Contents
A bandsaw box is a great way to show off your woodworking skills. A bandsaw box can be made out of any wood and will make for a perfect gift or decoration.
I am going to guide you how to make a bandsaw box from scratch! We’ll go over the tools needed, materials, steps, and tips to help you along the way.
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What You Need:
- Safety glasses
- Protective gloves
- Plywood (or other material depending on your design)
- Pencils or markers
- Ruler or straight edge
- Compound miter saw (if cutting plywood)
- A band saw or jigsaw with an adjustable blade
- Wood glue
- Chisel, hammer (optional)
- Paintbrush and paint (to decorate your box after it’s done)
- 60 grit sandpaper -Finishing Materials: Oil or varnish to create a protective coating for your project. I recommend using this same type of finish on the inside and outside of your bandsaw box.
-Optional Materials: Metal hinges, felt pads (to help prevent the lid from scratching things), small bits of wood or metal for embellishments
Steps to follow:
Step 1: Create a pattern with paper and cut it out. You can use any shape you want as long as that shape will fit the size of the wood you are using. Mine is a square shape with rounded corners.
Step 2: Mark on your pattern to make your cuts and then cut those sections out. I recommend making small indents in the paper that correspond with your bandsaw or jigsaw blade so that it will be easier to know which way is up when you are cutting the pattern.
Step 3: Use your bandsaw or jigsaw to cut along the lines of your pattern, remembering that it is helpful if you have a blade guard on to don’t accidentally hurt yourself while working with this sharp tool! Remember not to use too much pressure as otherwise, the wood might splinter. If you are having trouble cutting along the lines of your paper, try drawing a cut line on the wood first with a pencil before you cut.
Step 4: Place one of the small pieces that will become part of your box inside the square shape you just created so that it is lying flat. The point where this piece intersects with all four sides should be at the bottom of the square. Glue this piece in place and let it dry for a few minutes before moving on to gluing the next section
Step 5: When you are ready, align one of your other pieces so that its point where it intersects with all four edges is touching the top edge of your first piece. Glue into place and let dry for a few minutes before moving on to the next section
Step 6: Repeat until you have glued all your pieces together. Let it sit overnight so that the glue can fully set, and then sand down any rough edges with 60 grit sandpaper if desired.
- To make the handles of your jewelry box, use small pieces of wood and glue them into place at the ends of your lid and bottom piece.
How to Sand Your Bandsaw Box
Different types of wood require different amounts of sanding; hardwood can be more challenging to work with than softer woods such as pine.
Step 1: Use the finer grits of sandpaper on a regular flat wood surface. Use a cooling block or ice pack to keep the wood from warping as you sand it. Dampen the sandpaper slightly if there are any splinters of wood that you need to remove.
Step 2: Use one grit size up from what you used before on your first layer of sanding on your box.
Step 3: Apply a special adhesive to the bottom and sides of your box (if you’re using colored wood, this is not necessary). Then, place sandpaper on top of it. Don’t forget to use an ice pack or cooling block as you sand.
Step 4: Continue with one more layer of sanding, this time using a medium grit number. Use the same cooling method as before.
Step 5: Apply shellac to your box, and let it dry for several hours or overnight if possible.
Step 6: Sand lightly with fine-grit sandpaper one final time. Finish by rubbing the entire box down with a soft cloth. Then, apply one or two thin coats of varnish to the whole box to protect it from water damage or other wear and tear.
Step 7: Wait for your final coat of varnish to cure before you use your bandsaw box.
A lid can be a great addition to your bandsaw box, but it can also be quite tricky if you’ve never made one before. The best types of wood to use for a lid are those that are strong, light, and won’t crack when they’re sawed out:
- Maple
- Mahogany
- Walnut
Important Tips:
When designing your pattern, remember that it should be a shape that can fit inside the square you create. You’ll want to leave enough space around your design so as not to cut into it when sawing or jigsawing accidentally.
Optional: Metal hinges and felt pads are optional additions, but they will help prevent scratching of surfaces where this box might be placed.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a project to do with the leftover wood from other projects, we recommend making some bandsaw boxes. They are an easy way to use up smaller pieces of wood, and they don’t require much more than your own two hands and less than an hour!
And best of all, it’s a DIY that can be customized in any number of ways. So go ahead and give this fun little project a try- you’ll have polished off these boxes before lunchtime is over!
