Author of 52 Boxes in 52 Weeks and woodworking educator, Matt Kenney shares his tips on box making from design to finishing.
“You can see the difference between something that’s made with love and care, and something that’s just made.” For Matt Kenney woodworking is an expression of his humanity and box making is clearly something he does with love, care, and expert execution.
In this four-part video series, author and educator Kenney reveals his secrets from design, stock preparation, joinery, and finishing.
Learn about fundamental considerations in box design and explore techniques to help you iterate on ideas more successfully.
Learn Matt’s three-step milling process from the jointer, planer, and bandsaw to create edge grain stock for boxes.
Unevenly spaced box joints are a thing of beauty. See how Matt designs and cuts these with Shaper Origin and Workstation.
Discover the secrets to working with shellac, plus learn about adding color to your boxes with milk paints and fabrics.
01 | Box Making Design
02 | Stock Preparation
03 | Cutting Box Joints
04 | Finishing Tips and Techniques
Finger joints are strong, but when spaced evenly look mechanized and industrial. So, I space them like my dovetails so that the fingers are not all the same size. The result is a beautiful joint with a human touch. The warmth of the English brown oak lid and Western hemlock sides soften the joint’s industrial edge even more.