Making a TWCA Cam box

For a long time I only made leather sheaths for blades but over the past year or so more customers have been asking for wooden blade boxes and I have now started uploading a selection of mixed sized TWCA Cam boxes to the web shop. Below is a quick overview of how I make them.

Finished box

Firstly select the wood for the base of the box. Here I have used some mahogany as it is easier to work than other woods and is knot and defect free, things that can cause routing the curve to go off course! For the lid I have chosen something more exciting, in this case the rare spalted Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) from North Norfolk.

Odds and sods shelf

Im fortunate enough to have a large store of woods collected over the years and boxes of offcuts perfect for many jobs.

Spalted Holm oak

Ive had this spalted Holm oak for years but never used it as its hard as nails but running it through the bandsaw into slices makes it easier to work

I only have a small throated bandsaw but it suits my needs all these years

Now its time to mark up the mahogany drawing around the blade of the knife ready to rout it out, in this case a 50mm TWCA Cam

Next out comes the router which I add a narrow cutter to and set the mahogany block into a vice with the base of the box facing away from me so I cut the curve out by pulling the router towards me for better control.

Neat little Trend router small and nimble

Start at a depth of couple of mm and get the basic curve carved. If you go too deep at once it will mostly likely kick out and chip the wood and go very wonky! To get to the required depth you may have to stop and adjust the depth gauge several times depending on the wood used. Every time you stop clear the sawdust away. Once happy cut the base to the desired size on the bandsaw then use it as a template to cut the lid to size. Sand both to get a flush fit.

Brass fittings

Once happy drill a pilot hole through the lid and base while holding them together and screw in the brass fittings. When a nice tight fit you can sand them together so all edges are flush and smooth and take the edges off. Then add some oil or wax to the lid or both and job done!

Finito!

 If you don't have a router you can drill holes as close together as you can and use the drill, files, knife to chip away!