Push-Button Bandsaw Box
How do you open it?
Just push the bottom drawer.
By Alex Snodgrass
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If you've ever been to a woodworking
trade show, you’ve probably seen me demonstrating
on the bandsaw. I’ve been doing it for,
oh, 21 years now–a long run. Last year, I introduced
a box whose drawers pop out with the
push of a button, and folks have loved it. It took me a while to
figure out how to make
the mechanism work, but
it’s really quite simple.
There’s a T-shaped
piece of bent metal hidden
inside the back of the box
(it’s just a mending T-plate
from the hardware store).
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When you push the bottom
drawer, which I call a push
button, the T-plate pivots and pops out the drawers
above. When you push in the
drawers, the T-plate pivots
the opposite way and returns
the push button to its original
position.
If this is your first time
around making a bandsaw
box, don’t worry. This one is
pretty easy, and the pivoting
mechanism really doesn’t
complicate things. The main
idea is that you’ll be cutting
things apart, removing a
waste piece, and gluing the
parts back together. The pictures
on the next two pages
tell the story quite well, but
I’ve also made a video that
shows every step of the process.
Before you begin, make
sure that your bandsaw’s
table is square to the blade,
side-to-side and front-toback.
I use three different
blades for making this
box, and
they really have to be sharp
to accurately cut wood this
thick. Take care when installing
each blade; setting the
guides properly is essential
for you to be able to follow
the cutting lines.
Think carefully about
working safely. Your hands
will often be very near the
blade, but make sure they’re
never in front of the blade’s
teeth. Cut at a slow but
steady pace–don’t force the
cut. A new or sharp blade will
make this much easier.
This complete project plan available from the AW bookstore (see links above and below) also includes 7 helpful tips for making bandsaw boxes.
Click any image to view a larger version.