I've got quadruplets!!

[DaveO]

My Mom wanted me to make her some boxes to give as X-mas presents. With the guidence and advice from this forum, here is what I've done so far. There is a lot of sanding ahead of me, and then finishing, but I have all day tomorrow and don't have to have them ready until Thanksgiving when my folks are coming. I started the day around 11:00am with rough stock, jointed and planed it. Then I re-sawed the maple band, and cleaned it up on my new drum sander. The lamination was glued up, and off to Lowe's to hunt down the materials for my pivot pins. Then back to bandsawing and sanding the insides before glueing everything back together. A quick run to Woodcraft to get a walnut dowel to plug the pivot pin holes and some green flocking (you got to love saying "mini flocker") for the insides. Then the final sawing of the outside shape. I am pooped, and this is the time where I generally screw most things up so I will quit for the night. Thanks for looking and thanks to Big Mike, DavidF and others for your advice on the project. Dave

 

[Monty]

Very nice!!!! I'm glad you posted these pics because now I FINALLY understand how you do those boxes! Can't wait to see how you do the pivot pins.

 

[DaveO]

You're welcome, I should have posted a play by play on the construction, but it was a fast paced day for me today, I have a deadline to meet. I am curious as to how the pivot pins are going to work too. I decided to change their location to near the locking key. I think that will give the lid more stability than if it was at the point of the heart. I got some brass stock to make the pins out of, I had a hard time finding a nail in the diameter that I need that was long enough. I plan to beat the brass to mushroom it so it will sit in the counterbore. We'll see how well that works out. Stay tuned. Dave

 

[theartfullturner]

Nice Work. A box is a special gift, what are you going to put in it? Perhaps a minature turning?

 

[ChrisC]

Nice work David.

How will you sand the outside?

I would think that sanding a heart shape would be rather tough when you get to the dip at the top.

 

[Big Mike]

Pretty cool, Dave. I don't like assembly line projects but for Christmas I do it all the time. It is for the ones we love that we sometimes do the things we least like to do. Those are sure to be well received. I eagerly await finished pictures!:icon_thum I have never done a locking swivel lid and that is a good idea I might consider.

 

[DaveO]

Thanks for all the kind comments. It's up to my Mom to put something in the boxes she is "buying" them from me to give as gifts. There is no good way to sand the heart shape but by hand. One box isn't bad, but 4 is gonna suck. I didn't care for the production-line type assembly, but when there is an order for 4 that's the only way you do it. The fun part was trying to keep the pieces together. The boxes are almost exactly the same, but with enough differences that the lids, bottom, and keys aren't interchangable, so at least they are all one-of-a-kinds. Hopefully this evening have will have some finished product to show off. Dave

 

[Steve D]

Nice work Dave, the boxes look great. I'm sure they will be trasured.