QuickMiniBox

I am making some boxes, jewelry size. they are about 6"x4" or 6"x6"  (making several). The first ones I was making use dowels & glue to join the sides, then glue and brads/nails for the bottom and a top that just sits on it. I will post more about those later, since they are in process and take a bit of time.... Now i want to talk about the quicker box.

I had some leftover ready to use drawer side pieces and a small piece of 1/4" plywood. All I had to do was cut the sides to a proper length and cut the 1/4" to size. Then I glued and used my air gun to pin them. Put together in 10 minutes. Now the hard part. Decide on piece of scrap to use as a lid. I settled on some maple since the tones are similar (though that will probably change when I apply the Danish oil and sealer). I did think about using a piece of cherry or mahogany for contrast. Cut to size, take to router table and profile the top with a 5/32 roman ogee bit. Now for a bunch of sanding (120, 220, 320 grits) Then apply 2 or 3 coats of Danish Oil (natural --- should I buy some that has more color to it??? so many choices in finish). Then a coat of wipe-on poly. I bought some 1" x 1" hinges, though I wish I had better choice in color, I wanted something darker to contrast the light wood ( more time on Amazon searching).

I will get finished pictures in a couple of days. The Danish oil is supposed to dry for a couple of days before overcoating with anything.

I like the quickness of these, but the cost of pre-slotted wood is too much. I also like the half inch. My other boxes are full 3/4" wood and they are solid & hefty!. I might plane some hardwood down to 1/2", or maybe some cedar fencing. There are always so many options.

HINT!!!
routing profile : ALWAYS route ACROSS the grain (the end grain) FIRST.
It will tear out a little bit of the side, which you will clear up when you route the side.
Also, rout little by little, not the whole profile at once. I did the profile by working the wood into the bit a touch at a time until I finally got it up against the bearing.