Let the Feast Begin!
At our house, we use an iPad search for much of our cooking, but we also have a slew of recipes passed down from grandparents or culled from the Food & Wine section of the local newspaper. I’ll never throw away these pre-internet culinary gems, and I’ve designed a simple, beautiful recipe box in which to store them. This project not only uses up all those beautiful little wood scrapes lying around the shop, but it also features a hand carved thumb tab, making it an economical and unique holiday gift. I made this recipe box for 3” x 5” index cards, but feel free to scale up for larger recipe cards. I use 1/8” thick birch plywood for the top and bottom, and a beautiful piece of 3/8” thick, 4” wide blond hardwood that I salvaged from a shipping pallet. I’m guessing it’s pearwood, but any stable wood will do!
Rip a Groove in the Blank
The sides, front and back of the box are cut from one piece of wood 3/8” thick, 20” long and 4” wide. Rip a groove into both long sides of the blank that is the same width as the thickness of the top and bottom plywood. Don’t bother with a dado set, as one pass may be enough, or just tap the fence a hair for a second pass to make the groove wider.
Miter the Box
As long as the box is big enough for the selected index cards, the exact dimensions for the sides, front and back don’t really matter. What really matters is that the front and back measure exactly the same, and the two sides are exactly the same. I use a sled on my table saw, and employ a stop block to make the parts identical. With the blade set at 45-degrees I cut both sides first, and then the front and back. Of course, this process can be done using a miter saw just as easily, but I like the safety and accuracy of a dedicated miter sled.
Clamp with Tape
I love assembling mitered boxes with tape instead of clamps. The parts don’t slide, and there is no glue squeeze out on the outside of the box. The 1/8” thick plywood top and bottom are the same size. I find the dimension by measuring the entire length of the groove once the miter has been cut. Apply glue to the miters and spread it to lightly coat the surface. I put a small drop of glue in the center of each groove to secure the plywood and avoid rattling. While this is a definite no-no with a solid top, it is safe with plywood. Set the top and bottom in place and fold the assembly until the box closes. Fasten with tape and let sit for at least an hour.
Bandsaw the Top Off the Box
There are many ways to remove the top from the box, but I feel the safest is using the bandsaw. I use a ½” wide re-saw blade for good tracking and am sure to check that the table is perfectly square to the blade. The cut is a touch rough, so I sand it with 120-grit sandpaper wrapped around a hard sanding block.
Face Mount the Hinges
Face mounting the hinges, instead of mortising, allows for a quick project and the possibility of multiple gifts. Mortising would double the project length.
First, I tape the box closed. Keep the tape flush with the outside of the box and the tape doubles as a spacer for the hinge. I use a sliding square to space the hinge from the top and predrill using a vix-bit. My brass hinges come with brass screws. Be aware of two things: First, brass screws are soft! Use a hand screwdriver instead of battery driver to avoid stripping the screws. Second, these screws were the right length, but the screws that come packaged with hinges are often the wrong length, and the correct length must be purchased separately.
Carve the Thumb Tab
The lightly faceted thumb tab is proof that this box is handmade. Determine the width of the tab; slightly less than 1/3 the length works well. Using a sliding square, deeply mark the edges with a utility knife or X-Acto knife. Then gently carve away a 45-degree facet between the marks to make the finger tab. Sand the box up to 220-grit and gently ease all of the edges. Complete the project by finishing with your preferred clear coat. If you plan to give this as a present, please wait 24 hours before wrapping!
I’m a rookie here so little experience with a bandsaw; the only thing that surprises me is that a fence wasn’t used on the bandsaw. Seems like that adds a lot of risk to keeping it clean and square?
Thank you for your way of doing and explaining things. I didn’t think I could learn at 68 but you’ve helped tremendously. Thanks again and have a blessed holiday. Larry
Already a member. how do I download the videos? Speaking specifically the 10 gift ideas
Hello Gary, to watch the Premium videos you must visit the website and login. To downloads the 10 gift ideas, click this link and then you will find each separate link to each project in the article: https://www.wwgoa.com/article/9-last-minute-woodworking-gift-ideas/
John needs a board Streicher to bend the box
If use 3/8 piece of wood what thickness do you use for the top and the bottom, maybe I missed that. Enjoyed this want to try it soon. Have you heard of the ew Dao set. I think it is called a Dao Folding Miter Set. It does just what you have shown to do with a saw. Rockler is selling the set I believe. Thank you for your demo.
Hello Frank and thanks for your question. The top and bottom of this piece were 1/8″ birch plywood which is plenty strong but yet keeps the box nice and light. I have seen the folding miter set in a video but not in person. It is definitely interesting and innovative, although locks you into a very specific drawer design.
Thank
Paul-WWGOA
This one’s really well made! Thank you for sharing this. I think this can also serve as a small storage or a simple jewelry box, with just the right adjustments of wood. Thank you for sharing the tip about the screws. Very helpful.
Love it would like more ideas
Is there any way to get a PDF of these instructions?
Hi, Chris. Please contact us at 1-855-253-0822; our Customer Service Team would be happy to assist you.
I want this plan to build please
Hi, Tammie. You will need to be logged into your membership account in order to access the plan. If you have any further questions, please contact us at 1-855-253-0822.
I understand how to cut the miter cuts but how do I bend the wood without breaking it?
Hi John. There is no wood bending necessary in this project. All of the miters are cut through, and the joints are taped for the assembly process.
Nice little project for a web location, or anything that is to be stored, and used again! So make two of them one for You, and one for Your Wife
I’d like to do this project (also for the culinary queen of the house) but don’t have access to a band saw. What are my options to cut the lid from the box? Thanks
You could mark a line all the way around the box and cut it with a hand saw.
Thanks for the quick reply! Have a happy holiday.
The same cut can be made on the table saw. set the distance from bottom to lid bottom of the lid. cut one side then rotate 90 degrees and cut again untill all sides are cut and the box separates in two pieces.
need to make a storage 7 drawer 36″ high 22″ wide 17″ deep
You can also use a table saw. Works as well but may make a larger kerf.