Name: Fundamentals of Box Design and Construction
Instructor: Matt Kenney
Skill Level: Beginner and Up
Prerequisites: None

Age: You must be at least 18 years old to participate

Format: 5 Day In-Person

September 8th to 12th | 9am to 5pm

Texas Woodworking Festival is the weekend of September 13th and 14th so you can take this class and stick around for a weekend of all things woodworking.

Class Description:

I’ve designed and made an absurd number of boxes over the last 15 years, from tiny ring boxes that fit in the palm of my hand to tea (and jewelry) cabinets that are just as complex as full-size furniture.Along the way, I have learned many valuable lessons about how to design them, which techniques work best for construction, how to weave together design aspirations with the need to make a strong box, and how to finish them. I’ve also taught many box-making courses through the years, and written many articles and two books about them.This course is different from those classes, articles, and even my books.The goal of this course is to share with you the process that carries me from initial design ideas to a completed box. Over the course of 5 days I will help you design a box, select wood for it, and then navigate the construction process.
Day 1 (morning): I will explain how I design a new box. For me, design begins with a blank sheet of paper and a pen, which can be intimidating, especially if you believe that designs spring fully formed from your mind.They do not. Design is an evolutionary process. I’ll design a new box in real time, explaining the decisions I make, answering questions.We’ll discuss things like proportions, how to move from proportions to dimensions, and figuring out how design influences construction.

Day 1 (afternoon):You will apply what you’ve learned, and design your own box. Of course, I will be there to help, offering design suggestions, and tips for good construction.

Day 2 (morning):We head to a local lumberyard to pick you boards for your box. First, I’ll explain how I read and pick lumber for my work, then I’ll help you do the same.

Day 2 (afternoon): Milling! From jointing and planing, to resawing, to cutting parts to their final dimensions:We will do it all! I’ll also discuss the timing of when you should mill different parts of the box, how to compensate for wood movement, and other related concerns.

Day 3: Finally, we start making boxes! I’ll demonstrate how I cut miters and rabbets, the two joints I use the most in my boxes.After that, you get to work.The goal today is to have your box body glued together before you leave.

Day 4: Making the lid and bottom. All of my bottoms are made from plywood and covered in shopsawn veneers. I’ll teach how to make veneer, and an easy way to glue them to the plywood.Tops can be either plywood core, or solid wood. I’ll explain who to work with both.

Day 5: Details and finish:We’ll start by making pulls and gluing them to the box top.Then, I’ll demonstrate a quick shellac finish that’s nonetheless beautiful.

You will need the follow to complete the box:

• Standard layout tools: tape measure, combination square, 6” and 12” rules, 0.5 mechanical pencil with leads, small try square
• Block plane (If you dont have one you can borrow one of the school’s)
• Chisels:1/4”,1/2”,3/4”
• Mix Media Sketchbook, like the Canson XL (7 x 10 in. size)
• Pigma Micron Pen (size 05)
• Drafting triangle (can be a 90/45/45 or 30/60/90 triangle)
• Pad of graph paper (I use Bienfang 10 x 10 gridded paper), 8.5 x 11 size is fine
• Materials – We will go to the lumber yard together to select and buy wood. You may also bring your own wood.

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