The Box

Sometimes doing school in the shop is fun. Sometimes it is not.

Sometimes, when your sisters get done before you and get to play with the world’s greatest toy (the shop vac), it is just downright awful.

That’s why it is important to have an incentive for a small man to work for. In this case, Mommy texted from work to let us know that the theme for Seppi’s presentation at homeschool co-op was “something I built.”

That means we need to build something.

Fortunately, Daddy had just finished making a new crosscut jig for the table saw and was anxious to try it out, so we grabbed some scrap pine lumber from some shelving units we had taken apart a few years ago.

Some quick scribing and cutting and Mr. Sep had all the pieces he needed to glue up a box.

The clamping was a little finicky because we don’t have any right angle clamps yet, but with a little help he got it. We let the glue dry while we did some pasture work.

Afterwards we cross drilled the corners and tapped in some scrap oak dowel to help support the glue.

Last piece to cut was the lid. We scribed that to another piece of scrap pine and quickly cut it out on the table saw, including cutting rabbets so that it could sit down inside the box itself.

Last step is staining the piece. The girls have been told that this is not their project and they are not to try to “help” (a.k.a. take it over).

They did a good job holding their horses, but it was very difficult.

And now to wait and let the stain dry for the next two days.

Job well done!

Presenting… the box
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