Best joints for a jewellery box?

[LFS19]

I'm trying to decide On the best way to make a jewellery box.

Any tips?

I was thinking dovetails?

Thanks allot.

 

[marcros]

dovetails always look good.

without being rude, what is your level of experience- it would help you to get some more relevant answers. For example, I would say that the best is a secret mitred dovetail, but i have no hope in hell of being able to cut one myself!

 

[LFS19]

dovetails always look good.

without being rude, what is your level of experience- it would help you to get some more relevant answers. For example, I would say that the best is a secret mitred dovetail, but i have no hope in hell of being able to cut one myself!

Not much, haha.
I can manage a dove tail joint, but anything more is beyond me right now!

Thanks

 

[Londoner100]

Mine are just simple rebates as I struggle with Dovetails, by the time I have a couple of ill fitting dovetails cut I can have a box with a rebate made (more practice required for me)

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

I like keyed mitres, because they are the limit of my abilities.

 

[LFS19]

I like keyed mitres, because they are the limit of my abilities.

Those look nice, though the prospect of making a jig as a novice like me seems daunting.

Thanks

 

[LFS19]

Mine are just simple rebates as I struggle with Dovetails, by the time I have a couple of ill fitting dovetails cut I can have a box with a rebate made (more practice required for me)

Nice, that's a good idea.
Does the joint hold well?

When I say I managed a dovetail, I've done it twice and only over as practice.
It held fine, but obviously as a notice it was far from perfect.

I thought about rebates but was concerned it might go wrong and they wouldn't hold.

 

[Londoner100]

Mine are just simple rebates as I struggle with Dovetails, by the time I have a couple of ill fitting dovetails cut I can have a box with a rebate made (more practice required for me)

Nice, that's a good idea.
Does the joint hold well?

When I say I managed a dovetail, I've done it twice and only over as practice.
It held fine, but obviously as a notice it was far from perfect.

I thought about rebates but was concerned it might go wrong and they wouldn't hold.

They hold up really well, as long as the wood is flat and you leave them clamped long enough for the glue to set.

Ian

 

[LFS19]

Mine are just simple rebates as I struggle with Dovetails, by the time I have a couple of ill fitting dovetails cut I can have a box with a rebate made (more practice required for me)

Nice, that's a good idea.
Does the joint hold well?

When I say I managed a dovetail, I've done it twice and only over as practice.
It held fine, but obviously as a notice it was far from perfect.

I thought about rebates but was concerned it might go wrong and they wouldn't hold.

They hold up really well, as long as the wood is flat and you leave them clamped long enough for the glue to set.

Ian

Cool, I guess I'll do that then.

That's a really nice box.
I'm actually doing a very similar idea.

I'm making it for my girlfriend for Christmas and I'm going to scribe her name on the top like you've done.

How long did the project take you?

Thanks.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

I like keyed mitres, because they are the limit of my abilities.

Those look nice, though the prospect of making a jig as a novice like me seems daunting.

Thanks

If they were difficult I wouldn't do them!

I cut the mitre slots with a tablesaw; the jig is a bit of 2x2 cut at 45 degrees and the two bits stuck onto a base plate. That runs against the fence with the box sitting in the right angle, and thus you end up with a nice neat 45-degree slot cut in the corner.

I'll take pictures. It'll make sense then.

 

[rafezetter]

Keyed mitres do look excellent, and the technique is simpler than you might think using a simple jig on the tablesaw, straight or angled. Handsaw obviously also works for finer (thinner) keys of brass / copper etc.

 

[custard]

There is no one best joint, it depends on your skills, equipment, and the budget. In ascending order of complexity.

A mitred butt joint is as strong as the glue on end grain, with PVA that's not very strong (but it's a bit better if you've "sized" the joint first with dilute PVA) it would be a bit stronger with Pu glue, stronger still with Cascamite or a UF glue, and strongest of all with Epoxy. The only remotely tricky thing with this joint is getting the clamping pressure right.

A basic rebate would be fine for light duty, the natural movement of the timber will mean it's unlikely to last that many years, but then again when it eventually fails it's correspondingly simple to repair. You can make a more robust version by angle pinning the joint and either filling the tack holes or covering the box with veneer.

A butt joint re-inforced with Millers Dowels would be fairly robust and you might even be able to persuade yourself it's a desirable decorative feature! You just need to know how to drill straight.

A keyed mitre joint isn't difficult once you've built a jig for the keys, and as long as you're generous with the number of keys it'll be almost as strong as a dovetailed construction.

Box or comb jointing is an option, but to my eye looks a bit agricultural on a jewellery box, you may have a different opinion and as you're the one who has to live with it, yours is the only opinion that counts! You need extreme accuracy with your jig making, but with a good jig a child could make these. Clamping is actually quite tricky, but the glue surface is so massive there's a lot of redundant strength built in to the design, so I wouldn't fret too much about that.

Through or half blind dovetails really aren't that difficult, but you would have to put in a few hours of practise first. David Barron's magnetic jig is a lot cheaper than a Leigh jig and makes the job almost foolproof. Seriously, four or five hours of practise with a magnetic jig and you'll be turning out "London Pattern" or needle dovetails like a pro.

Secret mitred dovetails are, IMO, the best joint for the job. And here's the thing, they're not actually all that hard because the dovetail bit is hidden so you just need to focus on the mitring (which is largely taken care of with a simple paring jig), if the dovetails themselves are a bit sloppy then a decent dollop of a gap filling adhesive (not Pu glue by the way, better a UF glue like Cascamite) and no one will ever know.

If you want to know how to cut the finest secret mitred dovetails on the planet then David Charlesworth has a new video out, if you want to know how the rest of us go about making this joint have a look at this,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzNhv1kID6E

Good luck!

 

[Londoner100]

I'm making it for my girlfriend for Christmas and I'm going to scribe her name on the top like you've done.

How long did the project take you?

Hi it took just over a week, but this is just an hour or two in the shed after work. Once I get the table saw working correctly keyed mitres will be used for the next one with contrasting woods.

My boxes are limited by talent and patience! As long as it holds up and the person who receives it is happy then you can always try something more challenging later on.

Ian

 

[custard]

Once I get the table saw working correctly keyed mitres will be used for the next one with contrasting woods.Ian

Ian, keyed mitres are an excellent choice, just be careful of one thing. Most table saws have Alternate Top Bevel (ATB) blades, so each tooth comes to a triangular point that alternates tooth by tooth. This means the base of the slot that you cut won't be flat, it will have a ridge running down the centre which will produce a nasty, gappy glue line. The solution is either a really fine chisel or file to knock the ridge off, or a flat top saw blade. Personally I'd recommend having a flat top saw blade in reserve for applications like this (not for general sawing), as you'll find it invaluable for all sorts of jointing applications. They're often, but not always, rip cut blades, but you'll be able to identify the correct blade from the enlarged tooth diagram that always accompanies saw blades.

Good luck!

 

[Londoner100]

Once I get the table saw working correctly keyed mitres will be used for the next one with contrasting woods.Ian

Ian, keyed mitres are an excellent choice, just be careful of one thing. Most table saws have Alternate Top Bevel (ATB) blades, so each tooth comes to a triangular point that alternates tooth by tooth. This means the base of the slot that you cut won't be flat, it will have a ridge running down the centre which will produce a nasty, gappy glue line. The solution is either a really fine chisel or file to knock the ridge off, or a flat top saw blade. Personally I'd recommend having a flat top saw blade in reserve for applications like this (not for general sawing), as you'll find it invaluable for all sorts of jointing applications. They're often, but not always, rip cut blades, but you'll be able to identify the correct blade from the enlarged tooth diagram that always accompanies saw blades.

Good luck!

Brilliant tip, many thanks

 

[Woodmonkey]

If you want to know how to cut the finest secret mitred dovetails on the planet then David Charlesworth has a new video out, if you want to know how the rest of us go about making this joint have a look at this,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzNhv1kID6E

Great vid, looks so easy when you know how!