little boxes

I love making boxes: plenty of scope for challenging hand-skills, but possible in a small space with minimal tools and materials and no heavy lifting.

A box is in effect a cabinet laid on its back - so the same principles and challenges apply but on a smaller scale - so the tolerances become even finer since a minute gap or discrepancy will look enormous on a small piece.

Every style, no matter how simple, has its own challenges. Hinged lids demand very precise fitting work if the hinges are to work well and look neat; loose lids can be replaced different ways round and any error in the squareness of the corners will be doubled to the observer.

Corners can be mitred - a joint that looks deceptively easy - or jointed in a variety of ways. Mitres and dovetails are my favourites because each in its own way looks beautiful and each makes its own demands on the hand-skills of the maker.