# Making a simple box stunning!
**URL:** https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987
**Category:** Projects
**Created:** [March 6, 2016, 8:07pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987 "2016-03-06T20:07:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@KenMcphee](https://community.inventables.com/u/KenMcphee)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2016, 8:07pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/1 "2016-03-06T20:07:21Z")
Thanks to the X-carve I have taken what is a simple keepsake box and made it something special with a personalized inlay
 
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### Author:  [@ErikJenkins](https://community.inventables.com/u/ErikJenkins)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2016, 8:07pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/2 "2016-03-06T20:07:59Z")
Beautiful! Nice job.
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### Author:  [@BrandonTaber](https://community.inventables.com/u/BrandonTaber)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/3 "2016-03-07T01:39:16Z")
Great job. Liking the lego touch.
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### Author:  [@JkWestphal](https://community.inventables.com/u/JkWestphal)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2016, 4:12am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/4 "2016-03-07T04:12:50Z")
Sweet piece
How did you go about cutting the dovetails? by hand or machine? if the latter, which one? I like the spacing of the pins as it does not look too cluttered…
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### Author:  [@KenMcphee](https://community.inventables.com/u/KenMcphee)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2016, 4:59am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/5 "2016-03-07T04:59:56Z")
The joinery is hand cut. They are full-pitch dovetails rather than the half-pitch. I also like the less busy look, thanks!
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### Author:  [@Ebr](https://community.inventables.com/u/Ebr)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2016, 10:38am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/6 "2016-03-07T10:38:26Z")
That is truly beautiful! 👍
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### Author:  [@MidnightMaker](https://community.inventables.com/u/MidnightMaker)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/8 "2016-03-07T14:46:52Z")
Nice box, but really well done dovetails! Those are not easy to get so crisp looking. I too am not familiar with half vs. full pitch dovetails and I’m pretty well-versed in woodworking vernacular.
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### Author:  [@KenMcphee](https://community.inventables.com/u/KenMcphee)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/9 "2016-03-07T22:26:19Z")
What I was taught by my grandfather was that half-pitch dovetails are cut at approx .75" centers and full-pitch at 1.5" centers. That was his sizing for average sized drawer boxes. I’ve found throughout the years that regardless of the size of dovetail, I just double the spacing for full-pitch and less cluttered joints.
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### Author:  [@Mike](https://community.inventables.com/u/Mike)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/10 "2016-03-08T02:26:27Z")
Beautiful! What kind of wood is that?
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### Author:  [@MidnightMaker](https://community.inventables.com/u/MidnightMaker)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/11 "2016-03-11T14:30:10Z")
Thanks for the explanation, @KenMcphee! Interesting. Is that related to using 3/4" wood?
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### Author:  [@KenMcphee](https://community.inventables.com/u/KenMcphee)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2016, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/12 "2016-03-11T14:59:22Z")
The thickness of the wood doesn’t really come into play with the distance between pins and tails. I like to spread the pins out and have longer tails simply for the esthetics.
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### Author:  [@BrianM](https://community.inventables.com/u/BrianM)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/13 "2016-03-11T16:21:03Z")
Great box! Love the wood… Love the H on the helmet ([my boys wear H’s](http://img.deseretnews.com/images/article/midres2/1627062/1627062.jpg) 😃 )
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### Author:  [@KenMcphee](https://community.inventables.com/u/KenMcphee)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/14 "2016-03-11T17:22:21Z")
It’s Black Walnut.
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### Author:  [@KenMcphee](https://community.inventables.com/u/KenMcphee)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/15 "2016-03-11T17:23:53Z")
My sons name is Henderson, try to brand all the things I make for him with an “H”
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### Author:  [@TheodoreSykora](https://community.inventables.com/u/TheodoreSykora)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2016, 1:40am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/16 "2016-03-13T01:40:22Z")
not just a simple box. a nice dovetailed piece of art to begin with but made even nicer.
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### Author:  [@DavidWestley](https://community.inventables.com/u/DavidWestley)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2016, 12:09pm UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/17 "2016-03-13T12:09:05Z")
Love seeing skilled woodwork. Dovetails have to be one of the most difficult, “simple” woodworking tasks.
As a tradesman in the metalworking field, I used to brag tha I could disassemble a broken device and machine a new version of whatever was broken and then reassemble it. Wood always left me wondering. In metal, I can machine close tolerances and build-up surfaces that have worn away.
In wood, you either get it right, or you begin again. There’s no welding or filling of gaps.
Nicely done.
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### Author:  [@KenMcphee](https://community.inventables.com/u/KenMcphee)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/18 "2016-03-16T00:53:12Z")
David,
Thank you! I was blessed with an amazing grandfather who had a Japanese detail saw In my hands before I could read.
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### Author:  [@DavidWestley](https://community.inventables.com/u/DavidWestley)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2016, 8:24am UTC](https://community.inventables.com/t/making-a-simple-box-stunning/20987/19 "2016-03-16T08:24:05Z")
I’d be very interested in your thoughts and opinion on the japanese saws - I have a flexible flush-cut saw with that typ of tooth pattern, but I’ve always used a traditional tenon saw, cross-cut and rip-saw (and the three finger, one thumb grip). I suspect these finetooth saws would produce a nice cut, but I’ve not had the $$ to buy a good quality Japanese saw to try, and I’m a little dubious about the two handed grip.