Date: Thu, 21 Dec 1995 11:08:16 -0700 From: mscalora@itsnet.com (Mike Scalora) Reply-To: mscalora@itsnet.com Mime-Version: 1.0 To: mscalora@itsnet.com Subject: [HOWTO] [Fwd: Re: copper tacks for Shaker boxes] Status: RO From: Scott Butler Newsgroups: rec.woodworking Subject: Re: copper tacks for Shaker boxes Date: 19 Dec 1995 12:50:05 GMT Organization: Rockwell Software Inc. Lines: 59 Message-ID: <4b6cdt$ata@moci.mke.software.rockwell.com> References: <4asgh3$ins@info-server.bbn.com> <4b3uv6$isc@news.doit.wisc.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: 130.151.185.210 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 1.22 (Windows; I; 16bit) Path: news.provo.novell.com!ga!sgiblab!sgigate.sgi.com!swrinde!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in1.uu.net!news1.cle.ab.com!moci.mke.software.rockwell.com!jerry I made 9 Shaker boxes for Christmas presents about two years ago. No.2 size, I think. First, let me tell you that Shaker boxes are really easy to make. Second, tacks are available in a range of sizes from Woodcraft. I'd tell you more about that but I don't have their catalog with me. Third, there are plans/dimensions for Shaker boxes in some issue of Fine Woodworking, probably about two years ago. Check out a FWW index for the exact issue. My discussion draws heavily on the FWW article. The toughest part of making these boxes for me was to thickness the sides because I thought I was making a high-tolerance piece of veneer. Not so. Make the sides thin enough to bend once they've been boiled about 10 minutes and that's about as thin as they need to be. 3/32 sounds about right for the smaller boxes. Most important thing is to keep the thickness of the sides consistent because when you're bending the box around the form you've made, the side will crimp as soon as you try to bend past the thin spot. I thicknessed my sides by chucking a rotary sander in my drill press then clamping a tall fence about 1/16" away from it. Then I fed my bandsawed box sides back and forth through this, every once in a while losing my grip and sending a Shaker Box side sailing across my shop. Now that I have a 10" table saw, I would probably joint a face of a board, slice it off using the TS, then surface the remaining side using a scraper or a block plane. After thicknessing the sides, you need to cut tails, bevel the edges of the tails, and thin the end of the side that will be inside the box so it will taper off nicely. I also drilled tiny pilot holes for all tacks so their layout was precise. Make your top bands at this time too. Now you'll probably have a tough time finding a pan that's long enough to boil the sides in. I made a long, skinny tray out of a piece of flashing by folding up the sides and creasing the corners. Ugly, but effective. Anyway, boil a bunch of sides and tops. After about ten minutes, pull a side out and wrap it around your caul (BTW, you have to make a caul). Speed is of the essence, but you can always reboil the side if you drop it on the floor or something. Run down to the shop, slip the formed side off the caul, use something as an anvil (pipe in a vise works) and hammer your tacks home. At this point, slip forms with vent holes drilled in them (BTW, you have to make forms. Use 1/4" material.) into the top and bottom openings of the box to maintain its shape while it dries. Take this back upstairs to kitchen, pull out a top band, use your formed box as a caul, and wrap top band around the top edge of box (ensures perfect fit of lid). Back to shop to hammer tacks. Slip lid onto box to dry. Repeat until you're out of sides or forms with vent holes. Let dry overnight. BTW, you can use pine or cherry for tops while cherry for sides is typical. Make lids and bottoms about 1/4" thick. Trace around the inside of your box sides to establish your cut line. Then use a bandsaw to cut out the bottom. Put a 2-3 degree bevel on this cut so your bottom will wedge itself firmly into the box. Glue bottom into the box. Some people drill holes and use tiny dowels (toothpicks) to further secure the bottom. Same procedure for the top, though I can't recall whether it's better to trace around the outside of the top edge of the box, or the inside of the lid. Suggest using the box. It seems more sturdy. Write back with questions. ---Scott