I've been trying to find a productive process to make boxes for charity (for kids at Children's Hospital to decorate while staying there).  I've made lots of boxes using different methods but I'm trying to find a way to churn them out a bit faster.   

 

Prototype 1 were boxes with mitered and keyed corners and a sliding lid, plywood bottom.  My friend makes these and uses biscuits on the corners to align the miters.  I tried without because my stock was too thin.   So I did keys on the corners that took some time to fit and glue. Took quite a while to do the batch of 7. I used painter's tape on the corner and it took a while to get it on and off.    Sample: 

 

Prototype 2

Solid wood tops and bottoms and box joints corners.   Went a bit faster but still multiple hours per box.

 

Prototype 3?  I am thinking of trying the biscuits on the corners to aid assembly and sawing off the top after assembly.  Plywood tops and bottoms.  I have some heavy duty rubber bands that I'm thinking might be a quick way to clamp up.

 

Has anyone ever done this with a groove on the inside before assembly, then cut off from the outside so that there is a self alignment for top and bottom?  Wondering how wide the inside groove needs to be so that there is a good reference once sawn off.  I'm thinking one pass of 1/8" is not enough.  Could do two or run it over the router table with a 1/4" bit..

I have cut the lid after assembly but not with the groove you mentioned. For alignment I glued thin strips on the inside of the lid that extend past the edge by about 1/4" 

pay a visit to Michaels or Hobby Lobby.  look how their unfinished boxes are made.  do likewise.  or just buy a bunch of those and donate them if that would be cheaper.

What about a lock miter joint?

5 hours ago, kmealy said:

Has anyone ever done this with a groove on the inside before assembly, then cut off from the outside so that there is a self alignment for top and bottom?  Wondering how wide the inside groove needs to be so that there is a good reference once sawn off.  I'm thinking one pass of 1/8" is not enough.  Could do two or run it over the router table with a 1/4" bit..

IIRC, @steven newmandoes so on some of his boxes albeit using his Stanley 45. Maybe he'll chime in on hand tool technique which can be converted to power methods.

Keith, for something like this, to get the boxes out quickly, I'd use standard ol but joints at the corners, glue em up, then drill for two or three dowels into each corner to secure them. The dowels look pretty cool and they are a very strong joint for your purpose. Cut the dowels flush, and sand smooth.

Or even faster and very strong, counter sink the corner joints for screws, then plug the screw hole with a dowel and sand flush. But ya, I'd use a butt joint and dowel it.

Box below shows a rabbeted drawer front and the back is a but joint. I'd go butt joints all the way around just to get these out to the youngun's, and it'll be a strong box too.

 

Image source: Tom's Workbench

It has been several years since I went about making more than one box.  With a 1/4" or 3/16" end mill in a router table and careful measurement of the fence position there is a simple way to cut rabbet/dado joinery for all 4 corner with the bit in just one position. You can also cut slots for a bottom and top piece with the same setup. 

And yes, I've made a perimeter slot on the inside face of all 4 sides before gluing up the boxes.  Then I cut free the lid with an offset perimeter slot on the outside of the sides to end up with a self-fitting lid. 

4D

10 hours ago, Gerald said:

What about a lock miter joint?

That's a thought, I'll check into it.  It seems like set up and tuning is a chore, though.  But if I'm doing a bunch at once, it might spread out.

1 hour ago, John Morris said:

Keith, for something like this, to get the boxes out quickly, I'd use standard ol but joints at the corners, glue em up, then drill for two or three dowels into each corner to secure them. The dowels look pretty cool and they are a very strong joint for your purpose. Cut the dowels flush, and sand smooth.

Or even faster and very strong, counter sink the corner joints for screws, then plug the screw hole with a dowel and sand flush. But ya, I'd use a butt joint and dowel it.

Box below shows a rabbeted drawer front and the back is a but joint. I'd go butt joints all the way around just to get these out to the youngun's, and it'll be a strong box too.

 

Image source: Tom's Workbench

 

Drawers triggered a thought -- I've done some drawers and boxes with rabbet and dado joints that are fast and strong.  The infamous quarter-quarter-quarter joint

 

I've done it the way 4D describes in his last paragraph. Pretty quick and slick method resulting in a good fitting lid. 

You might check out the 1/4 ,1/4, 1/4 method, too. That is more for drawers but, can easily become lidded boxes.

Oops, just saw your last post.

Edited March 1, 20233 yr by Gene Howe

9 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

IIRC, @steven newmandoes so on some of his boxes albeit using his Stanley 45. Maybe he'll chime in on hand tool technique which can be converted to power methods.

1 hour ago, kmealy said:

Yep like that. He does it cutting grooves with the "45" then separates either by hand saw or TS. I know he's posted examples before.

This may be the same joint just drawn. it is done on the tablesaw and is easily repeatable.

 

Silverware drawer that the stapled particle board one gave up

 

 

Stanley 45 makes 3 grooves on the inside, BEFORE the box is glued up..then the 4th groove is run around on the outside..has to be below the inside groove..then a sharp knife to separate the lid from the box..leaves a dust seal all the way around...

Had to look up the Stanley 45.  Followed a few links about it and the stories just remind me again how brilliant tool makers were before there was electricity and motors to simplify groove cutting and related woodworking skills. 

The basic box project that I used to teach my students about a couple dozen shop processes is a good example.  The 4 corner joints were a miter with a spline, a rabbet/dado joint, a box(finger) joint, and a simple rabbet reinforced with dowels or screws covered by a wood plug.  As the CNC wizard (not a name I came up with) I thought I could and eventually did make a sample box with CNC cut versions of every joint.  The day I brought it in to show the students,  another professor brought in his version of the box with every joint hand cut.  On the table for the students to see were 3 boxes that looked very similar.  One would take using router table, table saw, miter saw, and planer and jointer and drill press and more.  One box took patience and careful layout and skill using a fine joinery saw, chisels, hand plane, and a few other hand tools to complete. My box took clamping down a 36 inch long board to the CNC bed and running the toolpaths to end up with 4 sides that would fit together perfectly once taken off the CNC bed.  A slot for the bottom still had to be cut using the router table. 

 

Given all the tools I have available to use I'd likely use my CNC if I needed to crank out several. While all sides of one box are being cut, including the corner joinery, I'd be gluing together and sanding the previous ones.  A few post-CNC jobs might be needed to cut free self aligning lids and maybe chamfer the corners. 

4D

Edited March 2, 20233 yr by 4DThinker

Sometimes. one has to plan a layout to accommodate for a lid...

Maybe make one pin or tail a double?  then have the lid open in there...