt that critical, since your eye wont be able to align one side with the other anyway. Maybe after a few drinks you might be able to.
This is the layout we will use for this box. The reason the top spline is placed further from the top edge than the bottom one is from the bottom edge, is that this will allow for more aggressive shaping of the top without getting into the spline too much.
Another reason, is that if you are going to make a box that has a lip on only three sides of the lid to nestle into and you will be using butt style or barrel hinges, then this will ensure the cutout for the lid at the back doesnt cut
down into the splines.
This will become clear a little later on.

Tip:
If I want the center one to be exactly centered between the top and bottom ones, I dont measure its location ne until I have cut the bottom and top kerfs. It easy to be off a little when allowing for blade thickness, etc…

Here is the layout I used, but yours can be whatever you want.

Here is my corner spline jig that rides overtop of my saw fence. It cant move to the side ensuring a straight cut.
I placed sticky back felt on the inside surfaces so it slides freely.
There are several other versions on LumberJocks to model yours after.

For clean flat bottom kerfs the correct saw blade is important. I bought a flat grind toothed blade by Forrest since all I had was a selection of ATB ones which leave a veed or angled bottom. I would carefully try and flatten the bottoms with a file, but it was very difficult not to mess up the sides. I understand why some still use an ATB blade, its a chunk of money for a blade that I only use for kerfs.
If you arent sure what type of blades you have, do a test by cutting shallow kerfs in a board with each one, you might just have a flat cutting blade on hand.

Tip:
You will get better looking kerfs if you only push the box through the blade once, and do it like a machine.
Stop after you go over the blade and raise the box up to clear the blade before pulling it back through.
It doesnt take much…a little wiggle…a little sideways pressure…or even a blade with poor runout, and you will get a sloppy cut. Even a little slop is visible when you glue in a spline that contrasts with the box.
Thats the whole idea isnt it, to draw the eye to the splines?
So do your utmost to make them crisp.

Next we need to cut some splines and I have decided to use Maple for this Bubinga box.
There are several methods for doing this, including an adjustable stop that sets to the left of the blade. You can also rip them on the bandsaw and run them through a thickness sander, and you can even take your chances with a planer to size them if you wish but they usually just spit it out like scrabble pieces.
This is my approach and it works very well for me.
As you can see it is simply a push stick with a heel, a good handle, and a flat side that rides against the fence.

I set the blade to the approximate width of the spline and make a pass or two until I get it just right testing with some scrap wood. Yes, the thin strip is between the blade and the fence but is prevented from shooting out the back because of the matching heel on the push stick. Just be sure and use a good wood with an intertwined grain such as this White Oak one shown here so the heel doesnt break off too easily. Its a little scary at first, but its safe.

Test your splines!
Slide them in and out to be sure they are snug, but not so tight that you need to force them in while they are still dry. They will swell pretty quickly with glue on them and they may not even bottom out. Its a fine line between too tight and even a little too sloppy. A loose fit will mean that you will see the glue around the spline.

Cut the splines to about 1 1/2'' long using a handsaw or bandsaw. I always cut extra so I wont be tempted to use one thats too tight or too loose. Now you are ready to start glueing them in the slots.

Tip:
It is very easy to mess this up!
Dont get in a hurry, and do one at a time. Quit texting your girlfriend and focus!

Use a small brush to apply the glue. ( I use acid brushes for soldering. They are natural animal hair and can be used over and over. They are cheap too. I cut the bristles shorter with a chisel and mallet.)

Have a wet rag at hand to wipe away excess glue and another acid brush to clean around the slots, just to be sure the splines are seated all the way to the bottom of the slots. You may need to coax it into place with a mallet.
Do this slowly and carefully on each one. And, be sure you dont bump the others out of position.
If there is any gap anywhere, it will show when you trim the splines flush. Not much you can do to fix it. So, be careful.

After you have them all done, give it an hour or so to dry and trim them flush. I have a 14" bandsaw, so I can just fit one of these boxes through to trim off the ends. A handsaw will work too. So will a trained beaver if happen to own one.

And then on to the sanding platform to flatten the sides. It doesnt really need to be pretty, just flat for referencing off of a fence or measuring for hinges, etc.. The sides of this box will be shaped anyway, so dont waste time on getting all the marks out…unless you want to….which I usually do

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Corner Splines

Updated 1/15/12

We now have our box assembled and glued up. Depending on the temperature, let it dry for a couple of hours, or overnight to be safe.
Take the tape off and clean up any dried glue.

This is a good time to smooth up the bottom to get rid of any rocking.
You can double stick sandpaper onto a very flat and firm surface and slide the bottom across that. The problem with this approach is that sheet sandpaper is way too small. You can stick down several sheets and if you go very slow, you may not tear the paper.You can also use a sanding block or a hand plane. I have a Jet 6×48 belt sander/disc combo, but is just not quite wide enough.

I decided there had to be a better way.
I work for a cabinet shop,( in the office only, where I design and blah,blah,blah) and we have a 36" wide Time Saver sander. We toss the belts after they are worn out but I knew they had a little life left so I snagged one to make a sanding platform. After a little trial and error it looked like this:

I use it for the bottom, top and for leveling out the sides after cutting off the splines.
The belts I get are 36'' wide and a 60'' loop. I split them in half lengthwise ( they rip very straight after you get it started with a cut from a razor knife.)
and that gives me a sanding surface of about 18×24.
Do not try ripping these on the table saw…kids!
The angle of the sanding bed gives a nice working position and the ell leg lets it hook onto the edge of a bench, keeping it in place. ( I am sorry but the ell leg I am refering to is not shown in this photo, its at the operators end, its not the one to the right in the picture.) The taper lets the rod progressively tighten the belt by wedging it in place. Simply pull the rod back and the belt slackens so you can rotate it to a new clean section.

There is still enough life in these belts for this purpose. Just check with a local cabinet shop and offer them a few bucks for discards. They will probably just give them to you, but you may get turned away if you go asking for a handout.

Or you could order a new one from Klingspore
They sell this same size but they also have a 17" x54" and they cost about $33 plus s&H

Another shot.

Next we are going to cut for the corner splines (aka slip feathers or corner keys ).

Layout, and how many you use is strictly up to you. You can just place them randomly if you wish making each corner unique.

Tip:
If you are going to really do some wild shaping then placement isnt that critical, since your eye wont be able to align one side with the other anyway. Maybe after a few drinks you might be able to.
This is the layout we will use for this box. The reason the top spline is placed further from the top edge than the bottom one is from the bottom edge, is that this will allow for more aggressive shaping of the top without getting into the spline too much.
Another reason, is that if you are going to make a box that has a lip on only three sides of the lid to nestle into and you will be using butt style or barrel hinges, then this will ensure the cutout for the lid at the back doesnt cut
down into the splines.
This will become clear a little later on.

Tip:
If I want the center one to be exactly centered between the top and bottom ones, I dont measure its location ne until I have cut the bottom and top kerfs. It easy to be off a little when allowing for blade thickness, etc…

Here is the layout I used, but yours can be whatever you want.

Here is my corner spline jig that rides overtop of my saw fence. It cant move to the side ensuring a straight cut.
I placed sticky back felt on the inside surfaces so it slides freely.
There are several other versions on LumberJocks to model yours after.

For clean flat bottom kerfs the correct saw blade is important. I bought a flat grind toothed blade by Forrest since all I had was a selection of ATB ones which leave a veed or angled bottom. I would carefully try and flatten the bottoms with a file, but it was very difficult not to mess up the sides. I understand why some still use an ATB blade, its a chunk of money for a blade that I only use for kerfs.
If you arent sure what type of blades you have, do a test by cutting shallow kerfs in a board with each one, you might just have a flat cutting blade on hand.

Tip:
You will get better looking kerfs if you only push the box through the blade once, and do it like a machine.
Stop after you go over the blade and raise the box up to clear the blade before pulling it back through.
It doesnt take much…a little wiggle…a little sideways pressure…or even a blade with poor runout, and you will get a sloppy cut. Even a little slop is visible when you glue in a spline that contrasts with the box.
Thats the whole idea isnt it, to draw the eye to the splines?
So do your utmost to make them crisp.

Next we need to cut some splines and I have decided to use Maple for this Bubinga box.
There are several methods for doing this, including an adjustable stop that sets to the left of the blade. You can also rip them on the bandsaw and run them through a thickness sander, and you can even take your chances with a planer to size them if you wish but they usually just spit it out like scrabble pieces.
This is my approach and it works very well for me.
As you can see it is simply a push stick with a heel, a good handle, and a flat side that rides against the fence.

I set the blade to the approximate width of the spline and make a pass or two until I get it just right testing with some scrap wood. Yes, the thin strip is between the blade and the fence but is prevented from shooting out the back because of the matching heel on the push stick. Just be sure and use a good wood with an intertwined grain such as this White Oak one shown here so the heel doesnt break off too easily. Its a little scary at first, but its safe.

Test your splines!
Slide them in and out to be sure they are snug, but not so tight that you need to force them in while they are still dry. They will swell pretty quickly with glue on them and they may not even bottom out. Its a fine line between too tight and even a little too sloppy. A loose fit will mean that you will see the glue around the spline.

Cut the splines to about 1 1/2'' long using a handsaw or bandsaw. I always cut extra so I wont be tempted to use one thats too tight or too loose. Now you are ready to start glueing them in the slots.

Tip:
It is very easy to mess this up!
Dont get in a hurry, and do one at a time. Quit texting your girlfriend and focus!

Use a small brush to apply the glue. ( I use acid brushes for soldering. They are natural animal hair and can be used over and over. They are cheap too. I cut the bristles shorter with a chisel and mallet.)

Have a wet rag at hand to wipe away excess glue and another acid brush to clean around the slots, just to be sure the splines are seated all the way to the bottom of the slots. You may need to coax it into place with a mallet.
Do this slowly and carefully on each one. And, be sure you dont bump the others out of position.
If there is any gap anywhere, it will show when you trim the splines flush. Not much you can do to fix it. So, be careful.

After you have them all done, give it an hour or so to dry and trim them flush. I have a 14" bandsaw, so I can just fit one of these boxes through to trim off the ends. A handsaw will work too. So will a trained beaver if happen to own one.

And then on to the sanding platform to flatten the sides. It doesnt really need to be pretty, just flat for referencing off of a fence or measuring for hinges, etc.. The sides of this box will be shaped anyway, so dont waste time on getting all the marks out…unless you want to….which I usually do

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Corner Splines

Updated 1/15/12

We now have our box assembled and glued up. Depending on the temperature, let it dry for a couple of hours, or overnight to be safe.
Take the tape off and clean up any dried glue.

This is a good time to smooth up the bottom to get rid of any rocking.
You can double stick sandpaper onto a very flat and firm surface and slide the bottom across that. The problem with this approach is that sheet sandpaper is way too small. You can stick down several sheets and if you go very slow, you may not tear the paper.You can also use a sanding block or a hand plane. I have a Jet 6×48 belt sander/disc combo, but is just not quite wide enough.

I decided there had to be a better way.
I work for a cabinet shop,( in the office only, where I design and blah,blah,blah) and we have a 36" wide Time Saver sander. We toss the belts after they are worn out but I knew they had a little life left so I snagged one to make a sanding platform. After a little trial and error it looked like this:

I use it for the bottom, top and for leveling out the sides after cutting off the splines.
The belts I get are 36'' wide and a 60'' loop. I split them in half lengthwise ( they rip very straight after you get it started with a cut from a razor knife.)
and that gives me a sanding surface of about 18×24.
Do not try ripping these on the table saw…kids!
The angle of the sanding bed gives a nice working position and the ell leg lets it hook onto the edge of a bench, keeping it in place. ( I am sorry but the ell leg I am refering to is not shown in this photo, its at the operators end, its not the one to the right in the picture.) The taper lets the rod progressively tighten the belt by wedging it in place. Simply pull the rod back and the belt slackens so you can rotate it to a new clean section.

There is still enough life in these belts for this purpose. Just check with a local cabinet shop and offer them a few bucks for discards. They will probably just give them to you, but you may get turned away if you go asking for a handout.

Or you could order a new one from Klingspore
They sell this same size but they also have a 17" x54" and they cost about $33 plus s&H

Another shot.

Next we are going to cut for the corner splines (aka slip feathers or corner keys ).

Layout, and how many you use is strictly up to you. You can just place them randomly if you wish making each corner unique.

Tip:
If you are going to really do some wild shaping then placement isnt that critical, since your eye wont be able to align one side with the other anyway. Maybe after a few drinks you might be able to.
This is the layout we will use for this box. The reason the top spline is placed further from the top edge than the bottom one is from the bottom edge, is that this will allow for more aggressive shaping of the top without getting into the spline too much.
Another reason, is that if you are going to make a box that has a lip on only three sides of the lid to nestle into and you will be using butt style or barrel hinges, then this will ensure the cutout for the lid at the back doesnt cut
down into the splines.
This will become clear a little later on.

Tip:
If I want the center one to be exactly centered between the top and bottom ones, I dont measure its location ne until I have cut the bottom and top kerfs. It easy to be off a little when allowing for blade thickness, etc…

Here is the layout I used, but yours can be whatever you want.

Here is my corner spline jig that rides overtop of my saw fence. It cant move to the side ensuring a straight cut.
I placed sticky back felt on the inside surfaces so it slides freely.
There are several other versions on LumberJocks to model yours after.

For clean flat bottom kerfs the correct saw blade is important. I bought a flat grind toothed blade by Forrest since all I had was a selection of ATB ones which leave a veed or angled bottom. I would carefully try and flatten the bottoms with a file, but it was very difficult not to mess up the sides. I understand why some still use an ATB blade, its a chunk of money for a blade that I only use for kerfs.
If you arent sure what type of blades you have, do a test by cutting shallow kerfs in a board with each one, you might just have a flat cutting blade on hand.

Tip:
You will get better looking kerfs if you only push the box through the blade once, and do it like a machine.
Stop after you go over the blade and raise the box up to clear the blade before pulling it back through.
It doesnt take much…a little wiggle…a little sideways pressure…or even a blade with poor runout, and you will get a sloppy cut. Even a little slop is visible when you glue in a spline that contrasts with the box.
Thats the whole idea isnt it, to draw the eye to the splines?
So do your utmost to make them crisp.

Next we need to cut some splines and I have decided to use Maple for this Bubinga box.
There are several methods for doing this, including an adjustable stop that sets to the left of the blade. You can also rip them on the bandsaw and run them through a thickness sander, and you can even take your chances with a planer to size them if you wish but they usually just spit it out like scrabble pieces.
This is my approach and it works very well for me.
As you can see it is simply a push stick with a heel, a good handle, and a flat side that rides against the fence.

I set the blade to the approximate width of the spline and make a pass or two until I get it just right testing with some scrap wood. Yes, the thin strip is between the blade and the fence but is prevented from shooting out the back because of the matching heel on the push stick. Just be sure and use a good wood with an intertwined grain such as this White Oak one shown here so the heel doesnt break off too easily. Its a little scary at first, but its safe.

Test your splines!
Slide them in and out to be sure they are snug, but not so tight that you need to force them in while they are still dry. They will swell pretty quickly with glue on them and they may not even bottom out. Its a fine line between too tight and even a little too sloppy. A loose fit will mean that you will see the glue around the spline.

Cut the splines to about 1 1/2'' long using a handsaw or bandsaw. I always cut extra so I wont be tempted to use one thats too tight or too loose. Now you are ready to start glueing them in the slots.

Tip:
It is very easy to mess this up!
Dont get in a hurry, and do one at a time. Quit texting your girlfriend and focus!

Use a small brush to apply the glue. ( I use acid brushes for soldering. They are natural animal hair and can be used over and over. They are cheap too. I cut the bristles shorter with a chisel and mallet.)

Have a wet rag at hand to wipe away excess glue and another acid brush to clean around the slots, just to be sure the splines are seated all the way to the bottom of the slots. You may need to coax it into place with a mallet.
Do this slowly and carefully on each one. And, be sure you dont bump the others out of position.
If there is any gap anywhere, it will show when you trim the splines flush. Not much you can do to fix it. So, be careful.

After you have them all done, give it an hour or so to dry and trim them flush. I have a 14" bandsaw, so I can just fit one of these boxes through to trim off the ends. A handsaw will work too. So will a trained beaver if happen to own one.

And then on to the sanding platform to flatten the sides. It doesnt really need to be pretty, just flat for referencing off of a fence or measuring for hinges, etc.. The sides of this box will be shaped anyway, so dont waste time on getting all the marks out…unless you want to….which I usually do

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Corner Splines

Updated 1/15/12

We now have our box assembled and glued up. Depending on the temperature, let it dry for a couple of hours, or overnight to be safe.
Take the tape off and clean up any dried glue.

This is a good time to smooth up the bottom to get rid of any rocking.
You can double stick sandpaper onto a very flat and firm surface and slide the bottom across that. The problem with this approach is that sheet sandpaper is way too small. You can stick down several sheets and if you go very slow, you may not tear the paper.You can also use a sanding block or a hand plane. I have a Jet 6×48 belt sander/disc combo, but is just not quite wide enough.

I decided there had to be a better way.
I work for a cabinet shop,( in the office only, where I design and blah,blah,blah) and we have a 36" wide Time Saver sander. We toss the belts after they are worn out but I knew they had a little life left so I snagged one to make a sanding platform. After a little trial and error it looked like this:

I use it for the bottom, top and for leveling out the sides after cutting off the splines.
The belts I get are 36'' wide and a 60'' loop. I split them in half lengthwise ( they rip very straight after you get it started with a cut from a razor knife.)
and that gives me a sanding surface of about 18×24.
Do not try ripping these on the table saw…kids!
The angle of the sanding bed gives a nice working position and the ell leg lets it hook onto the edge of a bench, keeping it in place. ( I am sorry but the ell leg I am refering to is not shown in this photo, its at the operators end, its not the one to the right in the picture.) The taper lets the rod progressively tighten the belt by wedging it in place. Simply pull the rod back and the belt slackens so you can rotate it to a new clean section.

There is still enough life in these belts for this purpose. Just check with a local cabinet shop and offer them a few bucks for discards. They will probably just give them to you, but you may get turned away if you go asking for a handout.

Or you could order a new one from Klingspore
They sell this same size but they also have a 17" x54" and they cost about $33 plus s&H

Another shot.

Next we are going to cut for the corner splines (aka slip feathers or corner keys ).

Layout, and how many you use is strictly up to you. You can just place them randomly if you wish making each corner unique.

Tip:
If you are going to really do some wild shaping then placement isnt that critical, since your eye wont be able to align one side with the other anyway. Maybe after a few drinks you might be able to.
This is the layout we will use for this box. The reason the top spline is placed further from the top edge than the bottom one is from the bottom edge, is that this will allow for more aggressive shaping of the top without getting into the spline too much.
Another reason, is that if you are going to make a box that has a lip on only three sides of the lid to nestle into and you will be using butt style or barrel hinges, then this will ensure the cutout for the lid at the back doesnt cut
down into the splines.
This will become clear a little later on.

Tip:
If I want the center one to be exactly centered between the top and bottom ones, I dont measure its location ne until I have cut the bottom and top kerfs. It easy to be off a little when allowing for blade thickness, etc…

Here is the layout I used, but yours can be whatever you want.

Here is my corner spline jig that rides overtop of my saw fence. It cant move to the side ensuring a straight cut.
I placed sticky back felt on the inside surfaces so it slides freely.
There are several other versions on LumberJocks to model yours after.

For clean flat bottom kerfs the correct saw blade is important. I bought a flat grind toothed blade by Forrest since all I had was a selection of ATB ones which leave a veed or angled bottom. I would carefully try and flatten the bottoms with a file, but it was very difficult not to mess up the sides. I understand why some still use an ATB blade, its a chunk of money for a blade that I only use for kerfs.
If you arent sure what type of blades you have, do a test by cutting shallow kerfs in a board with each one, you might just have a flat cutting blade on hand.

Tip:
You will get better looking kerfs if you only push the box through the blade once, and do it like a machine.
Stop after you go over the blade and raise the box up to clear the blade before pulling it back through.
It doesnt take much…a little wiggle…a little sideways pressure…or even a blade with poor runout, and you will get a sloppy cut. Even a little slop is visible when you glue in a spline that contrasts with the box.
Thats the whole idea isnt it, to draw the eye to the splines?
So do your utmost to make them crisp.

Next we need to cut some splines and I have decided to use Maple for this Bubinga box.
There are several methods for doing this, including an adjustable stop that sets to the left of the blade. You can also rip them on the bandsaw and run them through a thickness sander, and you can even take your chances with a planer to size them if you wish but they usually just spit it out like scrabble pieces.
This is my approach and it works very well for me.
As you can see it is simply a push stick with a heel, a good handle, and a flat side that rides against the fence.

I set the blade to the approximate width of the spline and make a pass or two until I get it just right testing with some scrap wood. Yes, the thin strip is between the blade and the fence but is prevented from shooting out the back because of the matching heel on the push stick. Just be sure and use a good wood with an intertwined grain such as this White Oak one shown here so the heel doesnt break off too easily. Its a little scary at first, but its safe.

Test your splines!
Slide them in and out to be sure they are snug, but not so tight that you need to force them in while they are still dry. They will swell pretty quickly with glue on them and they may not even bottom out. Its a fine line between too tight and even a little too sloppy. A loose fit will mean that you will see the glue around the spline.

Cut the splines to about 1 1/2'' long using a handsaw or bandsaw. I always cut extra so I wont be tempted to use one thats too tight or too loose. Now you are ready to start glueing them in the slots.

Tip:
It is very easy to mess this up!
Dont get in a hurry, and do one at a time. Quit texting your girlfriend and focus!

Use a small brush to apply the glue. ( I use acid brushes for soldering. They are natural animal hair and can be used over and over. They are cheap too. I cut the bristles shorter with a chisel and mallet.)

Have a wet rag at hand to wipe away excess glue and another acid brush to clean around the slots, just to be sure the splines are seated all the way to the bottom of the slots. You may need to coax it into place with a mallet.
Do this slowly and carefully on each one. And, be sure you dont bump the others out of position.
If there is any gap anywhere, it will show when you trim the splines flush. Not much you can do to fix it. So, be careful.

After you have them all done, give it an hour or so to dry and trim them flush. I have a 14" bandsaw, so I can just fit one of these boxes through to trim off the ends. A handsaw will work too. So will a trained beaver if happen to own one.

And then on to the sanding platform to flatten the sides. It doesnt really need to be pretty, just flat for referencing off of a fence or measuring for hinges, etc.. The sides of this box will be shaped anyway, so dont waste time on getting all the marks out…unless you want to….which I usually do

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Corner Splines

Updated 1/15/12

We now have our box assembled and glued up. Depending on the temperature, let it dry for a couple of hours, or overnight to be safe.
Take the tape off and clean up any dried glue.

This is a good time to smooth up the bottom to get rid of any rocking.
You can double stick sandpaper onto a very flat and firm surface and slide the bottom across that. The problem with this approach is that sheet sandpaper is way too small. You can stick down several sheets and if you go very slow, you may not tear the paper.You can also use a sanding block or a hand plane. I have a Jet 6×48 belt sander/disc combo, but is just not quite wide enough.

I decided there had to be a better way.
I work for a cabinet shop,( in the office only, where I design and blah,blah,blah) and we have a 36" wide Time Saver sander. We toss the belts after they are worn out but I knew they had a little life left so I snagged one to make a sanding platform. After a little trial and error it looked like this:

I use it for the bottom, top and for leveling out the sides after cutting off the splines.
The belts I get are 36'' wide and a 60'' loop. I split them in half lengthwise ( they rip very straight after you get it started with a cut from a razor knife.)
and that gives me a sanding surface of about 18×24.
Do not try ripping these on the table saw…kids!
The angle of the sanding bed gives a nice working position and the ell leg lets it hook onto the edge of a bench, keeping it in place. ( I am sorry but the ell leg I am refering to is not shown in this photo, its at the operators end, its not the one to the right in the picture.) The taper lets the rod progressively tighten the belt by wedging it in place. Simply pull the rod back and the belt slackens so you can rotate it to a new clean section.

There is still enough life in these belts for this purpose. Just check with a local cabinet shop and offer them a few bucks for discards. They will probably just give them to you, but you may get turned away if you go asking for a handout.

Or you could order a new one from Klingspore
They sell this same size but they also have a 17" x54" and they cost about $33 plus s&H

Another shot.

Next we are going to cut for the corner splines (aka slip feathers or corner keys ).

Layout, and how many you use is strictly up to you. You can just place them randomly if you wish making each corner unique.

Tip:
If you are going to really do some wild shaping then placement isnt that critical, since your eye wont be able to align one side with the other anyway. Maybe after a few drinks you might be able to.
This is the layout we will use for this box. The reason the top spline is placed further from the top edge than the bottom one is from the bottom edge, is that this will allow for more aggressive shaping of the top without getting into the spline too much.
Another reason, is that if you are going to make a box that has a lip on only three sides of the lid to nestle into and you will be using butt style or barrel hinges, then this will ensure the cutout for the lid at the back doesnt cut
down into the splines.
This will become clear a little later on.

Tip:
If I want the center one to be exactly centered between the top and bottom ones, I dont measure its location ne until I have cut the bottom and top kerfs. It easy to be off a little when allowing for blade thickness, etc…

Here is the layout I used, but yours can be whatever you want.

Here is my corner spline jig that rides overtop of my saw fence. It cant move to the side ensuring a straight cut.
I placed sticky back felt on the inside surfaces so it slides freely.
There are several other versions on LumberJocks to model yours after.

For clean flat bottom kerfs the correct saw blade is important. I bought a flat grind toothed blade by Forrest since all I had was a selection of ATB ones which leave a veed or angled bottom. I would carefully try and flatten the bottoms with a file, but it was very difficult not to mess up the sides. I understand why some still use an ATB blade, its a chunk of money for a blade that I only use for kerfs.
If you arent sure what type of blades you have, do a test by cutting shallow kerfs in a board with each one, you might just have a flat cutting blade on hand.

Tip:
You will get better looking kerfs if you only push the box through the blade once, and do it like a machine.
Stop after you go over the blade and raise the box up to clear the blade before pulling it back through.
It doesnt take much…a little wiggle…a little sideways pressure…or even a blade with poor runout, and you will get a sloppy cut. Even a little slop is visible when you glue in a spline that contrasts with the box.
Thats the whole idea isnt it, to draw the eye to the splines?
So do your utmost to make them crisp.

Next we need to cut some splines and I have decided to use Maple for this Bubinga box.
There are several methods for doing this, including an adjustable stop that sets to the left of the blade. You can also rip them on the bandsaw and run them through a thickness sander, and you can even take your chances with a planer to size them if you wish but they usually just spit it out like scrabble pieces.
This is my approach and it works very well for me.
As you can see it is simply a push stick with a heel, a good handle, and a flat side that rides against the fence.

I set the blade to the approximate width of the spline and make a pass or two until I get it just right testing with some scrap wood. Yes, the thin strip is between the blade and the fence but is prevented from shooting out the back because of the matching heel on the push stick. Just be sure and use a good wood with an intertwined grain such as this White Oak one shown here so the heel doesnt break off too easily. Its a little scary at first, but its safe.

Test your splines!
Slide them in and out to be sure they are snug, but not so tight that you need to force them in while they are still dry. They will swell pretty quickly with glue on them and they may not even bottom out. Its a fine line between too tight and even a little too sloppy. A loose fit will mean that you will see the glue around the spline.

Cut the splines to about 1 1/2'' long using a handsaw or bandsaw. I always cut extra so I wont be tempted to use one thats too tight or too loose. Now you are ready to start glueing them in the slots.

Tip:
It is very easy to mess this up!
Dont get in a hurry, and do one at a time. Quit texting your girlfriend and focus!

Use a small brush to apply the glue. ( I use acid brushes for soldering. They are natural animal hair and can be used over and over. They are cheap too. I cut the bristles shorter with a chisel and mallet.)

Have a wet rag at hand to wipe away excess glue and another acid brush to clean around the slots, just to be sure the splines are seated all the way to the bottom of the slots. You may need to coax it into place with a mallet.
Do this slowly and carefully on each one. And, be sure you dont bump the others out of position.
If there is any gap anywhere, it will show when you trim the splines flush. Not much you can do to fix it. So, be careful.

After you have them all done, give it an hour or so to dry and trim them flush. I have a 14" bandsaw, so I can just fit one of these boxes through to trim off the ends. A handsaw will work too. So will a trained beaver if happen to own one.

And then on to the sanding platform to flatten the sides. It doesnt really need to be pretty, just flat for referencing off of a fence or measuring for hinges, etc.. The sides of this box will be shaped anyway, so dont waste time on getting all the marks out…unless you want to….which I usually do

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Corner Splines

Updated 1/15/12

We now have our box assembled and glued up. Depending on the temperature, let it dry for a couple of hours, or overnight to be safe.
Take the tape off and clean up any dried glue.

This is a good time to smooth up the bottom to get rid of any rocking.
You can double stick sandpaper onto a very flat and firm surface and slide the bottom across that. The problem with this approach is that sheet sandpaper is way too small. You can stick down several sheets and if you go very slow, you may not tear the paper.You can also use a sanding block or a hand plane. I have a Jet 6×48 belt sander/disc combo, but is just not quite wide enough.

I decided there had to be a better way.
I work for a cabinet shop,( in the office only, where I design and blah,blah,blah) and we have a 36" wide Time Saver sander. We toss the belts after they are worn out but I knew they had a little life left so I snagged one to make a sanding platform. After a little trial and error it looked like this:

I use it for the bottom, top and for leveling out the sides after cutting off the splines.
The belts I get are 36'' wide and a 60'' loop. I split them in half lengthwise ( they rip very straight after you get it started with a cut from a razor knife.)
and that gives me a sanding surface of about 18×24.
Do not try ripping these on the table saw…kids!
The angle of the sanding bed gives a nice working position and the ell leg lets it hook onto the edge of a bench, keeping it in place. ( I am sorry but the ell leg I am refering to is not shown in this photo, its at the operators end, its not the one to the right in the picture.) The taper lets the rod progressively tighten the belt by wedging it in place. Simply pull the rod back and the belt slackens so you can rotate it to a new clean section.

There is still enough life in these belts for this purpose. Just check with a local cabinet shop and offer them a few bucks for discards. They will probably just give them to you, but you may get turned away if you go asking for a handout.

Or you could order a new one from Klingspore
They sell this same size but they also have a 17" x54" and they cost about $33 plus s&H

Another shot.

Next we are going to cut for the corner splines (aka slip feathers or corner keys ).

Layout, and how many you use is strictly up to you. You can just place them randomly if you wish making each corner unique.

Tip:
If you are going to really do some wild shaping then placement isnt that critical, since your eye wont be able to align one side with the other anyway. Maybe after a few drinks you might be able to.
This is the layout we will use for this box. The reason the top spline is placed further from the top edge than the bottom one is from the bottom edge, is that this will allow for more aggressive shaping of the top without getting into the spline too much.
Another reason, is that if you are going to make a box that has a lip on only three sides of the lid to nestle into and you will be using butt style or barrel hinges, then this will ensure the cutout for the lid at the back doesnt cut
down into the splines.
This will become clear a little later on.

Tip:
If I want the center one to be exactly centered between the top and bottom ones, I dont measure its location ne until I have cut the bottom and top kerfs. It easy to be off a little when allowing for blade thickness, etc…

Here is the layout I used, but yours can be whatever you want.

Here is my corner spline jig that rides overtop of my saw fence. It cant move to the side ensuring a straight cut.
I placed sticky back felt on the inside surfaces so it slides freely.
There are several other versions on LumberJocks to model yours after.

For clean flat bottom kerfs the correct saw blade is important. I bought a flat grind toothed blade by Forrest since all I had was a selection of ATB ones which leave a veed or angled bottom. I would carefully try and flatten the bottoms with a file, but it was very difficult not to mess up the sides. I understand why some still use an ATB blade, its a chunk of money for a blade that I only use for kerfs.
If you arent sure what type of blades you have, do a test by cutting shallow kerfs in a board with each one, you might just have a flat cutting blade on hand.

Tip:
You will get better looking kerfs if you only push the box through the blade once, and do it like a machine.
Stop after you go over the blade and raise the box up to clear the blade before pulling it back through.
It doesnt take much…a little wiggle…a little sideways pressure…or even a blade with poor runout, and you will get a sloppy cut. Even a little slop is visible when you glue in a spline that contrasts with the box.
Thats the whole idea isnt it, to draw the eye to the splines?
So do your utmost to make them crisp.

Next we need to cut some splines and I have decided to use Maple for this Bubinga box.
There are several methods for doing this, including an adjustable stop that sets to the left of the blade. You can also rip them on the bandsaw and run them through a thickness sander, and you can even take your chances with a planer to size them if you wish but they usually just spit it out like scrabble pieces.
This is my approach and it works very well for me.
As you can see it is simply a push stick with a heel, a good handle, and a flat side that rides against the fence.

I set the blade to the approximate width of the spline and make a pass or two until I get it just right testing with some scrap wood. Yes, the thin strip is between the blade and the fence but is prevented from shooting out the back because of the matching heel on the push stick. Just be sure and use a good wood with an intertwined grain such as this White Oak one shown here so the heel doesnt break off too easily. Its a little scary at first, but its safe.

Test your splines!
Slide them in and out to be sure they are snug, but not so tight that you need to force them in while they are still dry. They will swell pretty quickly with glue on them and they may not even bottom out. Its a fine line between too tight and even a little too sloppy. A loose fit will mean that you will see the glue around the spline.

Cut the splines to about 1 1/2'' long using a handsaw or bandsaw. I always cut extra so I wont be tempted to use one thats too tight or too loose. Now you are ready to start glueing them in the slots.

Tip:
It is very easy to mess this up!
Dont get in a hurry, and do one at a time. Quit texting your girlfriend and focus!

Use a small brush to apply the glue. ( I use acid brushes for soldering. They are natural animal hair and can be used over and over. They are cheap too. I cut the bristles shorter with a chisel and mallet.)

Have a wet rag at hand to wipe away excess glue and another acid brush to clean around the slots, just to be sure the splines are seated all the way to the bottom of the slots. You may need to coax it into place with a mallet.
Do this slowly and carefully on each one. And, be sure you dont bump the others out of position.
If there is any gap anywhere, it will show when you trim the splines flush. Not much you can do to fix it. So, be careful.

After you have them all done, give it an hour or so to dry and trim them flush. I have a 14" bandsaw, so I can just fit one of these boxes through to trim off the ends. A handsaw will work too. So will a trained beaver if happen to own one.

And then on to the sanding platform to flatten the sides. It doesnt really need to be pretty, just flat for referencing off of a fence or measuring for hinges, etc.. The sides of this box will be shaped anyway, so dont waste time on getting all the marks out…unless you want to….which I usually do

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

Cut the lip for the lid

Updated 1/15/12

At this point we have a box body with corner splines.
Our lid is still oversized, so we can stop here and just use it to make a traditional box,one where the lid sets on top.
DO NOT CUT THE LID TO SIZE UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THE STYLE OF BOX YOU WANT TO MAKE!

For some, this may be the best option. They may not have all the required tools or may feel their skills need a little more honing.
Or, you could leapfrog over the next few stages and pick up the project again when we do the medallion.
Then you could continue on to the shaping if desired.
For now, just follow along with the tutorial, and continue at your own pace.
I strongly recommend making a test box. Are you listening to me at all or are you still texting little Sheba?
You will feel more comfortable when trying out some of the following procedures on a lesser grade of wood.

Next
We want the top edge of the box sanded flat in case you havent already done that.
What we are going to do is route a recess on the inside top edge of the box to recieve the lid.
We will invert the box over a router fixed in a table. Any bumps at the corner joints on the top of the box will transfer to the lip we are routing down inside. Its much easier to sand the top edge than to sand inside.
Once the top edge of the box is smooth, remove any sawdust, etc from the inside of the box and the router table so we have a clean surface.

Next
We are going to route a rabbet, a lip, inside the box, all the way around. It will finish at 3/8'' wide x 1/2'' deep.
Keep in mind that any chipping is a real issue with this style of box. Any variations along the gap, which is called the reveal, between box and lid, will really jump out. We do need a gap between the lid and box for the lid to open, but it needs to be small and very even. Capiche?
NO? OK, OK, then look at it this way,, if you sand out a chip, or deep router burn on the inside lip of the box it makes a divot, meaning it becomes wider at that point, a wavy line. The lid cannot be shaped to fit into those "wide spots". Its like trying to parallel park a Winnebago.
I route the lip using several shallow passes for the depth and the width. This will minimize chipping and burning.
I use a rabbet bit with interchangeable guide bearings and start with one that gives me a cut just under 3/8" wide. I go fairly slow on the first shallow pass, not worrying about the burn marks. I cut down to just shy of the full 1/2'' depth, leaving about 1/16''. I then clean this up with a bearing that gives me the full 3/8'' width and also I reset the router to take the full 1/2'' depth.

Be sure and let the bit stop spinning before lifting the box off, clean away all the chips after each pass, and be sure you move around the bit in the correct direction. This of course will depend on which side of the equator you live on." Here in Oregon, thats clockwise.

Tip:
Wet the wood with a damp cloth prior to routing to minimize tearout.

If you dont have a set of bearing, just use a pattern bit and make multiple passes. Depends a lot on the wood.

Start
with the edge of the cutter about 1/8 above the table. Use a high speed setting if you have that option and lower the center of the box over the bit and move it in a clockwise direction, (moving into the bit). After a complete pass around the bit,c enter the box over the bit and turn off the router. Clean away all the chips and raise the bit to about 1/4" - 3/8" and repeat. Leave the bit about 1/16 shy of the total 1/2" depth. Last of all, change your guide bearing and raise the bit to exactly 1/2'' deep and make your final pass, moving at a little faster pace to prevent new burns.
Your final results will depend on the wood you are cutting and the sharpness of your bit, and how tight you crossed your fingers.

Here is the bit set and the router. Also, you can see the bent wrenches for the router I made. I massaged them to fit down into the well by heating them in the woodstove and tempering in oil. But thats another story.

A close up of the bit.

The first pass just under our 3/8" width.

Done @ 3/8" wide x 1/2" deep

Next
Carefully and lightly sand the rabbet just enough to smooth it out.Then sand a very small radius on the inside edge of the lip to ease fitting in the lid. This will prevent denting it as you test fit the lid… over and over.

Click to expand...

Argyllshire said:

The Lid

Updated 1/15/12

Regarding wood movement:
Depending on the wood you use, where you live, and your own personal experience,y ou may want to allow more clearance.
This is what works for me.

I really dont allow for any movement at this stage. I know this sounds like trouble waiting to happen, but it works just fine for me. Even if we start off with a snug fit, we will still end up with a small gap around the perimeter. This is due to the final sanding and easing of the edges between lid and lip. Feel free to start off with a small gap (1/16) or so if you wish. But keep in mind that as you sand your mating edges, that its very easy to get a sloppy fit. This would allow the lid to move from side to side, which will just feel wrong, and the pins may show too much in the gap, and the handle may not drop straight into the seat, and the sides may rub on the way down.

Cutting the lid to size is nothing more than cutting a rectangle exactly the size of the opening and then radiusing the corners.

Here is the lid blank cut to size and prior to rounding the corners…obviously.

I choose to sand the corners to match the profile of the box using a template to first mark out the radius.
I bought a set of cool templates at Woodcraft.

Then its over to the disc sander to get close but leaving enough to fiddle with by hand.

OR you can make a template for the entire top out of ply or masonite or…well you get the picture. With a template you can stick it to your lid and run it around a router with a template bit. It may want to eat a corner or two, thats why I prefer to sand to fit. Just go slowly. Turn down the Rap music and pay attention at this point anyway.

The lid all snug in its new home.

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