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! |
Holiday Projects on the Brain
I’ve been spending the last few days contemplating some small and relatively simple projects for the holidays. One thing I knew I wanted to make this year was some kind of keepsake box. No hardware, no metal, but I want the box to still “lock” in some way. So here’s what I came up with after a day in the shop. This is still a working prototype and I will probably create a couple different versions.
As you can see, there’s a secret peg lock. Once you find it and lift it out, the lid slides off on a sliding dovetail revealing the contents. Believe it or not, I made this in just a few hours in the shop. So this is a very quick project that would be perfect for the holidays. Think I should do a full episode on it?
Germain’s Shadow Box – Viewer Project
Germain has submitted a beautiful shadow box for our viewing pleasure, let’s check it out:
I finally finished the shadow box I’ve been working on for many weeks. I want to thank Marc for all the inspiration and assistance he provided on this project. This alone was worth my TWW Guild membership. I also owe thanks to my friend, Dewey Torres, who provided encouragement and the use of his drum sander.
This shadow box is somewhat unique in that it includes a rank insignia for a US Air Force Technical Sergeant (E-6). I made it for a Tech Sergeant I work with who is retiring this month. He requested a shadow box and provided an example he found online. Members of the military command where we work asked if I could produce such a shadow box. I was reluctant at first. I had never made a shadow box or a rank insignia. But I wanted to help my coworkers and gave it a shot. I thought the example in the picture they provided was a bit lackluster. I came up with my own design. Apparently, my first shadow box, and my first self-designed project, turned out OK. It was well received when I delivered it.
For those not familiar with military shadow boxes, they are often presented as gifts to officers and enlisted members at retirement ceremonies. Inside the box, medals, rank insignias and special mementos are affixed. A US flag is also included.
This box is made of alder with General Finishes “Warm Cherry” oil stain applied. The Tech Sergeant stripes and flag frame are maple. The finish is four coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal satin.
Ken’s Holiday Projects
Here are a few great projects from Ken. Someone has been a busy little Christmas elf!
“I have been working hard on Christmas presents again this year. I have just finished up the last one this weekend. Here are a few of the things I have been up to. Photo #1,& 2. Two lift lid gift boxes. The one on the left is made from Walnut and Birdseye Maple the one on the right is Cherry, Basswood top with Walnut splines. Each box is about 3 1/2” X 9” X 4” (height, width, depth). They are to hold two bars of hand made soap and a small ring box.”
“Photo # 3, 4, 5 are two CD cases. They are for my brother and his wife. Both are made from Curly Cherry, Walnut and Curly Maple doors. Each has a small drawer made with Oak sides and back, Pine bottom and Bird Peck Maple front. The inspiration for them was your gadget station project. Each CD case is about 10” X 9” X 6 1/2” (height, width, depth).”
“All these projects are finished to 220 grit sanding then several coats of hand rubbed Shellac and wax. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you all from the Great White North.”
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