2019-01-30T12-10-08

While the Danish oil is drying on the tool chest, it is time to start a new project. It’s going to be a simple box, covering a Kleenex box, with a slit in the top so you can pull out the Kleenex without opening the wooden box; in fact, this box is going to have a fixed top and no bottom. I am going to make it from a leftover piece of 4/4 Red Oak that I re-sawed into two 3/8”-thick pieces so the grain can run continuously all around the box. #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #RedOak #Oak #Woodworking

2019-01-30T12-11-05

While the Danish oil is drying on the tool chest, it is time to start a new project. It’s going to be a simple box, covering a Kleenex box, with a slit in the top so you can pull out the Kleenex without opening the wooden box; in fact, this box is going to have a fixed top and no bottom. I am going to make it from a leftover piece of 4/4 Red Oak that I re-sawed into two 3/8”-thick pieces so the grain can run continuously all around the box. #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #RedOak #Oak #Woodworking

2019-01-31T15-27-53

Making good progress on the tissue box. I finished all the tails and am now marking the pins using a dovetail alignment board I built after David Barron’s design. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #RedOak #Oak #Woodworking

2019-01-31T15-29-00

Making good progress on the tissue box. I finished all the tails and am now marking the pins using a dovetail alignment board I built after David Barron’s design. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #RedOak #Oak #Woodworking

2019-02-04T16-23-38

Making progress on the pins for the tissue box. Two sets of dovetails are done; two left to go. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #RedOak #Oak

2019-02-05T13-40-19

The dovetails for the tissue box are ready and I moved on to the grooves that hold the top of the box; I was too lazy to do a stopped groove on the long sides, so I will have to plug those tails next. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #RedOak #Oak #Woodworking

2019-02-06T13-01-50

For the top of the tissue box, I chose a piece of heavily weathered American Beech; to get down to the thickness I wanted, I had to remove over 1/4” of wood; for this kind of operation, I go straight to my scrub plane; its heavily cambered iron can really remove a lot of wood in a very short time! #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #AmericanBeech #Beech #Woodworking

2019-02-06T14-42-03

The top of the tissue box requires a 1/4” groove all around; as far as I can remember, I had never cut this kind of groove on end grain before. I started by marking the groove; then I sawed two kerfs as close to the line as I was comfortable; then I chopped the waste between the two kerfs with a mortise chisel; then I used a wide chisel to pare the sides of the groove to the line; and finally I cleaned things up with a thin paring chisel. Because the top sits proud of the sides of the box, I was worried about the continuity of the groove; any imperfection would have been visible; luckily, things turned out really well. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #AmericanBeech #Beech #Woodworking

2019-02-06T14-56-26

The top of the tissue box requires a 1/4” groove all around; as far as I can remember, I had never cut this kind of groove on end grain before. I started by marking the groove; then I sawed two kerfs as close to the line as I was comfortable; then I chopped the waste between the two kerfs with a mortise chisel; then I used a wide chisel to pare the sides of the groove to the line; and finally I cleaned things up with a thin paring chisel. Because the top sits proud of the sides of the box, I was worried about the continuity of the groove; any imperfection would have been visible; luckily, things turned out really well. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #AmericanBeech #Beech #Woodworking

2019-02-06T15-01-55

The top of the tissue box requires a 1/4” groove all around; as far as I can remember, I had never cut this kind of groove on end grain before. I started by marking the groove; then I sawed two kerfs as close to the line as I was comfortable; then I chopped the waste between the two kerfs with a mortise chisel; then I used a wide chisel to pare the sides of the groove to the line; and finally I cleaned things up with a thin paring chisel. Because the top sits proud of the sides of the box, I was worried about the continuity of the groove; any imperfection would have been visible; luckily, things turned out really well. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #AmericanBeech #Beech #Woodworking

2019-02-06T15-14-12

The top of the tissue box requires a 1/4” groove all around; as far as I can remember, I had never cut this kind of groove on end grain before. I started by marking the groove; then I sawed two kerfs as close to the line as I was comfortable; then I chopped the waste between the two kerfs with a mortise chisel; then I used a wide chisel to pare the sides of the groove to the line; and finally I cleaned things up with a thin paring chisel. Because the top sits proud of the sides of the box, I was worried about the continuity of the groove; any imperfection would have been visible; luckily, things turned out really well. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #AmericanBeech #Beech #Woodworking

2019-02-07T13-46-41

I decided to turn a problem into a design opportunity. I had to fill in the grooves that the plow plane made through the upper dovetails of the tissue box, but noticed that a couple of the tails also had a chipped corner; so I decided to half the thickness of the upper dovetails and remake the other half out of Black Walnut (still end-grain). It should give the box a pop; we’ll see when it is all done. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #RedOak #Oak #BlackWalnut #Walnut #Woodworking

2019-02-07T14-17-11

I decided to turn a problem into a design opportunity. I had to fill in the grooves that the plow plane made through the upper dovetails of the tissue box, but noticed that a couple of the tails also had a chipped corner; so I decided to half the thickness of the upper dovetails and remake the other half out of Black Walnut (still end-grain). It should give the box a pop; we’ll see when it is all done. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #RedOak #Oak #BlackWalnut #Walnut #Woodworking

2019-02-07T15-00-03

I decided to turn a problem into a design opportunity. I had to fill in the grooves that the plow plane made through the upper dovetails of the tissue box, but noticed that a couple of the tails also had a chipped corner; so I decided to half the thickness of the upper dovetails and remake the other half out of Black Walnut (still end-grain). It should give the box a pop; we’ll see when it is all done. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #RedOak #Oak #BlackWalnut #Walnut #Woodworking

2019-02-07T15-44-58

The opening through which the tissue box dispenses its tissues is going to be a very elongated ellipse. I am starting by drilling a bunch of holes that I hope will help me remove the waste more easily. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #AmericanBeech #Beech #Woodworking

I decided to turn a problem into a design opportunity. I had to fill in the grooves that the plow plane made through the upper dovetails of the tissue box, but noticed that a couple of the tails also had a chipped corner; so I decided to half the thickness of the upper dovetails and remake the other half out of Black Walnut (still end-grain). It should give the box a pop; we’ll see when it is all done. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #RedOak #Oak #BlackWalnut #Walnut #Woodworking

It turns out a tongue depressor makes for a great sanding block for this kind of curved contour; it is stiff along its length yet very pliable across its width so it easily follows the curvature of the ellipsoidal slit in the top of the tissue box. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #AmericanBeech #Beech #Woodworking

Here is a final detail I decided to add to the tissue box: slightly curved sides on the top piece. I penciled in a 1/8” offset at the corners and eyeballed the curve with a few strokes of the block plane on a shooting board, that’s all it took. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #AmericanBeech #Beech #Woodworking

The tissue box is all glued up and almost ready for finishing #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #Dovetails #RedOak #Oak #AmericanBeech #Beech #BlackWalnut #Walnut #Woodworking

2019-02-12T15-09-30

After considering different ways of holding the tissue box (the cardboard one) inside my box, I opted for a really simple solution: photo frame turns. They are simply screwed to 3/8”-thick spacers that are glued to the inside of the box ends and recessed about 1/8” from the bottom edge. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #Dovetails #RedOak #Oak #AmericanBeech #Beech #BlackWalnut #Walnut #Woodworking

2019-02-13T09-43-25

Beauty shots of the finished tissue box. I finished it with two coats of Tried & True Varnish Oil; I want to give it a third coat, but 36 hours after the second coat, the oil is still a bit wet, so I better be waiting some more. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #Dovetails #RedOak #Oak #AmericanBeech #Beech #BlackWalnut #Walnut #Woodworking

2019-02-13T09-45-08

Beauty shots of the finished tissue box. I finished it with two coats of Tried & True Varnish Oil; I want to give it a third coat, but 36 hours after the second coat, the oil is still a bit wet, so I better be waiting some more. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #Dovetails #RedOak #Oak #AmericanBeech #Beech #BlackWalnut #Walnut #Woodworking

2019-02-13T09-46-37

Beauty shots of the finished tissue box. I finished it with two coats of Tried & True Varnish Oil; I want to give it a third coat, but 36 hours after the second coat, the oil is still a bit wet, so I better be waiting some more. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #Dovetails #RedOak #Oak #AmericanBeech #Beech #BlackWalnut #Walnut #Woodworking

2019-02-13T09-48-49

Beauty shots of the finished tissue box. I finished it with two coats of Tried & True Varnish Oil; I want to give it a third coat, but 36 hours after the second coat, the oil is still a bit wet, so I better be waiting some more. #TissueBox #WoodenBox #Box #HandToolsOnly #Dovetails #RedOak #Oak #AmericanBeech #Beech #BlackWalnut #Walnut #Woodworking