Club Meeting: 19 March 2025
Report by: Bill Alden
Dick opened with some Do’s and Dont’s of Box Making
- Don’t put a thread on a box except for small pill boxes or a needle case.
- Don’t make it too big consider hand size.
- Pop fit is not encouraged as it takes 2 hands to open.
- You may use a finial as a handle.
- If it is wider than it is tall use cross grain wood. If taller than wide End grain is better.

Dick then showed us a dozen or so boxes from his collection made by various people in the club and overseas visitors.

Butterfly Box
He started with the block pushed firmly against the chuck jaws with the tail stock and cut a 46mm spigot on one end.
After reversing it into the chuck it was rounded down to the outside diameter of 75mm which will allow a 65mm internal diameter for a butterfly box.
Make the final cut slowly with a freshly sharpened 10mm bowl gouge. He then cut a 46mm spigot on the bottom.

Then he measured for a 20mm deep hollow on the inside. Before the final parting off of the lid a 2mm parting cut was made on the lid end to the correct size to fit into the neck of the box
Then mount the lid in the chuck and cut a curve on the inside of the lid, finish and polish.
Dick showed two methods of hollowing the box
Method 1
Put base back on the chuck and hollow to a width of 65mm with a 55 degree bowl gouge to a depth of 20mm, using a flat scraper or a skew chisel to flatten the bottom.

Bring up the lid and sand the outside with lid attached and finish, tape on the lid and finish the top.
Method 2
Follow the same procedure up to *
This piece was done with a 65mm Forstner bit, tip keep the bit moving.

Dick then used the Soren Berger hollowing tool which is designed to cut a flat bottom on the box. With the tool horizontal draw from the centre hole to the outside.

Finial
Dick then showed us a basic finial. Tips: Do not use the tailstock as the pressure will break it start with the top “onion” and work down the elements do not go back finish each element as you go.
Keep plenty of meat at the chuck end.
Use close grained hard wood. Hairy wood will not make a good finial and will be difficult to finish.
Thank you Dick for another informative Demonstration.
Box, Butterfly #1
Box, Butterfly #2
Box, Butterfly #3
Box, Butterfly #4