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Box making video

Joined
Jan 3, 2015
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Location
Western Ma.
Great video John, any chance you have or will do one on specifically your cupcake boxes? Including the icing? Those are my favorite of your boxes.
 
Joined
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Eugene, OR
I learned that steel rule trick from a workshop with Bonnie Klein. You have to have the sides perfectly parallel to get the 'flutter' lid as Soren Berger called it, or a 'Cloud' box as I think Eric Loffstrom called it. I like about a 3 second drop lid. One thing I do different is that I rough turn all of my boxes first to let the wood 'adjust' to having bulk removed, and let it 'equalize' to the local climate.

robo hippy
 
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
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Location
Suwanee, GA
Website
www.mikepeacewoodturning.com
My friend Jake came over to the shop and taped me doing my box making demo for thieir club. I just got the video downloaded.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koou0WIonio
Curious why you turn off comments on your video, John. I used to recommend Chris Stott's book but it is out of print. Amazon has a used one for $84.90. Wish my stock investments had that kind of appreciation.
 

Emiliano Achaval

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hawaiiankoaturner.com
I was wondering why there was so much waste. I'm guessing Cherry is plentiful and free. I could have made at least two boxes if that were Boxwood or Palo Santo. When I pay big money for wood, I aim for minimal waste. Excellent video, but, from the safety police standpoint, or even to be able to be considered to be a AAW recommended video; you were not wearing a face shield. I do not wear one for some parts of my box making, such as when I'm chasing at only 450 rpm.
 
Joined
Feb 28, 2021
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Location
Roulette, PA
Website
www.reallyruralwoodworks.com
I'm guessing Cherry is plentiful and free.
up here in rural northeast U.S. Cherry trees are almost a weed, if it wasn't for their timber & firewood value.. Cherry, Maple are probably the 2 most common hardwoods. Ash used to be pretty plentiful but with Ash Borer, it has become probably one of the most common firewood trees from clearcutting ash stands, etc. Someone into box making could probably buy a face cord of Hardwood firewood, from a local firewood processor - locally about 70 bucks a face cord (most of it is manually split on a splitter, rather than commercial firewood processor, so chunks are pretty decent) - and have enough wood for a couple thousand small boxes around that size and maybe even a few small bowls...

So, yeah probably plentiful and free would be accurate. with it being a rural area, it isn't exactly waste either - I get rid of most of my shavings to local chicken coop owners, saving them on bedding...
 
Joined
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Eugene, OR
Like Emilliano, I would have made 2 boxes out of that blank. Most of the time, I prefer a straight cylinder with no ornamentation. Kind of like my bowls...

robo hippy
 

john lucas

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Apr 26, 2004
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Cookeville, TN
I was wondering why there was so much waste. I'm guessing Cherry is plentiful and free. I could have made at least two boxes if that were Boxwood or Palo Santo. When I pay big money for wood, I aim for minimal waste. Excellent video, but, from the safety police standpoint, or even to be able to be considered to be a AAW recommended video; you were not wearing a face shield. I do not wear one for some parts of my box making, such as when I'm chasing at only 450 rpm.
90% of everything I turn is small so I virtually never wear a face shield. Just forgot about the safety police.
 

john lucas

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Cookeville, TN
Like Emilliano, I would have made 2 boxes out of that blank. Most of the time, I prefer a straight cylinder with no ornamentation. Kind of like my bowls...

robo hippy
When it's rare woid I glue to a waste block and use every millimeter. I cut and dry my own cherry maple and walnut because they are plentiful around here. I rarely buy wood unless I'm near my friend at Bigmonklumber. I never leave their booth without wood. You have seen my miniatures so you should know nothing goes to waste.
 
Joined
Nov 4, 2011
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Location
Bay Settlement, WI
This is a very good instructional video ... lots of good information, some good tips, well-presented.
 
Joined
May 19, 2019
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54
Location
Cobden, IL
My friend Jake came over to the shop and taped me doing my box making demo for thieir club. I just got the video downloaded.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koou0WIonio
John, Thank you so much for this video. I have wanted to try boxes for a while but this is the first video on the subject I have viewed that h given me the confidence to try it. I have attached a couple of pics of my humble effort.
Pat
 

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Joined
May 31, 2019
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Location
Highland, MI
Very helpful video, thanks! I do have a couple questions:
Why is it that you always do the lid first?
Is there any rule of thumb about whether the tenon for the lid is attached to the box or the lid?

I'm lucky enough to have 5 acres of woods behind our house, including a lot of black cherry and red oak. So far, I've only harvested trees that have blown down, but I still have more cherry (and oak) than I know what to do with, so it gets used for jam chucks, test pieces, practice, etc. There's a fair amount of walnut in our area, but unfortunately, none on our property.
 

john lucas

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I dont always do the lid first. Most of the time yes but not always. Same is true for which side I put the make tenon for the lid. Sometimes it's in the bottom and sometimes it's in the lid. Just depends on the design.
 
Joined
May 31, 2019
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Location
Highland, MI
Thanks. I wondered if there was a functional or aesthetic reason that I wasn't aware of for putting the tenon on the lid or bottom. Nice to know that it's artist's choice.
I was mistaken about the lid first question. I went back and watched the lid section again and you just said that you always hollow the lid first, which I misinterpreted to mean do the lid first, not that the first thing you do with the lid is hollow it.
 

john lucas

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I do make the tenon on the bottom of boxes that are definitely intended to hold things like salt or sugar. If you have a female thread on the bottom it would get the salt grains and not allow the lid to fit.
 
Joined
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Now, I am trying to remember if I turn the lid first or the base. For sure, when making threaded lid boxes, I turn the lid first, then the base. I think most of the time, when turning 3 second drop lids, I also turn the lid first. Maybe I turn the lid first all the time...... Have to turn a few to remember.

robo hippy
 
Joined
May 4, 2010
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Bozeman, MT
Whether to do the top first or the bottom first, for me, mostly depends on which piece will have the tenon. I do the recess side first, as I am not Cindy Drozda and can't ever get the recess the right size if I make the tenon first (the fixed dimension). Most likely, most turners put the tenon on the bottom. To me, some shapes and sizes work better with the tenon on the top, so then that's where I put it.

I've also learned that the fit will change over the first 1-3 days, so, as many of you do, I get the size of tenon close and set the pieces aside for a little while before taking the tenon down to the finished join.
 
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