Small wood boxes ?????

[banderson]

Anybody ever make small wood boxes with their machine? I have made a few out of 1/4" oak for some gifts. Everybody seams to like them, just wondering if ther are some ideas to make it easier. So far I am making the sides from one piece using miter bending. The top and bottom are then cut from another piece with personalized vcarving on the top. Sorry no pictures yet.:)

[myxpykalix]

Check out dover books or barnes and noble or amazon for books "custom wooden boxes for the scrollsaw" they have patterns in the book for you to digitize and cut out.
Also check out this thread:
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16575
there is several patterns for scrollsaw boxes, some are actually pretty neat where once you cut them out and stack them on top of each other it looks like a weaved basket.

[banderson]

Thank's jack. Good link. Definately like his work and themes.

[steve_g]

Bret

I've made every style box imaginable on my bot... Something I do to make things go faster is I make my boxes as a 6 sided glue up and cut the top (lid) off after all glue has dried. This assures that the box and lid fit exactly and that the wood grain flows smoothly from top to bottom. I even do string inlays before I cut the lid off... This also assures 100% alignment of the inlay from lid to box. I cut the top off on my table saw with the blade depth set just more than the thickness of the walls of the box, I then cut 3 sides open and tape them all up with masking tape before I separate that last side... this keeps everything under control while getting clear of the saw blade with the two parts.

Lately I've been making a lot of my boxes from "chunks" of solid wood... This avoids any joinery and actually sell better than boxes I spend hours and hours on.
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15160&highlight=live+edge (http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15160&highlight=live+edge)

Hope this helps... be sure to post pictures of what you do!

SG

[myxpykalix]

Hey picture #2 looks like (MY) box!! At least that's what i tell those that see it till they turn it over and see where the ARTIST signed it!:eek:

I love some of the designs of those other boxes in your picture#1, you need to give us a course on how you made some of them. I have bought various jigs to make box, dovetail, double dovetail, and all types of designs and i've never used them. I'd love to hear about some of your designs maybe that will be inspiration to dust off some of the fancy router jig fences, ect i have to try to make something.

I keep telling myself..."I'll get around to it when i'm too old to do anything else...Well guess what, "i'm too old to do anything else!"
(I said the same thing about my stamp collection...i started that when i was a kid and haven't opened that up in 50 years. I bet i have a few thousand stamps in those little wax paper envelopes and mounted in my book.I'm hoping i have that ONE rare stamp worth a million bucks to retire on:eek:)

[banderson]

thanks guys. I tried to do the six sided glue up design but I am having a problem selecting certain vectors for the 90 degree tool. I had to use node editing to cut the vecotrs but then I cannot create the toolpath because it says they are open. You guys have any suggestions?

[steve_g]

Bret

I'm not 100% sure I understand your question... but here goes!
If you are trying to make a fold up box using a 90° V-bit, you likely are trying to follow a vector using a v-carve strategy... What you need to do is use a profile strategy, select the V-bit and choose the "on" the vector option. This will allow you to cut a vector that is open...
If this wasn't your issue, try me again!

SG

[myxpykalix]

I had to use node editing to cut the vecotrs but then I cannot create the toolpath because it says they are open. You guys have any suggestions?


yeah....close the vectors!:D Maybe post a screenshot or picture so we can see exactly what is going on but it sounds like you have open vectors that need to be closed.

[banderson]

Steve got it. I was using the vcarve toolpath. Thanks!!!!!!!