Master of Disguise

Rob Brown designs and builds custom furniture and is the editor of Canadian Woodworking and Home Improvement magazine. www.canadianwoodworking.com

Tools

• Dress a board long enough to obtain sides to final thickness and width.Determine how long your sides/ends need to be by adding the length/width of your tissue box, twice the thickness of the sides/ends, and an extra 1/4” gap to be able to fit the tissue box inside the wood box.
• Mark lines on board to cut, alternating with one side, one end, one side, one end. Be sure to leave 1/2” gaps between each part to allow for the initial saw kerf, as well as the subsequent bevel cuts. (photo 1)
• Machine a 1/4” wide rabbet in the inside of the sides/ends to accept the top. (photo 2)
• Crosscut the sides and ends apart from one another.
• With a table saw sled, cut bevels on one end of all of the four parts, being sure not to remove more than 1/16” of overall length off each part. (photo 3)
• Set up a stop and bevel the two sides to finished length.
• Set up a stop and bevel the two ends to finished length.
• Determine the dimensions of the top, taking into account the tenons on the edge of the top. (photo 4)
• Break the top out but keep it at least 12” longer than it needs to be. This allows easier control of the top blank while machining the groove on a router table.
• Mark the size of the top on the blank and add the location of the groove in the top.

• Set up your router table with a straight bit and a fence to guide the top blank. Ensure the bit is raised to a height that will protrude through the top.
• Rather than machine this groove in one pass (which can lead to a poor cut and can be dangerous) clamp a few pieces of 1/8” thick material to the router tabletop.
• Add stop blocks to mark the beginning and ending of the pass to give you a groove of the correct length.
• Make your first pass, then remove one of the 1/8” thick shims, make another pass, etcetera, until your groove is complete. (photos 5 and 6)
• Mark the top, cut it to size, and machine a rabbet around its four edges.
• Check for fit, making any adjustments to the width of the tenon so it fits properly into the groove.
• Sand the visible surface of the top.
• Use masking tape to secure three of the bevelled corners together, face down on a flat surface. (photo 7)
• Flip the parts over, add glue to the bevels and wrap the four parts together, while inserting the top into the groove. (photos 8 and 9)
• Apply tape across the final bevelled corner, ensure the assembly is square, then set it aside to dry.
• Sand the visible surfaces and ease the edges. Apply a finish.​