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I am by NO means an expert wood turner, but I enjoy working on the lathe. Recently I started to turn some small boxes and decided to document my process. My one source of knowledge is Richard Raffan's video, "Turning Boxes", sold by Taunton Press.

This is my novice method, and I hope it might help some new turners out there.

First, set up a blank between centers and round it into a cylinder. Sometimes I use a skew, or a 3/8" spindle gouge, but I like the skew.

Then I turn a shallow tenon on each end of the blank, one that will fit in my turning chuck later. Again I do this with the skew.

Then I part the blank at top and a bottom, I have a thin parting tool….man that gets hot!

Then I put my chuck on the lathe and mount the lid for the box. My goal is to hollow the inside and give the outside some shape. I use a spindle gouge, either 3/8" or 3/4"

I also want to turn the inside of the lid edge so it will sit snuggly on the box base when I want to finish turning the outside of the lid.

I then sand the inside down to 400 or 600, then apply some bee's wax for the inside finish (thanks Lee Schierer!)

Once I have the inside of the lid completed, I remove the lid from the chuck and mount the box base. I turn the mating edge to match the ID of the lid, then place the lid onto the base, and fit and refit till the fit is a nice friction fit.

Now the lid can be completed. Sometimes my fit is a bit loose and I need to use some "Helpers". I use the tail stock to hold the lid in place and turn the lid to almost completion. Then I use a paper towel or even masking tape to hold the lid to the base while I do my final touch up's to the top.

I then sand the lid down to 400 or 600 and put it aside.

Now I can focus on the base. I like to give the outside of the base a near-finished shape and then hollow the inside. I use either a 3/8" or a 1/4" spindle gouge for this end grain turning.

Once the inside is completed, I use a scraper to get a good flat surface on the ID of the base, you will need this to mount the base on a jam chuck to finish the shape of the base and clean up the bottom.

I use bee's wax again on the inside of the base, then remove the base from the chuck.

I then mount the base on a jam chuck, which I place in the turning chuck. I use a skew or a scraper to turn a tenon that will mate well to the ID of the box base. Sometimes I need "Helpers" and will utilize the tail stock and even wide masking tape…..I'm getting better at this as time goes on, using helpers less and less.

I like to use my Beal to final buff and wax my turned boxes.

^© 2003 by Jim Shaver . All rights reserved.
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