How to Make a Coin Box
Intro: How to Make a Coin Box
In this Instructable I'm going to show you how I made some coin boxes out of white oak for some relatives of mine that are coin collectors and Tennessee Vol fans! (Hence the orange dye stain)
For more details, you watch the video above or read the in depth article on my website.
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links.
STEP 1: Collect Materials
I made my boxes out of some rough 4/4 white oak I had on hand. But if you're not set up to work with rough lumber then find some 1/4" or 3/8" thick stock at your home improvement center.
The materials I used were:
The tools I used were:
*only needed if you're working with rough lumber.
STEP 2: Break Down Your Lumber
The first step is breaking down your lumber!
If you're using rough lumber, you'll need to mill it to size. I jointed, planed, ripped, and re-sawed mine to about 3/8" thick for the sides, and 1/4" for the top and bottom. Then cut the pieces to length.
If you're working with ready to use lumber, just cut it to the width and lengths needed for whatever size you want your box to be.
STEP 3: Miter the Sides
I prefer to miter on my table saw with my miter gage. For best results, do some test cuts first to make sure your blade is right on 45 degrees!
First I just cut a miter on one end, and then set up the stop block on my miter gage to make sure the pieces are all the same size.
STEP 4: Cut in the Dadoes
I used a flat tooth rip blade in my table saw to cut the dadoes for the top and bottom of the box. I also cut the top of the front pieces of the boxes so there would be a place for the top to slide in and out (skip ahead and look at the pics if this doesn't make sense).
STEP 5: Glue Up the Sides and Bottom
Before gluing I sanded the inside, this will be a lot harder after the glue up! Then I taped off the inside to make cleaning up any glue squeeze out a lot easier.
For a small box like this, tape gives ample clamping pressure so I prepped all the corner with tape before applying and spreading the glue.
Once the glue is on, I inserted the bottom into the dado, wrapped up the box and secured the last corner with tape.
STEP 6: Prep the Box for Finish
Before finishing the top piece and applying finish, I remove all the tape and give the outside of the box a good sanding. I take this opportunity to break all the corners so they're not too sharp.
STEP 7: Finishing Touches on the Top
I insert the top into the dado and mark how long it needs to be before cutting it to length.
Then I beveled the edges with a hand plane so it'll slide a little easier in the dadoes.
Next up is a finger hole to make it easier to pull out the top, I used a 5/8" forstner bit for this.
Then sand, sand, sand!
STEP 8: Apply Finish!
I wanted to dye this orange because I made them for some Tennessee Vols fans, so I put on two coats of orange dye stain. I like the way dye stain doesn't hide the grain but helps the rays pop!
The stain doesn't offer any protection though, so I hit it with several coats of spray lacquer. Make sure to do this somewhere with plenty of ventilation.
STEP 9: Enjoy!
They're all done, so now it's time to load them up with coins, give them away, or do whatever you made them for! Hope you enjoyed this!