Free Woodworking Plans, Projects, Patterns and Resourceful Information Cabinet Drawer Slides, Glides, Hinges, & Hardware | DrawerSlides.com So Many Projects, So Little Time... | The Renaissance Woodworker . Building Shaker Oval Boxes - article by John Wilson for Popular Woodworking John Wilson first saw oval boxes 25 years ago as a woodworking instructor at Lansing Community College in Michigan. Besides teaching and selling his boxes, Wilson founded The Home Shop to produce supplies for the oval box trade worldwide. This article is reprinted with permission from Popular Woodworking, Issue #135 (August 2003), pp. 32-41. Updated April 2006. There was a time when households had few belongings, when clutter from too much stuff was not an issue. The place for boxes in the home has changed throughout time. Try this traditional bent wood craft for a project that is attractive, useful, and easier than you might think. These beautiful boxes were first made from hard maple and white pine. The Search to Find Wood That Bends We are not likely to go to the wood lot for a straight grained section of log to split stock for bands. Photo 1: Table Saw In your search for materials for bending wood you will find hard maple a good species. Photo 2: Resaw Jig Cutting Band Stock Photo 9.
Making Shaker boxes The process of making Shaker boxes is simple, but takes a while to master. (If you are interested in having me make a Shaker box for you click the link to find Shaker boxes for sale) Cutting beautiful swallowtails (the familiar fingers that form the joinery) takes patience and practice. Traditional Shaker boxes come in specific sizes that are numbered from #000 (1" x 2" ellipse) - #20 (25 7/8" x 38 1/2" ellipse). They also have specific numbers of tails for each size box. however, there's no rule that says you have to make a traditional box. To make a Shaker box I start by milling wood into thin bands. The bottom band forms the sides of the box, while the top band encloses the solid wood top. I cut out templates of the standard sizes and use them to shape the swallowtails. Once the bands are cut to size I cut the swallowtails, giving their edges the tiniest of chamfers. I then soak the bands in hot water until pliable. The ends of the band are marked where they overlap. more about the Shakers