This project was built and designed by Jay Bates. It features a compact mitered box made from curly hickory, with delicate spline reinforcements and thoughtful joinery from start to finish.
The box may be small in size, but the level of detail makes it a rewarding challenge for any woodworker looking to hone precision cutting and grain-matching techniques.
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Selecting the Right Material
Jay begins this project by working with rough-sawn curly hickory. Known for its dramatic grain patterns and strength, hickory offers a striking visual once milled, though it’s prone to tear-out if not handled carefully.
After inspecting the board and identifying the most visually interesting section, Jay starts milling to uncover the figure beneath the rough surface. Light passes on the jointer help prevent chipping while flattening one face.
Preparing the Pieces
Once a flat reference surface is established, Jay cuts a section of the board to size and runs it through the planer for final thickness. These pieces are then resawn on the bandsaw, creating thinner panels for all four sides of the box.
The target size for this build is around seven inches long, three inches wide, and three inches tall—just right for small items like pencils or keepsakes. Jay’s attention to proportion helps the finished piece feel balanced and intentional.
Preserving the Grain Wrap
To create visual continuity, Jay tapes the board segments together before making any miter cuts. This technique allows the grain to wrap around the box seamlessly, maintaining symmetry on all sides.
The taped-together segments are cut at 45-degree angles using a miter sled and stop block setup. This ensures all four corners line up cleanly during assembly and makes for a more efficient build process.
Cutting Grooves for the Panels
Grooves are then cut near the bottom and top edges of each side panel to hold the box’s top and bottom. Jay uses a table saw to do this in a few shallow passes, ensuring a tight but not restrictive fit.
The top and bottom panels are made from the sapwood portion of hickory, which offers a lighter tone that contrasts nicely with the darker box sides. These panels are cut slightly oversized, then trimmed down slowly until they fit into the grooves.
Assembling the Box
Jay opts to use blue painter’s tape as clamps during glue-up. The taped panels are laid out flat, glue is applied to the miters, and then the sides are folded into shape with the panels captured in their grooves.
Once the shape is secured, a final strip of tape holds everything tight while the glue dries. Jay prefers letting the box sit overnight to ensure all corners are fully cured before moving forward.
Reinforcing with Splines
After glue-up, the box is taken to a spline jig where Jay cuts shallow kerfs into each corner. These slots are later filled with small splines made from a contrasting wood species to reinforce the joints and add decorative flair.
To cut the spline slots, Jay uses a Japanese pull saw with a fine kerf. He then cuts and fits small wedge-shaped splines by hand, ensuring a perfect press fit without applying excess pressure that might split the thin sides.
Once the glue sets, the splines are trimmed flush and carefully shaped to blend into the corners. This step requires patience but adds both strength and a clean, finished look to the piece.
Separating the Lid
With the box fully assembled, Jay uses a fine kerf blade on the table saw to separate the lid from the body. This is done by slowly raising the blade into each side, leaving a crisp, even gap between the two halves.
A smoothing plane is then used to clean up the cut edges, removing any roughness and ensuring the lid and base align perfectly when closed.
Interior Detail and Final Finish
To finish the interior, Jay lines the inside edge of the box with thin curly maple strips. These not only add a pop of contrast but also act as registration points, helping the lid seat squarely each time it’s closed.
After one final sanding session, the box is ready for finish. Though Jay doesn’t apply the finish on camera, the hickory’s figure is already striking in raw form, and a light oil or shellac will bring out even more character.
A Small Project with Big Lessons
This tiny mitered box may not take up much space, but it offers a lot of value for improving woodworking fundamentals. From grain matching to spline reinforcement and panel fitting, it showcases techniques that scale well to larger projects.
Jay’s calm, methodical approach highlights how much can be achieved with careful planning and precise execution—even in a small piece.
Please support Jay by purchasing his plans here: Jay’s Custom Creations.