How to Design a Box
Want to make the perfect wood box? It starts with design. Video after video on YouTube talks about how to make a wood box, and then the video shows how to make the specific box in the video. Rarely do you see a discussion on how someone can design their own woodworking box project. That’s what this video addresses.
I often get asked about design questions such as the thickness of the material I use, specific dimensions for projects, and why I used one woodworking joinery type verse another. It often comes down to how I designed the box and what motivated me to make it. Hopefully, this video helps to explain the considerations I make when designing the perfect box for me.
It boils down to these areas:
Functionality
Dimensions
Shape
Joinery
Box Top
Box Bottom
These can be ranked in any order. Typically, when I set out to make a wood box I look at the functionality first. Does this box serve a specific need? What is that need and does it impact the other concepts listed above. An example is a cabinet drawer, which is basically a box without a lid. It serves a function. It holds items. It has to endure opening and closing. Because it serves a specific function, I know I need to select a type of joinery that can withstand the rigors of a cabinet drawer. If I build the drawer thinking about joinery first then the joints I use may not be appropriate for the task at hand.
On the other hand, perhaps you want to make a decorative box that serves no utilitarian function. In this case, you can start with whatever fundamental tenet you want. Maybe you have always wanted to make a box with a sliding lid. Great! You know that Box Top is your number 1 thing and now you can look into the other concepts and see how those impact the creation of a sliding lid box.
I showed four wooden boxes in this video. Here are the project build videos if you want to see how those were built:
Diamond Box - https://youtu.be/mict5BBVln8
Elegant Maple Box - https://youtu.be/F-epWNWwLWY
Brass / Rosewood Box - https://youtu.be/YPJ7yRF759Q
Metal Spiral Box - https://youtu.be/CPaRwVKn5wU
•• About NewtonMakes••
I’m Billy and I make fun things. Sometimes, it’s something I need like tool storage ideas. Other times it’s silly or nerdy stuff that I want to build. If you want to get ideas for making stuff, or just want to watch something entertaining then make sure you subscribe.
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