Gotta Have Some Idears

[Fla._Deadheader]

  I have someone that wants us to make wooden boxes (small) with curved lids. The inside of the top needs to be curved, to somewhat match the top. The lid will sit on all 4 sides of the box. The lid will be over 1" high. There are 3 sizes of boxes  

 We set up a jig on the tablesaw, but, it didn't work out to be very efficient. When the blade is raised to produce a deeper curved cut, the blade moves off center and the jig needs adjusting.

 Any woodworkers here with some "inside" info

[ohsoloco]

Harold, is it to be curved on one plane (like turning up the sides of a rectangle), or will it be curved "all around" like a dish.  Round, oval, or rectangular box  

[Tom]

Cut some thin boards, boil them in hot water and bend them around a form that is the proper size for the box.  When they dry, they will be curved.

There are techniques using a shop band-saw that produces bandsaw boxes of all different shapes.  You cut and glue with such a fine line that you can't see the glue joint.  It is a real art and there are lots of books on it.

Charlie turns round boxes with round tops that are curved.

I know what you are doing with the table saw and that should work if you don't take too big of a bite at a time. For goodness sakes watch your fingers.  You could lose a hand and not even know it till it's gone.  

[Fla._Deadheader]

  These will become "treasure chests". The top is curved the ends are straight.

 Table saw won't allow enough diversity, unless I make something "homemade" and use 3 sizes of sawblades

[Bruce_A]

slab wood anyone.

[fstedy]

If you need a solid piece of wood you could try to make 2 curved pieces that match the box curve with a cross piece that is moveable over the curves. Slot this piece so you could use a router to shape it. It will involve some trial    and    error but it should do what you want. Works similar to a duplicator only its a simple fixture  

[pappy]

planer with a log cabin knife? and if it has to be curved inside as well have a concaved knife made and plane that side (concaved) first.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  What about the ends ?  I don't wanna hafta put ends in them, just carve them out.  The outside is EZ, it's the inside that's the killer

[Tom]

Unless you get out a carving knife, I think you're going to have to put ends in them.

If the ends can be straight, they shouldn't be too much trouble.  Especially if you have a bandsaw or jig saw.

How big are these boxes supposed to be?

[Furby]

Harold,
The tablesaw trick is a No,No! My Grandpa got his thumb doing that.
I have a box around here someplace that my Grandpa made. Don't remember if the inside is curved or not, but kinda looks like a treasure chest. I'll get a pic as soon as it's found!

In order to curve the inside of the top without putting ends on, use a router with a swinging jig. Pretty close to what Fstedy said.
Either swing the router or the block of wood in a jig.
I'm SURE you can make something like this work!

[Kevin]

Harold, here's another option ...

http://www.thomasathomas.com/make_a_chest.htm

http://www.bconnex.net/~zirgo/treasure/treasure.html

[oldsaw]

you can cut kerfs into the back of the top to allow it to curve, then resaw a piece of the same wood to veneer over it, using the side pieces as forms.  You could veneer the side panels as well making it look like one solid piece.

Otherwise, you are gonna have to some fancy router stuff.

As an old time carpenter once told me, "It's not that we old timers don't make mistakes, we just hide them better."

[EZ]

I made a lid like that with my drum sander. Just clamp it in and lower the drum.
EZ

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Drum's too long

 Good links Kevin.

[Kevin]

There's this tool  ...
http://www.kingarthurstools.com/

but you would need to design something to hold it and adjust the depth.

[iain]

harold     describe what you want to end up with    use lots of big words if you need to


are you making from planks, carving out from one lump of wood


 i make a good number of treasure box's from small jewel to 5' long 3' high job's


    iain

[Arthur]

you could use a dado without using the saw blades on each side.  Just the dado rippers.

you would need a stop each side to prevent the wood from moving as well as clamping down for safety.  This would enable you to cut one dado and then move the wood sideways ripping out the inside of the box lid.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Arthur, that's what we did, only, used the single blade. When the blade is raised for each depth, it moves and the jig has to be moved.  Iain, you have the idea. What do you do The longest box, for now, is 14" X 9˝" wide.

[iain]

try this if'n you got a wksp band saw 1/4" band fine as you can get 4-6 tpi will do

i use branch wood that i split down the middle and CHUCK
in the kiln on top of a strapped down load to the sides of the fans the wilder the grain the better ash is very good for this as is yew choose bits with lots and lots of interest you want 12" finished start with 13-14 blocks

flatten the base and shape the top to what you want
cut the ends of wavey (a vague "s" shape) and keep the bits
stand on end and cut the lid of
take one more slice from each end 1/8" will do follow the outside line up on end take the meat out of the body to form a hollow

reassemble to see what you got

clean up and glue the first ends back on glue in the second slices then cut the flat ends to a nice wavey line

its easyer to do than write it out takes me about 45secs to cut out 4mins to reglue with 5min poly 15 mins to sand and clean oil and wax there worth about $25 for small ones up to $150 for bigger ones 12" long high as you like i dont sell them just make em in batch's and they go as prezzies
got to pick up linda then fold up the saw will try to got pics tonight and write up long ones


iain

[beenthere]

iain
I hope you don't receive this wrong, but I've a question.

What ever happened to CAPITAL letters to begin a sentence, and a period (.) to end a sentence?  

Very hard to read what is written without the 'markers' to let me know when one thought begins and ends, and another takes over.

Maybe there is a good reason.  Am sure you have lots of ideas I miss because I am lost in a steady stream of 'words'.

Just curious here.