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First Attempt at boxes

4K views 25 replies 21 participants last post by  honesttjohn 
#1 · (Edited)
Figured I'd try something new. Had a piece of glued up baltic birch cut off from the Family Tree carving so I gave this a whirl. Box is 1.5" high and the top is cut from a 3/4 baltic birch board. I can't make a video like David can, so a few pics is all I can show. Finished boxes are a 3 x 5 oval.
 

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#2 ·
Those are beautiful boxes, John. Very well done. And don't worry, not many can make videos like David.
 
#17 ·
Strictly stock items that came with Aspire. Draw an oval, draw another one inside (they have a simple offset tool for this), there's the bottom.

Copy the original oval size, use one of the dome layouts (Aspire has 4-5 of them), grab a flourish from the clipart, stretch it to the size you want, and set your thicknesses. That's the top.

Then all you have to do is set your toolpaths up, and clamp the material on the bed, hit go, and say a prayer to the CNC gods, and if they like you, it might work.

The lid is secured with a simple rabbit on the router table. Then finish. Easier this way than using the CNC.
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Nice job! How did you do the lid design?

Just copied the bottom size oval, used a dome and flourish from Aspire. The top designs are virtually endless.

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Very nice boxes John. It's people like you that is making me want a CNC machine.

If a dumb retired Trucker can amuse himself and actually make a thing or two -- then you sure can.
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Very, very nice, John! I'm not equipped for cnc yet, but have been wondering how deep you can cut for something like this. Could you give some more info about the setup? Thanks.

Loaded question. Depends on your set up. I can do 2 to maybe inches with the stock bed. But.... you can go deeper if you take the factory bed off and rig something up underneath. 4D can tell you exactly what can be done and how to do it. You can also "slice" a model and make countless layers and then glue them together.
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Beautiful job John, now how about trying it with a hand held plunge router, it's very pleasurable.

I wouldn't know. I can't follow a line with a Sharpie, let alone a vibrating machine. lol Congrats to those that can!
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I like those, John. I was wondering how small of a box you could make. If you added the bottoms separately, maybe you could make one inside of the other.

Smaller bits, smaller projects. MEBCWD can answer that one, he carves jewelry as well as boxes. But what you're saying is very doable.
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Thanx, all, for the interest.
 
#13 ·
Well I was to buy :surprise: a CNC machine looking a the OP pics, but with yours Harry, Im going to use my plunge router. :wink:

And with all respect to all who have a CNC machines, I like A LOT MORE the manual work than the machine work IMHO (I have mentioned this before), and this is a very good example about what I mean. :smile:

In the other hand, IF I would have $$$$$$, I would buy a CNC machine :crying: but I would not sell my routers. :nerd:
 
#18 ·
Paul as John points out you can use smaller bits and make smaller boxes. The bottoms don't have to be a separate piece just use thinner material. You can make a set of nesting boxes like the Russian dolls.

Design the smallest box first and use the outside dimensions of it for the inside of the next size box then do the same for the next larger box then the next and the next, depending on how many you want to make.
 
#24 ·
Thanx,

About 4 hours total +/- for the 3 bottoms and tops.

1/4" end mill for the boxes and 1/8" ball nose for the tops.
 
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