My Woodwork Journey is about to begin - Total Beginner - I may need your advice.

[BCS1980UK]

Another example of small boxes using 10mm wood here.
The "chunky" look was a conscious decision. Finished dimensions: 235mm x 72mm x 68mm.
I will second @Jacob 's advice: "keep looking at stuff". It is great to expand our visual repertoire.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Don't over think it Mark.

Here's some candle boxes I made - the sides are all 10mm

View attachment 191649

Perhaps they needed to be 10mm as they have a sliding lid but even if it wasn't I'd still probably not go too much below.

Are you going to use hinges? If so that will determine the minimum thickness.

You'll be okay with dovetails at 6mm. Not sure I follow what you mean by mitred edges? you could do a mitre joint at 6mm but it won't be very strong - it just depends what the box will be used for as to whether it's suitable. I use 6mm mitre joints for jewellery box trays and they are fine.

Dovetailing with softwoods can be a bit of a pig. Cherry or Sycamore are (imho) two relatively inexpensive hardwoods that are easy to work with hand tools when starting out. You may find a local timber yard with an offcuts section?

On sizing I find having the golden ratio (1 : 1.618) in mind comforting. That may say something about how my mind works than anything else though!

Nice boxes.

On the dove tail size you can go pretty small on the timber dimensions . Here is a test corner I did some years back.

And to give a sense of size

 

[Blackswanwood]

It's not box related but a really useful hand tool exercise that gives you something that will help with future projects is this ...

https://woodandshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/christopher-schwarz-sawbench.pdf

 

[Cabinetman]

Yes that blue Evostick will do for just about everything.
Might be an idea as you are inexperienced to start with boxes made with Lap joints. Surprisingly strong joints that can if wanted be reinforced with a couple of pins, ( but not through the thin lap).
Ian

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

Another example of small boxes using 10mm wood here.
The "chunky" look was a conscious decision. Finished dimensions: 235mm x 72mm x 68mm.
I will second @Jacob 's advice: "keep looking at stuff". It is great to expand our visual repertoire.

Hey, yeah - very nice choice of contrasting wood and I'm a total sucker for spalted. I gave that a thumbs up shortly after you posted it on that thread

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

Yes that blue Evostick will do for just about everything.
Might be an idea as you are inexperienced to start with boxes made with Lap joints. Surprisingly strong joints that can if wanted be reinforced with a couple of pins, ( but not through the thin lap).
Ian

Thanks - the blue I bought for my recent outdoor work - in particular these:

And for my shed windows as well.

I'd kinda forgotten about lap joints - possibly because I'd mentally categorised them as "table saw" work and not "hand tool" work, but worth a re-think as well - thank you. I do like how the top and bottom panel rebates are hidden in the lap joint - very clever design.

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

It's not box related but a really useful hand tool exercise that gives you something that will help with future projects is this ...

https://woodandshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/christopher-schwarz-sawbench.pdf

That's definitely on my job list now - thanks - a useful skill-building project

 

[Cabinetman]

Thanks - the blue I bought for my recent outdoor work - in particular these:

View attachment 191677

And for my shed windows as well.

I'd kinda forgotten about lap joints - possibly because I'd mentally categorised them as "table saw" work and not "hand tool" work, but worth a re-think as well - thank you. I do like how the top and bottom panel rebates are hidden in the lap joint - very clever design.

I’m sorry to say this really but in my opinion for (nice) outdoor work like those I would have used the Gorilla glue, the blue in my experience isn’t as waterproof as they would have us believe.
Ian

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

I’m sorry to say this really but in my opinion for (nice) outdoor work like those I would have used the Gorilla glue, the blue in my experience isn’t as waterproof as they would have us believe.
Ian

Damn it. I used it specifically because it's labelled as a D3 variant. This is where my lack of experience shows...

And thanks for the compliment.

 

[Croolis]

I don't know if anyone can empathise with my excitement for embarking on this journey???

Dunno about excitement, the whole shed build has pretty much wiped me out in terms of enthusiasm right now lmao (still have a long list of tasks related to that, sigh), and right now I'm sort of wincing at the amount of money I've spent, and still to go.

But you're asking much better questions than I am, so watching thread with interest . I'm basically trying to be Peter Millard at the minute, rather than Stumpy Nubs, simply because I'm aiming on making a bunch of ply/MDF cabinetry type things when I actually get going, and I have tracksaw but no table saw.

Bathroom box I don't have and hadn't considered. That's a fine idea . Nice easy one (he said). Maybe make it just like that picture, using dowels.

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

This is a good start. (Yes, I know faults can be found, but hey ho.)

That was a great video - thanks Phil

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

Dunno about excitement, the whole shed build has pretty much wiped me out in terms of enthusiasm right now lmao (still have a long list of tasks related to that, sigh), and right now I'm sort of wincing at the amount of money I've spent, and still to go.

But you're asking much better questions than I am, so watching thread with interest . I'm basically trying to be Peter Millard at the minute, rather than Stumpy Nubs, simply because I'm aiming on making a bunch of ply/MDF cabinetry type things when I actually get going, and I have tracksaw but no table saw.

Bathroom box I don't have and hadn't considered. That's a fine idea . Nice easy one (he said). Maybe make it just like that picture, using dowels.

I know exactly what you mean - I have a fair few things that I need to finish in my 90% complete shed - and as the saying goes, it's always the last 10% that takes 90% of the time. eek I hope not...

I'm also planning on doing some cabinetry//drawers but I'm gonna do a bit of hobby work in there first and hope that will give me a better idea of what I need and where things ought to go.
Plus - I really need to get on with the making, because I am determined to make something for Secret Santa

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

Practiced a few hand skills over this weekend.

Turned a 20mm thick offcut of old flooring board into 2 x 8mm thick halves.
Japanese pull saw, hand plane.

Also experimented with different finishing

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

Thanks again to @Phil Pascoe for the link to Paul Sellers video.

Complete refurb performed on a very rusty No4, came out nicely and seems to work quite well? The old oak solid floor offcut that I planed down wasn't easy to work, possibly because it's been stacked in my garage for 17 years... Since I'm lacking any experience I have nothing else really to compare it against.

 

[Bumble]

I'm following this thread; I think we're not too far apart on our journeys.

Now, I could pay a lot of money for a pint of Old Speckled hen...

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

I'm following this thread; I think we're not too far apart on our journeys.

Now, I could pay a lot of money for a pint of Old Speckled hen...

I don't often drink 'ale' - only occasionally do I buy 3 for £6 from local co-op, and normally IPA as a "treat" - but the Old Spec' I definitely enjoyed this weekend and had already planned to get 3 of those next time I'm in the shop (might even make a special trip...)


Dunno if you also noticed the old Brasso tin?
That's my upcycled oil-applicator for the hand planes (and maybe chisels and other stuff?) It's cleaned out inside, and has a folder/rolled up microfibre cloth inside, which is doused in 3-in-1 oil. Convenient to swipe over the exposed metal parts of the plane to prevent rust after use.


Neither my saw skill or my hand plane skill are up to much at the moment, but that's kinda what this practice was for.

 

[Jacob]

.....


Neither my saw skill or my hand plane skill are up to much at the moment, but that's kinda what this practice was for.

For learning, best to start planing edges of boards rather than faces. You get more of a sense of how it works and you can see the shavings as they pop out, differently across the mouth depending on adjustment and camber.
Camber is absolutely essential for most purposes; planing a wide face with a dead straight blade edge is difficult.
You don't need your oil can unless you are in a very damp workshop, but a quick squiggle of candle wax on the sole makes planing much easier. Sawing too. After sharpening it's the single most effective thing you can do to improve performance. One candle can last years.

 

[Jake]

Damn it. I used it specifically because it's labelled as a D3 variant. This is where my lack of experience shows...

D3 won't turn straight back into gunge on exposure to moisture but D4 is a lot better - that indicates a cross linking PVA (as the glue sets, the PVA molecules form cross-links between each other which makes it much less re-soluble). Evostik don't do a D4, but the Everbuild one from Toolstation is fine.

Or polyurethanes are good although can be messy unless approached with care (gloves etc).

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

For learning, best to start planing edges of boards rather than faces. You get more of a sense of how it works and you can see the shavings as they pop out, differently across the mouth depending on adjustment and camber.
Camber is absolutely essential for most purposes; planing a wide face with a dead straight blade edge is difficult.
You don't need your oil can unless you are in a very damp workshop, but a quick squiggle of candle wax on the sole makes planing much easier. Sawing too. After sharpening it's the single most effective thing you can do to improve performance. One candle can last years.

Thanks Jacob. I have done a bit of planing on edges. Only on softwood, though - mainly to test my plane set-up and sharpening. Until now it has been difficult since I didn't have a suitable fixed work space and no fixed vice or bench - everything wobbly and unstable. I will do more now that I have a stable table - until getting my vice installed I can easily use clamps to support the stock. (I refuse to call my work table a "workbench"...

When you say camber - do you mean the curve you put onto the edge when sharpening the iron?

My shed is single skin, unheated, only just got windows in, so any exposed metal surfaces will be prone to surface rust - such as the upper surfaces of the iron/chip-breaker, etc... hence the oil. I do also have a candle and plan to use that for the sole. Dunno whether you saw my mitre saw blade on the shed build thread - It's much more noticeably yuk surface rust-mottled on the disc in photos (the teeth are fine) and not so bad looking in the flesh. That's what happened simply from storage in the shed. I've since used some soft beeswax to try to protect and reduce further deterioration.

So many questions - I have so very much to learn.

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

D3 won't turn straight back into gunge on exposure to moisture but D4 is a lot better - that indicates a cross linking PVA (as the glue sets, the PVA molecules form cross-links between each other which makes it much less re-soluble). Evostik don't do a D4, but the Everbuild one from Toolstation is fine.

Or polyurethanes are good although can be messy unless approached with care (gloves etc).

Everbuild D4 on my future shopping list. Which is a long list, eek, I'm already spent up for the year if I'm honest!