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Materials:
- 3/8" plywood - preferably high grade, seven-ply, cabinetmakers
plywood
- Water-soluble aniline dye stains (available from specialty woodwork
suppliers like Lee Valley
Tools
Cut List:
- Sides - 2 pieces 3" x 11"
- Ends - 2 pieces 3" x 5"
- Bottom - 1 piece 4 ¼" x 10 ¼"
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Tools
- Hand saw - preferably a Japanese pull saw for ripping
- Hand saw - preferably a Japanese back saw which cuts on the
pull stroke (Can optionally use a coping saw)
- Binder clip - optional
- Clamps
- Carpenter's scribe - optional
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Chisels
- Safety glasses
- Wooden or plastic mallet
- Tri-square
- ¾" thick wooden block with sand paper on one side - used as
a guide when chiseling
- Cabinetmaker's glue
- Artist's brush
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Steps:
Aniline
dyes are mixed in water, stored in jars marked 'poison', and
refrigerated |
Mix
the pure colors together for unlimited variation |
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| Prepare the plywood by first sanding and staining
with aniline dyes or a stain of choice. The dyes can be premixed
and then refrigerated. Mark them as poison, tape the top and
keep them out of the reach of children. |
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After staining, cut out the pieces |
Use
a binder clip to help stabilize the loose end while cutting |
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| Mark and cut out the sides and ends. |
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Box joints on an antique box |
Carpenter's
scribe |
Set
the depth to the thickness of the wood you're using |
Draw the scribe along the end of each piece on both sides |
Alternately, measure the thickness of the wood with a precision
ruler |
Transfer that size onto the wood and mark with a pencil or chalk |
| Determine the depth of the box joints. It will be the width
of the plywood or 3/8" deep. Scribe that depth using a carpenter's
scribe, or a ruler and very sharp pencil or even a chalk marking-tool
from your sewing kit. |
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Mark
for all of the teeth |
Mark across the end of the board |
Board marked and ready for cutting |
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Determine the size of the teeth that you want for the joints.
It is easiest to make them the width of one of your chisels.
Use a ruler and pencil to mark the teeth on the ends of each
board. Use a square to make saw-guide lines on the butt end
of the board. Turn the board on edge and mark each of the
teeth that are to be removed and the ones that stay. Put an
'X' on the ones that go.
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Clamp
it in place |
Cut down to the scribed line at each of the marks |
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Use a fine toothed back saw to make cuts along the lines
down to the scribed line. Japanese backsaws that cut on the
pull stroke are easiest to use.
Be sure to clamp the wood in a vise or use a board and some
long clamps to sandwich it to the edge of the table. Clamp
the area to be cut close to the table so that the board won't
wobble as the saw passes through it.
Saw through each of your penciled lines to the depth of the
INSIDE of the scribed line. This will give you a very tight
joint.
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Place the chisel just in front of the scribed linel |
Hold the chisel like this for more stability |
Mallet used to strike the handle of the chisel |
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Use the appropriate sized chisel to start the cut along the
scribed line.
Place the chisel just to the inside of the line with the flat
side against the wood. |
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Start with a small cut on one side |
Finish from the other side |
Use
a thick piece of wood with sand paper attached to one side as
a guide for your chisel |
The
block keeps the chisel vertical and the sand paper prevents
slipping |
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When the chisel is in place, hit it with a mallet and cut
down into the wood part way. Then turn the wood over and cut
again from the other side. This will give you the cleanest
possible cut, with no splintery slivers.
If you have trouble holding the chisel perfectly vertical,
use a scrap piece of ¾ inch wood with sandpaper attached to
it on one side as a guide for the chisel.
Tip: Be sure your chisels are very sharp. They don't come
fully sharpened, so either sharpen them yourself or have them
sharpened professionally.
It's worth it. Hone them as necessary while you're working.
If you're wondering if they need honing, they probably do.
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Use a file to clean up the joints |
Dry fit the joints and choose the best fit |
A
good tight joint requires a mallet to tap the pieces together |
Mark
the pieces in order |
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Once all the teeth have been chiseled out, clean any stray
splinters out of the joints using a bastard file. Dry fit
the joints. Move the pieces around and try them in different
positions until you've achieved the best possible fit.
If one of the joints is really binding, use the file to remove
a bit of material so the fit is improved. The pieces may have
to be tapped together with the mallet if the joint is really
tight, which it should be.
Give each of the pieces a discreet number so that when you're
doing the final assembly with glue, all the pieces go together
in the right order.
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Place the box over a corner of spare plywood and trace the inside
edge of the bottom dimension |
Cut
along the traced line |
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Mark and cut out the bottom of the box.
With the joints dry fitted together, hold the box over a square
corner of your plywood material and trace two sides with a sharp
pencil. Saw along the lines. |
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Place the pieces in order for gluing |
Brush glue on all the surfaces of every joint |
Clamp
and let dry overnight |
Add
copper nails for a secure bottom |
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Make sure the bottom fits well and then pull
the pieces apart and lay them out in order for easy gluing.
Put some glue in a dish and use an artist's brush to apply glue
to all sides of all the joints. Assemble all at once and clamp
together. Let it cure overnight.
Once the glue is set up, add nails along the lower edges to
secure the bottom. There's nothing nicer than a secure bottom.
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Artisans'
work featured on this episode:
(click pics for Artist info and larger
images)
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