While working as a student shop trainer at Northwestern, I taught a four-hour introductory table saw class.
I made an example box ahead of time and guided students through the process, having them cut and assemble pieces during class with the opportunity to come back later and make their own boxes.
The box made in class (Left) and the example box (Right)
I wanted to design a project that would let me demonstrate multiple basic features of the table saw, would be feasible in four hours, and would be a safe entry point for beginners. I liked the idea of a six-sided box, because it incorporated angled cuts and showcased the tool’s ability to make precise, repeated cuts.
I also liked how it made use of tiny pieces of junk wood to make something aesthetically pleasing and useful.
The box, designed in Google Sketchup
I put together a packet so that the students (and I) could follow along during the course and have reference material to return to. My hope is that someone who took the class years ago could use the packet at any time as a handy guide to refresh their memory.
See packet...
Projection drawings from the packet
