just experimenting
so this is what I came up with today.
Made 3 at once, tried to put one together, really should let glue on sides dry overnight, but I wanted to see how my idea would work.
Ofcourse, after working since morning, my eyes were a bit off, and I mounted and made the holes on top of box on wrong side,
but I got the general idea.
Unfinished, unsanded, just a tryout.
Took a piece of wood, around 5/4,(mahogany), 2 inches wide, jointed and planed, ran over round over bit on 2 sides, cut off some 1/2 inch thick slices for sides, then sliced it down the middle.
Ran both parts over corebox bit down center. Then glued sides to bottom.
Ran top again through smaller roundover to give it a bit of a grip, and then ran the back of top over a bevel so it opens easy.
Put it back together, drilled holes(will use drill press in future) on sides, 1/4 inch, put a tiny bit of glue into top portion holes, tapped in a 1/4 inch hardwood dowel,(only had light colored, did order some darker woods), cut it flush with flush saw, and all I have to do is sand and finish.
I will sand out marks before I assembly anything for the next ones, and I wouldnt make one at a time, its easier with all the bit changes in table to just do a whole bunch at once.
Not bad in my opinion, simple, for my simple pens.
I also finished restaining my door moldings, taped and painted my front door, sanded and stained the 2 shutters, and spent over an hour cleaning up the shop, (dust collector)
as far as the dowel used as hinge: I made a sample with two pieces of wood last night around 10:30 pm, and brought it in and kept turning it around to see if the dowel would break, or not turn good, or not last, after 210 turns, I said to myself, hey, what am I, an auto manufacturer test facility? Its a pen box, most likely the person willl throw it in his/her desk and never look at it again.The hinge works fine.(I only posted this work because Toni mentioned dont forget to post what I came up with, I know Im not turning out any presentation boxes Id put a Les or Mack pen into for sale)