105 – Oh For Keepsake!
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Its that time of year again: HOLIDAY PROJECT TIME! So this year, I decided to make a few little keepsake boxes, thanks to some advice from The Great WOODini. I also took inspiration from a box Nicole keeps on her nightstand and developed a new design that is much more practical for the average woodworker to make. The boxes feature a secret locking pin. Once removed, the lid slides off on a sliding dovetail. And as always with these holiday gift projects, you can modify them by trying different sizes, shapes, and wood species to make your own one-of-a-kind box. And since they are so easy to make, its no problem batching out a bunch of them in a single weekend. If you decide to make some, please send me pics of your variations.
Topics Covered:
- Creating sliding dovetails
- Using a dowel-centering pin to locate holes
- Cutting a recess with a pattern bit
- Sanding end-grain
And here are a few pictures of the final boxes:
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Circle Templates – $32.99 This template set has been incredibly useful for numerous projects including these keepsake boxes and the Contemporary Clock Project from last year. |
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GRR-Ripper™ Adjustable Push Block – $59.99 The GRR-Ripper is the fancy push block you see me using in this video. Incredibly useful and gives you ultimate control of the workpiece! |
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Marc – Once again a great project. I am thinking up a box for my brother to keep his X-box controllers in that integrates a changer base. The idea is to get a sphere that will look like the Xbox logo that will twist to align the dove tail and then slide or tilt open. Any tips on cutting a sphere in half without a band saw. Oh and BTW nice Sponge Bob towel. Rick (Wakequest)
You could always use a handsaw. Not that I could pull that off, lol, but technically its one way of doing it.
Perhaps one could build a “miter box” jig to hold the sphere allowing the saw to glide down the center. If done with 1/2 MDF and some angled braces, it could be fairly sturdy. I’d build it like book ends, that is 2 pieces (left & right). Slip each piece around the sphere and clamp them together at the bottom. Hmmm. The more I think about it, the more I think it could work.
Marc,
Thanks for the how-to on such a great design for the holidays.
RE: Rick’s xbox logo – perhaps make the entire box square first, then cut the sphere shape after words, then you could cut the lid on the table saw?
I just have to know, how do you come up with these video titles?
I sit down in my favorite chair. I think about the topic. Then I try to relate it to a common phrase in some silly way. And that’s pretty much it.
Very nice video… & costumes…
BUT…
Surely you didn’t FIT that sliding dovetail with just one cut… How many cuts did you really make to “sneak up” on it? :)
Happy Halloween…
Two. :)
I loved the video and had a good laugh. Great project and enough information to actually build one these boxes. Great outtakes!
It was also good to see you using some of the new tools you mentioned in the October 2009 Shop Tour video. Looking forward to hearing what you think of these new tools and accessories.
Day off, nice day outside, AND a new wood whisperer episode? Dude, life is good. :) I can now scratch at least two more names off my Christmas list! Thanks Marc!
Hi-larious as usual! How much crap did you take about dropping Nicole’s “heart” box?
lol none yet. :)
keyword yet :> I didn’t know about it till I saw the video!
In that case he must’ve done a great job with the repair! I wonder if the beating will be the next WW Extra video?
That’ll be a pay per view item, i’m sure…. ;-)
Marc,
Nice router table. Is that a new festool product?
Check out the shop tour episode. I talk at length about the table. Pretty neat product. http://thewoodwhisperer.com/oc.....shop-tour/
Man Marc, I don’t know how you do it, but your videos are getting better every time. This one was very entertaining as well as very informative, and the production value is better than any TV woodworking show I’ve seen. All amazing for a one man, one woman team. Keep up the good work and may the Great Woodini bestow his bountiful coolness apon you!
Brad
Yet another excellent video. Loved the Woodini bit. Woodworkers do have a sense of humor. Thanks for the idea, thats perfect for my 3 nieces. The clocks went over well last year.
Amazing the resemblance the Great WOODini has to my former husband! Scary, but has he mentioned how MUCH I really love the square box with the curved sides? Great video and very entertaining. Tell Mrs. WOODini I have some great wax to use on that upper lip. LOL xoxox TWWMom
Marc,
Great project! Being fairly new to woodworking, I feel confident trying this box. I may be a little scared of the sliding dovetail, but I think I’ll get over it pretty quickly. By the way, I love the out-takes! This was a very funny video!
instead of boxes or frames for holiday gift giving, I think I’ll give TWW video links to my loved ones. Some laughs, some wisdom, some bewilderment. The gift that keeps on giving. Happy Holiday (Halloween!!!)
Many thanks Marc. I had a crappy day and your podcast really cheered me up. Also a really good project that I will definitely do.
It seems it is now official, you really do rule.
Lex
Great video! I had many ahh ha! moments throughout the video. You make the sliding dovetail look incredibly easy to accomplish. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Nicole is going to be looking for that SpongeBob towel.
Commented on Lumberjocks, Nice work. I enjoyed it.
Excellent video, very informative, Thanks for going into great detail of the construction of the box. I will now be able to make a few for my grandchildren.
Marc,
Just a thought.
If you put a piece of blue tape on the bottom of the triangle in which you are going to drill your dowel hole (19:10 timemark on video), before you make the hole with the dowel marking pin, you could drill through the tape when you drill the hole. Later when you glue in the dowel (20:50 timemark), you already have tape to help avoid glue squeeze out mess.
Another excellent vid. I love the humor!
Sonic must be everywhere! Every other block here in East Tennessee, or so it seems. According to there franchise map we are third in the nation for the number of franchises. Whatever the hell that means. Must be something about that golden arches yellow.
I kept waiting for you to pull the test pin out of the hole before you glued it to the corner and find you only had the corner in your hand and the pin still lodged in the hole with none of it sticking out.
Keep up the great work!
Jim
Wow – Again your video was very informative for a beginning woodworker and the humor just makes it that more easilier to watch.
I always look forward to the end of the week to view your next video – thank you for your hard work.
Thanks Rob! Just don’t get used to a video every week. This is a very rare occurrence, lol.
Mark,
I used to watch all the time but I strayed beacuse I could not do what you do. This is perfect, I have been making boxes and this is a great project. I am back.
Thanks,
Ed
Hey Marc
I have got to say that was a great video and a really good simple project idea. Now dropping the Wife’s keepsake box from her Mom…not so great, but hey, that’s what medical insurance is for right? ;^>
Cheers and Happy Halloween
John
Great Job Marc-dini
It’s another keeper .. great gift suggestion..
I’m torn between making a few of these or a nice cutting board ;-) I thinking my woman would like the keepsake box more ..
Joe
Now THIS is what I have come to expect out of this podcast!
Great blend of humor, wit, playfulness, actual content, tips, tricks, out-takes, how to fix mistakes or difficult design situations, and design options.
I can see why you opted for just the one dovetail, after watching how you cut the male side.
as for the x-box logo question: another option is to turn it on a lathe. (cut in half first, then do two hemispheres) Otherwise, you’d be using a router and a funky circle-cutting setup. (assuming you cut the box in half before shaping the outside.)
Classic! That would be me – dropping my wife’s treasured box, fixing it, and putting it back like nothing ever happened. Well at least your wife is understanding and supportive and luckily I don’t video tape my screw-ups. Nice project. I am going to check my wood pile and make one.
Nice looking project and I’m planning to make one for my 1.5yo daughter…I think it will drive her 3 older brothers nuts! Did you give any thought to making a “dummy” dovetail on the other side just to add confusion?
Interesting thought…….but I can’t think of a way to have a dummy dovetail on the other side. Isn’t that impossible??
But it sounds like it would be effective, since I am already confused! ;)
How about an inlay?
Someone just posted this on Lumberjocks. Clever approach!
http://www.craftsmanspace.com/.....plans.html
Hey Marc,
GREAT video. I just discovered your site a few weeks ago and I love it! I have been out of woodworking for a while and am just getting back into it. These boxes are perfect for Christmas. I have been trying to come up with something for a couple of the girls at work.
Thanks for the ideas and making it fun to watch.
Larry
Hey Marc!
Awesome oncea again! Michele, (My wife) some how wound up watching with and commented that now she knows why I spend so much time on this site. She said is was funny, she could actually pay attention (Wood working is not her thing) and the production value was amazing. So kudos from her. I am actually doing the pencil boxes this year. Did anyone notice the shot with the pencil box????
Awesome project Marc! Keep’em coming.
Marc,
Very cool keepsake box! Im going to have to try it! Im almost finished with my first cutting board and Ive got to say that your videos really help us beginners know where to start!
Winner again mark! I love the out takes too. Keep it up
awesome dude as usual! the only thing i would do differently is make a female dovetail on both the top and bottom. then glue in a double sided male piece in the bottom half. why? i think seeing the dovetail on both sides would really add to the puzzle theme and keep people guessing as to how it unlocks. and for that matter, you could also glue your accent corners on the bottom as well. devious! hahaha!
I like that – then (assuming you had thick enough material) you could have continuous grain through the top and bottom pieces.
And if the male piece were made from the same material as the corner inlays, it would tie together visually. Although, it might be necessary to make the male piece so that it was side grain on the outside, so that the finish would match the inlay (end grain soaking up too much finish).
“Well I’m Mrs. Woudini!”
“You have a big nose”
Love the wood stuff and the funnies
Hey Mark great shows i just wanted to let you know that your show does more than educate me and others in the art of fine woodworking. You and your wife make me laugh which i really needed.I want go into details,but it has done my soul some good,and i just wanted to let ya’ll know.Please keep up the great work.God Bless you and yours;as Gomer say’s sort of.
I really enjoyed this episode and it has stayed in my mind. I was driving home from work earlier this week and thinking ahead to gift giving. I thought this would make a wonderful holder for a gift card I am considering. In an effort to apply a little reality to life I know I won’t get one made….too many other things (mostly NOT woodworking) already started.
As I was thinking, it came to me that a quicker version could be made without the dovetail. If opposite corners had a dowel pin it would still close nicely and the lid could be pivoted with one left in place. It would also require less material. If anyone tries this out, I would hope to see a pic posted in the community.
Thanks Marc for provoking thought….LOL
FYI, I was looking through the “Making Great Boxes” by Wood Magazine yesterday, and there was a plan for making the exact same box as Nicole’s. But like you were saying in the video, you need a bandsaw to make it.
In terms of the circle template, you can make your own any size on a drill press using the circle cutter below. Use fiberboard or MDF (which is exactly 1/4″) and you have a reliable template that costs less and doesn’t come with the grommet template, which you do not need unless you are building office furniture. The item below is from Woodcraft.
Would a brad point drill allow more accurate hole location – and by the way what is the point of a brad point drill?
#145072 Circle Cutter, Small
Price: $19.99
Great project – I intend to make one for my niece – I will add flocking to the inside.
Hey John. Thanks for the tip!
A brad point bit is great for exactly that: locating the bit accurately. The sharp point at the center is much easier to line up than a traditional bit. And with that little point in the center, the bit is also more stable and doesn’t wander once you push the bit into the wood.