Simple Pencil box, but not as easy as you think….
Tools Required:
- Dovetail saw
- #4 Plane
- Sholder Plane, 5/8”
- Chisels (1/4”, 1”)
- Knife
- Pencil
- Cutting Gauge
- Square
- Dovetail Marker or Bevel Gauge
- Sandpaper & sanding block
Materials:
- 2ea sides: 9-1/2” x 2” x ½”
- 1ea front: 3-1/2” x 1-1/2” x ½”
- 1ea back: 3-1/2” x 2” x ½”
- 1ea Bottom: 4” x 10” x 3/8”
- 1ea Lid: 9” x 3”” x ½”
Steps:
- After milling down, you mark triangles on the pieces in order to keep the orientation correctly.
Now use the pieces to make a pencil mark on each for the depth of the dovetails
I cut “tails first” when I make dovetails. So you lay them out with a dovetail marker or bevel gauge, going in ½” from the sides to start, and putting in the angle. After sawing them out, use a saw to cut out the two side pieces
Now use the plane and the bench vise to make the “tail” section even, and place the “tail” piece on the top of it. You can then use a pencil (for soft woods) or a knife (for hardwoods) to mark out where the tails are cut
Test fit it together, and then use the short piece (1-1/2” tall) to determine the bottom of the groove.
- Use your ¼” chisel to determine the height of the groove. Lay that out with a cutting gauge and use 1” chisel to make “knife wall” to guide saw
- Use saw to saw in ¼” deep on each side of groove. Make sure you stop before you go the full length and leave the back “tail” of the box in place. Otherwise the groove will show on the back of the box
Test fit, then glue up the box. Check to make sure it is square. Afterwards, use a #4 smoothing plane to clean up the tails and pins which stick out, so the side is smooth and even. Also run the plane around the bottom to make sure that is level and even.
Cut the bottom piece to size, the use the #4 Smooth plane to create a rounded edge on the short sides and then long sides.
Test to make sure it sits flat on the bottom. Adjust as needed, then glue up
Now to the lid. After sawing it to size, use the box to determine where the dados need to be cut to fit into the groove. Add 1/8” on each side to create a “reveal” for the lid. Use a cutting gauge to layout out width and depth, then saw out the dados. Clean up with small shoulder plane and/or sandpaper
Test fit into the box. To adjust, use #4 plane to plane each side to narrow it, or plane down the bottom of the lid to narrow the dado
Use a square and the same saw method to create a 1/8” dado on the front, so you have the same reveal around all three sides of the lid.
Once it fits in smoothly, use a 1” chisel and #7 gouge to create a “thumbprint” pull on the lid
- For finish, I used 3 coats of Shellac. Sanding between coats. It’s a food safe finish which dries quickly and seals the wood. After a week, I “rub out” the finish with 0000 steel wool and furniture wax.
