Well, after looking at the box the Stanley 45 came in.....decided to shelve that box, and build a new one to house the 45 in.

 

Picked up some 1/2" by 5-1/2"  by 5' poplar.   I used the "existing" box to mark out a few sizes.    Square a line across, using a fancy marking knife.    Clamped the plank in the end vise, and used a Craftsman "Special saw" to do the crosscuts.     Then match the front and back and the two ends, clamp the pairs in the vise, and clean the ends with a plane.  Laid out a few toys..er...TOOLS

Couple of squares, a special chisel, a marking knife ( that curly thing) a marking gauge, and a pencil.   Marking knife was used with a square to do the crosscuts.   The marking gauge was to mark the ends of each panel, set to the thickness of the board.  Pencil is to mark over the knife lines so I can SEE them.    The chisel?   It set the spacing for a special joint

Here you can see the marking gauge line, and the marks from the chisel.   A small square to carry the lines round.   The "X" is the waste parts. Waxed up an old saw, we had work to do...

These are the front and back panels, might as well do them at the same time.  LOT of saw work, hand was getting tired, too.  

Had to keep track of where the waste was.   Then I repeated for the other end, but first, there was a bit of chisel work to do ( gave the hand a break, too)

One at a time, until all the waste was chopped out.   Doesn't take a whole lot, I didn't even have to flip them over.   The end without a pin was simply sawn off. Chisel is the same one I set the spacing with.

 

Well after the front and back were all chopped out on both ends, and the inside and top was marked on each part, then I cound work on the ends.   One corner at a time, to save any cunfusion from starting.  Once I got one marked out, chopped, and cleaned up, I could at least do a test fit.....after I marked up the insides so they would match....

Ok..one corner down, three to go.   What you see here is both the box ( bottom 2/3s) and the lid.    A couple of grooves to form a lip and seperate the two sections.   need more grooves milled for both the top and bottom panels to be housed in.   After that?   Stay tuned,,,,,ain't even started to do any cussing...yet.

 

BTW, I already did a straight cutter test run.....will need to use a skinny one next time....but shavings have been made with the 45!

Just a simple, little box....

Hand chopped box joints! You are the man!!!

I don't know if I would have the patients to do it this way. One of these days I want to try it!

Steve, Those are a neat set of box joints. Quite a lot of work, too. Only three more to go,

I see The Super Dave marking knife, too. 

Love the looks of the well used bench and tools. Looks like a serious history of building projects!

 

Funny thing, I had a conversation with another woodworker the other day and we were talking about joinery. I made a comment about how woodworkers will strive for great hand cut dovetail joints but not do the sam with box joints, and here you are!

 

Do you pin the box joints? 

 

 

Well, last night, I got the other three corners chopped..

They might be a bit too small to pin?     I also got a bottom panel sized and milled...

Used the Wards 78 to cut the rebates.  And, a Mohawk-Shelburne 900 to joint the edges of the panel.  Then, started to set up a plane to plough some grooves...

The "old" box in the background, showing what the new one will become.    Also, now you know how to set up the "cam" that these planes came with.  marking gauge , a mallet, and a square also in the photo.   The new box isn't glued up, yet.   Have a few grooves to mill first.    It is clamped to that spot, between a bench dog in the bench and another in the end vise.   So far, so good...

The small boxes in my video (seen in the cover image) have 3/8" thick sides and the dowel is 1/8". 

That is a pretty interesting setup with the plane in that last image. 

The cam is for support when the fence is way out on the end of the rods, and you are just cutting a narrow groove..

Needed this groove first.   The top is a glue up

Edges were planed with the Mohawk-Shelburne 900.    I cut the grooves one panel at a time, whether it was for the top to go into...

What holds the the panel in place on the bench is a few drywall screws, sitting inside the finger areas. 

A reset of the fence and cutter, flip the board over....we now have a lip around the box.....needed an old school shoulder plane to fine tune things...

The old pocket knife was to finish the split.  Will need to add a few fillers after a glue up is done....

Lots of fine tuning....then maybe I can work on the box itself.   I have a bottom to install, but need to cut more grooves.    This old plane can really pile up the shavings, though..

had to stop and clean things out after awhile...

Maybe later, I can work on the bottom of this box?