Craft this unique walnut storage box for your prize pens and learn a new technique.
Do you find your collection of turned pens is growing larger than you had imagined it would? Whether you make them all yourself or trade with other craftsmen, it’s easy to accumulate a rather large number of pens. Even so, you want to keep them organized and tastefully displayed.
I designed this walnut pen storage box to hold 40 turned creations. I had hoped to come up with a box of unique design, with an out-of-the-ordinary method of accessing the stowed pens.
I also want to share a simple but fascinating technique I discovered. By making an accurate story piece for use in setting up drilling or routing operations, very precise operations can be accomplished without the usual frustrations that can arise from the very precise measurements and markings required in making a box. I call this technique “flipping story sticks” because it involves flipping reference parts over for setting up stop blocks left and right for symmetrical operations.
In this box, the “flipping story sticks” aren’t actually sticks, but are precisely dimensioned parts cut from thinner stock that allow me to control set-ups more quickly, easily and accurately than measuring tools, which would cost a great deal more time, careful preparation and attention. You will note that a hole on one side of the piece serves as a reference for setting up the opposite side, by merely flipping the object over. This is a technique I find useful in all kinds of woodworking operations, from drilling symmetrical holes to routing accurate hinge mortises on the lid and base of a box.
Make the top and bottom
I begin making this box by cutting the top and bottom to equal size, along with a piece of thin plywood that will serve later in setting up the drill press for drilling tray pivot rod holes. It is very important for these parts to be exactly the same size at the start of this project, so I use the sled and stop block in cutting them. To lighten the appearance of the box, I made the top panel of thinner stock than the base.
Use the router table and a 3/8" spiral router bit to mill a groove across the back side of both the top and base. You will have to raise the router bit in increments to reach the full depth. Setting up the fence and stop blocks on the router table allow for accurate placement of this groove and allow for them to match at both top and bottom. Set the fence so that the distance to the outside of the cut is 7/8" (Fig. 1).
Begin making the trays
Next cut the trays to equal size and at the same time, cut a setup piece to the same dimension. This piece will be needed later when the pen slots are routed. It is important to mill the stock for the trays early in the process, as their total thickness must be known to determine the length of the back supports and the number of washers required to space between the trays in the finished box.
Tenon the back supports
I use a tenoning jig on the table saw with a ¼" dado blade to cut the tenons on the back supports. Set the jig so that a 3/8"-thick tenon is formed by the cut. It takes three pieces of walnut stock to form the back of the box, and each should be cut exactly the same length using the cutoff sled on the table saw, and then tenoned the same at each end (Fig. 2).
You can test their fit in the mortises in the top and base at this point and adjust the fit if necessary. Use the table saw and sled to rip the tenons on the ends to fit the depth of the routed space on the top and bottom (Fig. 3).
Fit the tenons
Next, trim along the back edge of the top and base for fitting the back supports. Use a dado blade on the table saw to nibble away the space for the back support to fit (Fig. 4). A stop block on the miter gauge will give greater control to the positions of the cuts. Cut one side, and then flip the stock with the opposite end against the stop block for the next cut. Then cut away the space between.
The tenons will require some additional shaping to fit the mortise. I used a straight chisel to cut away a portion of the tenon, then a rasp to round the shoulders of the tenon to fit the round shoulders of the mortise (Fig. 5).
After fitting the tenons, they should be ripped to their finished width. Cut each outside piece to a width of 2", measure the remaining space across the back and cut the center part to fit between, with just a small allowance for expansion in severely humid conditions.
Make the trays
Begin making the trays by drilling the pivot holes into the corners of each. The drill size should be ¼" and should be exactly ¾" from both the fence and stop block.
To provide greater bearing surface than plain wood, cut off short sections of 3/16" copper tubing and glue one into the hole drilled in each tray with polyurethane adhesive. This tubing is available from plumbing supply or hardware stores and can be cut with a tubing cutter.
To round the corners of each tray, I drilled a hole in a piece of scrap plywood and inserted a 3/16" brass guide pin. Place each tray in position on the jig and rotate it against a moving sanding disc. Turn the saw or sander off before moving a tray onto or off of the pivot pin. The corners will be quickly and accurately sanded to the required radius (Figs. 6 & 7).
Rout the pen slots
Routing the pen slots accurately can be accomplished through some rather difficult measuring and trial and error on scrap wood, or can be a good way to learn a new trick using the story piece noted earlier. In this operation, a piece of thin stock cut to the same dimensions as the trays is marked with the terminal positions of the routed groove. Only one end needs to be marked, since by flipping the stock, the other end of the travel across the router table can be determined as well. Drill through with a drill bit the same size as the core box bit to be used in routing the grooves. The dimensions for marking and drilling are shown in the drawing on page 16.
If you want to put a finger groove in your trays as I did mine, rout the cross grain groove first. With one edge of the setup board against the fence, the holes direct both the distance of the router bit from the fence, but also the start and stop points of travel. Place the setup piece over the bit so that it will turn freely in the hole. Lock the fence in position. Then position stop blocks as indicated to allow for the tray to travel between stops (Fig. 8).
Lower the trays top-side-down against the surface of the router table, while firmly held against the fence and the stop block at right. Push each workpiece through the cut. You will need to raise the core box bit in small increments; achieving full depth in three or four passes (Fig. 9).
Now set up to rout the pen grooves (Fig. 10). Since the grooves are centered on the stock, you can simply set your first stop block then flip the setup board over to measure an equal distance to the other block. Set the position of the fence first, and then clamp the stop blocks in place.
Again, raise the core box bit to cut the full depth in increments, so each groove will require three or more passes. Make a simple height jig on the table saw to help you to adjust the router height for the final cuts (Fig. 11).
Make the brass rods
The front of the pen box is held together and the trays are held in place by a simple arrangement of three brass rods made from 3/16"-diameter brazing stock. This material can be purchased from welding suppliers and many small hardware stores. The two 5½" pivot rods require that threads be cut in each end for 10-24 nuts and washers to fit.
The threaded rods provide the pivots for the trays, and also serve to hold the box together at the front. The 6" center rod serves a decorative as well as a practical purpose. The touch of polished brass adds a visual design element to the box, but also serves as a positive stop in the motion of the trays and keeps the threaded rods from pulling the front of the box too tight when the trays are moved.
In order to keep the front support rod from tarnishing, I polish it using a polishing wheel in the drill press, then spray it with clear lacquer. A 3/16" hole drilled in scrap stock holds the rod in position so it can be sprayed without getting fingerprints.
Drill the top and base
The job of drilling matching holes in the top and base is made much easier by doing the marking and measuring on a single piece of thin stock (see measurements on page 16), then using that stock for setup operations. Though the top will be cut to a smaller size later, start with both workpieces and the story piece exactly the same size.
Use the story piece to set up the first stop block and drill the hole (Fig. 12). Flip the piece over to determine the location for the second stop block (Fig. 13). The holes should be equally positioned from each end.
Drill 3/16" holes for the pivot rods in the top and bottom, stopping about halfway through. Use a ½" bit to finish drilling the holes from the top side of the top piece, and a ¾" bit to drill from the bottom of the bottom piece. The ½" hole will provide clearance for the nut to fit, and on the bottom the ¾" hole will allow for a socket wrench rod to fit. Accurate drilling of depth is important in this step, as exact clearance is required. First drill one hole partway into either the top or bottom piece, place the support rod in it and measure the length against a scrap block cut to the length of the opening left by the rear supports. Drill to the depth indicated in the opposite part (Fig. 14).
Shaping the trays to fit the box
The box is now ready for a trial assembly to observe where cuts need to be made to allow for the trays to pivot in the space provided. I use a small core box bit to rout the front of the trays to provide clearance for them to open with their edges square to the front and sides of the box. To determine the location of this cut, place a pivot rod in the base and over a tray to see where the tray intersects the front support rod (Fig. 15). Mark this point and adjust the router table fence and depth to make this same cut in each tray. Stand each tray on end and use a support piece to prevent tearout at the back of the cut and to steady the workpiece in its travel across the router table.
I make a series of cuts across the end of the trays opposite the pivot point to allow clearance within the frame and to provide a positive stop in the closed position. The first cuts are made using a dado blade on the table saw (Fig. 16). The stop block clamped to the miter gauge is placed to position the first cut, with subsequent cuts being made by moving away from the stop block. Leave a bit at the end of the cut to be trimmed away using the table saw sled.The final cuts to shape the trays are done using the sled with a stop block set up so that the saw can finish the cut.
Cut and shape the top
I set the saw at a 15° angle to shape the top of the box, trimming the top smaller at the same time. It is best to trim the ends first, using a miter gauge and stop blocks, and then rip the back and front edges using the stock against the fence (Fig. 17).
Rout the bottom of the box using a 45° chamfering bit in the router table.
Sand, oil and assemble
Due to the complexity of this piece, most of the sanding, and then application of Danish oil, must take place prior to assembly. I sand each part in the following sequence: First I use a belt and disc sander on edges and a random orbital sander on large flat surfaces, starting with 120-grit. Then, using a half sheet orbital sander, I sand all of the parts going from 180-grit to 240 and finally 320.
Then I apply three coats of Danish oil on three successive days, rubbing out about 45 minutes after each coat. I leave the top of the box unfinished, allowing for final sanding and finish after assembly is complete and the walnut plugs are in place. Place 3/8" self-adhesive pads on the underside back corners of each tray. This will prevent the trays from rubbing together and marring the finish.
Put 10-24 nuts on one end of each pivot rod and begin assembling the trays. Use a brass washer between each tray as a spacer, and apply a bit of Vaseline as a lubricant as each tray is put in place (Fig. 18).
Next, put the back support pieces in place and a small amount of glue at the corners in the routed mortises at the back of the top and base. Use a nut driver or socket wrench to tighten the nuts on the pivot rods (Fig. 19). Check the alignment of parts during this process to see that the measurement from top to bottom of the box is exactly the same in each corner.
Final steps
Use a plug cutter to cut matching plugs to fill the ½" holes in the top of the box, and then cut the plugs nearly flush with the surface. Saw the plugs nearly flush to the top surface of the box prior to sanding. A flexible pull saw and a piece of thick paper or cardboard can keep you from marking the top of the box (Fig. 20).
Sand the surface up to 320-grit and then finish oiling the box.
Doug Stowe
A 30-year maker of furniture and wooden boxes, Doug Stowe teaches at the Clear Spring School, Arrowmont, Marc Adams School and the Eureka Springs School of the Arts. His most recent book is “The Complete Illustrated Guide to Box Making.”
