In the Shop: Treasure Boxes

Every once in a while we like to check in on the WWGOA editors to see what they’re up to in the shop. Here’s your chance to get to know the faces and personalities behind WWGOA and take a peek into their own worlds.

I just assembled eight extra “treasure box kits” from a class I taught at the Oakdale Discovery Center in Oakdale, Minnesota. The classes I teach focus on wood selection, joinery, adhesives, and finishing techniques for non-woodworkers. I chose mitered joints with splines for this class.

SplineBoxRS

For years I’ve used a shop-made spline jig on my table saw using a dado set. This location required a more portable solution. I picked up a router table spline jig from Rockler (item number 59288, www.rockler.com). The Rockler jig uses an up-cut router bit and the results are much cleaner than the table saw method. The jig can be adapted for ¼”, 3/8” or ½” key slots. The jig performed quite well.

SplineJigRS

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4 Responses to “In the Shop: Treasure Boxes”

  1. Albert Johansen

    A new client ordered 15 boxes for her nieces and nephews in lieu of birthday presents this year. She is leaving me to pick out the woods. (They will all be different.)

  2. Larry

    You're always selling something, George--this or that jig, doodad, gadget, etc.--and usually expensive somethings at that. Can't you build something with the tools that the typical woodworker has in an average shop. I'd think WWGOA ought to understand that you exist because of amateur woodworkers out here in small garage and basement shops. We make stuff. When we need a jig we make it. We like to learn about making stuff. You, sir, are a machinist, and a salesman, more than a woodworker. Too many of your videos focus on expensive gizmo-type accessories instead of basic woodworking techniques.

  3. John

    Please provide more details about the jig.

  4. Mehtab

    Hi I am interested to know how to make book shelf wooden.