Making a CD Box - on the Scroll Saw

Video HERE

This was an interesting project - and much more of a learning experience than normal! The basic premise was to see if I could make finger joints on the scroll saw, cheat at splitting off the lid and somehow glue a box square without the appropriate tools... 2 1/2 out of 3 isn't bad, tho...

I'm not going to write out a full method here, this all depends on your choice of wood and the use you're putting the box to in the end, so here are a few thoughts on the stages of production...

Template

• I initially intended to use some 70x10mm strip wood for this box, but soon realized that I didn't have enough and switched to 70x5mm instead, but forgot to take that off the thickness of the joints so had LOTS of cutting back to do once it was all glued together... future reference, find out exactly what wood is in stock BEFORE making plans.
• As a CD box I knew this needed an internal size of 135mm, so I built the plan from there. Whatever your intended use you can plan for internal or external dimensions and then add or remove thickness for the joints. Here they're only 10mm square.

Cutting

• As I only had 70mm wide wood I doubled-up the strips to cut 8 pieces and then glued them together before applying templates... probably not the best idea, the glue line is very visible... but I was going for rustic.
• Cutting the joints on the scroll saw seemed a little too easy, and I probably came at it with that in mind, as very few of the inside cuts are square at all... could have gone for a chisel instead, but I don't have one thin enough... will have to think about that before my next attempt.
• Considering the mess I made of the mitred box I built for Secret Santa last year I decided to slightly cheat the lid by partially cutting each side and leaving only 3-4mm still connected. This partially worked, but the tabs on 3 sides broke as I was attempting to glue and clamp, which made things a little difficult and required massive amounts of tape to keep everything square(ish). It was a good idea, and one that I'll repeat to save on losing fingernails trying to split a box next time, perhaps making the tabs a little wider will help...

Gluing

• OMG! A complete mess, trying to get everything together and square using grip clamps and wood scraps was not fun, nor was resorting to tape and elastic bands, but it worked - sort of - in the end. It's only 2mm out across the diagonal, and I can live with that, but I'll have to think about it more if I make anything bigger - 2mm on a 140mm square isn't too obvious, but on something double that it's gonna look awful. I'll look in to getting some bar clamps, but running a bit low on funds right now - hope to be in a better state once the craft fair season really kicks off.

Finishing

• First of all, yes, too much joint overflow - and a box that was too tall to get under the scroll arm to trim off. Lots of cutting, rasping and sanding required - not sure the tennis elbow was necessary, tho - back to the old adage 'Measure twice, cut 5 times, then get frustrated and go watch Dr Who again...'
• As I wasn't overly concerned with the finish on this one I did resort to some 40 grit masonry sandpaper to cut back a lot of the joints, and the ply top/bottom edges. I would not recommend this for really presentable pieces because it leaves a lot of scratches you then have to get rid of, but what's wrong with a bit of character? I did follow up with 60, 120 and 180 to smooth things down before finishing.
• I decided on just a liberal coat of wax to finish this box, and buffed it out a bit, but I didn't want it shiny. I had debated whether or not to paint the whole thing or cover it in music paper, but in the end I liked the bare wood look.
• I was tempted to raid Dad's garage for an old handle, but decided on a leather strap instead, in a tan colour that seems to fit. A couple of layers with a line of stitching either side and an extra bit between the ends to add more strength over time.
• I am still debating what to use as a lining, there isn't much room for bulky fabric so it's between brown paper and some thin felt, or perhaps a combination...

So, that's the last project of May, and probably the most successful. In June I'm planning to do a series of connected bits that come together in at the end of the month, so watch this space...