Replies

1. 
   LRutherfor1 | Sep 26, 2002 01:07am | #1

   45 degree bevel is the best way to join the pieces together.  You should probably use the router bit if your table saw is not cutting true. If you have clamps, use a good yellow wood glue to bond the sides, and clamp them up making sure that they are at a true 90 degrees.  If you want to use screws, I would advise you to counter-sink them, and fill the holes with bungs.  Sand them smooth, and if you line the grain of the bungs with the grain of the box, you'll hardly notice them. Good Luck, Len

   (Len's Custom Woodworking)

2. 
   gpasewicz | Sep 26, 2002 06:06pm | #2

   I'm just past the beginner stage myself, and recently built a box like you describe, only a little smaller at 16" square.   I mitered the corners with a table saw and it worked better than it should have given the quality of my equipment.   I used only glue (with reservations) and so far, so good.  Joints are tight and strong.  I offer two bits of advice: 

   1) If you're going to use the table saw, make sure the piece is held tight against the blade.  Make a few test cuts on scrap to ensure that your 45' setting is as close as possible to 45'.

   2) To glue it up nice and square with a minimum of fuss use a couple band clamps.  If that's what they're called.  I'm talking about those clamps made of seatbelt straps that are tightened by a ratchet device.  I've used them a number of times now on boxes & frames and they're so much easier to use than any other jig, clamp, or whatever that I'm surprised people bother with anything else.

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 26, 2002 07:27pm | #3

   >>"...tight against the blade"  Hmmmmm, I'm not following that.  Did you mean "tight against the fence"?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   gpasewicz | Sep 26, 2002 07:54pm | #4

   I guess I meant tight against the fence and blade both.

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 26, 2002 08:19pm | #5

   Ripping at a 45-degree angle can be a tricky operation (prone to dramatic kick-back) so it's best to be precise and careful when doing it and describing it.  The "fall-off" piece must be on the side toward which the blade is tilting, with the fence on the other side of the blade.  Holding the stock tightly against the fence all the way through the cut is important.  Keeping one's body where it won't get hit should kick-back occur is a good idea also.  If the board is relatively narrow (say, less than 7 or 8"), I personally would use a push-block.

   The reason "tight against the blade" got my attention is because a piece of wood that is tight against the blade is gonna go flyin'.  That's what kick-back is all about.

   I agree about band clamps -- they are great, so easy to use and so effective!  Noticed the other day at Rockler that they have an excellent price on band clamps, about $5 cheaper than the ones at Home Depot.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   gpasewicz | Sep 26, 2002 08:32pm | #7

   The band clamps I got were on sale, probably $5-$6 a piece if recollection serves right.  They sat unused on a shelf for over a year while I struggled with corner clamps, homemade jigs, etc.   You have to be careful to thread them properly or else you end up with a royal mess when trying to un-do the strap.

   Thanks for the clarification on ripping 45'.   Looks like I'd been doing it wrong.  I won't say what other, far more foolish things I got away once and won't do again.

2. 
   JSchoenberg | Sep 27, 2002 01:38am | #8

   Ever try using Blue or black tape stretched across the joints on mitered boxes?  Works great & the tape acts as the clamps

   You apply the tape on the outside pcs. & stretch it for all you can & then when you assemble the box to glue, the tape pulls tight, & the "box" ends up square. Make sure to check for square b/4 the glue sets up.

   Jim

   Jim

3. 
   DennisS | Sep 26, 2002 08:21pm | #6

   Some years ago a carpenter showed me a neat trick for making box corners with plywood. You dado out the edges of one sied to a depth that leaves just the face veneer and a width the same as your plywood or the other side/end piece(s). Kinda hard to describe in words and if it's not clear I'll try to make a sketch to illustrate it. The advantage is, the dadoes are actually easier to cut that good, tight fitting miters and the joint is really stronger than a miter joint. And the end result is pretty much the same look as a miter joint.

   This might not work with the hardwood strips you want to add at the corners, though. I'm not clear on where these strips are going and what their function is. If they're to reinforce the corners, you wouldn't really need them using the dado joint I describe above.

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   [email protected]