Boxes for Snapshots

glenn bradley

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Just trying to keep the action moving along here folks . . . .

Mom is 86. She acknowledges technology in all its glory but, when she is looking at photographs, she wants to hold the pictures. She enjoys the tactile link, she may have jotted a note on the back, she just likes the photographs better than a disc or a chip for her computer.

I am making a couple boxes sized for the task to replace the shoe boxes she is perfectly happy using. I could have brad-nailed some pine together and she would have been fine with it but, I try to take advantage of these things to practice. These will be cherry and walnut with a nudge towards my old buddies Greene & Greene.

I've shown how I do the fingers with a sled and setup blocks often enough so let's just say the fingers are cut. I use a tip picked up from Garrett Hack and mark with red pencil to indicate a "stop" line to shape toward (I use yellow on walnut).

pic-box fingers-1.jpg

I use files to chase up to the lines.

pic-box fingers-2.jpg

Then finer and finer grits on blocks to do the shaping that is along a common plane like the outside and faces of the fingers.

pic-box fingers-3.jpg

If I get it right, I end up rough shaped and I can do some other milling prior to final sanding, glue up and so forth.

pic-box fingers-4.jpg
 
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The tops and bottoms will be floating panels so I need some grooves. Based on the way the fingers interlock I will need stopped grooves on the short sides and through grooves on the long sides.

Running 3/8" material along its edge can give poor edge definition at the cut if you do not have good control of your material . . . now how would I know that ;). The Grr Ripper keeps my hands clear and gives me a nice big perpendicular surface to grip.

pic-box-stopped slot- (1).jpg

Stop blocks on the router table fence just like we all do for this sort of thing. Swing the board into the starting position, move through the cut till you hit the stop block and swing away. This is repeated on all short sides, top and bottom.
pic-box-stopped slot- (2).jpg pic-box-stopped slot- (3).jpg pic-box-stopped slot- (4).jpg pic-box-stopped slot- (5).jpg

And theres the stopped grooves.

pic-box-stopped slot- (6).jpg

The long sides get through cuts so I 86 the stop blocks but, still use the push block for control and safety.

pic-box-stopped slot- (7).jpg pic-box-stopped slot- (8).jpg

If everything has worked out correctly, when the short and long sides are joined, you have a continuous groove around the inside of the upper and lower parts of the box carcass to capture the floating tops and bottoms.

pic-box-stopped slot- (9).jpg

More to come once I get the floating panels shaped. . . .


P.s. WOW, 13 views before I even got all the pics added. Get off the computer, get out to the shop and make some sawdust you guys :D:D:D
 
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glenn, I have 3 router bits to cut slots and havent used one yet to cut dados for panels.(actually, I did on the curved rail on the TV unit, but that was it)
Is there any advantage for cutting the floating panel grooves using a slotted bit vs using a upcut bit and holding the piece flat?

I have to go out to the shop tomorrow and start cutting up sheets of plywood to make a cabinet to house some drawers, unmotivated to go out and deal with sheet goods. Its more fun watching you create something.
 
Is there any advantage for cutting the floating panel grooves using a slotted bit vs using a upcut bit and holding the piece flat?

Probably open to discussion Allen. I find I can move the material more easily through the cut with a slot-cutter when making a cut with the grain. The delicacy of an 1/8" spiral bit comes into play as well. For 1/4" and larger slots I generally use a straight bit and lay the material flat and ride the edge against the fence as you describe.
 
OK, let's not drag out the home movies . . . .

I noticed that this conglomeration looks rather involved but, it really is just a matter of setting the fence and setting the stop block. For those who post the question at times; this is a use of the miter slot on your router table :p.

pic-box-t-b-mitergauge-rig.jpg

I use a wheel gauge to cut the fibers where the router profile will stop.

pic-box-t-b-mg-1.jpg pic-box-t-b-mg-2.jpg

This yields a nice crisp edge with no (or at least very little :rolleyes:) burn, even along the end grain.

pic-box-t-b-rp.jpg pic-box-t-b-ro-1.jpgpic-box-t-b-ro-2.jpg

I have to go take care of some electrical work at LOML's. I hope to get back to this later today to fit the panels and get them in the clamps.

P.s. My eternal thanks to Ned B. for his post about the little $3 white balance thingy (obviously I'm no photographer). The improvement in my pictures is very noticeable.
 
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My last post on this was March??? Boy, did I get distracted. Anyway, I have one box in the clamps.

pic-box-restart (4).jpg pic-box-restart (2).jpg

And I have a chance to try out one of my cheap-o macro add-ons for my camera ;-) Sixteen little square holes, pegs and plugs on each box. Here's a shot of a plug blank that I just cut to test sizing and a keeper that has been through the smoothing protocol.

pic-box-restart (1).jpg

These boxes are really an exercise for me to practice the square holes and plugs a bit to get my chops back. They'll find a good home at mom's though I imagine. I mean, has anyone made something for mom that she didn't at least pretend to like?
 
hey glenn how did yu get that crisp inside corner with the finger jioint? did yu use a recess on one edge?

Do you mean this one Larry? It is just a straight finger joint; no rabbet or anything. Darrell Peart uses a combination rabbet-finger joint on his drawers for added strength. I may try that on an upcoming project that has larger drawers.
 

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nice fingers :lurk: :lurk: :lurk: but I want to see the home movies! :rofl: :rofl: c'mon Papa Jim.....

Nah! I just do "Old man stories."
..........If you don't believe me, ask Glenn.

Let's see, there is the time I took Howard Hughs flying (just the two of us), The time I took Marlene Dietrich to dinner (just the two of us), the time I went with Red Skelton on his honeymoon (four of us) and others. If Glenn is reading this, he is probably getting sick about now.

Enjoy,

Jim
 
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The fingers are hand shaped and though (I hope) they have a consistent look overall, the tablesaw really knows the difference. When it came time to separate the top from the bottom I needed a reference surface other than the proud finger-tips to position the carcass for the saw.

A tablesaw sled just seems to sprout usefulness ;). I rigged a couple thick router table fence faces that are known square and ended up here:

Pic-boxes-separate 002.jpg Pic-boxes-separate 003.jpg

The idea is to cut almost all the way through so that there is still some material to maintain the gap between the parts. I went a little deep and so simply taped 1/8" spacers into the slots till I made the last cut. Once I re-round the over-sized fingers that the tablesaw cut through the sizes/spacings should match :crossed:.

Pic-boxes-separate 004.jpg Pic-boxes-separate 005.jpg

I had been considering this to be a lift-lid box but now that I have it in my hands in two pieces, I may go with hinges. I guess I have till I glue up and separate the second box to figure that out. Thanks for tagging along.

409
 
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Nah! I just do "Old man stories."
..........If you don't believe me, ask Glenn.

Let's see, there is the time I took Howard Hughs flying (just the two of us), The time I took Marlene Dietrich to dinner (just the two of us), the time I went with Red Skelton on his honeymoon (four of us) and others. If Glenn is reading this, he is probably getting sick about now.

Enjoy,

Jim

Tell us another one, Papa Jim. :D :threadjacked:
 
More fooling around with my macro lens; the crisp edge of a finger after sawing the top and bottom apart.

Pic box details 001.jpg

After dressing the sharp edge back in.

Pic box details 002.jpg

36 of these little devils for two boxes . . .

Pic box details 030.jpg

No prizes for designing with golden ratios and such but, form follows function in this example. These are just something nicer than the current shoe boxes mom keeps her photographs in. Cherry and Walnut with clear shellac and ebony plugs.

500
 

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I can't quite get happy with a chest of drawers design I am working on so I guess I'll just keep posting to this thread . . . Got the other one done. They're going down to mom for a belated Mother's Day get together.
 

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Ya know Glenn...if you'd sand those corners a bit better your box joints might be more flush. Just a little tip I learned. ;)

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

That's some gorgeous work there, bud. Thanks for adding the new pics. :thumb:
 
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