The original idea was for a roughly 6"x4" lidded box with recessed hinges. All the stock was milled to 3/4" and away I went, cutting the sides to length and then the miters using a slightly modified crosscut sled. It wasn't until I had them all cut and dry fit the boxes together before cutting the keyways for the splines that I realized the error of my haste.
All the time I spent drawing things up, devising what species to mix to make the splines stand out, I never considered how small the inside of the box would be considering the stock thickness. You see, a 6"x4" box with sides this thick left inside dimensions of roughly 4 1/2"x2 1/2" Severely smaller than I had envisioned, but I pressed on anyway. In the end, they're not even big enough to hold recipe cards.
I delivered them to the family holiday party filled with cinnamon mints and they were well received.
Tiny boxes in a row |
Lids up! |
So, what's the lesson learned? Think it through, all the way. I was really upset with myself when I realized what I had done. I spend a little more time before each cut now and try to have a complete idea of what I'm making in mind. Working without a plan of any sort, this type of thing can happen.