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Japanese Toolbox Style Keepsake Box

Malc2098

Malc2098

Sequoia
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Location
Tiverton
Name
Malcolm
Blimey, that was a mouthful!

This was not my design. I copied fairly closely that of Adrian Preda on YT.

I have to say a big thank you to Coley, because this stock came out of his 'dog ends' that he kindly gave me.

First not having stock wide enough for the base and top I milled some down and book matched it.
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I then milled the sides and ends.
IMG_2562.JPG
I have fitted my Triton router to my Veritas router table and am so chuffed that it fits, that I set it up with the Veritas fence and sled to route the dados for the ends to fit in the sides. The micro adjust setup on both the Triton and the Veritas fence are amazing.
IMG_2563.JPG
IMG_2564.JPG
I then started on the lid and its closing mechanism.
IMG_2566.JPG
I doubles sided taped the bits to a square piece of 3mm MDF and set the Kapex for a 10 degree tilt and a 5 degree off square to create the mating bevels.
IMG_2567.JPG
IMG_2568.JPG
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And finally, lid fully closed, faux dowel joints added and oil finished.
IMG_2586.JPG

It is intended to be a present for my Taiwanese SDIL's mother, recently bereaved, who will be visiting the UK later this month.
 
Looks good Malc :eusa-clap:

Nice to see one without nails holding it together, I really don’t get that particular fascination
 
Doug":jaavw0mp said:
Looks good Malc :eusa-clap:

Nice to see one without nails holding it together, I really don’t get that particular fascination
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It's the traditional Japanese way of holding them together Doug.

Nice box though Malc. I made a much bigger and heavier version last year for No.1 son's growing collection of tools which I delivered up to London last Saturday. Only managed to drop it once on a corner :evil: going through the ticket barrier at Waterloo.

On the box I made, I didn't have one of yer posh Kapex jobbies for the wedge; all planed handraulicly for a nice snug fit. I expect it's filled up with all sorts of crud now...squash balls, paper clips and any other old junk he can't find a home for :D - Rob
 
Woodbloke":3g6iz1to said:
Doug":3g6iz1to said:
Looks good Malc :eusa-clap:

Nice to see one without nails holding it together, I really don’t get that particular fascination
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It's the traditional Japanese way of holding them together Doug.
Click to expand...

That I’m aware of it’s the stylised nature of the modern day nailed ones that jars with me.
 
Is that purpleheart?

Nice to see some work going on in that smart workshop. :D
 
I was looking at the purple front face in the bottom picture. I've never used any of those woods, so I haven't a clue.
 
Doug":2vptg2v6 said:
Woodbloke":2vptg2v6 said:
Doug":2vptg2v6 said:
Looks good Malc :eusa-clap:

Nice to see one without nails holding it together, I really don’t get that particular fascination
Click to expand...
It's the traditional Japanese way of holding them together Doug.
Click to expand...

That I’m aware of it’s the stylised nature of the modern day nailed ones that jars with me.
Click to expand...
With you now Doug; I was straying into 'egg sucking country' :D Apogies - Rob
 
Thank you all, you're very kind.

I'll try to answer in turn.

The wood came from Coley, so he should know what it was. It was a mahogany of sorts, but I would say it was more dense than the sapele I've worked with in the past, and it came off the saw beautiful, ( I have a Z80 blade) I only had to scrape it.

I also have the 'lots of teeth blade' ( I can't remember the number) in the Kapex, which finishes the ends really well. Also, I am really impressed with the accuracy of the Kapex.

The purple tinge, I think is a trick of the light; the top being lit from the led panels, and the side from the windows. It doesn't look that purple in real life. But they were all milled from the same stock.

Yes, the dowels were faux both by presence and by location, but I like them. I had to pop out to the big green shed in town and buy the last two hardwood 6mm dowell lengths they had. But their end grain soaked up the Danish oil and I would have preferred them lighter than they turned out.

I have no experience of design and I spent ages working out the positions of them to be pleasing to my eye. I hope they are for you, too.
 
Very smart Malc [emoji41] Glad you're putting it to good use. It would have been either sapele or utile, that's the only mahogany timbers I buy in [emoji6] It looks superb !!!

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
 
Coley":6kgkg1zg said:
Very smart Malc [emoji41] Glad you're putting it to good use. It would have been either sapele or utile, that's the only mahogany timbers I buy in [emoji6] It looks superb !!!

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
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Thanks, Coley.

My experience of sapele is that it is lighter in weight and less dense, so I'll settle for utile.
 
Woodster":15g8zgwl said:
9fingers":15g8zgwl said:
If anyone want to watch the YT video.
It is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQHtaJn-45M

Bob
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Nice one Bob, I enjoyed that.

I can’t help thinking the wedge should be fixed to the box somehow with a cord so it can’t get lost.
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I have to admit that the ends of the wedge over hanging annoy me but I can see that with moisture changes and wear, the nature of the taper means that if the wedge is cut to exact length when first made, in time it will hang out one end or the other.
An alternative could be to cut it deliberately 10% shorter than the box width. If I can get this straight in my head, I might make one as a gift for a friend but I can't live with it as it is :lol:

NB This is no criticism of Malcolms work whatsoever just my engineering OCD kicking in

Bob
 
Of course not, Bob. In fact mrs M2098 has said the original hang out looked too short in her OCD mind and so I've had to make another one with a longer hangover!

Picture tomorrow.
 
9fingers":17ne4yku said:
[
I have to admit that the ends of the wedge over hanging annoy me but I can see that with moisture changes and wear, the nature of the taper means that if the wedge is cut to exact length when first made, in time it will hang out one end or the other.

Bob
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Whichever way you slices it Bob, you have to make the tapered wedge wider than the box. On my son's box it's about 8mm wider each side so that if he accidentally 'taps' it in too hard there's plenty to knock it out again on the other side.

Not to detract from Malc's excellent project, this is now the only pic...

IMG_2559.jpg

...of it, as it shows the quarter sawn, stack laminated pine lid and the screwed construction - Rob
 
Here's the second box, slightly bigger with larger faux dowel joints, with a Rag'n'Bone Brown wax finish.

Note the longer hangover on the key.IMG_2602.JPG
 
I certainly prefer the symmetrical over hang of the longer key Malc.

Following up on Rob's comment, I don't see why the sliding taper can't be shorter than the box is wide. Clearly the fixed taper has to be as wide as the box to stop the lid falling inwards.

Bob
 
Thanks, Bob.

I think the gap created by a short key might look odd, to my eye anyway.

In one of the series pictures early in this thread I've shown the key not fully home. I don't think that'll look right.
 
Malc2098":2wxj9tid said:
Thanks, Bob.

I think the gap created by a short key might look odd, to my eye anyway.

In one of the series pictures early in this thread I've shown the key not fully home. I don't think that'll look right.
Click to expand...

I'll have to do some experimenting before I can decide. Right now I need to get cracking on a storage bed fo our guest room as that is critical path in a programme of re-decoration. Well in my wifes eyes it is lol and making a box for a girlfriend just now is possibly not diplomatic timing. :lol:


Bob
 
Andyp":1us6vt3w said:
Why does it need a wedge? The lid would only fall off if stood on end, and only one end at that.
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Why does any lid need a latch?
 
Andyp":dx1xgtm3 said:
Why does it need a wedge? The lid would only fall off if stood on end, and only one end at that.
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Some Japanese toolboxes I've seen don't use a wedge, so strictly speaking, you don't actually need one. That said, these things were designed to be toted around on the 'young apprentice's shoulder', following in the master's footsteps from job to job, through all the hideous weather than Japan can provide. Any slack or shrinkage over time in the top might have meant that the lid became quite loose with a danger of losing some of the contents. I guess the addition of a dovetailed wedge just meant added security - Rob
 
Well for what it’s worth I think the wedge looks good and is practical. :D
 
well, I never thought that a 1/4" would cause so much discussion! :)
 
Andyp":3tqvx72h said:
I think Rob screwed his.
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Indeed, 50mm stainless steel Torx screws all round. It needed to survive being dropped on a corner going through the ticket barrier at Waterloo :lol: - Rob
 
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