Cutting the top off the bottom of a box on a table saw.

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Matt Furjanic

New User
Matt
When making a box, it is best to make the box as a solid unit, then cut off the top, thereby ensuring a good fit of the top to the bottom, and at the same time keeping the grain pattern of the wood intact. If the box is made as two separate units (the top and bottom constructed separately) it is very difficult to get the top to fit the bottom perfectly, and you have to be careful to keep the grain patterns of the wood in line.
Usually, with smaller boxes, the easiest, and in my estimation the best way to do this: is to cut the box on a band saw. In this case, the box was just too big (16" X 20") to cut on my bandsaw.
The last time I did this, I used a full-size 10" ripping blade with some success; however, it left some kerf marks and near the corners, it was cut slightly deeper on the sides than on the top or bottom. When I did this, I did not cut all the way through the thickness of the box, but just raised the blade about 1/32" shallower than the thickness of the wood. Then I finished the cut with a hand saw, removing the 1/32" of material still holding the thing together.
This time, I used a super thin-kerf (1/16" kerf) 7-1/4" DeWalt circular saw blade in my table saw. Again, I just raised the blade 1/32" shy of the box thickness. Then I finished the cut with a razor knife. This worked really good, and left no kerf marks, and just a very slight cut line (maybe 1/100" difference) near the corners, which sanded off very quickly with a sanding block. The blade performed perfectly and the cut is flawless.
Afterwards, the 1/4" thick mitered pieces were added to the inside of the bottom which will make a near air-tight fit of the top to the bottom, and will keep the box aligned.
There has been a lot of talk out here about using a smaller 7-1/4 or 8" blade in a table saw. In this instance, it worked great for me. This will be my new "go-to" method of cutting large boxes.
BTW: this will be a Sapele silverware box.
Here are some pics:
Bottom shown with the 1/4" thick alignment pieces: IMG_7087.JPG

Looking at a corner: IMG_7089.JPG

Notice the joint where the top meets the bottom: IMG_7090.JPG
 

SubGuy

Administrator
Zach
That's some really nice work and a great write-up. The makings of an article I think. Anyone else think so?
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
+1 and thanks for the WIP description. Well done.

Are the 1/4" alignment strips seated in rabbets around the perimeter miters? I couldn't tell from pic #1.

The 7 1/4" DeWalt blade on the table saw is useful for many things. I tried it for making a resaw cut at each end of a 10-12" w board as a guiding starter cut for a Roubo bookstand. Then the real work/elbow grease began.

P5090344.jpg

 

Dave Richards

Dave
Senior User
Matt, that's really a nice box and a could description of the process. Have you ever cut a groove on the inside of the box sides before assembly and then cut the lid free after assembly with a groove staggered from the inner one? It results in the "alignment strips" being created automatically.
 

smallboat

smallboat
Corporate Member
"notice the joint where the top meets the bottom" !
More like "imagine the joint" I can't see it but I can imagine where it might be.
Mostly based on the spacing of the splines.
 

mcsincnj

New User
Mike Miller
Beautiful piece of work!
I have used that method for years. Another thing that can be done to make the sides as thin as 3/16" is to make the box around a solid piece of wood. It doesn't have to be square at that point, can be a pentagon, hexagon, heptagon or octagon; beyond 8 sides, it gets much more complicated, but depending on the size (length of the sides) is handled the same way. As long as you have enough bearing on a flat to cut the top off safely, you can make a beautiful box with many sides.:saw:
 

Matt Furjanic

New User
Matt
Excellent idea Dave! I haven't tried that before, but I will now...
I also like MCS's suggestion of using a solid inner box to support small work.
This is what's so great about NCWW - great ideas!!
And Smallboats comment about not seeing the line - well that's the desired result!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
Thanks for Sharing Matt!
I remember the post on using a "Thin kerf" blade - thanks for proving its use!

I LOVE that box - and as Smallboat said - "Imagine the line" because it is not perceptible!

GREAT WORK! (as always...)
 
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