# Just a box....with a difference.



## Scrollerman (9 Sep 2014)

I made this box a few years ago for my daughter-in-law who works in the perfume industry.
She has a huge collection of perfumes and I was asked by my son if I could make a box to house her prized ones.
I knew she collected perfumes (of course !) and also that she loves tigers.
I really didn't think that cutting tigers into the lid would work for her so I opted to put my efforts into making the grain of the box 'tiger like'.
I had, only months before, bought a new machine that I thought would be ideal for what I wanted to achieve.
This meant making a box using basically non-standard box making techniques but it was fun doing it.

I will leave you to guess the way this box was constructed and which type of machine was used in it's basic manufacture ?
I'm sure this will be easy for the eagle-eyed members here !

Obviously, I couldn't leave out a bit of scroll sawing, hence the name on the front.


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## lanemaux (9 Sep 2014)

Really like that Scrollerman. If it had been me making it , I would have used Brother Norm's favorite ... the router and router table.
Did I get it ? Did I? I normally don't get to answer these before someone smarter comes by.
P.S. avec le box joint jig n'est pas?


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## Walney Col (9 Sep 2014)

The only chance I'd have of making something that neat would be a box joint jig so I'm gonna go with that as well.


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## lanemaux (9 Sep 2014)

There is also a way to do almost all that on the tablesaw , but would take more thought for the setups. Double fenced skew cutting for the reliefs to separate the legs , dado stack for the box jig and angle cuts for the knob. would be a nice excercise in problem solving.


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## gilljc (9 Sep 2014)

awfully nice, no actually it's beautiful..... 
sometimes I think I would like to make a box with nice joints like that...and then my brain gets tired and I stick to mitres or rebated joints, just done one with biscuit joints
not going to guess cos it makes my brain tired :lol: hope you put us out of misery soon


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## boysie39 (9 Sep 2014)

Lovely box recipient must be delighted with it ,and a great finish . 
Would dovetail joints have anything to do with it . ??


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## david123 (9 Sep 2014)

Mitre joint with large splines rounded off? 
Nice box


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## Scrollerman (9 Sep 2014)

Thanks for the nice comments, they're much appreciated.

I won't reveal just yet how it was made as no-one has even come close to how it was constructed.
As a clue I will say that the comb joints were not cut, they were built !
The answer is far simpler than you might think.


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## ardenwoodcraft (9 Sep 2014)

Okay, I'll hazard a guess.

How about the main carcase constructed from laminated stripwood similar to building a Jenga tower and then the corners rounded over to give similar effect to a box comb joint??


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## gilljc (9 Sep 2014)

Could see how that would work, but if it is its incredibly well done, grain seems to flow too well


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## ardenwoodcraft (9 Sep 2014)

Alternatively, cut the corner joints at the right lengths in a sort of square zig-zag pattern all from one board so when you fit it together the grain flows round the box. Although the zig-zag pattern would have to be accurately marked and cut.

Could be done on a scroll saw using that method.


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## bodge (9 Sep 2014)

I agree with ardenwoodcraft. If you look closely at the pictures, it looks like the sides are built from strips of wood glued together. Very nicely done.


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## tinytim1458 (9 Sep 2014)

the hint he is giving is the whole box grain not just the corners had been altered to make the box.
so he made the box in strips of woods not just one piece
ie as if every other piece you have reversed the grain so giving the tiger stripes.
you could use a Tenon jig as well just to cut the flats on opposite faces only on each strip as they are separate pieces it would work.
Mind you as to the machine he has used could be a table saw or bandsaw if using a tenon jig, just a joiner/planer/ thicknesser if not using the bandsaw or tablesaw just to get the joining pieces flat and then maybe a sanding machine.
then again the hint he might also use the scrollsaw for making the box, not just for the name.
I have done the odd box or two using my scrollsaw.

Then again all my guesses could be totally wrong except maybe for how to do the tiger strips as it would take ages to use a veneer or two to create the steps as you would have to use clamps and maybe even the odd veneer vacuum machine


Tim


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## Claymore (9 Sep 2014)

Did the "Little People " do it while you were tucked up in bed? just wondered as the little blighter's took all my teeth out when i slept with my pillow over my head! 9-)
or could it have been aliens? bit like Crop Circles but in timber?
you have certainly got me stumped!


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## boysie39 (10 Sep 2014)

Took me a long time to work it out but eventually I managed to figure it out,   =D> =D> .

I was going to divulge the secret but seeing that its your project I will let you do the honors . (hammer) (hammer) :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :roll: :roll: :roll: =D> =D> :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Scrollerman (10 Sep 2014)

Wow....Thanks to everyone who replied with their suggestions.

It's now time for me to reveal the method of construction and I must congratulate 'ardenwoodcraft' for being the first to answer with the basic idea even though I had to give a clue first lol !
I think 'tinytim1458' needs a mention as he was also on the right track and 'bodge' too for being the first to state notice of the strips.

Yes, the box was made from strips of wood as that was the only way I could get a 'Tiger stripe' effect as I had imagined in my head.
I have many species/boards of wood saved over the years but none which suited the project, hence my need to look for something different.

I did say in my original post that "I'm sure this will be easy for the eagle-eyed members here !"
If you look at the pics closely you will just about see the join at each comb line top and bottom showing the thickness of strips used.

The machine I used to thickness the strips was one I bought from Axminster, a Jet 10-20 drum sander/thicknesser and oh what a nice machine it is.
It was about £550 a few years ago and wish I'd bought one a lot sooner. I see they are currently selling for £679.
I had some really nice pieces of Spruce, (not sure which variety) I had saved for years that was really dense and lovely grained.
I also had some Afromosia which was lying aroung just waiting to be used and the colour was a good contrast to the Spruce.
I cut both wood types on the sawbench to around 12mm x 17mm strips.
I then thicknessed them on the drum sander to (from memory as it was a couple of years ago), around 10mm x 15 mm strips.
It was then a simple case of arranging the pieces grainwise by shuffling pieces around to give the the best tiger stripe effect.
All that was needed after arranging the layout of grain, was to cut the strips to length and use a simple jig to glue up each side of the box.

After assembly I sanded the box on a belt sander and rounded the corners over with a router.
I spent a fair amount of time on fine sanding until it felt silky smooth then I used Ronseal brushing wax as a finish.

My drum sander gave a really accurate thickness so using a normal planer/thicknesser should yield similar results.

For those who don't own such machines, even stock timber from your local timber supplier or mainstream stores should give good results.
This method of construction is possible for anyone without needing to cut comb joints but still get a good result !
The possibilities are endless with regards to grain types and grain colours e.t.c.
Just use your imagination.

Here's a pic showing just how easy the basic construction is in case I didn't describe it too well.


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## Walney Col (10 Sep 2014)

Cracking job, and what a great idea


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## boysie39 (11 Sep 2014)

Well I must say my cunning plan worked , I think , I was hoping you would answer before somebody asked me "How was it done "
I had no idea how you achieved it. It is a stunning piece of art . As I may be missing for a while I wanted to find out before I went .

Thank you and all who post their work on here , it gives me and I'm sure many others like me who can't for various reasons continue doing this fabulous "Hobby "look and wonder at all your lovely work and I for one even though I don't make or post anything feel a part of this great forum .

Good luck and God Bless .


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## Scrollerman (12 Sep 2014)

boysie39":3r0is2tq said:


> Well I must say my cunning plan worked , I think , I was hoping you would answer before somebody asked me "How was it done "
> I had no idea how you achieved it. It is a stunning piece of art . As I may be missing for a while I wanted to find out before I went .



boysie, you are very cheeky but your reply did make me smile lol !
Thanks for your comments and I'm glad you found out the answer before leaving for wherever it is you're going.
I hope you are back soon.


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## tinytim1458 (13 Sep 2014)

Thanks for the mention, I might have to try that way of making a box some time though with a thickness/ planer you do not get as good a finish some times so a bit of extra sanding is called for where on the thickness sander you get a better quality of finish.
I wonder if any other woods would give great effects like that, you could even try different colour woods, anyone for a zebra effect box.


great idea and a great project.

Tim


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## Scrollerman (14 Sep 2014)

tinytim1458":10oybah3 said:


> Thanks for the mention, I might have to try that way of making a box some time though with a thickness/ planer you do not get as good a finish some times so a bit of extra sanding is called for where on the thickness sander you get a better quality of finish.
> I wonder if any other woods would give great effects like that, you could even try different colour woods, anyone for a zebra effect box.
> 
> 
> ...



Tim.
Other woods would give such a variety of options not to mention other options like changing the profile of strips used.
For example, here's one way of using alternate rounded over strips :







Maybe others could think of even more options ?


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## tinytim1458 (14 Sep 2014)

Another thing would be if you used a red wood you. could make a box look like a little house it might be a bit of work making each strip look like individual bricks or use a dark wood to look like a log cabin but as you say any woods combination in any way and you can make thousands of individual boxes, just like the tissue boxes that Devonwoody used to make, I have one from him , I will always remember from him as he still gives me inspiration nowadays.
pity he did not do a book on the variations of wood pattern combining and tissue boxes.

Tim


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## Scrollerman (16 Sep 2014)

Tim. 
The ideas you mention are possible and would take more thought but give some very interesting finishes.
Keep the ideas coming !

Who is Devonwoody as would like to see his work ?


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