# Zebrawood / Walnut Box Build Along�



## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

*Zebrawood / Walnut Box Build Along…*

Time for a new project. In this case a box (well 2 boxes) made from African Zebrawood and American Black Walnut. The idea is to have the black walnut match the grain pattern in the zebra wood. The sides of the box will be Zebrawood and the dovetailed corner posts and floor will be walnut. 

Here is the raw wood:










I got the wood from here:
http://www.heritagewood.com/

The wood arrived amazingly flat and dimensioned to a consistent .5”. So it went straight to the table saw for ripping to 3" (the height of the box) The sides are cut to length (5.75"). 










Note how the wood is kept in order after cutting. This will ensure that the grain will "flow" around the box when it's put together. 

Next stop the router table. Before cutting into the precious (and expensive) Zebrawood I test all my router settings and stops with some inexpensive poplar from Home Cheapo. These pieces were ripped to the same width as the Zebrawood for set up purposes. The test cuts look good:










Now it's time to clamp in the real thing and start making cuts:



















After a bunch of passes the dovetails are cut into the box sides:



















The next step is to cut the matching dovetails in the stock that will end up being the corner posts. For this the wood is passed though the router sitting flat on the table:



















After a bunch of light passes the 1st dovetail is cut:


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

After a few more passes the stock is cut and ready to go:










An initial dry fit shows that everything lines up right and tight:



















Those pics are with no glue or clamp pressure. These might be the best dovetails I’ve cut yet! Just goes to show practice makes perfect… And so far I like how the walnut matches up with the Zebrawood stripes. 

Stay tuned for more…


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Very nice sequence of pictures. Walnut is a great compliment to Zebra and is one of my favorites. 

Your dovetails are perfect, I just do not see how they could be any better . 

Fantastic job! 5 stars!


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

Next the corner posts get glued to two of the box sides:










After curing overnight the corner posts material gets trimmed on the table saw:










Now it’s lots of sanding to get the corner posts flush with the box sides:










After all the work sanding I give the box side a quick mineral spirits wipe down to remove the dust and to get a preview of what a finished box side will look like. The mineral spirits briefly mimics a final oil/varnish finish until it evaporates. It also allows me to check for any rough spots that might not show up until finishing:



















Next stop is the router table… Again…


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## S Bolton (Mar 5, 2007)

My goodness. I don't know what is better, your photographs or the project. 

Very nice and informative.

Steve Bolton


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Just brilliant once again Nick.


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## oldnewbie (Sep 18, 2006)

Beautiful work, Nick. Very inspirational photos and workup.; I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished product. I'm sure it'll be sensational. 

Neal


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## karateed (Feb 7, 2006)

Wow Nick,

This is a beautiful project beautifully documented.

I'm looking forward to more step and your dispensing of knowledge our way.

Thanks,

Ed......


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

Thanks guys!

Here’s what I got so far. After a Whole Lotta Sanding (Not to be confused with Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love), each box has the corner post material glued and sanded flush on two opposing sides:










Next more dovetails need to be cut into the corner posts:










For this we head back to the router table. Again with the panel flat on the table light passes are taken. This time the cut is stopped before the half inch point. When the box is put together the cuts will be hidden by the adjacent side. To make sure my stop is set right I test the setting on a scrap of poplar:



















The box side is lined up with the cut to make sure it's completely concealed with width of the material:



















Looks good. Time to start cutting the real thing. If you are wondering how I keep track of all my fence settings here's the trick:










A wise man once told me "A dull pencil is better than a sharp mind".

Here's the 1st cut:


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

And now a bunch of light 1/16" cuts (thank God for coffee and my iPod):



















The 1st dovetail is done. Now for the second one:










And the cuts are done:



















Now I test fit all the joints. 



















Check out how the grain will "flow" from side to side. Also note how sides are not sitting flush yet. Rabbets need to be cut into the tails for this to happen. But that’s for another day (and post).


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## Bogydave (Nov 14, 2008)

Aaaawsome. 
Thats Art!


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

Time to cut the rabbets in the dovetails so they will fit flush in the cuts. Technically this is a half blind dovetail joint at this point. To cut the rabbet the same bit height is used and the piece is held against the fence:










After a bunch of light passes the rabbets are cut and the box sides are ready to go: 



















Now the box sides can be dry fitted and we get a 1st glimpse of the cool corner post dovetail joint:



















I like how grain flows around the outside of the box and inside:










And the top “corner” lines up nice:










While the box is together I sand the bottom to flatten and level all four sides. Since everything is pretty accurate this just takes a few swipes with 180 sandpaper:










Having the bottom flat and at the same level will be important when referencing for the dado that the box floor will fit into. But that’s for another day (and post).


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## S Bolton (Mar 5, 2007)

Very very cool.

Steve Bolton


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## oldnewbie (Sep 18, 2006)

Truly the work of an ARTISAN !!

Neal


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## Rolf Maxa (Feb 8, 2005)

Nick, very nice project, I especially like the combination of wood. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished project.


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

Time to contemplate the box floor. For this I'll be using 3/8" Walnut to match the corner posts. Now 3/8" might be a tad too thick but it will add weight to the box and make it feel more solid. To cut the dado in the sides I use a 1/4" spiral up cut bit:










The 1st pass is taken with the box side flat on the table:










Note how the bit location is above the dovetail and lower than the height of the dovetail. This is to make sure the dado is hidden one the box is together. After the 1st pass here's the dado:










Next the fence is fine tuned for the 2nd pass. This is where the Incra fence comes in handy as I can adjust it 1/1000" if need be. After testing the fit on test piece the final dado is cut to width:










A quick test with the floor material shows things are looking good:










Now the box can be mocked up with the floor in place. Here's a view of the floor and how it fits into the dado before the last side gets put into place:










And the box has a floor:










Here's a close up of the inside:










And the box bottom:










Next is the glue up.


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

Time for the glue up. 1st the inside surfaces are finish sanded with 220 grit sandpaper. Then some blue tape is used to prevent any squeeze out from making a mess.










Note how a square is clamped in place. This is to make sure my box ends up being a square and not a parallelogram. Next the second side is glued. The final side is dry fitted here for alignment purposes:










And the final side and floor get glued and clamped:










After the glue cures I bring all the joints together with some 150 grit sandpaper. A quick mineral spirits wipe shows things are looking good:



















Next comes finishing...


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## S Bolton (Mar 5, 2007)

That is very interesting. Great way to see how things are done. Beautiful box. Can wait until it is done.

SB


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Nick, I've looked through all the "for sale" ads looking to buy some patience, but without success. You are quite amazing in your skill level and patience.


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## S Bolton (Mar 5, 2007)

Whic Incra jig do you have Nickabee? Do you think the original, inexpensive one would work?

SB


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

I have the ultra... I don't know how it compares to the original but as long as it has the same 1/32" locking system I'm sure it would work.


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## BobSch (Sep 11, 2004)

Whew. That's a lot of close tolerance routing. An interesting design using some beautiful wood.


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## bruce thom (Apr 2, 2008)

*zebra wood box*

Thanks for the nice tutorial.
The Incra Jig was noticeable and a nice addition to anyones shop
thanks again Iv''e saved the sequence as my own favorite.
Bru ce


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

A wise man in the RC model airplane world once wrote that finishing a model should take as long as building it. I’m finding this to be true in the woodworking world also. Once a project is glued up reset your timer and expect to take lots of time for a good finish. So let’s get started…

I’ll be using Watco Danish Oil and following the schedule as recommended in Doug Hick’s web seminar on finishes:

http://www.woodworkingonline.com/2007/11/12/podcast-28-oils-and-varnishes/

I highly recommend the 5 buck seminar guide. Doug breaks down many natural finishes step by step.

Since this wood is an exotic from Africa there might be imperfections to deal with. Imperfections like termite holes:










Part of me wants to leave them as is for the sake of conversation. But I’m going after a smooth finish with this project so these holes will have to be filled. Since I can’t run down to Home Depot and pick up Zebrawood colored wood filler I decide to make my own. 1st I collect from Zebrawood sanding dust from my RO sander:










Then I mix it with some polyurethane to make a paste:










Now I use it as I would any other filler. After a few rounds of filling and sanding the holes are filled and smooth:










Now all the outside surfaces are sanded with 220 grit sandpaper and everything is cleaned off with compressed air and a tack cloth:










And we are ready to go:


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

The 1st step is to flood all the surfaces with Danish Oil. I like using a cheapy foam brush for this:










After allowing it to sit for 30 mins more Danish Oil is applied over the areas that are completely absorbed. Then after 15 more mins the entire box is wiped “tight” using T-shirt material:










After curing overnight the 1st coat gets sanded with 320 grit sandpaper wrapped around a cork lined block:










The 2nd coat gets then gets the same treatment as the 1st. 

After curing again overnight the final coat gets wet sanded with wet/dry 400 grit paper:










The surfaces are immediately wiped tight after sanding. And we are done! This finish schedule is almost brainless as it eliminates the possibility of drips and dust nibs. And the final result is glass smooth with the natural colors of the wood enhanced.


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

I’m lucky enough to have a good friend who is an amazing graphic artist with a great SLR and some studio lights. Here are the pics of the completed boxes she took:
























































And remember the termite holes? Here they are all filled and smooth:










I’m glad that they are still noticeable. I can still point them out chat about them.


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## Ray H (Nov 22, 2008)

Absolutely beautiful – the box and the pictorial.

Ray H


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

The boxes are truly works of art in more ways than one. One must always admire workmanship like this. I stand in aw, admiration and maybe just a little jealousy of your ability. My hat is certainly off to you sir.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

WOW! Absolutely Beautiful!


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## Mark (Aug 4, 2004)

Wow that box is just absolutely amazing, very nice wood and very nice job on the construction.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Beautiful color and craftsmanship Nick.


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## rmantell (Sep 23, 2008)

*Craftsmanship*

Thank you for an absolutely superb tutorial. I learned so much. The photography was worthy of "National Geographic" It's really an enriching experience to be a part of this community.
Rick


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## Rannfargen (Aug 20, 2006)

Very nice project, I love the wood.


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## bruce thom (Apr 2, 2008)

*nicely documented and well photographed.
I will be trying, no.. doing mine next week.

*


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## Nickbee (Nov 9, 2007)

Abie said:


> *nicely documented and well photographed.
> I will be trying, no.. doing mine next week.
> 
> *


Great Abie! Let me know if you have any questions once you get started and post some pics!


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## Nanigai (Feb 13, 2009)

Who said simple can't be beautiful. Amazing timber and so well put together. 
I can't wait to try out the techniques you have executed and displayed so well. A truly excellent demonstration of your project. 
Thanks for sharing your expertise.

Cheers, Ian


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## bruce thom (Apr 2, 2008)

Nick:
Nicely done and well documented.
as someone said working with these jigs, you make a lot of firewood before you accomplish this level.
Thanks again for a great presentation.
Bruce


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## vikingcraftsman (Mar 31, 2006)

I have some cherry cabinets to make to help clean up the house. I am going to use your system rather then my half blind dove tail jeg. I hope to have it look like through dove tails. I am still trying to decide wheather I want to use contasting woods or keep it all cherry. I have the cherry all ready in the shop so that is always my hold up on projects. Once the wood is staring at me in the face I will move it down the line. So I will say thank you for showing this now, it gives me a way to make some thing that will last a life time and on.


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## rprice54 (Jan 1, 2006)

Wow. Incredible.


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## gelsee (Jun 20, 2009)

An awesome tutorial for a newbie such as myself.


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