Bandsaw box - Step by step help needed

[twodoctors]

Hi all again.

So second week into my new hobby and I've decided to try to make a bandsaw box within a week (in time for Mother's Day hopefully). Not bothered if it can't be done, but let's see how far I get...

...but lots of help needed from you guys!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lyi7vX ... sp=sharing

I know I need is a lump of wood for this, which I don't have. My bandsaw is very small as well so I'm going to make a small box only. As you can see in the pictures (and reading my other posts) I have been collecting off cuts from various wood merchant. I'm planning on laminating some of them together to make my block. Plenty of length so I'll just state the width and thickness of each:

Walnut 120x8
Maple 60 x 8
European Ash 70 x 15
Oak 75 x 20
American Ash 80 x 20
Canary Tulipwood 70 x 13
Beech 120 x 20

First question for your guys would be which combination of wood would you laminate with? The European Ash has got some amazing grain in it, so I guess I can make a box out of just that. Also considering having Walnut or European Ash front and back and something sandwich/fill the centre. Or combinations of different ones. Finishing-wise I have access to dewaxed blonde shellac, Tru-Oil, Osmo Oil, Danish Oil, Clear Matt Varnish, and Walnut Oil. I would very much value your opinion on this. Hoping to start cutting and gluing at some point on Sunday.

Or should I just go out and buy a piece of blank from my local wood man?

Thanks.

Adrian

 

[marcros]

choose anything for your first go. certainly don't use your favourite pieces. Get it to the thickness that you want and have a play.

Just noticed that time is limited, so I would still do the above, but laminate a couple of blanks worth at the same time. For the practice one, you don't need to finish it, just get the hang of cutting.

Bandsaw boxes don't have to contain curves and hidden compartments. It is user preference. `they don't have to contain different timbers for the sake of it either. http://www.mekwoodworks.com/blog/box-9 is also a bandsaw box!

http://www.finewoodworking.com/2016/06/ ... sawn-boxes shows the technique used, or the first couple of parts.

 

[Alexam]

Hi Adrian, I have the following stuck to my bandsaw ..........
BANDSAW BOX CONSTRUCTION
Select wood/s - glue & clamp together a selection of woods and allow 24 hours to set. Then select suitable blade to cut wood, possibly a 1/4" or 3/8" would do..
Cut off back of box and mark it as the back
Cut out the drawer/s from the front (opposite), making insertion from edge
Glue up and clamp the outer box where cut
Sand as required and finish with sanding sealer and wax polish. Alternatively an oil finish.
Cut off the front and back of the drawer block
Carve out the inside of the drawer, leaving dividers if wanted
Sand appropriately and glue front and back of drawer
Fix a drawer pull after fully sanding, then finish as required.
Sanding sealer and suitable wax - or oil and wax

Hope this helps, but look at different combinations of wood on my web site in the 'Gallery' section below.
Malcolm
P.S. lots of video's of making bandsaw boxes, just google them. You could just get a single block and work from that if you wish.

 

[twodoctors]

Thanks marcros and Malcolm. I. Have to confess I haven't heard of Bandsaw boxes until I joined this forum, and have been inspired by Malcolm's beautiful boxes.

My first question is which woof combination would work best. I'm reluctant to use the walnut in the middle because of how expensive they are. The off cut I got was £5... Picked up a long strip if European Ash and Maple, and the walnut for £7. I'm currently thinking Ash front and back, and something cheaper like oak or Beech in the centre. How would that work?

Adrian

 

[Alexam]

Hi Adrian,
it's really getting a combination that looks good when glued together. Obviously light and dark woods contrast best of all and I use walnut a fair bit for this.

Another alternative would be to start with a solid block, but once the drawer has been cut out, swap the drawer front before glueing it on, for a darker coloured wood, or glue on a darker veneer. I have done this a few times and by rounding the esges, it blends in well. Suck it and see!
Malcolm

 

[nev]

To see what the usual joinery wood species look like together have a look at some of CHJ's segmented pots, usually oak ash walnut beech cherry etc. for example http://www.quest42.co.uk/woodwork/html/page30.htm

 

[sunnybob]

This is one of the simplest boxes to make quickly. I did NOT make this one.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/320107485994536155/

Draw a 4" circle, square off one corner.
draw another circle about a half inch inside the first.
Cut the outer shape and then slice off the back.
Slice in at a shallow angle and cut the inner.
Slice off front and back of the inner. cut out the hollow inner.
Glue it all back together.

Use your best looking wood for the front. Second best looking for the back. Something with a different colour in the middle, and build out with good quality plywood.

 

[Alexam]

that one is the easiest to cut as well.........................

Malcolm

 

[Steve Maskery]

Adrian
I see that you are in Kinoulton. I am a couple of notches up the M1. If you fancy a trip I'll give you a quick demo. It's not my speciality, there are people on this forum who make beautiful boxes, but I can show you some simple designs that you can make a success of even as a beginner.

 

[twodoctors]

Thanks all.

Had another look last night and partially disappointed that my bandsaw can only handle about 80mm high, so quite limited with designs. Still couldn't have justified getting a bigger bandsaw without knowing how long I will be doing this (or whether I like it enough). Fortunately my wood man did offer to let me use his machines if I need to (bandsaw and planer).

Currently plan is still to aim small. Probably go E Ash, Beech, Walnut, Beech and E Ash,12mm each taking it to 60mm ish. The walnut is a bit rough sawn on the other side will need to reduce that from 8mm thick to 6mm. May increased the walnut to 24mm in the sandwich. Hopefully end up with a roughly 70mm cube or 70mm high rectangle.

The last design from Malcolm looks simple enough. I think the struggle is likely to be with the finishing. We shall see.

Going to set up the table saw (yeh) to rip some boards and reduce thickness. Good job the blade is 254mm. Just need to make sure I don't lose any fingers in the process...

Adrian

 

[twodoctors]

Adrian
I see that you are in Kinoulton. I am a couple of notches up the M1. If you fancy a trip I'll give you a quick demo. It's not my speciality, there are people on this forum who make beautiful boxes, but I can show you some simple designs that you can make a success of even as a beginner.

Thanks for the offer Steve. I'll bear that in mind. :-D

Adrian

 

[twodoctors]

In the end I've gone for EU Ash, Walnut, Walnut, Beech, Walnut, Walnut, EU Ash in 12mm (walnut 8mm only) sandwich. I didn't have a planer/thicknesser (don't be silly now!) so I "trimmed" some of the boards with the table saw. Not ideal I know, but it (kinds of) does the job.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZgwJIi ... sp=sharing

Hopefully this will work (the lamination I mean). I'll probably pay my wood guy a visit to get square edges with his planer. Not sure I have enough thickness on the EU Ash though. Maybe I shouldn't have taken that 3mm off to start with. Lessons learned.

I think I've put enough glue on each layer... we shall find out tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help so far. If this fails I still have some scroll things that I can do instead.

Adrian

 

[marcros]

you could always use a piece of sandpaper on a flat surface to level off the face ready for gluing. If they start reasonably consistent in thickness (rather than wedge shaped) you should be ok doing it on the other face too.

 

[Alexam]

Keep taking the photos as you go. It will be a great record to compare with a job in a few months time.

 

[twodoctors]

Took the clamps off to see if it's working. Not fallen apart so should be alright. Clamps back on again until tomorrow.

Cut a few more pieces for backup. This time it's Walnut(8mm) Walnut Ash (15mm) Ash Ash Walnut Walnut. Glue them tomorrow when this one is set. Just in case!

Adrian

 

[Alexam]

If they are not flat when glued, you could find gaps once you have cut the box out, so be careful. No short cuts to doing things correctly.

 

[twodoctors]

Seemed to have stayed together this morning.

Unfortunately I broke my bandsaw overnight. You would remember it's a "Guild" one sold by Argos until recently. Bought it as a clean second hand sample for £45 (selling for up to £110 new which would be a rip-off) so no biggies. The mechanism is almost identical to every other bandsaws, branded or otherwise, that's sold in UK. The only differences were the table or frame design, and in the case of Axminster, extra safety features. Anyway I broke the lower guide housing by tightening the screw too much, and the metal fatigued and snapped. I called "Guild" and they don't stock the part. More surprisingly though, Axminster don't have it either. I ended up getting a "Draper" version of the same from another shop. Cost £1.49, P&P £1.99! In the mean time I've superglued it onto the housing and it works ok. Replace it when the part arrive.

This morning I had both ends of the block "straighten". Not going to make a start on it until my Axminster blades arrive (hopefully tomorrow). In the mean time, I've glued my second block together. I'll be paying my wood man a visit this afternoon and get the first block squared and planed. Getting some more wood for scroll projects that I have in mind as well...

...and I had a brainwave this morning. In the last few days I had been semi-sulking because the mini-bandsaw can only manage 80mm height, which is obviously very small for a bandsaw box. However remembering the it's only the first cut that needs to be cut upright, I can get that done while at the wood man's place. As long as the depth of the box is no more than 80mm I should be ok because all other cuts are done on its back. Please correct me if I'm wrong! Malcolm?

Adrian

 

[Alexam]

Hi Adrian.
Tough luck with the guides breaqking, but that's correct, nothing above 80mm, but when cutting on the saw to it's maximum, do go slowly. The slower you, in one continuouse movement the better and the smoother the cut will be. Let the teeth do the work.

What size blade have you ordered from Axminster?
Malcolm

 

[twodoctors]

3/8" 4TPI for "ripping" and 1/4" 10 TPI for "turns". The 1/2" one only does 6TPI so didn't get that one. Should I have bought something else? Limited with choices at Axminster compared to the other company people have mentioned. Didn't know about them so didn't look until after I've ordered.

Adrian

 

[twodoctors]

I'm now at the next stage of the process!

Two blocks of wood to work with (and more in the pipeline!). Here they are:


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QBNTes ... sp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lRJvqf ... sp=sharing

The one on the left is EU Ash, Walnut, Walnut, Beech, Walnut, Walnut, EU Ash.
The one of the right is EU Ash, Walnut x4, EU Ash.

My question to the group is which side should I use? Both Ashes in first photo has nice grains on it, but not sure how to incorporate them in the final box. The laminate in the first one might be interesting enough to use as the front. (Note that I can only cut up to 80mm so can't make a sausage-shape box!). Also can I get away with not filling the pores and use the shellac only in the picture if I build enough layers?

Opinions and constructive comment most welcomed. Thanks in advance.

Adrian