From WoodworkersZone WoodWiki
Candy Dispenser build-along created by NoTalentRookie.
I promised a couple of folks that I'd take pictures on my next Candy Dispenser build. It looks like this is going to be this years Christmas project for me.
I realize this is child's play for a lot of woodworkers here, but we all had to start somewhere. I didn't know crap when I joined this forum (ed. this was first published on Woodnet), and folks sharing is how I learned what little I know now. That is the spirit in which I'm posting this. There might be a few people out there that this will help. If so...then it was worth my time doing it.
Okey-dokey then. Here we go:
I guess I'll list dimensions of the pieces, but you can make them any size you like. I actually just started building, but I did measure after I cut the pieces in case anybody needed measurements.
Base and Top are 5" x 5" x 1/2" thick.
Box sides are 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" x 1/2".
Pull out slide bar is 1 3/4" wide x 1 1/16" thick x 8" long.
Dispenser chute is 5" long x 1 1/2" wide x 1 1/16" thick.
Chute sides are 5" long x 1 1/16" tall x 1/8" thick.
Slide bar handle is 3/8" x 7/16" x 3 3/4" nominal.
Hole in top, and slide bar is 1 3/8".
The hole in the slide bar is drilled 3" on center, from the front of the bar.
The first picture is the stock that I'm starting with. Believe it or not, it's some of Bone's cherry. The shorts were given to me by a guy named John, whom I bought my jointer from. He got 'em it from Bones, so he said.
I had to resaw it down, to get it to half inch. Didn't snap any pictures on the band saw...but here it 'tis coming to final thickness.
This is my thin strip ripping jig. It allows me to cut multiple strips the same thickness, with the offcuts falling away from the blade, instead of being trapped between the blade and fence. I'm using it in this picture to cut the sides for the dispensing chute, but I also used it on the popular I made the light colored inlays and splines from. I cut a test piece, and if I need to make it thicker or thinner, I just turn the screw in or out a little to dial it in.
You move it out of the way before you turn on the saw, you just use it to set the fence distance. Don't want to risk that metal bolt getting into the blade.
That contraption on the opposite side, is where I mount a dial indicator when I want to check my table saw blade alignment. It's a dual purpose jig!
I use a featherboard to keep the stock against the fence as I cut the thin stuff.
Here's all the pieces milled up. I marked the slide bar, so I wouldn't accidentally pick it up and cut it the length of the chute by mistake, since they started out almost the same size.
Here I've laid out the box sides, and marked them OS for outside, and 1-2, 2-3 etc for the best flow of the grain. It's real easy to forget where you're at when your cutting 8 miter cuts.
This is the jig I built to cut the 45 degree angles on the box sides. I saw this in Wood magazine, and have used it many times for boxes and frames.
I'm using the "Masking Tape Clamp" method of holding the box together till the glue drys.
After putting glue on the joints, just roll it up and tape it. If this were a box that you would see the inside of, I'd took the time to tape the joint lines so squeeze out wouldn't be a problem. But, since you can't see inside once it's assembled, I didn't fool with it.
Damn that glue bottle's nasty!
Check it for square, as soon as it's taped up. Didn't have to move this one at all. If it's not square, just squeeze a little on the opposite long corners, till it is. Then let it dry a while.
Here I'm set up to cut the end of the Chute at 60 degrees. That's a pretty chintzy miter gauge that comes with an otherwise good band saw...but it works I reckon.
Here's a picture of the top, with the 1 3/8" hole. I chamfered the hole with a router bit, to let the M&M's slide down in the hole easier. I also added a profile to the edges of the top and bottom later.
Gluing the sides on the Chute. After adding the sides, it will be the same width as the slide bar.
Now, to cut the slots for the miter splines. The jig rides on my fence. If it's something small, I figure a way to clamp it, but on these, I felt I could just hold it to the jig, since my hands would be plenty far away from the blade.
I use the outside blade from my Dado set to cut the slots with. They cut pretty square slots. If I used my regular ATB table saw blade, it would leave little ears at the corners of the slots that would have to be filled. The Dado blade works well.
Spacing of the slots is up to you, I just put them where I think looks good. By setting the fence once and cutting the four on one end, and flipping the box and cutting the other four, they're insured to be spaced the same from the top and bottom of the box.
As for depth, I usually set it to cut 3/4 or so ways through the corner. If you go shallower, your spline won't wrap as long around your corner, and if you go deeper, they will. What ever looks ok, is ok.
Here's the splines glued in. The inspector on the lower right spline had no complaints. He didn't sting me, and I didn't mash him.
After the glue drys....I cut them as close as I dare on the band saw.
Then sand them down until they're flush.
Here I'm set up to cut the dado for the handle to fit into the end of the slide bar.
Now I'll cut the grooves for the vertical inlay strips. I use the single Dado blade again, with just a tooth exposed through the ZCI. I'm careful to align them just right, so they intersect with the ends of the splines.
Same process as before, glue them in, cut them close, sand them flush.
Houston, we have a problem. I'm setting up the Dado blade to cut the front and back of the box to accept the Chute and Slide bar. I stack these two pieces beside the blade to get the height just right, and as you can see, my 8" blade won't cut high enough. If I cut like this, the top won't go on the box.
I ran the Slide bar, over the jointer a couple of passes and solved the problem. That's mo better.
Now I have the box clamped to the miter gauge, with a sacrificial backing, to cut the wide slots. The sac backing helps a little on tear out when the blade exits the back side. You'll notice I changed to my old cheap miter gauge here. That's cause the sacrificial board on my Incra is a nice piece of cherry, and this is a piece of junky pine. I guess there's different degrees of sacrificial.
Gotta be careful here, to make sure the blade will clear the clamps.
Side to side fit is perfect, but the bottom is a little jagged. If I'd set the dado up to 3/4" width, it might have helped this a little, but I wouldn't be comfortable taking that wide a cut, that deep, into a 1/2" side.
Oh Lord....now I've got to actually use a hand tool!
Not perfect, but much better.
This is how I limit the travel of the slide bar. 1/4" dowel sections, glued in from each side. I take a minute to be careful here, to make sure when the slide bar is all the way in, the hole will align with the hole in the box top.
I'll do the finishing before I assemble the box. Things are just easier to reach. I've taped off the part where the glue will be.
To keep the top and bottoms aligned, while gluing, I drive in a couple of brads, and cut the heads off. They're only sticking up about 1/16", and it's easy enough to press the top/bottom down on them, after I make sure things are centered. Then I pull it back off, apply the glue, and hit the same holes and it goes back on straight with no slipping and slidin' when I clamp.
Clamp the top and bottom on, and let the glue dry. Don't forget to put the slide bar in before you glue the top on.
The threaded ring for the jar top is just held on with three small screws. Screw the jar on, and your pretty much done.
Group hug.
Notice the curved body on the Chute on the one on the right. That's a little more trouble. Some weird angles to be cutting on the bandsaw. The square ones are much easier, but I'll probably do some more curved ones too.
