BEADS OF COURAGE BOXES USING BIRD’S MOUTH ROUTER BITS
FOR STAVE CONSTRUCTION
Part A
REFERENCE: LEE VALLEY TOOLS-BIRD’S-MOUTH JOINERY BITS
http://www.leevalley.com/US/shopping/Instructions.aspx?=45202
MATERIALS NEEDED:
1. ROUTER TABLE WITH ROUTER
2. BIRD’S MOUTH BITS FOR 6, 8, 16, or 12 STAVES
3. ONE-INCH OR 4/4 LUMBER OF CHOICE (Not less than .75” finished)
4. LUMBER FOR BASE AND TOP OF BOX (3/4”to 7/8”)
5. THREE HOSE CLAMPS OF SUITABLE DIAMETER PER BOX (5.5” to 7.5”)
6. LATHE FOR TURNING BOX
7. LATHE TOOLS FOR TURNING
8. TITE BOND III GLUE OR SUITABLE WOOD GLUE
9. TWO FACE PLATES WITH 4” TO 5” DIAMETER GLUE BLOCKS ATTACHED
10. FINISH OF YOUR CHOICE SUCH AS WATCO DANISH OIL OR DEFT SPRAY.
NICE TO HAVE ACCESSORIES (OR A FRIEND WITH THE ACCESSORIES):
1. COLE JAWS OR OTHER CHUCK FOR REVERSE CHUCKING THE FINISHED BOX TO DO
THE BOTTOM.
2. JOINTER, CHOP SAW, OR TABLE SAW FOR MILLING LUMBER TO BE USED.
3. BEALL BUFFING SYSTEM.
4. AN EXTRA PAIR OF HAND (Invite a buddy over)
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STEPS IN COMPLETING BOX
1. MILL LUMBER ON FOUR SIDES, THICKNESS SHOULD BE .75” TO .875”.
2. LENGTHS OF MILLED LUMBER SHOULD VARY FROM 2’ TO 4’ FOR EASE OF HANDLING.
3. RIP MILLED LUMBER TO PROPER WIDTH:
a. 6 SIDES, WIDTH OF BOARD=DIAMETER/1.7
b. 8 SIDES, WIDTH OF BOARD=DIAMETER/2.4 FOR EXAMPLE: EIGHT STAVES
FOR A 7.5” DIAMETER BOX, THE BOARD WIDTH= 3.125”
c. 12 SIDES, WIDTH OF BOARD=DIAMETER/3.7
d. 16 SIDES, WIDTH OF BOARD=DIAMETER/5.0
4. USING BIRD’S MOUTH ROUTER BIT, CUT BIRD’S MOUTH ALONG ONE OF THE
THICKNESS SIDES. USE LUMBER OF LENGTHS 2’ TO 4’ FOR EASE OF HANDLING. EACH
PIECE OF LUMBER SHOULD BE RUN THROUGH THE ROUTER BEFORE ADJUSTING
FENCE TO MAKE A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT PASS. YOU CAN ALSO RUN EACH OF
THE STAVES THROUGH INDIVIDUALLY.
5. CUT EACH 2’ TO 4’ LENGTH INTO SMALLER PIECES EQUAL TO THE CHOSEN HEIGHT
OF THE BOX. THESE PIECES CAN BE CUT ON THE TABLE SAW OR CHOP SAW AND
SHOULD ALL BE THE SAME LENGTH. CUTTING THE STAVES TO LENGTH CAN BE DONE
BEFORE OR AFTER USING THE ROUTER TABLE.
6. DRY CLAMP THE PIECES FOR A BOX TOGETHER TO CHECK THE FIT, IF SATISFACTORY,
THEN BEGIN THE GLUING PROCESS.
7. FOR EXAMPLE, USING 8 STAVES, GLUE TWO STAVES TOGETHER AT A TIME, THEN
COMBINE INTO FOUR PIECES THEN COMBINE THE TWO FOUR-PIECES TO COMPLETE
AN EIGHT SIDED BOX. USE A SIMILAR PROCESS FOR BOXES WITH A DIFFERENT
NUMBER OF STAVES. TRY TO GET THE BOTTOM OF THE STAVES IN THE SAME PLANE
TO REDUCE ANY TOUCH UP SANDING OF THE BOTTOM OF THE STAVES. BOTTOM
CAN BE HAND SANDED OR A DISC SANDER CAN BE USED TO ENSURE THE BOTTOM
OF THE STAVE CYLINDER IS FLAT. (Extra pair of hands very helpful)
8. ONCE ALL SIDES ARE GLUED TOGETHER, USING THREE HOSE CLAMPS PER BOX,
CLAMP THE PIECES TOGETHER—(A buddy is very helpful at this stage)
9. LET THE GLUED STAVE CYLINDER CURE OVERNIGHT.
10. THE TURNING OF THE BOX CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED ONE OF SEVERAL WAYS. YOU
MAY BE ABLE TO THINK OF ANOTHER WAY SUITABLE FOR YOU.
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METHOD 1.
a. PREPARE CONES LARGE ENOUGH TO FIT IN BOTH THE ENDS OF THE HOLLOW
STAVES (One attached to a chuck for the headstock and one for the tail stock.
A SMALL SHOULDER CAN BE TURNED ON EACH CONE SO THE CYLINDER FITS
FLAT AGAINST THE CONE.
b. TURN THE STAVES TO A ROUND CYLINDER AND SAND BUT DO NOT FINISH.
PREPARE THE BASE OF THE BOX BY TAPING THE BOTTOM OF THE BASE TO A
GLUE BLOCK WITH DOUBE FACED TAPE AND TURN ROUND TO SAME
DIAMETER AS THE STAVE CYLINDER (Can be slightly larger).
c. GLUE THE STAVE CYLINDER TO THE BASE AFTER ENSURING THE BOTTOM OF
THE STAVES ARE IN THE SAME PLANE AND THE BASE IS FLAT.
d. CENTERING THE STAVE CYLINDER ON THE BASE IS CRITICAL. USE A PRESS OF
YOUR CHOICE TO CLAMP THE BASE AND STAVES TOGETHER. LET GLUE CURE.
e. TURN THE BASE & STAVES ROUND AND HOLLOW THE INSIDE OR LEAVE THE
INSIDE AS A POLYGON (Hand sand the inside if left as a polygon). SAND TO 400
GRIT.
f. PREPARE TOP OF BOX BY TAPING THE BOTTOM OF THE TOP TO A GLUE BLOCK
AND TURN ROUND. FIT THE TOP TO THE TOP OF THE STAVES AS YOU DESIRE.
REMOVE TOP FROM GLUE BLOCK AND TAPE THE TOP TO THE TOP OF STAVES
TO FINISH THE TOP. WHEN TOP IS FINISHED AND SANDED REMOVE IT.
g. REMOVE THE BOX (BASE/STAVES) FROM THEIR GLUE BLOCK. REVERSE CHUCK
TO FINISH THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX (Cole Jaws work very well for this).
h. FINISH AS DESIRED.
METHOD 2.
ALMOST THE SAME AS METHOD 1, EXCEPT THE STAVE CYLINDER IS GLUED TO
THE BASE PRIOR TO TURNING THE STAVE CYLINER ROUND—THE BOTTOM OF
THE STAVES AND THE BASE BOTH MUST BE SUPERFLAT SO THAT A GOOD GLUE
JOINT IS ACHIEVED. IF DONE WELL, AFTER TURNING THE GLUED BASE AND
STAVES ROUND ANY DESCREPANCY AS SEEN INSIDE THE CYLINDER RELATIVE
TO CENTERING SHOULD BE NEGLIGIBLE.
OTHER METHODS: To be determined by the individual woodturner.
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NOTE: For a given cutter and outside diameter, there is a minimum material thickness
that can be used and still made round. This thickness can be determined by using one of the
formulae below. The formulae allow for a minimum wall thickness equal to 2/3 of the initial
minimum material thickness.
6-sided: Thickness=Diameter/6.3
8-sided: Thickness=Diameter/10.1
12-sided: Thickness=Diameter/20.9
16-sided: Thickness=Diameter/36
This handout prepared by Jon Searles (972-484-2595) and Mark Duval (214-358-4709).
Any questions may be directed to either person. Let us know if you have another
method of construction for the stave box.
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Photographs of stages of assembly of the Beads of Courage Box
Figure 1: Prepared blanks for top, base and staves of a 6” diameter, 8 stave, 5” high Beads of
Courage Box.
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Figure 2: Base has been flattened on both sides. Base is mounted to a glue block with
double-face tape.
Figure 3: Base turned round to the selected box diameter.
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Figure 4: Material prepared for assembly (rounded base on glue block, staves routed along one
edge using bird’s mouth router bit and rounded blank for the top of box).
Figure 5: Staves dry fitted and clamped prior to gluing. Two or three clamps can be used.
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Figure 6: Glue up sequence. Glue pairs together, then glue two pairs together to form half a
cylinder, then glue two half cylinders to form the stave cylinder. Place two or three clamps on
the glued cylinder and tighten ensuring that joints are tight and aligned and bottom of all
staves lie in the same plane. Let glued cylinder cure overnight.
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Figure 7: Remove clamps from the cylinder and check bottom of staves. Hand sanding on a
piece of 100 grit should remove any slight differences so that the bottom of all staves are in
the same plane .
Figure 8: Glue cylinder to base. Pay careful attention to getting the cylinder centered on the
base. This can be done by feel or by using a tail stock cone after mounting the base and
cylinder on the lathe.
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