Learning how to make band saw boxes is a fun way to improve your band saw skills while creating beautiful woodworking projects. These three designs—a leaf-shaped lidded box, a compact hinged box, and a miniature chest of drawers—each start with a solid or glued-up wood blank. With a carefully planned sequence of cuts, the box, lid, drawers, and interior spaces are revealed.
In the video above, Chris, Phil, and Logan show how these three unique band saw boxes come together. Each project explores a different approach to the technique, making them great projects whether you're building your first band saw box or looking for new ideas to try.
Get the complete step-by-step Band Saw Box plans from WoodsmithPlans.com.
How Band Saw Boxes Are Made
Band saw boxes have always captivated me. The first time I watched someone make one, I was amazed that you could create such an interesting container primarily with one woodworking machine. And to me, that was just plain cool.
The basic process is surprisingly straightforward. You start with a solid wood blank or a block laminated from several pieces. A series of carefully planned band saw cuts separates the back, removes material for the interior, creates drawers or compartments, and establishes the outside shape. Selected pieces are then glued back together before the box receives its final shaping and sanding.
The order of those cuts is important. You're essentially revealing the different parts of the box from inside a single block of wood. Once you understand the process, there's almost no limit to the shapes and designs you can create.
These three band saw box plans, designed by Woodsmith creative director Chris Fitch, are a great introduction to the technique. Each project takes a slightly different approach and helps develop skills you can apply to your own band saw box designs.
Make a Leaf-Shaped Lidded Band Saw Box
The leaf-shaped box is a great example of how a simple wood blank can become a flowing, sculptural project. The box is cut from a single piece of solid wood, so there's no complicated joinery involved. Instead, the band saw establishes the graceful outside profile while a sequence of cuts creates the hollow interior and matching lid.
This project is also an excellent opportunity to showcase an attractive piece of hardwood. Curly maple, walnut, cherry, or another figured wood can turn the simple shape into something special. After the band saw work is complete, careful shaping and sanding smooth the curves and refine the finished profile.
The result is an elegant little keepsake or jewelry box that looks much more complicated than it is to build.
Build a Hinged Band Saw Box
The second design adds another dimension to the band saw box technique. This compact hinged box starts with a laminated blank made from contrasting woods. The different layers become part of the finished design, creating decorative stripes that follow the curves of the box.
A carefully planned series of band saw cuts creates the exterior profile, hollow interior, lid, and other components. After the parts are reassembled, the box receives its final shaping and sanding before the hinged lid is installed.
This is also a project where you can experiment with your own design ideas. Changing the wood species, thickness, or arrangement of the laminated layers can dramatically change the appearance without changing the basic construction process.
Create a Miniature Chest of Drawers
The miniature chest of drawers may be the most surprising of the three projects. At first glance, it looks like a tiny piece of traditional furniture. But like the other designs, its construction relies heavily on a clever sequence of band saw cuts.
Starting with a thick wood blank, you'll cut the outside profile and remove sections that eventually become the functional drawers. Those pieces are hollowed, fitted, and reassembled to create a compact chest with two working drawers.
Accurate band saw work is especially important here. Clean, controlled cuts help create a better drawer fit and minimize the amount of sanding and fitting required later.
Add a couple of small drawer pulls and your favorite finish, and the completed project looks like a miniature piece of fine furniture. It's perfect for jewelry, keepsakes, or other small items.
Band Saw Skills You'll Learn
Although these three boxes look impressive, they're surprisingly approachable. More importantly, each one gives you a chance to practice useful band saw techniques.
You'll learn how to cut smooth curves, hollow a solid blank, resaw parts from a workpiece, fit drawers and lids, work with laminated stock, and plan a sequence of cuts so pieces can be separated and glued back together with minimal evidence of the original saw kerf.
A sharp blade and a properly set up band saw will make the process easier. Take your time with the cuts, stay on your layout lines, and leave yourself enough material for final sanding and fitting.
As you build each project, you'll begin to see why band saw boxes are such a great skill-building exercise. The same basic techniques can be adapted to completely different shapes and styles.
Great Projects for Figured Wood and Shop Scraps
Another advantage of making small band saw boxes is that they don't require a lot of lumber. That makes them ideal for those interesting hardwood offcuts you've been saving because they're too nice to throw away.
A small piece of curly maple, walnut, cherry, mahogany, or another figured hardwood can become the focal point of a box. You can also laminate contrasting species together to create stripes and patterns like those used on the hinged box.
The finished projects make great handmade gifts, jewelry boxes, keepsake boxes, desk organizers, or decorative accents. They're also small enough that you can build one without committing to a long furniture project.
Get the Band Saw Box Plans
Once you understand how a band saw box is made, it's easy to see why these projects are so addictive. A simple block of wood can become a surprisingly sophisticated box with little more than a thoughtful design and the right sequence of cuts.
The downloadable Woodsmith plan includes all three designs—the leaf-shaped lidded box, hinged box, and miniature chest of drawers—with measured drawings, illustrations, and step-by-step instructions to guide you through the cutting and assembly process.
Build all three to develop your skills, then use what you've learned to start experimenting with band saw box designs of your own.
Ready to head to the shop? Get the complete step-by-step plans for all three Band Saw Boxes at WoodsmithPlans.com
