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Here’s a transport box I built out of solid wood. I experimented with just about every type of joint I could with this project from big hand cut dovetail, box joint, lap joint, etc. It is a real woodworking project gone wild. It really looks pretty good “in person”.

Here’s some details-

It’s got a sliding plexi safety shield built in when you open the box. There’s enough clearance in there for a knob on the plexi.

Here it is slid open. It can slide all the way out.

Here’s some detail on the construction. I cut these with a hacksaw and files. I chiseled the edges and filled with cherry wood filler to contrast the joint. The lid is actually five pieces of wood!

Here’s some detail on the air holes- with a light from the other side you can see how that goes…

Weighs twelve pounds, but it is very solid. Now I just don’t know about throwing it the bed of a pickup truck…

Hope it inspires others.

Thanks for looking.

I like it. If you really need it to survive a toss from the back of a truck you could always build it from baltic birch plywood or some other high-ply plywood. They are also the only plywoods that look good with dovetails. Here is a picture I found of a dovetail cut in baltic birch.

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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.1 Morelia viridis "Aru"

0.0.1 Morelia viridis "Merauke"

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

It was not that big when I opened it in my browser. Sorry about that.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.1 Morelia viridis "Aru"

0.0.1 Morelia viridis "Merauke"

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

That plywood is pretty cool looking with the contrasting layers, hmmm…
I can’t imagine how that is routed without tear out.
Did you know you helped inspire this project? Remember the transport box I built over Thanksgiving weekend where you mentioned hot boxes requiring that all screws be concealed? Ha ha- I knew right then I was going to have to build something better!
Thanks for all your input on here Chris!

(I accidentally posted this message at the end of the other thread)

I think baltic birch holds up much better than other plywoods to tearout. And I agree, the look is nice. Actually that picture I posted does not really show how good it can look. I was just at the mall last night and noticed a table made from BB ply with oversized dovetails. It was a modern and interesting look.

Baltic Birch is imported from both Russia and Finnland. The products coming from each country are pretty similar. Both come in 5' x 5' sheets, which I actually prefer to the typical 4x8. You will need to look for these products at hardwood specialty stores most likely.

You can buy cutoffs in various sizes at Bargain Birch Dot Com. You may have to check often to get the widths you need for your boxes. But last time I checked the price was cheaper per square foot, even once you factor in shipping.

I don't know if you have Menards in your area, but they carry a BB knockoff that comes in 4x8 sheets. It is decent stuff but there are some delamination issues and I think you would experience some tearout.

There is another product called Appleply that has a strong distribution in the southeast United States so you might be able to find it in Florida. They also make drawer stock which is precut into panels so you may find some of those that will work. Appleply is a premium product.

Lastly, Columbia Forest Products makes a really nice plywood called Europly. It is the most expensive but nicest looking of the high-ply plywoods. Actually aircraft plywood is more expensive but that's hard to find so I won't even include that.

Europly also comes with an ultra-violet cured epoxy coating on both faces. Europly also has the nicest grain of any of them on the faces.

I do remember the thread from Thanksgiving and think you've outdone yourself. I think these boxes made from some sort of high-ply plywood and the DANGER drilled in the sides could be popular. Back when I kept venomous I would have bought one, even though I already had a few modified tool boxes that I used.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.1 Morelia viridis "Aru"

0.0.1 Morelia viridis "Merauke"

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

Wow, that is really nice.

I tried to find the five pieces of wood in the lid, but only see three.

I think the different styles of joinery looks good together. You do very nice work.

Thanks for the compliments. Ha- the lid has a strip glued down each side, plus the front and back edge. I made the whole project around the measurements of the plexi! It came from Home Depot as is, I didn’t cut it at all, just drilled a hole and put on the knob. The poplar board was only ten inches wide, so I had to glue a strip on each side to make the top wide enough. The floor is the only plywood, recessed into a rabbet joint around the bottom edge. Where the rabbet would show on the ends (and also the kerf for the plexi) I filled them with little blocks of wood (the white color wood you can see if you really look it over) I mortised the hinges with a chisel, and used more sandpaper than anything I ever made in my life. Make that all the things put together. I actually took the whole thing apart right after taking these pics so I could sand it again and do another couple of clear coats. It should be really smooth in about a week, but I couldn’t wait to see it put together. It is actually an idiotic sampling of joinery, probably pretty comical to a real woodworker, but it really helped me learn a few things.

Upscale wrote;

"It is actually an idiotic sampling of joinery, probably pretty comical to a real woodworker, but it really helped me learn a few things."

I'm not sure that I would call myself a real woodworker, but I think the variety of joinery makes the design.

It is common practice in many WW schools to incorporate a project with as many different types of joinery as possible.

I really need to do a wood project soon. Thanks for the inspiration.

Fabulous work, I really like the contrast using the cherry wood filler. Really great design too with the acrylic shield that cannot be removed when the box is latched. The DANGER air holes, too funny. Darn creative people around here.
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Mark