A Wood Shop project class to build a box with sliding lid to learn basic joints and tool usage

Woodshop
#1

I have seen several people ask for a class to learn basic wood joints. I enjoy teaching classes that have a product to take home at the end so I worked on a small box today that I think we could get through everything important in a 3 hr class. I built the box below today and it is very simple but beautiful. Essentially it is a more beautiful version of a box a set of carving tools I own came in.

If anyone is interested in a quick run through I am going to work through the complete process tomorrow, Monday November 21st starting around 6:30pm. If I can get through the process quick enough I will set up a class in December sometime. This process will cover proper way to re-saw a board to create 1/4" wood for the sides and 1/8" wood for the top and bottom. I will show how to properly and safely use the jointer, planer, bandsaw, tablesaw and drum sander. The box is joined together with a simple miter joint and then splined with a contrasting wood for strength. I built a jig to cut the miters on today using the Sawstop tablesaw and was able to cut the miters for the complete box in 5 minutes after the jig was set up on the sled. The class would show how to use this jig as well as the spline jig and what blade to us for splines, the correct blade is very important if you want it to look nice.

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#2

Whoop whoop! That would be great! I can’t make the run through tomorrow evening, but am SO down for the class. Thanks for putting in the time and effort to develop the class.:horns2:

#3

Figures! I will be out of town for work, thanks for putting this all together. Sorry I am going to miss it!

#4

There is a cutting board class at the same time today so I will still attempt to do this but I won’t interfere with a scheduled class so I may not be able to. Thanks for the heads up Marshall! We will see, if nothing else I can help teach a tool in Andrew’s class.

#5

and just to clarify, this cannot be used in lieu of woodshop basics?
I am quite sure the answer is no, but it kind of reads like it could be…

#6

No, you must take wood shop basics to work in the woodshop. I will only cover the tools required for this project in my class.

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#7

This looks like a great class for us beginning woodworkers out there. Thanks!

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#8

I would attend! It’d be nice to learn something basic as I don’t have a lot of experience in the woodshop. Thanks for taking the time to sort it all out!

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#9

I’d love to take the class.

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#10

Chandra was gracious enough to walk through most of the process with me. She was able to re-saw a piece of cocobolo for the sides, cut the boards to length, cut the miters and then size the bottom. She then assembled and glued the box in about 1.5 hours. I had to leave so we did not cut the splines together or size the lid. I am fairly confident we could almost complete the boxes in a 3 hr class with the exception of sanding and finishing since the glue needs to dry overnight. I’ll add it to the calendar and will probably limit the class to 5 people. Not sure what to do yet about materials with all the honorarium issues related to collecting outside of the classes. Will probably just recommend bringing your own wood. If it’s allowed I can bring wood to re-saw for what ever the going per board foot rate is. I have a decent assortment of exotics in Dallas if I can work it out to offer it in class. These are small boxes so we don’t need large pieces of wood.

Woods I have in Dallas that could be used:
Chechen, also called caribbean rosewood
cocobolo
honduras mahogany
african mahogany
red oak
curly white oak
letterwood, also known as unfigured snakewood, probably the most difficult wood I have ever worked. Somehow managed to break a white side carbide router bit on it.
Paela
granadillo
Guatemalan Lacewood
Ziracote
Kingwood
Wenge
Big Leaf Maple burl
and several others

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#11

I am all in for this class.

Any questions you have about the calendar, honorariums or funding, let me know and I will work with you on what has transpired over the last few weeks.

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#12

Sounds fabulous! I’m in! I’ll be the one wearing the dust mask.

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#13

I submitted the class for Saturday December 10th at 9am. Hopefully I understand the rules and it is approved.

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#14

It’s live! I got in!!

#15

Well the Saturday class filled pretty quickly.

I think I will try to add a modified version during the week on an evening. Since it will be an evening I will make it a bit less hands on for the second class. I’ll walk everyone through the process and once the demonstration box is glued we could have the students start theirs. This way people who can’t make it on a weekend can still see the complete process, start their own box and I get to go home at a reasonable hour. On Saturday I’ll stay until we are done. With any luck I will submit tonight for the second class.

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#16

I’d love this as a class

#17

Just didn’t get to the class on the 10th quickly enough. Would love another anytime you want to teach it.

#18

Me too, it was full before I got to it. I love hands-on opportunities! I do look forward to there being another one.

#19

Me three!..

#20

I just added the second class for Tuesday December 20th 630pm-930pm. Should go live 3 days from now. More people have asked me to let them know when I added this then I can count so if you are interested it might be a good idea to set an alarm.

The main difference on this class versus the first is I am not going to provide a very large selection of wood for this one, I brought quite a bit of wood down from St Louis but I can let it all go. I am a wood hoarder after all! Since it is in the evening we may have to shift gears throughout to ensure everyone learns the process.

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