Wine Gift Box

Instructions

1. 1. Make the Sides

   • Start by cutting a 1/2" x 6 oak board to a rough length of about 32".
   • Then, create a dado (recess in the board) that the box lid will slide in later. To do that, set your Dremel 4000 Rotary Tool up in the Plunge Router Attachment and Dremel's 1/4" straight router bit.
   • Set the bit location, as shown on the part illustration.
   • Set the depth of the bit for the first pass about 1/16" deep. With the Dremel 4000 off the work piece, start the tool and make the first pass along the entire edge of the board.
   • Adjust the depth of the bit slightly and make another pass.
   • Repeat this until you reach the depth of 1/4".
   • Sand the face of the board, as well as the dado.
   

2. 2. Make the Tall End

   Clamp a 1/2" x 4 x 48" oak board to a work surface. Using the same router setting and process you used on the Sides, rout a dado on one end of the board.

   

3. 3. Cut the Ends and Bottom to Length

   Mark out the Tall End, Short End and the Bottom, as shown in the cutting diagram, and cut them to length with the Dremel Saw-Max.

4. 4. Drill Pocket Holes in Bottom

   Set your Kreg Pocket-Hole Jig up to drill in 1/2" thick material using the Kreg Micro-Pocket™ Drill Guide. Drill pocket holes in the Bottom at the locations shown.

   

5. 5. Attach the Ends to the Bottom

   Apply a small amount of glue along the lower edge of the Tall End and the Short End, and then clamp them to the Bottom as shown. Make sure the dado on the Tall End faces toward the inside of the box. Carefully secure the parts with #6 x 1" fine-thread Kreg Screws.

   

6. 6. Add the Sides

   • With the Ends secured to the Bottom, you can now add the Sides.
   • Apply a bit of glue along of one edge of the Bottom and Ends.
   • Position the first Side so it is flush with the Ends and Bottom as shown.
   • Clamp it in place and secure the parts with #6 x 1" fine-thread Kreg Screws.
   • Repeat this same process to attach the other Side.
   

7. 7. Make the Lid Parts

   • From a 1/4" x 6 oak board, cut the Lid Bottom to final width, as shown in the cut diagram.
   • Cut the Lid Bottom to final length, as shown.
   • Next, from a 1/4" thick x 4 oak board, cut the Lid Top to length, as shown.
   

8. 8. Laminate the Lid and Drill the Hole

   • Sand the underside three edges of the Lid Bottom until it slides in and out of the dadoes in the box easily.
   • Place the Lid Bottom in the closed position on the box.
   • Mark the location of the three inside edges of the box onto the top of the Lid with a pencil. This will be the position in which you will glue the Lid Top to the Lid Bottom.
   • Then, remove the Lid Bottom from the box.
   • Apply glue to the underside of the Lid Top and sandwich the two parts together.
   • Position the Lid Top against the pencil lines you marked. Secure the two parts with clamps and allow the glue to dry.
   

9. 9. Sand the Project Smooth

   After the glue dries, sand any rough edges on the lid and any additional material off the bottom edge to ensure a smooth fit. Test fit the Lid. Give the rest of the box exterior a final sanding and then wipe it down to remove dust.

10. 10. Trace the Pattern and Engrave

    • Print out an image you’d like to transfer onto the box from any common printer.
    • Place carbon paper under the print-out, position it where you would like it on the box, and secure it with tape. With a pencil, trace over every line of your image. This will transfer the image onto the box. To engrave the pattern into the box, we used the Dremel Stylo+ and you can use either the 105 1/32" Engraving Cutter or 191 1/8" High Speed Cutter.
    • Once you’ve completed your engraving, sand the Lid and box one more time and wipe away all dust. Head to the Extras tab for PDF copies of the graphics we used to engrave this box.

11. 11. Apply a Finish

    With the box cleaned, it’s time to apply a stain. We used a gel stain for this project. A gel stain is thick, almost like pudding. This allows the stain to build up in the engraved areas and make them darker than the rest of the project. This highlights the engraving. After the stain has dried, apply a couple coats of a polyurethane to help protect the box.

12. 12. Give the Box as a Gift

    With the gift box complete, you can load it up with something you know the recipient will enjoy. When they receive your gift, they’re bound to love the box it came in as much, or more, than whatever you put inside.

13. 13. Cut the Sides to Length

    • Mark the final length of the Sides (as shown in the cutting diagram), measuring from each end of the board, so the leftover material is in the middle of the board. Secure the board to a work surface and cross-cut the Sides to final length with the Dremel Saw-Max using the SM500 Multi-Purpose Cutting Blade.
    • Sand the cut edge as needed.