Max diameter for end grain boxes?

[Dan Forman]

Is there a diameter beyond which it is risky to go for end grain boxes that will maintain a good fitting top, given that it is dried properly and allowed to rest for a day or so before final fitting? What is your comfort zone on this? Thanks in advance.

Dan

[Doug Herzberg]

Dan, I've done pine vases up to 10 or 12" and they seem pretty stable. The largest box I've done was about 5" but I just haven't had a reason to do a bigger one. Someone was doing canisters for coffee that looked pretty big. Was that Curt Fuller?

[Thom Sturgill]

I did a 6" dia canister from dry walnut. Its been stable for about a year and a half now. Lid still has a suction fit.

[Bruce Pratt]

Also done them in the 5-6" range with good stability. About tightness of the lid, I have found that my customers generally do not like super tight lids (even though turners do...); either the lid is too difficult to take off with one hand, or the lid is just tight enough so that lifting up on the lid results in the bottom of the box falling onto the table or floor... One approach I have taken is to put a strip of adhesive backed cork (1/4" x 1/16" thickness) around the outside of the tenon (or inside of "mortise") of the box. This gives an easier opening, but still reasonably air-tight closure.

[Jamie Donaldson]

Of course the ideal to assure uniform fit is to cut the top from the same blank as the body, and you will still frequently end up with a twist lock fit!

[robert baccus]

Depends--how big is your lathe?

[Hayes Rutherford]

On loose fitting lids with a knob, the sky is the limit but with a suction fit lid, unless you can grasp top and bottom of the box to overcome the suction (about the size of a mason jar ?) the usefulness would decline.

[Barry Richardson]

Agree with all the above. I have hollowed some very large cylinders, up to a foot or so diameter, but when you get real big, you have to start thinking about making the lids and bottoms out of separate pieces. I usually do it with some contrasting woods. I've made quite a few canisters this way. Turning purist wouldn't consider them a true "box" though...

[Reed Gray]

For a threaded box, about 1 1/2 inch max, and that can be pushing it. For canister type boxes, I have gone 5 inches with no problems. I do cut the lid from the same piece, and for getting the grain to match. They will move the same during humidity changes, so they are tight for 1/4 turn, perfect for 1/4, tight, and then perfect again. Wood always moves. For a suction type fit that isn't really that tight, if the wood grain is really straight, if you use about a 1/2 inch or longer tenon, and leave the fit a hair loose, there will be a woosh as you lift the lid off.Sides must be perfectly parallel.

robo hippy

[Dan Forman]

Thanks for all of the replies! I didn't think there should be a problem, but most of the boxes I've seen have been relatively small, so thought I'd check.

Dan